Historically, the winner of Game 1 of the World Series has gone on to win the Fall Classic 64% of the time.

That's good news, of course, if you're a fan of the Blue Jays, who emphatically captured Game 1 of the 2025 World Series on Friday night by a final score of 11–4.

Here are three takeaways from Toronto's series-opening win.

The Blue Jays grinded out at-bats against Blake Snell that paid dividends later in the contest

The single biggest storyline entering the World Series was the Dodgers' starting rotation and its dominance throughout the postseason. Entering Game 1, Los Angeles's starters boasted a 1.40 ERA this postseason, and were coming off a dominant NLCS in which they held the Brewers to a .118 batting average as a team.

Getting to the Dodgers' bullpen was going to be paramount for the Blue Jays, not only against Los Angeles ace Blake Snell in Game 1, but throughout the series.

Snell pitched three scoreless innings to begin the game, but Toronto made him work. The Blue Jays put runners on base in each of the first three frames, driving Snell's pitch count up in the process. In the fourth, the tough early at-bats paid dividends. Trailing 2–0, Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk singled before center fielder Daulton Varsho took a Snell four-seam fastball deep to dead center to tie the game.

The game was all square, which of course was only a precursor for what was to come in the sixth.

The Dodgers' bullpen? Not as good as their starters!

This was a big storyline heading into the World Series. Could the Blue Jays get into the Dodgers bullpen and make the unit pay? As previously mentioned, the Los Angeles starting rotation entered the Fall Classic with a 1.40 postseason ERA. The bullpen, on the other hand, had a 4.88 ERA.

The sixth inning of Game 1 provided a blueprint for how Toronto could win the World Series. Grind out good early at-bats against the Dodgers starters, then attack the bullpen. The Blue Jays posted a nine-spot in the sixth, blowing the game open with the most runs scored in a single inning of a World Series game since 1968. The grand slam from Toronto utilityman Addison Barger – which effectively put the game away – was the first pinch hit grand slam in World Series history.

Three of the nine runs in the sixth were charged to Snell, the remaining six were courtesy of the Los Angeles bullpen. You can't ask for much better than that if you're a fan of the Blue Jays.

The Dodgers need more from the top of their lineup in Game 2 (and beyond)

The Dodgers need more out of the top of their lineup, starting in Game 2. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh, which came with Los Angeles trailing 11–2. Toronto fans are certainly happy that Ohtani's biggest hit of the night came with the game well in hand. He finished 1-for-4. Shortstop Mookie Betts and first baseman Freddie Freeman were a combined 1-for-7 on Friday night, underscoring the Dodgers' struggles at the plate.

The track record of those three players is way too good to expect another pedestrian performance in Game 2. More tone-setting at the top of the lineup will be something to keep an eye on for the Los Angeles on Saturday.

