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With six runs to defend, Shane Shillingford sniped out the last three Guyana wickets in the space of seven balls to force a rare tie in first-class cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2017A low-scoring contest between two teams at the farthest ends of the points table produced a thriller on the final day at Providence Stadium as table-leaders Guyana tied with Windward Islands, with Shane Shillingford trapping Anthony Bramble in front after scores had been levelled at 164. It was the first time in the 152-year history of the West Indies’ first-class championship that a match ended in a tie.With six runs to defend, Shillingford sniped out the last three Guyana wickets in the space of seven balls across two overs, including that of No. 6 batsman Bramble, whose 54-ball 45 had injected momentum into the hosts’ chase after they had slumped to 88 for 4. Despite the last five batmen scoring only a combined ten runs, Bramble’s 20-run partnership with No. 9 batsman Veerasammy Permaul put Guyana in seven runs’ sight of victory before Shillingford struck thrice to complete his five-wicket haul. His efforts were well complemented by left-arm quick Delorn Johnson’s three-for, which also accounted for top-scorer Vishaul Singh (56).Earlier, Shillingford had dented Guyana’s first innings with a four-wicket haul that had denied them a top-score beyond Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s 59. In doing so, Shillingford had partnered up with Sherman Lewis, whose 3 for 62 helped Windward Islands dismiss half the opposition line-up for single-digit scores.Despite the dual offensive, Guyana were able to fetch a first-innings lead of 77, having skittled out the visitors for 117 after opting to bowl first. Permaul five for led the charge for Guyana, as only two of the Windward Island batsmen scored in excess of 17. Gudakesh Motie and Sherfane Rutherford claimed two wickets apiece.Even though Windward fared reasonably better in their second dig, scoring 241 on the back of opener Devon Smith’s 95, dearth of support from other batsmen meant the line-up could last only 84.2 overs as all of the five Guyana bowlers used finished with two wickets each.

Sourav Ganguly’s thoughts on various hot topics surrounding the India-England Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2016‘I’m a huge fan of Virat Kohli’
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly says he sees a lot of similarities between Virat Kohli’s leadership and his own brand of aggressive captaincy.0:44

Ganguly: I’m a huge fan of Virat Kohli

‘Pandya must think like an allrounder’
India are trying to “create” a Test allrounder out of Hardik Pandya, says Ganguly, which is not a bad thing, but Pandya now has to be smart about the role and learn to balance his workload.0:48

Ganguly: Pandya must think like an allrounder

Ganguly picks his India XI for Rajkot
Three spinners, or two? Who will make it into the former India captain’s XI if he were playing in Rajkot?0:30

Ganguly picks his India XI for Rajkot

Can England tackle the spin challenge?
R Ashwin will make life very hard for the England batsmen, especially the left-handers in the squad, Ganguly believes.0:30

Ganguly picks his India XI for Rajkot

Ganguly on Harbhajan’s pitch jibes
Recently Harbhajan Singh had said his and Anil Kumble’s wicket tallies would have been “something else” if they had bowled pitches similar to the ones India have played on of late. His former captain says Harbhajan was a “champion bowler”, but should move on.0:45

Ganguly on Harbhajan’s pitch jibes

Half-centuries from Kevin O’Brien and John Mooney ensured that Ireland held on for a draw against Zimbabwe A in Harare

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: John Mooney struck a fifty and put up a crucial stand with Kevin O’Brien•ICC/Sander Tholen

Half-centuries from Kevin O’Brien and John Mooney ensured that Ireland held on for a draw against Zimbabwe A in Harare. Zimbabwe A, who began the day at 320 for 6 in their second innings, added just 26 more runs to that total before declaring. It set Ireland a target of 386 and meant the hosts had more than 80 overs to take 10 wickets and seal a victory.Those hopes were further raised when regular blows from Brian Vitori (2 for 51) and Tatenda Mupunga (2 for 52) reduced Ireland to 141 for 5, with at least 35 more overs left in the day. However, Kevin O’Brien and Mooney held firm, batting together for more than two overs to shepherd their team to safety. Kevin O’Brien hit nine fours for his 56 not out, while Mooney’s unbeaten 65 featured 11 fours. The pair’s unbroken 130-run stand took Ireland to 271 for 5 before stumps were called.

