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MS Dhoni’s assurance that Ravindra Jadeja will be provided greater batting opportunities at Chennai Super Kings has led to the allrounder focusing more on his middle-order batting

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2018MS Dhoni’s assurance that Ravindra Jadeja will be provided greater batting opportunities at Chennai Super Kings during the upcoming IPL has led to the India allrounder focusing more on his middle-order batting. The results of such efforts were visible in his second List A hundred, which helped Saurashtra chase down 330 against Jharkhand in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Secunderabad on Sunday.”Mahi [Dhoni] told me that I will get batting opportunities in the IPL this year,” Jadeja told . “He said that I have the ability of a proper batsman, and I am not the flash in the pan type of batsman. And I should think like that. It was really encouraging for me. So, I am concentrating more on the batting aspect of my game and trying to get used to playing the anchor role.”I am focusing more on my batting now. I do not want to be a player who is known for hitting those 20-odd runs. I want to play the anchor role, just like I did today. The pain was unbearable some times while playing certain shots. But this was really important for my self confidence. It is morale boosting. To chase the target under the circumstances is really special for me.”Coming into bat at No.4, Jadeja hit an unbeaten 113 off 116 balls, including seven fours and four sixes, to set up Saurashtra’s four-wicket win with 10 balls to spare. While Jadeja hasn’t had a great run in the tournament so far, this innings was “morale boosting” for the manner in which he battled a side strain, which had restricted him to bowling only two overs.Jadeja, 29, last played a limited-overs international in July last year, and has since found himself out of the national side following the emergence of wristspinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. India’s bowling coach B Arun, however, maintained both Jadeja and R Ashwin were not out of contention for the 2019 World Cup.Jadeja, though, has endured a barren run with the ball – his stronger suit. He has gone wicketless in each of the four matches he has bowled in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Jadeja, however, said he was satisfied with his bowling form. “If I am satisfied with the way I have bowled, I do not think much about other things. If I am executing my plans, I am happy,” he said.”If I get wickets owing to mistakes of batsmen, I am not satisfied from the inside. If I think I have done the things I wanted to do, like varying the pace, I am content with that. It [pace variation] is the most important thing. I am trying to do that. I am using different angles to bowl.”

Michael Atherton describes dramatic Rawalpindi victory as “one of England’s finest-ever Test-match wins”

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2022Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton led the plaudits for Ben Stokes after his England side sealed a dramatic final-day victory against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, a result they described as “one of England’s finest-ever Test-match wins”.Immediately after England’s winning moment, Hussain described the result as “one of the greatest Test-match victories you’ll ever see”, and praised Stokes’ performance as captain.”I do not think I’ve seen a better week of captaincy than what we’ve just seen from that man,” he said. “They had to get everything right to go 1-0 up and they did.Related

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“It was fitting it was [Jack] Leach with the last wicket, because Stokes has backed Leach all the way through since he took over as captain. [With] Brendon McCullum as well off the field, he has changed the culture and the mindset of this England side. Since they took over, eight matches, seven wins, one loss: the Stokes and McCullum era is changing the face of Test-match cricket.”Hussain and Atherton, who are working for the host broadcast and for Sky Sports in the UK, were both involved in England’s last Test victory in Pakistan – the famous win in the dark in Karachi – more than two decades ago in December 2000.Speaking later on Sky, Hussain added: “I can’t remember either in my playing days, watching cricket growing up, or commentating, a better performance. A performance where you have to get everything right, burst every sinew and walk the walk after talking the talk. I would say it is one of their greatest-ever victories away from home.”Atherton told Sky’s studio that Stokes would go down as “one of England’s most significant captains” due to the transformative effect he has had on their style of play since taking over from Joe Root earlier this year, and echoed Hussain in describing the result as one of England’s best Test wins.”Only 13 captains have declared in the third innings and lost,” Atherton said, “and that tells you that captains generally err to the side of caution in Test cricket when it comes to declarations, especially in the first Test of a series. Stokes erred the other way here, and he got his rewards. It was a fantastic declaration; it was still a lot of runs to get, but this was the flattest of flat pitches.”All his moves have paid off – tactically and strategically. It has been a masterclass of a performance from Ben Stokes, the captain. You always felt it was going to happen. You just felt that given England had made all the running, the gods were going to look kindly upon them and give them that final wicket. They certainly deserved it.”I struggle to think of another England team that would have won on this surface, and therefore it’s got to go down as one of the finest of England’s Test-match victories: a brilliant declaration by the captain at tea time. As we said yesterday, even if that had gone against England today, whether Pakistan had sneaked home or if the game had been drawn, I don’t think you’d have found anybody criticising that declaration.”