Sam Billings fifty in vain as Kent lose fourth game on the trot

ECB Reporters Network20-Jun-2024

Sussex 201 for 7 (Ward 61, Lamb 40, Parkinson 3-31) beat Kent 170 for 7 (Billings 51, Bell-Drummond 37, Evison 34*, Lamb 3-37) by 31 runsSussex Sharks made it five wins out of seven in the Vitality Blast when they defeated Kent’s Spitfires by 31 runs at The 1st Central County Ground in Hove. But for Kent this was a fourth defeat in as many games.Kent’s challenge, to score 202, was always a daunting one, the more so after Zak Crawley was bowled by Ollie Robinson for 4 in the opening over – the England opener’s sixth consecutive failure to reach double figures. Robinson was also unlucky not to have Marcus O’Riordan lbw in the same over.But when O’Riordan was out in the second over, edging Nathan McAndrew to first slip, everything appeared to depend on Daniel Bell-Drummond and skipper Sam Billings, because there was a lack of experience in Kent’s late middle-order.Bell-Drummond and Billings looked the part as they added 93 for the third wicket. And when James Coles went for 19 in one over, and also dropped Bell-Drummond, a steepling catch, it looked a possible turning point. But Sussex captain Tymal Mills responded by bringing himself on at the other end and immediately bowled the Kent batter.That moved Billings firmly centre stage. But in the next over he sent a lofted drive to Robinson at wide long-off and the match looked over, despite a spirited knock from Joey Evison and a quick 18 from former Sussex player Harry Finch. Danny Lamb completed an impressive all-round match with figures of 3 for 37.Earlier Kent, who chose to field, made a good start when they conceded just three runs off the opening two overs. But the next four overs went for 19, 13, 16 and 17 as Sussex reached 68 without loss from the powerplay.In those six overs Daniel Hughes faced just nine deliveries. But Harrison Ward, showing form and confidence after his 68 at Chelmsford on Friday, made up for at the other end. He reached his fifty from just 24 balls, with some long hitting, both straight and to the short boundary on the left-hander’s leg side.Kent broke through in the seventh over when Hughes, who had swung Matt Parkinson for two sixes, was well caught by Bell-Drummond at long-leg as he attempted a third. Ward followed in the next over, caught by Finch on the deep midwicket boundary. He had made 61 off 28 deliveries, with six fours and five sixes.The Kent fightback continued when Beyers Swanepoel bowled John Simpson for three in the ninth and in the next over Tom Alsop was lbw to Parkinson for just 2, a very tight decision. When Coles gave Parkinson his third wicket, also lbw, for 21, Sussex had lost five wickets for just 36 runs.But some late hitting by Lamb, who managed 40 from 32 balls, saw Sussex past 200. Kent, for the most part, bowled well in discouraging conditions. But Swanepoel (1 for 53) and Grant Stewart (0 for 51) were disappointing.

Saha has will turn out for Rashmi Medinipur Wizards in the Bengal T20 league which starts on June 11

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2024Wriddhiman Saha is all set to return to Bengal for the upcoming Indian domestic season, and will also feature in the inaugural Bengal Pro T20 league that gets underway on Tuesday at the Eden Gardens.Saha, who represented Bengal for close to 15 years since making his first-class debut in 2007, moved to Tripura ahead of the 2022-23 domestic season as a player-cum-mentor. He had asked for his NOC after being hurt by comments by a senior administrator before the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy quarter-finals. After two years at Tripura, Saha is now back at Bengal.He wasn’t on the initial draft list of the Bengal Pro T20 league but has been picked by the Rashmi Medinipur Wizards team as a replacement for the injured Abhimanyu Easwaran. Wizards will be led by Sudip Chatterjee in the league and also have former India U-19 fast bowler Ishan Porel in their ranks.There are a total of eight teams taking part in the Pro T20 league. Each team will play seven league-stage matches, followed by the semi-finals and the final on June 28 at the Eden Gardens.”We are very happy to have Wriddhiman back in Bengal. Also, his interest in playing at the Bengal Pro T20 League will add more glamour to the League,” Snehasish Ganguly, the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, said.Saha, 39, has played 136 first-class matches, scoring 7013 runs at an average of 41.99. So far, he has hit 14 centuries and 43 half-centuries. This includes 1353 Test runs in 40 matches at an average of 29.41.Saha was picked up by Gujarat Titans at the IPL 2022 auction and was part of the side that won the title in its inaugural season. He had an underwhelming IPL 2024, though, where he could only manage 136 runs in nine innings while averaging 15.11. His loss of form coincided with Titans’ slide as they finished eighth in the season.