Victoria risked losing their place atop the Sheffield Shield table with a horrid batting display that allowed New South Wales to forge ahead after day one at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2013
ScorecardVictoria risked losing their place atop the Sheffield Shield table with a horrid batting display that allowed New South Wales to forge ahead after day one at the MCG.The Bushrangers slipped as low as 9 for 79 before Clint McKay and Fawad Ahmed pushed the innings up to a still paltry 128. The young pacemen Gurinder Sandhu and Josh Hazlewood enjoyed themselves against the Bushrangers’ shaky batting, sharing eight wickets between them.Regular wickets also fell when the Blues batted, but Nic Maddinson put space between the teams with a fluent innings that featured one moment of rare quality – a cover driven six from the bowling of McKay, who nonetheless produced the most naggingly accurate display for the hosts.Maddin’s innings was ended only by Ahmed, again compelling in a seven-over spell that was both tidy and wicket-seeking.

Jos Buttler hammered a 56-ball hundred as England Lions won the 1st unofficial ODI against Sri Lanka A by 68 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2012
ScorecardFile photo: Jos Buttler struck the first limited-overs century of his career•Getty Images

Somerset’s young wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler confirmed some of his potential as one of the most promising of England’s one-day prospects, with the first limited-overs century of his career against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla. Buttler hammered a 56-ball hundred to build on the good work from another tyro, Alex Hales, and his Somerset team-mate Craig Kieswetter as England Lions racked up 335 for 5 on their way to a 68-run win in the first unofficial ODI.Another fresh face, that of Nathan Buck, did the damage with the ball, outshining the more experienced opening pair of Jade Dernbach and Chris Woakes to take 4 for 39 as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 267. Samit Patel also chipped in with three wickets to remind the selectors of his ample abilities ahead of England’s forthcoming one-day commitments in the United Arab Emirates.Sri Lanka A, whose line-up included full internationals of the calibre of Surav Randiv, Thilina Kandamby and Seekkuge Prasanna, got their reply off to a brisk start but lost wickets at regular intervals. Despite contributions right down the order, they were bowled out with 27 balls of their innings remaining, with Kandamby’s 54 the top score.England’s performance showcased the talents of several of their next generation. Hales, who fell six short of his own hundred, and Buttler have already played in a handful of Twenty20 internationals, while James Taylor, the Lions captain, and Jonny Bairstow have been introduced to one-day international cricket in the last 12 months.Taylor had expressed the hope that England’s batsmen would click in Sri Lanka but, after losing the toss and being put in, the Lions fell to 47 for 2 in the 10th over. Following Joe Root’s dismissal for 18, Taylor managed just 5, to bring his tally in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to 181 from eight innings. That brought Bairstow to wicket, however, and he and Hales put on 120 in 23 overs to regain the momentum, before the Yorkshire man fell to Kosala Kulasakera for 47.Hales went shortly after but Kieswetter helped up the tempo with a 38-ball 50 – before becoming Thilan Thushara’s third wicket – as he and Buttler added 100 in 12 overs. The 21-year-old Buttler then saw to it that England would post an unassailable total, adding 56 in partnership with Patel from the final four overs – of which Patel’s contribution amounted to a seven-ball 5.

Marcus North’s 104 off 99 balls led Western Australia right up to the line but it required No. 10 Ryan Duffield to get them over it in what was a nerve-jangling finish at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2011
ScorecardMarcus North’s 104 of 99 balls was the highlight of Western Australia’s innings•Getty Images

Marcus North’s 104 off 99 balls led Western Australia right up to the line but it required No. 10 Ryan Duffield to get them over it in what was a nerve-jangling finish at the WACA. North had levelled the scores with three balls left to go in the match, but in going for the winning run was run out. Phil Adams was left with the job of finishing things, but was stumped next ball. Duffield, who has scored a grand total of five runs in List A cricket, walked out and managed to get the required run to give Western Australia the victory.Both teams had lost one wicket too many in the first 20-over half of their split-innings. South Australia scored at a good rate, reaching 109 in the first twenty, but lost four wickets. Opener James Smith was steady at his end, but once he was out for 68 within five overs of South Australia’s second innings, it meant there was not enough of a base for the lower order to build on. Cameron Borgas scored 47, but South Australia were not able to bat through the 45 overs, bowled out for 235 in 44.2.Western Australia had a similar problem, finding themselves 95 for 4 at the end of their first innings, and needing 160 to win in the last 25 overs. Mitchell Marsh held up one end while North attacked from the other in a 71-run partnership. Once Marsh fell, wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi came in and hit a quick 31. His 64-run stand with North looked like it would see Western Australia through, but there was some late drama in the match, as Ronchi nicked one behind off Daniel Christian with 12 required off 11, setting up a nail-biter of a last over.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith has credited India for bouncing back and levelling the series, retaining the No. 1 Test team crown in the process, but he also praised his team for keeping the hosts on the run till the very last minute

