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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

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• Morris out for up to 12 months after opting for back surgery

• 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.

Five UAE players have now received bans of varying degrees in the last two years

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-2021UAE players Amir Hayat and Ashfaq Ahmed have been banned from all forms of cricket for eight years by the ICC’s anti-corruption tribunal for violating ICC’s anti-corruption code.The bans are backdated to 13 September 2020, when they were provisionally suspended for corrupt conduct in relation to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in April 2019. Hayat played the last of his 13 internationals in February 2019, while Ahmed, 37, last played for UAE in April that year.The ruling means five UAE players – Mohammad Naveed, Shaiman Anwar and Qadeer Ahmed – have received bans of varying degrees over the last two years. While Ahmed is in the middle of a five-year ban, Naveed and Anwar were banned for eight years.Following a full hearing and presentation of written and oral arguments, the Tribunal found both Amir and Ashfaq guilty of:

• Article 2.1.3, which deals with a player taking a bribe to try to fix a cricket match or ensuring the occurrence of a particular event for the purposes of betting on a cricket match.
• Article 2.4.2, which deals with gifts being given to a player in exchange for them breaking the ICC anti-corruption code and bringing the game into disrepute.
• Article 2.4.3, which deals with a player failing to disclose gifts and benefits offered to them with a value of USD 750 or more. There are exemptions to this: gifts given to them by family or friends, food or beverage gifts and cricket hospitality gifts in connection with the matches the player is involved in.
• Article 2.4.4, which deals with a player failing to disclose a corrupt approach made on them.
• Article 2.4.5, which deals with failing to disclose anything that may be seen as evidence of corrupt conduct.

ICC hoped the bans would serve as a warning to the others. “Both Amir and Ashfaq had played cricket at the highest level for long enough to understand the threat from match fixers,” ICC general manager Alex Marshall said in a statement.”The two UAE players, attended several ICC anti-corruption education sessions, and knew how to avoid becoming involved in any corrupt activity. They failed in these obligations and let down their teammates and everyone involved in UAE Cricket, in their adopted country. Their lengthy ban should serve as a warning to others.”

Thursday’s ICC meeting starts contingency planning process

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Apr-2020Cricket has never faced a crisis quite like this. With much of the world still deep in Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns, administrators are facing an unprecedented situation. At some point in the near future, sport will resume but in what form, when and where exactly, no-one knows.On Thursday, the chief executives of the 12 full-member countries along with the ICC management will convene via a conference call to start plotting what a new landscape might look like. Thursday’s meeting is merely the starting point of a process that will remain a work in progress for the foreseeable future.The ICC has said the aim of this virtual meeting – and there really only is one item on the agenda – is to check in on the health of members and how they are coping with the effects of no cricket, as well as collectively work on contingency planning and sort out priorities between the resumption of international bilateral cricket, domestic cricket and global events.Based on conversations with various boards, ESPNcricinfo lists some of the key issues that will rank high on the list of priorities to be addressed on Thursday.

Men’s T20 World Cup

Aaron Finch’s Australia will be among the favourites for the T20 World Cup if it goes ahead•Getty Images

Scheduled for October-November this year, this is the biggest marquee event left in 2020 outside of the IPL. Currently the ICC remains optimistic about the event going ahead in case Australia opens its doors to host the tournament.However, the tournament comprises 16 teams, which means each will need their respective government’s approval. What happens in case one of the participants is denied permission? What would be the quarantine process in individual countries? Will air travel resume completely to allow players to travel to Australia? These will be some of the questions that the chief executives’ committee (CEC) will make note of and it is clearly a complex issue as one of the officials who will be sitting on the call, said.According to one official, the fate of the T20 World Cup is the most important issue for a number of boards outside the biggest few. Those boards rely heavily on revenue distributions from the ICC and a disruption to any event – as PCB chairman Ehsan Mani warned – could have serious financial repercussions for some members. What members might be looking to discuss is a rough idea of a timeline by when a definitive decision on the tournament needs to take place.