Galle CC and Kalutara TC both finish on a remarkable 30 for 9 in Sri Lanka’s Major Clubs T20 tournament

Madushka Balasuriya06-Jun-2022
6 overs a sideTwo Sri Lankan clubs have combined to accomplish a truly unique feat during the ongoing Major Clubs T20 tournament, setting a record for the lowest aggregate in a tied game in representative men’s T20 cricket.The feat was accomplished when Kalutara Town Club (KTC) and Galle Cricket Club (GCC), in a rain-truncated six-overs-a-side game, both incredibly finished on identical totals of 30 for 9.Just two of the 12 overs bowled in the game failed to bring about a wicket, while the match average of 3.33 is also the lowest of any T20 fixture that has lasted beyond 10 overs.Unsurprisingly, a bulk of the wickets – 15 – were picked up by left-arm spinners, in what was a customary spin-friendly Sri Lankan domestic surface, while the four run-outs and two stumpings accurately paint a picture of a frenetic game of cricket.KTC’s Inshaka Siriwardena recorded the game’s, and his, best figures of 5 for 5 in two overs – including one over which brought four wickets. The haul sees him summit the tournament’s wicket-takers list. Galle’s Kawsitha Kodithuwakku, meanwhile, was the only batter from either side to get into double digits, with 12.The result however does little for either side’s prospects of qualifying for the semi-finals of the tournament, which sees the group leaders from four groups comprising either six or seven teams qualify; after this result, KTC remain one point off the bottom of the group, while GCC are third, three points off the top with just one game to play.As per the tournament’s playing conditions, a Super Over will be played following a tie only from the knockout rounds.The game between KTC and GCC was one of 32 matches that had been rescheduled after rain had washed out a spate of games last month. While it is unusual for domestic games abandoned due to rain to be rescheduled, the tournament is being used primarily as a means to identify players to be included in the draft for the Lanka Premier League in August. Sri Lanka Cricket therefore felt it would make more sense to reschedule the games.

The seasoned campaigner trades flamboyance for hard grind and the result is a marked improvement in his batting numbers

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur01-Dec-2018Mahmudullah has become Bangladesh clutch-hitter at crunch moments. Since early 2016, he’s also matured into a batsman who can craft tough runs, the 30-40 extra runs, that often make the difference in limited-overs cricket. This approach hasn’t really helped his poor Test form.Until his two centuries in the last three Tests, he had averaged 24.75 in 26 innings and his place was the only one, among other senior batsman, that was under scrutiny. When he failed twice in Sylhet against Zimbabwe last month, it appeared as if the pressure had consumed him.At the time, he wanted to bring “mental adjustments to his batting.” One way of doing that was “being positive.” In Mirpur against Zimbabwe and now in this series, he’s left the ball as well as he’s played them, an aspect that hasn’t been a hallmark of his game yet.Here, Mahmudullah’s discipline lasted for 242 deliveries, his longest innings in international cricket till date. His previous longest innings was the 177-ball he needed to make his maiden Test century against New Zealand in 2010.”I have been thinking from the second Test against Zimbabwe, I decided to take care of my mentality,” Mahmudullah said. “I wanted to remain positive, nothing more than that. I just wanted to score runs. Having said that, I was quite lucky [today] as well. A few decisions went my way and an edge didn’t carry to the slip. I have a lot of areas to improve, I have to keep working hard.”Against Zimbabwe, his unbeaten 101 revived Bangladesh from 25 for 4, eventually paving way towards setting a huge target. Against West Indies, he had to fight through 19 overs along with Shakib on the opening evening. Then on the second day he survived two lbw reviews, a catch that almost carried to Shimron Hetmyer at slip and another that Shai Hope dropped at slip.Then he saw Shakib and Liton Das tear into the West Indies attack. When he moved to the 90s, he saw No. 10 Taijul Islam batting more comfortably. This must have been humbling for someone used to dominating bowling attacks.”The ball wasn’t coming on to the bat. When Shakib and I were batting on the first day, we had to work hard,” he said of his grind. “I think we hit only a couple of boundaries. I wanted to be positive, but take minimum risks. The new ball was easier to bat against, which gave us more scoring options. It starts reducing as the ball gets older. We were looking to utilize the bad balls.”Ahead of the Test, Shakib spoke in details about his desire to see batsmen stick to their natural game. Shakib was indirectly asked about Mahmudullah and Soumya Sarkar, and without taking names, he made it clear that his stroke-players had to stick to what they do best.Mahmudullah, though, sees it differently. He isn’t fretting over not hitting fours and sixes anymore. He doesn’t mind playing dot balls and grinding down bowlers. The big-hitter has added another chapter to his batting, and it can only mean good news for Bangladesh.