N Hunter18-Feb-2010Graeme Smith has credited India for bouncing back and levelling the series, retaining the No. 1 Test team crown in the process, but he also praised his team for keeping the hosts waiting till almost the last minute.”The game could have been easily over just after tea [on the first day] going by where we were sitting,” Smith said. “If anything, we created pressure on India. In this series, they had everything to lose and we had everything to gain. So we have come up with our heads above the water in terms of what we have achieved.”However, Smith could not deny the fact that Thursday’s result hurt South Africa, who once again came so close to winning a series in India for the second consecutive time as the home team escaped to series-levelling victory again in the final Test. Hashim Amla and Ashwell Prince started the final day confidently but once Prince fell to a rare rush of blood just before lunch, the onus was solely on Amla to carry on the visitors’ resistance. Wayne Parnell and Morne Morkel understood that all they needed to do was follow Amla’s orders and they took the fight till the end.”I think the grit and determination was there the whole day,” Smith said. “The fact is we needed to come out and bat on a fifth-day wicket to save the Test match. Hashim is the glue who held it all together and we managed to find some guys to bat around him. Especially guys like Wayne and Morne, who got stuck in facing 50 to 60 balls, which is a terrific effort from a tailender under these conditions.”Smith felt the team had shown their will after the collapse after tea on the first day. Seven South African wickets fell from a position of 228 for 2 at the end of the second session; after the 100-plus partnership between Amla and debutant Alviro Petersen, the batting succumbed to pressure and good bowling.”We just let ourselves down in the last session [on the first day] and gave India the advantage, which they took with both hands,” Smith said. “We know that in the subcontinent it is very difficult to play catch-up cricket. Once we gave them the upper hand, they really drove the bus through the door.”Comparing the two Tests, Smith felt South Africa lacked precision in Kolkata, as opposed to the clinical victory in Nagpur. “We were not precise enough in our first innings with bat and ball. We dropped a few chances and we never really bowled in the right areas like we did in Nagpur.”Four catches and a stumping were missed during the Indian innings, resulting in four centuries from Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and MS Dhoni. It was also surprising to see the waywardness of Dale Steyn, Morkel, Parnell and Paul Harris after their accuracy in the first Test. “They [India] scored at a high rate, which we weren’t able to control with the ball, which probably was disappointing as well,” Smith said. “We started the Test in a really solid way. At tea [on the first day], we were sitting really pretty. Then we just go into a situation where we lost two in-batters [Petersen and Jacques Kallis].”Smith added the failure of rest of the middle order hurt the team’s chances. “The guys coming in were lacking in confidence and suddenly wickets fell in a chunk and the pressure was created as it was the case with India in Nagpur where we were able to create pressure on them with the reverse swinging ball,” he said.He also confessed that the presence of Mark Boucher, sitting out with to a back injury, could have helped them take control of the situation. “Maybe, that is where we lacked someone with experience, someone like Mark [Boucher], who has played a huge amount of Test cricket,” Smith said. “We just never had anyone who could stop the momentum that India gained in that last period. There were nine balls left but 20 minutes of play [as well]. The way India were getting through the overs we probably would have got another three or four overs after that.”Smith is returning home tonight, after being ruled out of the ODI series with a finger injury sustained on the eve of the second Test. Even if South Africa are likely to feel his absence, Smith had a positive message for his team. “The fact that we have been able to come and draw in India is a credit to in itself. If you look at recent stats and recent records of teams that have come here, not many teams have been able to push India like we have been able to push them in these conditions. So that is a positive for us and the credit to our character.”