Rabeya’s four-for helped Bangladesh restrict Thailand to 96 for 9 after which Murshida anchored the chase with a fifty

Srinidhi Ramanujam22-Jul-2024

Bangladesh ended their ten-match losing streak in T20Is and collected their first points in Women’s Asia Cup 2024. They bounced back from the opening game defeat to Sri Lanka with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Thailand in Dambulla to keep their hopes for a semi-final spot alive.Legspinner Rabeya Khan’s four-wicket haul and seam-bowling allrounder Ritu Moni’s two scalps helped Bangladesh restrict Thailand to a below-par 96 for 9 on a spin-friendly surface. Nattaya Boochatham top-scored for Thailand with a 41-ball 40. In reply, Murshida Khatun, after missing the previous game, scored 50 off 55 balls to take Bangladesh home in 17.3 overs.Suwanchonrathi, from No. 11 to openerAphisara Suwanchonrathi, who had batted at No. 11 in her last two innings, was promoted to open with Boochatham. But the move backfired as Suwanchonrathi struggled to get going. She took 12 deliveries to get off the mark and eventually fell for a 20-ball 6 in the seventh over. Thailand could only post 25 for 0 in the powerplay.Rabeya, Moni strangle ThailandRabeya struck twice in her first over, the seventh of the innings, to remove Suwanchonrathi and Nannapat Koncharoenkai. Koncharoenkai, who had top-scored with 40 in the last match, fell for a duck this time. Bangladesh understood early in the game that Thailand found it difficult to score against full balls. Their spinners deceived the Malaysia batters with drift, turn and bounce.At the halfway stage, Nigar Sultana threw the ball to Moni, and she struck immediately. She hit the hard length and got the ball to swing in to remove Phannita Maya to leave Thailand 38 for 3. In her next over, Moni bowled Chanida Sutthiruang with a slower ball, for a ten-ball 8.Rabeya returned in the 14th over and castled Suwanan Khiaoto with a wrong’un. She did not let Boochatham take off either and cleaned her up in the 17th over.Debutant left-arm spinner Sabikun Nahar Jesmin, after conceding 23 in her first three overs, scalped two off two deliveries in her final over to sink Thailand further.Murshida Khatun anchored Bangladesh’s chase with 50 off 55 balls•ACC

Murshida among the runsBangladesh’s last T20I win before Monday came against South Africa in December 2023 when Murshida top-scored with an unbeaten 62. But in the next seven months, the team struggled with the bat, often collapsing around Sultana. In the last three series before this tournament, they used seven players in the top three, trying to find the winning combination.Even on Monday, Bangladesh made three changes to their XI. One of them was Murshida and she made it count. She took ten deliveries to get off the mark but after that, she kept the scoreboard ticking. There was a mix-up between her and Dilara Akter in the fifth over, which resulted in the latter being run out. But Murshida kept Bangladesh on the right track. She hit eight fours in her innings and brought up her fourth T20I half-century. Along with Ishma Tanjim, she added 60 off 58 balls for the second wicket.Bangladesh lost two wickets late in the game but, for a change, they didn’t need Sultana to rescue them.

India’s captain Rohit Sharma stressed on the importance of keeping the team environment normal and clarity of thought as they prepare to take on England in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Providence, Guyana on June 27.”See, we want to treat this game as another game that we have played in this tournament,” he said on the eve of the match. “We don’t want to think about what lies ahead and what is the context of the game and all of that. Everyone knows in the back of their mind it’s a semi-final. But you don’t want to keep talking about it again and again and again. And not to think about what has happened in the past.”The fixture is a re-match of the semi-final at the T20 World Cup 2022, where India suffered a ten-wicket defeat against England in Adelaide.Related

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“I think we are, all of us, the entire group is in a good frame of mind. We are playing well as a team, enjoying each other’s company, enjoying each other’s success at times as well. Yes, we’ve been put under pressure in certain games during this tournament as well, but I thought we responded pretty well. And that is probably because we’re not thinking too far ahead.”We want to think about how well we can play and what we can do as a team for us to achieve the result that we are looking for. Sometimes if you think too much, you then will not be able to make the decisions that you want to make on the field. So, I think it’s important that we stay clear in our mind what we want to do. We have had enough conversations with the players, what is expected out of each one of us. So, it’s time now to just rely on the individual instinct and then take the game forward.”Both India and England will be playing in Providence for the first time this T20 World Cup – it’s a 10.30am start – and assessing conditions quickly will be crucial.”I know it sounds very boring for me to talk about conditions, conditions, because that does matter a lot,” Rohit said. “Because in New York, we saw what the winning score was. So, we want to be a smart cricket team. We don’t want to just talk in one language, which is to just go and swing the bat.”I think it is important for us to understand what conditions are in front of us and what we have to do. And I have spoken about experience in this group, and we rely on that experience from each player to go out and make that decision, whether it is playing the reverse sweep, whether it is bowling a yorker, whether it is bowling a bouncer. We rely on those individuals to make that decision.”1:58