Stokes takes four wickets but Robson, Holden, Andersson fifties leave Durham on back foot

ECB Reporters Network21-May-2022Toby Roland-Jones tore through Durham’s top order at Lord’s to strengthen Middlesex’s chances of pressing for victory on the final day. Roland-Jones dismissed the visitors’ first three batters in quick succession to leave them reeling at 18 for 3 in their second innings after Middlesex had secured a handy lead of 72.That advantage was secured by Sam Robson – who came close to registering a third consecutive LV= Insurance County Championship hundred with 84 – and Max Holden, whose 71 was his third half-century of the campaign.Martin Andersson built on those solid foundations by hitting a belligerent 62, while Ben Stokes finished with 4 for 72, but the England Test captain’s qualities with the bat may also be required if Durham, who closed 47 behind, are to save the game.Related

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Stokes delivered a fiery initial spell from the Nursery End after Middlesex began the day at 88 for 2, sending down a bouncer that dealt Robson a glancing blow on the chest.Robson recovered to reach his 50, driving Stokes through gully for four, but he lost overnight partner Josh de Caires soon afterwards, caught behind swishing at a Stokes delivery that seamed and left him.Middlesex skipper Peter Handscomb also departed during the morning session, bowled around his legs for 14 to provide some reward for a tidy stint by Ben Raine.However, Holden eased himself into the groove, looking productive on both sides of the wicket and nudging Matt Salisbury twice to the third man boundary as he and Robson put together a partnership of 63.Although Raine returned to have Robson caught behind, Holden progressed to his half-century, surviving a close call when he pulled Stokes and Brydon Carse, fielding on the square leg boundary, could only assist the ball over the rope.Ben Stokes took four wickets in Middlesex’s first innings•Alex Davidson/Getty Images

The left-hander’s good fortune ran out when Chris Rushworth (3 for 60) took the new ball, persuading him to nibble at a rising delivery outside off stump and hand Ned Eckersley his third catch of the day.John Simpson’s dismissal immediately after tea, neatly caught on the fence by Raine for 41, slowed Middlesex’s scoring rate, yet Andersson raised it again by clattering Carse for a flurry of boundaries to overtake Durham’s total of 350.Andersson drove Salisbury for successive fours, lifting his partnership with Hollman to exactly 100 and equalling Middlesex’s record eighth-wicket stand against Durham, but the seamer took instant revenge, bowling him through the gate.Stokes removed Hollman and Tim Murtagh to wrap up the innings for 422, before Roland-Jones cemented Middlesex’s advantage by having both openers – Alex Lees and Michael Jones – caught behind in his first over.Keegan Petersen was the third batter to depart, lbw to Roland-Jones for five, but Scott Borthwick and nightwatchman Salisbury battled through to stumps.

Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla blitzed a century each, became South Africa’s most prolific ODI pair of all-time and scripted their biggest win by 10 wickets in ODI history

The Report by Firdose Moonda15-Oct-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details AFP

Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla blitzed a century each, became South Africa’s most prolific ODI pair of all-time and scripted their biggest win by 10 wickets in ODI history. South Africa’s mockery of a 279-run target followed Bangladesh’s own record-setting after they chose to bat in the first ODI. Mushfiqur Rahim became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a century against South Africa in any format and led his team to their highest total against this opposition. But those efforts barely challenged the hosts.On a flat track in Kimberley, where anything under 300 was considered sub-par, Bangladesh were at least 50 runs short. Mushfiqur did his bit, but found scant assistance. Imrul Kayes was the only other player to score more than 30 against a weakened South African attack.The home pack were already plagued by absentees through injury and lost a further 65 caps when Wayne Parnell could not be considered for selection after picking up a groin strain. Dane Paterson was handed a debut. It was a baptism of fire for Paterson, who conceded at 7.66 to the over and went wicketless after being tasked with sharing the new ball with Kagiso Rabada.As the most experienced quick, Rabada took on the task of leading the attack. He produced an aggressive six-over new-ball spell, in which he took 1 for 11 and then returned to take 3 for 25 in three overs at the end.In between that, South Africa’s second-string seamers operated around Imran Tahir, but did not present much of a challenge. Paterson and Andile Phehlukwayo did not have the pace threaten Bangladesh while Dwaine Pretorius fared decently when replicating Rabada’s short-ball tactics – though he leaned more towards slower bouncers.While Bangladesh cashed in on the scoring opportunities Paterson and Phehlukwayo presented, they had too few substantial partnerships. Only Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur (59 runs) and Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah (69) sharing in stands of over 50. Even though South Africa did not apply sustained pressure, the incisions they made counted.After Shakib became the fastest player to the double of 5000 ODI runs and 200 wickets, he fell to crafty captaincy. Faf du Plessis kept a slip in place when Tahir was bowling and Shakib edged a googly into Hashim Amla’s hands. Tahir was effective in the middle overs and made a nuisance of himself to the Bangladesh batsmen.He had an lbw appeal against Mushfiqur when he was on 41 and tried to run a googly down to third man. Mushfiqur was hit on the back pad flap outside the line and South Africa did not review. In Tahir’s next over, Mahmudullah missed a sweep and was hit on the pad. South Africa reviewed but the impact was outside the line.Mahmudullah provided one of the highlights of the innings when he charged Rabada and tonked him back over his head for six but the bullishness did not last long. He top-edged a pull off Pretorius and David Miller took the catch to put the brakes on Bangladesh.Mushfiqur was on 79 at the time and pushed on with Sabbir Rahman at the other end. A six over square leg off Paterson took him past 80, and twin reverse-sweeps off Tahir into the 90s. His century came up with a push through the covers, off the 108th ball he faced. Cameos from the tail-enders took Bangladesh over 270 but not as far as 300, though even that may not have been enough.De Kock and Amla treated the chase like batting practice and denied their team-mates the chance to experience the same. Bangladesh’s bowlers also seemed to have bought into that mindset, with neither swing nor spin on offer and simply fed deliveries to the opening pair to hit.Rubel Hossain’s first ball was overpitched and swinging in to Quinton de Kock. He clipped it for four and didn’t stop at all from there. De Kock’s runs came mostly through the leg side at first and then shifted all around the wicket. His fifty came up off 56 balls with an inventive flick over his shoulder. He had been scoring at a similar rate to Amla up to that point but then took more of the strike and accelerated past him. His century came up off 100 balls.Amla’s fifty was off 48 balls but he was happy to let de Kock take centrestage thereafter. A hallmark of Amla’s innings was his ability to rotate strike and prevent dot balls from accumulating. Amla only scored four boundaries in his first fifty runs, and eight in his century. By the time Amla got to his hundred, de Kock was eight away from 150, and had already registered his second-highest ODI score. Had Bangladesh set a higher target, de Kock may have gone on to surpass his 178 against Australia.To rub salt in Bangladesh’s wounds, they only created two chances and fluffed both. At the start of the 38th over, when Amla, on 94, drove a ball back to Taskin Ahmed, the bowler could not hold on in his follow-through. Then, with the match all but gone in the 43rd over, de Kock smashed one to Nasir Hossain at long-on. Nasir had to jump to take the catch over his head and could not hold on.South Africa had no problems, other than the fact that the rest of their line-up, which included AB de Villiers on his international comeback and David Miller in his 100th ODI, did not bat.