Exciting 19-year-old Queensland quick reported soreness after playing in the T20 Max competition and scans revealed a stress fracture

Alex Malcolm08-Sep-2025Back injuries among Australian fast bowlers is nearing epidemic levels, with Queensland teenager Callum Vidler the latest in the list, ruled out of the Australia A white-ball tour of India and the start of the domestic summer with a partial stress fracture.Fresh off the news that Test captain Pat Cummins has a hot spot and Cricket Australia contracted quick Lance Morris is undergoing back surgery, there had been hopes of accelerating Vidler’s progression given the promise he showed in the Sheffield Shield final in March following his performances in Australia’s Under-19 World Cup victory last year.He was set to play in the white-ball portion of Australia A’s tour of India later this month and had been preparing by playing three T20 matches in the T20 Max in Queensland for his club side Valley.Related

• Hardie ruled out of Australia A tour with shoulder injury

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• Cummins' Ashes build-up compromised due to back issue

But scans late last week detected a partial fracture in his L3 vertebrae. Queensland general manager of high performance Joe Dawes confirmed that Vidler has to now undergo a rehab process but there is no time frame on his return.”Callum experienced some back pain during training and promptly reported it,” Dawes said. “Unfortunately, the scans came back confirming a stress fracture so he will spend some time recovering and then start a rehab plan. He’s naturally very disappointed but accepts that injuries are part of the game. We’ll work closely with him to ensure he has the best recovery to get him ready for a return to cricket.”Australia A had already lost Morris and his replacement Brody Couch from the red-ball portion of the series with India. Couch had suffered a side strain but is expected to be right for the start of the Shield season with Western Australia while Morris is out for a year.South Australia’s Henry Thornton was called in as Couch’s replacement for the red-ball matches in India and will now remain on for the three white-ball matches as weekVidler, 19, impressed with his performance in the Shield final last March when he bagged 4 for 64 and 1 for 60 while showcasing impressive pace on a sluggish Karen Rolton Oval pitch. He is part of the quartet of quicks from his Under-19 group, which has Tom Straker, who was also selected for the Australia A white-ball team to tour India, Mahli Beardman and Charlie Anderson. Beardman is currently recovering from stress fractures while Anderson has had significant back issues in the recent past and is being carefully managed.The injury leaves Queensland thin in terms of their fast-bowling stocks just a week out from the start of the Dean Jones Trophy.

Capitals were a bowler short while defending 174 as Ishant Sharma injured his ankle and had to go off after bowling just two overs

Hemant Brar23-Mar-2024Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone spoiled Rishabh Pant’s comeback as Punjab Kings started their IPL 2024 campaign with a four-wicket win at their new home ground in Mullanpur.After being sent in, Delhi Capitals were 137 for 7 in the 18th over when they decided to bring in Abishek Porel as the Impact Player. Porel smashed 32 off just ten balls to lift them to 174 for 9.But that also meant Capitals were going to be a bowler light during the chase. Ishant Sharma’s injury – he hurt his ankle after bowling just two overs – set them back further.Related

• Pant on his comeback to cricket: 'I was pretty nervous'

Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow started the Kings’ chase positively but both fell in the fourth over. Kuldeep Yadav then dismissed Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma to keep Capitals in the game.But Curran and Livingstone took over after that and added 67 off 42 balls for the fifth wicket. Curran was out in the 19th over, for 63 off 47, but Livingstone stayed till the end and finished the game with a muscular six with four balls to spare.

Warner, Marsh give Capitals a breezy start

With Prithvi Shaw left out, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh opened the innings for Capitals and gave them a fast start. Marsh got going by hitting two fours off the first two balls he faced, from Curran. Warner joined in by carting Arshdeep Singh for a six and a four in the next over.Marsh then hit a six each off Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep. He fell for 20 off 12 when he drove Arshdeep to cover-point where Rahul Chahar took a sharp, overhead catch.Warner kept batting aggressively and even flick-scooped Rabada for a six as Capitals finished the powerplay on 54 for 1. In the seventh over, Shai Hope, on IPL debut, danced down the track and lofted Chahar for a straight six.It was all Capitals at that stage till Harshal Patel came to Kings’ rescue, having Warner caught behind with a slower bouncer.

Pant’s first outing after the accident

Warner’s wicket brought Pant to the crease, and the Mullanpur crowd welcomed him with a standing ovation. Playing his first competitive game in 15 months, Pant looked a bit rusty. He was given a life on 4 when Harshal lost the ball in the sun at deep midwicket and ended up gifting a four.As if to rub it in, Pant then drove Harshal for his second boundary. Two balls later, though, Harshal bowled a slower bouncer; Pant failed to spot it and ended up popping it to backward point. His first outing with bat on comeback ended on 18 off 13 balls.3:06