Defeat to England in 2022 semi-final was a ‘wake-up call’ for India – Manjrekar

When asked about India adopting an aggressive batting approach during this T20 World Cup, Rohit picked out their Super Eight contest against Bangladesh as the “perfect game”. In that match, India scored 196 for 5 with only one batter – Hardik Pandya – making more than 40 and the team won by 50 runs.”Yes, it’s important to play without fear,” Rohit said. “Of course. And we have created this environment in the team for the past few years … This format is like that now. Individual scores and individual brilliance don’t matter that much. If someone does it, it’s good, but you shouldn’t focus on it that I have to score 70 runs, 90, or 100 runs. I think the game that we played against Bangladesh was the perfect game. Why I say that is because only one guy scored 50 runs. Rest of the team scored 20 – 30, 20 – 30, and still we reached 198 [196]. Which is a very good score.”That is because the role that we have given each player – he did his role in his phase. That’s why we reached that score. I think this is what our team needs – if we play eight batsmen, they will play their roles and we will get the score we want.”I see the same with bowling – it’s not any one person’s day – they might not get a chance to bowl four overs. He will get a chance to bowl one or two overs. I keep talking to the players about this. I want one or two overs from you. I want those two tight overs. You are creating pressure here so that the other bowler can come and take the wicket from the other end.”So, these small things, we keep talking about these things in the team. I think the message in the team is very clear. Our focus is not on the individual score, it is on the role, how you will play the role.”

USA allrounder calls for better facilities if the team is to improve on Super Eight achievements

Sidharth Monga23-Jun-20242:35

Knight: USA will be proud, but they need more help

The euphoria of beating Pakistan and qualifying for the Super Eight of T20 World Cup 2024 is now over. USA’s World Cup has ended with two resounding defeats on a slow surface in Barbados. While teams are naturally better prepared to face USA now, there is also an element of batters used to training indoors not adjusting quickly to a slower pitch. In both these matches, they made a decent start in the powerplay before falling apart in the middle overs.And according to Harmeet Singh, the USA allrounder, if the team is to improve between now and the next T20 World Cup in India in 2026, for which they have automatically qualified, they will need to improve their outdoors infrastructure.”For the whole group, we just need infrastructure to practise better, to train better,” Harmeet said. “We need the whole system in place. Trainers need to be able to work with us all year even if remotely. If you see England, Australia, all the destinations, they have incredible infrastructure in every state. Being indoors doesn’t help. We need a lot more outdoor set-ups, need good training facilities.Related

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“Stadiums are coming up, but the short-term goal should be building a lot of infrastructure for guys to be able to train so that the whole grassroot [cricketers get to train better] and our bench strength also builds with that. Playing franchise cricket will help, but it will help four, five, six guys who might play, but to build a cricket-playing nation, we need a lot more infrastructure.”The nature of the sport is that associate teams don’t get to play the amount of cricket that is required to get better. It can become a vicious cycle that ends up in underwhelming performances if you play straight in tournaments, which in turn leads to calls for World Cups to become smaller. To be able to play regularly against bigger opponents, you have to be a big commercial draw, which USA currently aren’t.Harmeet Singh wants an improvement in US facilities•Getty Images