Former England batter issues statement after meeting with Rafiq organised by PCA

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2022Gary Ballance has issued an unreserved apology for using “racist” language towards Azeem Rafiq when the two were team-mates at Yorkshire.ESPNcricinfo revealed last year that the use of the word “P**i” by a player – subsequently identified as Ballance – when referring to Rafiq had been deemed “banter” by an independent report into allegations of racism at Yorkshire. Ballance at the time expressed his “regret” but said the language used came in the context of “a situation where best friends said offensive things to each other”.Ballance is one of seven individuals at Yorkshire charged by the ECB, alongside the club itself, after an investigation into the revelations that followed Rafiq’s emotional testimony before parliament in November 2021.Related

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It was reported by that Ballance and Rafiq spoke earlier this week in a meeting facilitated by the Professional Cricketers’ Association. Ballance, who has not played at all this season due to ongoing mental health issues, subsequently released a statement through Yorkshire.”I have wanted to meet Azeem in person for quite some time, but I had to make sure I was in a good place when I did so,” Ballance said. “Azeem has been through similar mental health challenges and understands why this has taken me a little time.”I apologise unreservedly to Azeem for the words I used when we played together. I did use unacceptable – at times, racist – language. If I had realised how much this hurt Azeem, I would have stopped immediately. That’s why I wanted to meet him this week and be clear in person that I intended no malice. That’s not an excuse, I realise that the language I used was wrong.”I have accepted, from the outset, the words I used were wrong and I hope this statement brings Azeem some comfort. There is no place in our sport for this behaviour and I am determined to play my part in ridding the game from racism and make it more inclusive. To do this we all need to be honest and learn from our past mistakes.”Rafiq told that he had accepted Ballance’s apology and said that his “courage means he is now part of the solution” in the fight against the problem of racism within the game.”From day one of opening up about my experiences, all I ever wanted was acceptance and apologies for what happened,” Rafiq said. “Gary has been brave to admit the truth and I understand why the mental strain has made it difficult for him to make this apology any sooner. Gary must be applauded for his honesty and unreserved apology and must now be allowed to get on with his life.”Ballance has been in action for Yorkshire’s 2nd XI this summer, but his previous first-team appearance came in September 2021. It was reported earlier this month that he was considering switching his international allegiance back to Zimbabwe, the country of his birth, but ESPNcricinfo understands that there has been no contact with Zimbabwe Cricket.

Australian Cricketers’ Association has plans for a contingency fund to help female and domestic players avoid financial difficulty if stalled MOU talks with Cricket Australia (CA) don’t progress before June 30