ODI Super League

Already this tournament, due to begin in 10 days’ time, has been impacted. Three of the series scheduled as part of the ODI League, which the ICC put in place to provide more context to 50-overs cricket, have been postponed indefinitely, with Pakistan’s series in the Netherlands the latest to be axed. The ODI League serves as a pathway for the 10-team 2023 World Cup, scheduled to be hosted in India. Alongside India, the seven highest-ranked sides in the ODI League as of March 31, 2022 would have qualified directly for the 2023 World Cup, while the bottom five will get a second chance to make the grade through a qualifier.The questions the CEC will need to consider include whether the league should be scrapped, or whether the number of series each team has to play is reworked so the original framework is not completely revamped. “The reason for the ODI League was to bring context and add an element of jeopardy to the qualification for 2023 World Cup,” said one official who will be participating in Thursday’s call. “So ‘is there a way to maintain the integrity of that league?’ is the question that will be asked.”One alternative is that in the absence of a league, all those series go ahead when they can and the shortlist for the 2023 World Cup takes place based on the rankings. However, the official pointed out, countries like England would be at a disadvantage in such a scenario because they are likely to lose out on playing ODI series this summer to accommodate various other events in the calendar.”That is the part of the challenge: you’ve got to decisions that taken into account all of these things but there will so many competing agendas or viewpoints,” the official said.

World Test Championship

India and Australia are the top two sides on the World Test Championship table•Getty Images

The WTC is nearly nine months old with the final is scheduled for July 2021. However, not all teams have played the same number of series. Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq had suggested recently that the WTC should be put on hold instead of attempting to tinker with the original format where each team is meant to play a total of six series. Not everyone agrees.One chief executive felt that with “nearly 40%” of the WTC already played, suspending was not the best option. “If we have cricket back in July even if it in bio-safe stadiums, behind close doors, I don’t see a need for it [suspending]. But it is a big if.”The ICC, it is believed, will not make a hasty decision on the WTC. One key determining factor will be what percentage of WTC series are lost when bilateral cricket resumes. If it is not a significant chunk, then the ICC will want the nine countries in the Championship to collectively work out windows in the FTP.”Like in the UK, the government is quite keen to restart sport behind closed doors because they believe it is quite good for the morale of the nation,” the official said. “It will start at different places at different times and we’ll ease back into it. That’s when the genuine rescheduling and decision making around the competitions like WTC will start.”

So what might be the outcome?

Don’t expect too much by way of binding decisions from this meeting. In any case, it is the ICC Board rather than the chief executives’ committee that makes decisions final.”There’s going to be discussion around what the restart of cricket looks like, what competitions will have been missed and how we go about trying to see what the next stage is about rescheduling,” Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “But of course rescheduling is only going to be a relatively relevant discussion when we know more about the point from which we can definitively reschedule.”So I think it’s going to be more around discussing principles: what priorities should there be between bilateral cricket, ICC events, domestic T20 franchise leagues?”

The captain struck a 30-ball 58 while Jofra Archer claimed 2 for 19 to consign Melbourne Renegades to a 16-run loss