However, Harmeet believes that the last month or so has helped cricket reach beyond the Asian diaspora, which is why it is all the more important for USA to capitalise on the current mood with the right infrastructure.”The cricketing community is large, especially in Texas where I come from, or New Jersey as well,” Harmeet said. “Seattle has a big cricket community. The West Coast, the overall California area, everywhere, there is a lot of cricket going on. It’s just that we don’t have enough turf practice facilities everywhere. We just have kids practising in indoors.”Let’s say being a professional cricketer [before moving to the US], I can manage going from indoors to outdoors. I know the differences. Kids when they practise indoors, they go outdoors straight away on turf pitches, and there’s no feet, nothing. So all that needs to change and hopefully, in the near future, we have a lot more practice facilities than just building grounds. Go to India or anywhere in a Test-playing nation, we have so many grounds to practise. All the academies are outdoor academies and then you go indoors [only] when it’s raining.”I know parents who spend a lot of money on their kids to train, but then the problem lies is when you are just doing indoors, the growth is standard, it’s not a lot of growth. And then when they go outdoors, the kids feel the heat. ‘Oh it’s hot.’ It’s supposed to be hot.”But it’s not just at the grassroots level, but at the top too, that USA need to catch this wave of momentum. “There’s a lot to learn and everybody has come a long way from where we started,” Harmeet said. “And then there’s a lot of confidence also in the team that we’ve battled against the best. And when we were at our best, we did push them to the line. So I think there’s so much to learn.”The work starts now,” he added. “Not tomorrow, the work starts now in our heads. We need to think how we are going to be at the 2026 World Cup. And then from now to then, the journey needs to be from us personally putting in the work and then USA Cricket also providing us lots and lots of games and training opportunities. And then franchise cricket [for those who can]. And then putting that preparation into the 2026 World Cup and get the best result.”

Leicestershire tail wags to breach 400 before bowlers forced to toil in the field

ECB Reporters Network23-Aug-2024

Ben Charlesworth led the way with 105 not out as Gloucestershire produced a determined fightback on the second day of the Vitality County Championship Second Division game with Leicestershire at Bristol.The 23-year-old left hander notched his second first-class century off 164 balls, with 14 fours and three sixes, in a Gloucestershire first-innings total that had reached 227 for 3 by the time bad light ended play seven overs early. James Bracey was unbeaten on 34.Leicestershire had posted 402 all out in their first innings from an overnight 291 for 7. Liam Trevaskis contributed 50 and Tom Scriven 60 off 84 balls, while Zaman Akhter finished with 3 for 110.There was bright sunshine over the Seat Unique Stadium for most of the day, but also a blustery wind. Leicestershire added 14 to their overnight total before Ben Green, back on loan from Somerset, was bowled for ten by Akhter off an inside edge and pad.By the time the second new ball was taken, Leicestershire were 319 for 8. It had barely any effect as Trevaskis went to fifty off 108 balls, with six fours, helped by Scriven in a taking the score to 381with a ninth-wicket stand of 76.Offspinner Ollie Price ended it by having Trevaskis caught in the covers to earn a third bowling bonus point. But Scriven wasn’t finished and completed a half-century of 78 balls, with his seventh boundary, stroked through extra cover off Price.It was largely due to Scriven’s efforts that Leicestershire took a fourth batting point. He brought up 400 with a pulled four off Akhter and was clearly looking to hit out when lofting a catch to long-on off Price to complete the innings.Lunch had been delayed for the fall of the final wicket and Gloucestershire began their reply at the start of the afternoon session. Soon the Leicestershire seamers were finding the pitch as unresponsive as their Gloucestershire counterparts had done as Charlesworth and Cameron Bancroft put together a half-century opening stand in 13 overs.Charlesworth top-edged a pull shot for six off Josh Hull, but it was one of few false shots as both he and Bancroft settled in to play some delightful strokes. Bancroft was particularly strong through the leg side and it was a surprise when the Australian edged an attempted cover drive off Scriven to second slip and departed for 39.At 68 for 1, Price joined Charlesworth and made only six before getting a thin edge to an attempted pull shot off Hull and feathering through to wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb. Charlesworth was unbeaten on 42 when tea was taken at 4pm with Gloucestershire 102 for 2.The tall allrounder soon moved to his half-century at the start of the final session with a flashing square cut boundary off Scriven. He had faced 96 deliveries and hit seven fours and a six, rarely looking in the slightest trouble.Fellow left-hander Hammond was also producing some swashbuckling shots as the pair took the score past 150 in the 39th over. They had added 65 in 16.2 overs when Green made an important breakthrough, nipping one back off the seam to pin Hammond lbw for 29.Charlesworth had a moment of anxiety on 77 when surviving a loud shout for a catch behind off Scriven. But there were to be no nervous nineties for him as two mighty blows cleared the ropes in the same over from left-arm spinner Trevaskis and took him to three figures.It was a hugely impressive ton from a young player long earmarked for a big future. Bracey leant typically solid support, but with rain forecast for tomorrow morning it may take a supreme effort from one of the teams to force a decisive result on such a bat-friendly surface.