Daniel Brettig18-May-2017Australia’s players are preparing for a long, cold and out-of-contract winter, with the Australian Cricketers’ Association unveiling plans for a contingency fund to help female and domestic players avoid financial difficulty in the event of the stalled MOU talks with Cricket Australia (CA) not progressing before the June 30 deadline.On the day Australia’s squad for the Women’s World Cup was unveiled with an acknowledgement by CA that the team will be paid in advance for a tournament that will conclude after that date, the players union outlined plans to aid around 200 players who will be out of contract if an agreement is not reached in time.Clea Smith, the ACA’s past players, development and personal development manager, said the plan was designed to protect the most vulnerable players. “The playing group is unified. All male, female, international and domestic players are standing together because they believe in what their position represents,” she said.”The players’ position is about preserving the Revenue Sharing Model as well as understanding a need for increases in grassroots cricket. Female and domestic players are the most vulnerable once locked-out by Cricket Australia after June 30, so the [fund] will provide some financial security until a new MOU is resolved.”The Women and Men Cricketers’ Assistance Plan will allow players in need to apply for financial help as and when required in the second half of 2017. International male players, whose rich salaries have been highlighted during the dispute, are not eligible for access to the fund. The fund is a response to CA’s threat, delivered by the chief executive Jame Sutherland last week, that the board was not considering any alternative contract plans beyond the MOU expiry.”We are genuinely committed to getting a deal done before June 30,” the ACA player liaison manager Simon Katich said. “Unfortunately, however, the players and CA still appear to be a long way apart in the current negotiations, especially given CA are now refusing mediation. And with CA’s threat last week saying that they would effectively lock-out the players after June 30, it looks as though this impasse may continue for some time yet.”The players continue to be united with the ACA and are up for the fight when it comes to having the Revenue Sharing Model for all players – male, female, national and domestic. There is no doubt that there is a degree of uncertainty about what lies ahead given June 30 is fast approaching, so whatever can be done to ease some of the pressure on the players is welcome.”In naming the Women’s World Cup squad, the CA team performance manager Pat Howard said the team led by Meg Lanning would be supported either side of the deadline. “Selectors have chosen this squad irrespective and independent of the status of the MOU,” he said. “We are confident that there will be a resolution in place by 30 June and look forward to continuing to support these players to perform at their very best on the global stage.”The first tour to take place after the expiry of the current MOU is an Australia A tour of South Africa, with the former international players Jason Gillespie, Chris Rogers and Brad Haddin to be among the coaching staff. The national selectors are yet to announce a squad for that tour.CA and the ACA remained poles apart on Thursday, following the board’s rejection of a request for independent mediation in order to get negotiations moving once more. Darren Lehmann, the former ACA president and national men’s team coach, has stressed that communication is key to avoiding further turmoil.

England’s swashbuckling batting line-up makes them firm favourites as Afghanistan look to reach their first ICC final

Sreshth Shah31-Jan-2022

Big Picture

The first semi-final of the 2022 Under-19 World Cup will feature two teams, who in many ways, play just like their senior sides do. England are the side that bat aggressively, while Afghanistan have tied a web around other teams with their spinners.However, both teams have had largely different paths to the semi-final. England reached the West Indies early. They played the warm-ups, beat Bangladesh in their competition opener, and have not looked back since.Afghanistan, on the other hand, had a late arrival to the tournament, forcing them to miss both warm-up games entering the event. They lost to Pakistan, finished second in their group, and barely went over the line in the quarters.Related

• Afghanistan defend 134 against Sri Lanka to reach semis

• Bethell's 88, Ahmed's four-for lift England to semi-finals

Therefore, the two sides are in wildly different headspaces. England have been dominant. They rolled Bangladesh over for 97, made 320 and 362 against Canada and UAE, and chased a target against South Africa inside 32 overs.Afghanistan, though, have been tested, more than once. Against Pakistan, they could not go over the line, but they defended 200 against a talented Zimbabwe side. Lessons from both those games came to use against Sri Lanka in the first knockout game, where they successfully defended 134. That Sri Lanka game gave Afghanistan the sinking feeling of how being eliminated may feel, but most importantly, provided the redemption arc that gives them the belief that they can crawl out of any situation on the field.As expected, Afghanistan are reliant on their spinners, led by left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad, playing his second tournament and also in the radar for the upcoming IPL auction. Izharulhaq Naveed provides legspin, and together the two have taken 15 wickets. Throw in left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote’s seven wickets, and Afghanistan have a formidable 30 overs of spin to test England.But standing in their way is England’s swashbuckling batting line-up. Their captain Tom Prest has smacked the second-highest score of the competition. Barbados-born Jacob Bethell scored an outrageous 44-ball 82 in the quarter-final against South Africa. And William Luxton, from the middle order, averages 70+ at a strike-rate of almost 120. If England’s batting plays out 50 overs, they will be favourites to take the win.That’s because Afghanistan’s batting is frail. Papua New Guinea bowled them out for 200, and the Sri Lanka game showed that playing quick seamers isn’t a strength either. And England have plenty of challenging bowlers, with left-arm quick Joshua Boyden leading the way with his 12 wickets, followed by legspinner Rehan Ahmed who have both produced match-winning spells.