Moody on Porel: That’s how impact subs should be used

The Porel gamble pays off

Harpreet Brar and Chahar dented Capitals further. Brar had Ricky Bhui caught down the leg side, and Tristan Stubbs holed out to long-off while trying an inside-out shot against Chahar.When Axar Patel was run out coming back for a second, Capitals were reduced to 137 for 7 with 2.5 overs to go. But, coming in as the Impact Player, Porel slashed hard at a short and wide delivery from Harshal and picked up a boundary to deep third.After 19 overs, Capitals were 149 for 8. With Harshal bowling the last over, Kings would have expected to restrict Capitals under 160. But that’s when Porel decided to have a say in matters, and smashed three fours and two sixes in a 25-run final over.That lifted Capitals to 174 for 9. At the start of the 20th over, ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster had Capitals’ chances of winning at 38.9%. Porel singlehandedly lifted that number to 56.7%.

Dhawan, Bairtsow start with a flurry of fours

Just like the Capitals openers, Dhawan and Bairstow also started with positive intent. In the first three overs, they hit a combined six fours and looted 34 runs. However, both fell in the fourth over. Dhawan was bowled as he charged down the ground to Ishant, and Bairstow was run-out at the non-striker’s end when a Prabhsimran drive brushed a diving Ishant’s fingers and crashed into the stumps.But, in the sixth over, Prabhsimran tucked one towards midwicket, from where Ishant charged and fielded the ball. But as he was about to throw, he twisted his right ankle and had to be carried off the field.1:47

Has Harshal become too predictable?

Kuldeep keeps Capitals in the game

In the tenth over, Prabhsimran tried to go big against Kuldeep and holed out to long-on for a 17-ball 26, which included five fours. In the spinner’s next over, Jitesh attempted a reverse sweep, but not only did he miss the ball, he also lost his balance and ended up out of his crease. Pant was alert behind the stumps and broke the wickets.Kuldeep finished with figures of 2 for 21. He could have easily picked up a third, but Tristan Stubbs, running to his right from long-on, put down Curran, who was on 33 at that point.

Curran, Livingstone take over

Kings needed 63 from the last six overs when Curran and Livingstone clubbed Marsh for 18 to calm the nerves.Capitals still had hope when 28 were required from three overs. But with Ishant off the field, Pant had no option but to bowl Marsh again. He conceded another 18 to finish with 52 from his four wicketless overs.In the 19th over, Khaleel dismissed Curran and Shashank Singh off successive deliveries but it was too late by then. Warner dropping Brar on the last ball of the Khaleel over didn’t help either.With just six required from the final over, Sumit Kumar, who was making his IPL debut, had little chance against a set Livingstone. He started with two wides, and after a dot, Livingstone launched him over deep midwicket to seal the win.

Tasmania veterans take seven wickets between them to put the visitors in control after bowling Victoria out for just 121 on day one

AAP24-Nov-2022Wickets tumbled as Jackson Bird and Peter Siddle helped put Tasmania in a strong position at stumps on day one of the Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria.The two quicks fired as the Tigers skittled their hosts for 121 after winning the toss and bowling first on a green deck at the MCG.Bird was the chief destroyer with 4 for 13 from 15 overs, including seven maidens, while Siddle and Nathan Ellis also did some damage on Thursday.Captain Jordan Silk and Jake Doran then guided Tasmania to 4 for 102 in reply, trailing by just 19 runs heading into day two.Matthew Wad and Ben McDermott made starts for the Tigers but were both dismissed bowled.Shield debutants Sam Elliott and Campbell Kellaway both showed glimpses of their potential for Victoria.Fast bowler Elliott, the son of former Test batter Matthew Elliott, removed Tasmania’s openers Caleb Jewell and Tim Ward in claiming figures of 2 for 20 from 10 overs.Earlier, Kellaway made 23 with the bat and soaked up 82 balls as Victoria staggered to a grim first innings total.It continued a poor run for Victoria, following tallies of 63 and 132 in an innings defeat to Queensland earlier this month.Opener Travis Dean was out for his third consecutive duck after a pair against the Bulls.Nic Maddinson and Ashley Chandrasinghe were also out cheaply as Tasmania’s new-ball attack had the hosts in all sorts of trouble, reducing them to 3 for 10.Allrounder Fergus O’Neill, Matt Short and Kellaway helped lift Victoria’s tally into triple figures.Elliott and Kellaway were selected with Test duo Marcus Harris and Scott Boland, as well as Prime Minister’s XI pair Peter Handscomb and Todd Murphy, unavailable due to national commitments.Tasmania recalled Ellis in place of Riley Meredith, who has been managed.