Australia A will take on India A in a multi-format series in Queensland during August with the home side featuring Tahlia McGrath, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt and Tayla Vlaeminck across the limited-overs matches.The tour involves three T20s in Brisbane, three 50-over games in Mackay and a four-day match on the Gold Coast.McGrath, Australia’s vice-captain, will captain the T20 and 50-over squads while Queensland allrounder Charli Knott will lead the four-day side. All three squads feature leading domestic players who will look to push their claims for higher honours.The four-day game will give players from both countries a rare chance to play long-form cricket.”I’m really looking forward to being a part of this series and for the challenge that India A will pose,” McGrath said. “It presents those of us not playing in the Hundred with the chance to prepare for a huge summer against a strong opposition.”Shawn Flegler, the national selector, said: “This series will allow us to take a closer look at some of the players who have impressed at domestic level while giving the nationally contracted players the chance to fine tune their preparations ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup.”Australia will return to action with a three-match T20I series against New Zealand in mid-September before heading to Bangladesh for the T20 World Cup. That begins another hectic season with the WBBL set to start shortly after the World Cup followed by an ODI series against India, a short tour of New Zealand in December then the multi-format Ashes in January.

Australia A T20 squad

Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Charli Knott, Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath (capt), Grace Parsons, Megan Schutt, Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Tahlia Wilson

Australia A one-day squad

Maitlan Brown (2nd & 3rd matches only), Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Charli Knott, Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath (capt), Grace Parsons, Megan Schutt (1st match only), Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Tahlia Wilson

Australia four-day squad

Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Emma de Broughe, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Grace Parsons, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll

Australia A vs India A women’s series

7 August: 1st T20, Allan Border Field
9 August: 2nd T20, Allan Border Field
11 August: 3rd T20, Allan Border Field
14 August: 1st 50-over match, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay
16 August: 2nd 50-over match, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay
18 August: 3rd 50-over match, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay
22-25 August: Four-day match, Gold Coast District Cricket Club

Leicestershire left-arm seamer named as replacement, with Stone likely to take place in team

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2024Josh Hull, the Leicestershire left-arm seamer, has been added to England’s squad for the final two Tests against Sri Lanka, following confirmation that Mark Wood will play no further part in the series after suffering a thigh injury.Hull, 20, is one of the most exciting young players on the county circuit, although his first-class record is modest with 16 wickets at 62.75. Standing at 6ft 7in, he played a key role in Leicestershire’s triumph in the Metro Bank One-Day Club last season, and impressed earlier this month on his England Lions debut, taking five wickets across two innings at New Road to help inflict a seven-wicket defeat on Sri Lanka’s tourists in their only warm-up game.He has only taken two wickets in three Championship games this season, but showcased an ability to push the speed gun up towards 90mph when making his debut in the Hundred for Manchester Originals last month.”It was about half nine last night when I got the call from Brendon McCullum,” Hull told BBC Radio Leicester. “It’s a very special moment.””It’s come around pretty quickly, I didn’t think it would happen this fast, but I am really excited to be joining them””I was happy with how I performed [for England Lions] but I never thought it would lead to a call this early. They’ve got Olly Stone there as the first replacement, so it will be a great opportunity to join up and be part of that environment.”Hull is currently in Bristol, taking part in Leicestershire’s Championship fixture with Gloucestershire, and is expected to join up with England’s squad in London on Monday ahead of the second Test at Lord’s, which begins on Thursday. The final Test of the summer, at the Kia Oval, takes place from September 6-10.Hull’s inclusion is the only change to England’s 13-man squad for the remaining two Tests, with Nottinghamshire’s Olly Stone likely to step into Wood’s role for what would be his fourth Test appearance, and his first since New Zealand at Edgbaston in June 2021. Stone has also been playing Championship cricket for Nottinghamshire this week, after being released from the England squad on the opening day of the first Test, alongside the reserve batter, Essex’s Jordan Cox.Related