Form guide

England WWWWW (most recent first)
England WWLWLAfghanistan players celebrate their win against Sri Lanka in the quarters•ICC via Getty Images

In the spotlight

Can the captain Tom Prest produce the same form that he showed against Canada and UAE? The 154* and 93 against the two non-Test playing countries showed that he is a notch above bowlers from those teams. He has used his feet to the spinners and comfortably played off the back foot against seamers who aren’t extremely quick. But the Afghan spinners will provide a whole different challenge.Suliman Safi is the lone Afghanistan batter who has put on any substantial score. The captain made 62 against PNG and 111 against Zimbabwe, but against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, he couldn’t produce a significant innings. Afghanistan, so far, seem to build their innings around him, and he is the lynchpin who could decide what score the team finally posts.

Team news

No injury news in either team, and both are expected to field their strongest XIs. If the pitch shows cracks, England could throw in spinning allrounder Fateh Singh into the mix.England (possible): 1 George Thomas, 2 Jacob Bethell, 3 Tom Prest (capt), 4 James Rew, 5 William Luxton, 6 George Bell, 7, Rehan Ahmed, 8 Alex Horton (wk), 9 Thomas Aspinwall, 10 James Sales, 11 Joshua BoydenAfghanistan (possible): 1 Bilal Sayedi, 2 Nangeyalia Kharote, 3 Allah Noor, 4 Suliman Safi (capt), 5 Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, 6 Abdul Hadi, 7 Mohammad Ishaq (wk), 8 Noor Ahmad, 9 Izharulhaq Naveed, 10 Bilal Sami, 11 Naveed Zadran

Pitch and conditions

The scores have gotten lower as the tournament has moved on, and there’s a bit of rain expected. If the match is washed out, or no result is possible, then England would qualify into the final because of their better group-stage performance.

Stats and trivia

• The last time England reached an Under-19 World Cup final, they went on to win the whole event. Afghanistan are yet to reach a final in any ICC competition.
• With 275 runs, Prest is the competition’s second-highest run-scorer.
• The two squads have never played each other, although they were supposed to in the warm-up game that was cancelled due to Afghanistan’s late arrival.

The allrounder and Western Australia captain, slammed an unbeaten 80 to drive his side to a six-wicket win in the final against South Australia in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2017
ScorecardThe victorious Western Australia team with the trophy•Getty Images

Western Australia captain Mitchell Marsh led his state to a comfortable victory over South Australia to lift the domestic limited overs trophy at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Saturday.South Australia made a swift start after winning the toss, but the loss of regular wickets limited their chances of posting the sort of totals that had allowed them to beat Western Australia in the qualifying rounds and Victoria in the elimination final.Western Australia, who had been unbeaten before the SA loss, were then able to reel them in with 38 balls to spare, largely due to the efforts of Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Bancroft, the sometime-Test opening contender, but now a free-scoring gloveman.While Mitchell Marsh was named Man of the Match, at a time when his recovery from shoulder surgery rules him out of bowling and by extension an Ashes berth, it was his brother Shaun Marsh who was named Man of the Tournament for a string of outstanding displays at the top of the batting order.South Asutralia had started fluently through a first-over boundary from Alex Carey, but the early dismissals of the wicketkeeper and dual tournament centurion Jake Weatherald set a pattern. South Australia scored freely but lost regular wickets, which meant the later acceleration typical of their bigger totals was instead a steady stand between Tom Cooper and Cameron Valente followed by a late rush of wickets.Their new-ball bowling had been another feature of their progress, but after Michael Klinger fell early and Shaun Marsh had not fired from the start, Mitchell Marsh and Bancroft missed scarcely a beat in bringing the target under control. Long touted as a future leader by his coach Justin Langer, Mitchell Marsh has aced his very first exam as state captain.