The Report by Tristan Lavalette07-Feb-2019
A well-rounded Hobart Hurricanes attack stymied Melbourne Renegades’ chase at the batting-friendly Blundstone Arena to secure a home semi-final.Sent in to bat, the Hurricanes looked set to post the first total of 200 this season after openers Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short smashed 87 runs before they both fell in the ninth over. The home side wobbled mid-innings but a late assault propelled them to a sizeable 6 for 183.In their chase, the Renegades were on track until wristspinners Short and debutant Qais Ahmad flipped the match with two wickets apiece. Quick Jofra Archer bowled well at the death as Hurricanes tuned up nicely for the finals with their eighth straight win in Hobart.The victory ensures the Hurricanes will finish on top of the ladder ahead of their final match against Sydney Thunder, while third-placed Renegades’ hopes for a home final are in tatters.The Wade and Short Show
Finch backed spearheads Kane Richardson and Chris Tremain from the get-go in the hope of his aces conjuring early swing. Instead, the veteran seamers copped a thrashing by Hurricanes’ irresistible opening duo during a pyrotechnics show.Wade’s intentions were made clear on the second ball of the innings when he made room and smashed a short ball from Richardson to the boundary. Two balls later, he outdid himself with a six over mid-wicket in perhaps a pointed message to the national selectors after missing out on Australia’s limited-overs tour of India.Wade was soon joined in the party by Short, who gloriously stroked a cover drive to the boundary on the first ball he faced. The normally miserly Renegades seamers were rocked by the whirlwind batting and Finch’s bowling changes were to no avail. Wade smashed a loopy Cameron Boyce delivery into the crowd in the eighth over to memorably bring up his half-century off just 27 balls.His belligerent batting somehow made Short look relatively sedate as the runs flowed at more than 10 an over until Wade holed out off Richardson in the ninth over. Short, who was recalled by national selectors as cover for Shaun Marsh, fell rashly two balls later to a full toss as the contest evened up mid-innings.Hurricanes unleash at the death
Hurricanes’ slump continued when Caleb Jewell fell to Mohammad Nabi, who slowed down the scoring with his accurate offspin. George Bailey and Ben McDermott were left to stabilise the innings, but were tied down and mainly scored through hard-run singles and twos.The frustration led to Bailey throwing his wicket away in the 15th over as Renegades’ seamers fought back into the contest through clever slower deliveries. Needing a tonic, Simon Milenko went for broke in the 17th over with audacious hitting to smash Richardson for 20 runs and reignite the Hurricanes.The BBL’s leading wicket-taker, however, gained revenge shortly after, when he caught his tormentor Milenko in the deep. Richardson, who endured his worst ever BBL bowling figures with 2-55 from 4 overs, then turned to the crowd and cheekily laughed.McDermott tried to improvise, but suffered a nasty blow when his miscued paddled scoop hit him on the jaw. After receiving medical attention, he clubbed the next ball for six to cap a Hurricanes comeback yielding 57 runs off the last five overs.Meredith struggles, Qais shines
Hurricanes speedster Riley Meredith cranked up the pace at 150kmh, but disaster struck when he bowled three no-balls and a leg-side wide that rolled away to the fine leg boundary in a nightmare first over costing 23 runs. Finch further applied the blowtorch with consecutive boundaries off left-arm spinner Clive Rose in the third over to ensure Renegades got off to a flying start.Marcus Harris couldn’t get going in his return from Test cricket and fell to a sharp catch from Short at backward point in the fourth over. Meredith came back on but his confidence was dented as Renegades posted 70 runs in their best Powerplay of the tournament.Hurricanes needed a boost and new import Ahmad delivered with his fifth ball, claiming the prized wicket of Finch, whose frustrating summer continued. The Renegades gifted wickets with Sam Harper miscuing a half-tracker off Short, who then picked up Nabi in a wicket-maiden to put Hurricanes in the box seat.Renegades fall short
Tom Cooper and Dan Christian were forced to play conservatively and knocked the ball around in a bid to get Renegades back into the contest. They could do little to counter Short’s accurate bowling but had better luck when Meredith continued to spray it around.Meredith was further dejected when Qais dropped a sitter in the deep to reprieve Cooper, but he had some belated cheer with the scalp of Christian next ball.Renegades never seriously threatened despite some late fireworks from Mackenzie Harvey.

Life as an understudy wicketkeeper on an Ashes tour can be humdrum, but Ben Foakes made good use of his opportunity for England Lions in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2017Keaton Jennings and Ben Foakes made an impression for England Lions in Brisbane as England’s head coach Trevor Bayliss and batting coach Mark Ramprakash looked on before heading to Adelaide to prepare for the second TestJennings, who has switched from Durham to Lancashire to try to restate his England credentials, scored 89 from 148 balls and shared a second-wicket stand of 144 with Foakes, who like his Surrey team-mate Tom Curran was drafted into the Lions team from England’s Ashes squad in search of match practice.Foakes, understudy to Jonny Bairstow, whose strange headbutt greeting to Cameron Bancroft has given the Ashes one of its stranger headline stories, shared wicketkeeping duties with Lancashire’s Alex Davies at Allan Border Field as the Queenslanders made 396 for 9 on the first day.He then stroked 67 from 94 balls, batting at No 3, to continue the excellent batting form that had been a feature of his 2017 county season.

Westley heads home

Tom Westley was due to return home from the England Lions’ tour of Australia on Wednesday in expectation that he will need an operation on finger injury on his left hand.
Westley, who was omitted from England’s Ashes tour party after a five-Test run last summer, had been due to bat first wicket down for the Lions in their clash with Queensland Select.
Instead, he is heading for Leeds where he will have a second scan and any surgery that proves to be necessary.

“Obviously I’ve been netting a lot out here so it was nice to get out in the middle, share a stand with Keats and get a few runs,” said Foakes.”When you come out as back-up keeper you know your game time is going to be limited, but it’s still been special to be out here,” he added.”We had three days of hard work in Brisbane when I thought we played pretty well, and although it slipped away in the end, hopefully Adelaide will be a good place for us to come back.”Jennings declared the Lions innings on 250 for five, in the hope of setting up a last-day run chase and there seemed every chance of further batting opportunities as Queensland powered to a lead of 344 at the close with eight wickets remaining.