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Wood’s status had been in some doubt from the moment he pulled up midway through his 11th over of Sri Lanka’s second innings on Friday evening. He took no further part in the match, and was subsequently sent for a scan midway on Saturday morning, with the results revealing a muscle strain in his right thigh.Though unfortunate in the short term, the diagnosis of a strain, rather than a tear, will be a relief for Wood and England, given the team’s busy winter schedule which includes three-Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand in the lead-up to Christmas.In his absence, England were made to battle for victory in the first Test, with Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal batting through the morning session of the fourth day to help post a taxing target of 205, which was eventually hunted down with five wickets standing, thanks to an unbeaten 62 from Joe Root.England squad for final two Tests: Ollie Pope (capt), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

After opting to bat, South Africa were 45 for 1 when the heavens opened up

Firdose Moonda07-Aug-2024Trinidad’s temperamental weather claimed the bulk of the opening day between South Africa and West Indies where only 15 overs of play was possible. Play was called off five minutes into the scheduled tea time and will resume half an hour early on the second day after 75 overs were lost on the first.With an extra batter in their XI, South Africa opted to bat first after winning the toss and hoped to bed in on a surface their captain Temba Bavuma said he “did not see a blade of grass on”. A bare, lifeless surface demanded good discipline from West Indies and the experienced Kemar Roach did not disappoint. Given three slips and a gully, his first ball angled into Aiden Markram and beat him on the back foot, which was exactly where Roach wanted him. In Roach’s next over, Markram stayed back and tried to cover-punch but, with no bounce on offer, looked fortunate to get the ball over gully for South Africa’s first boundary. Roach continued to deliver a testing opening spell, after which he had figures of 5-3-6-0.At the other end, Tony de Zorzi looked more comfortable playing the ball off the front foot against Jayden Seales and timed well enough down the ground to get a three. Seales’ pace was in the mid-130kph range and he offered little threat in the first three overs, which saw Kraigg Braithwaite turn to Gudakesh Motie in the eighth over. And de Zorzi could not have asked for anything better. His eyes lit up when Motie flighted his fourth ball, and he went down on one knee to swipe it over midwicket. He repeated the shot two balls later and Motie was only kept on for another over, and de Zorzi hit him for four in that one, before Braithwaite went to Jason Holder.Now remember Markram had been camping back in the crease against Roach? That’s where he was for Holder’s first delivery, which seamed in through the bat-pad gap and took out off stump to dismiss him for 9. Markram’s last three first-innings scores in Test cricket have been in single figures, which could be something he will want to address as the season moves on.His dismissal brought South Africa’s new No. 3 Tristan Stubbs to the middle. He was off the mark when he tucked Holder to square leg and faced four more balls before the rain began, at 11.10am local time. An early lunch was taken 40 minutes later as showers came and went intermittently. Two hours later, images of covers decorated with puddles and ominously grey skies were beamed around the world but the clean-up began. A 2pm inspection could not take place as the rain returned just as the umpires were about to begin their rounds and 45 minutes later the day was deemed unsalvageable.The outcome will be particularly disappointing for South Africa, who have not played Test cricket with a first-choice side since January, and have a lean red-ball schedule. After this Test, they have only seven matches left in this World Test Championship cycle and all their series in the 2023-2025 period have been limited to two Tests.