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The duo headlined a five-wicket victory over Melbourne Renegades after Heat crossed the border from NSW at 2am on match day

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2021Brisbane Heat overcame a midnight border crossing to claim their first BBL victory of the summer, defeating Melbourne Renegades by five wickets on the Gold Coast.Set a target of 141 after Mackenzie Harvey’s unbeaten 71 lifted the visitors to 6 for 140 at Metricon Stadium, Heat were given a typically fast start by Chris Lynn’s 32 off 15 balls to reach the target with 19 balls to spare.The win comes after Heat left the northern New South Wales town of Kingscliff, where they had been staying following last week’s loss to Perth Scorchers in Western Australia, and crossed the border at 2am on Monday before reaching their hotel two hours later.Sent in to bat by Heat captain Jimmy Peirson, Renegades had plenty to be thankful towards Harvey for after he top-scored, off 56 balls. He was the only Renegades batter to pass 20 in a innings where the Heat bowlers Liam Guthrie (0 for 10) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (0 for 19) bowled their four overs each without conceding a boundary.Legspinner Mitch Swepson and English Lions batter Tom Abell added to Heat’s line-up after participating in the four-day tour game at Brisbane’s Ian Healy Oval, where Australia A defeated the Lions by 112 runs.Swepson, in tandem with Mujeeb, tied down the Renegades in the first half of their innings, as they went from the end of the third over until the 11th without scoring a boundary.Player-of-the-Match James Bazley was the leading wicket-taker for the hosts with 3 for 28 and then contributed a handy innings to help finish the game.Lynn smashed three boundaries and a six off the first four deliveries of Will Sutherland’s first over to get the Heat off to a perfect start. He fell trying to launch one too many off left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan who was the best of Renegades’ bowlers with 2 for 27 off his four overs.After a brief wobble at 5 for 107, Sam Heazlett guided the chase home with an unbeaten 44 off 29 deliveries.Brisbane next play Sydney Thunder at the Gabba on Sunday with Renegades’ next match at home against Scorchers on December 22.

Allrounder slipped while running in backyard; Sean Abbott replaces him for England ODIs

Andrew McGlashan13-Nov-2022Glenn Maxwell has been ruled out of cricket for an extended period after suffering a broken leg in “a freak accident” at a birthday party in Melbourne on Saturday.Maxwell fractured his fibula and underwent surgery on Saturday. It is understood it happened as he slipped while running in a backyard with the person celebrating the birthday, and Maxwell’s leg became trapped, with neither person intoxicated.In the immediate future Maxwell is ruled out of the one-day series against England which starts on Thursday but he may also miss the entire BBL with Melbourne Stars, depending on the recovery timeline which will be known in the coming weeks. It would appear touch and go whether he will have recovered in time to be considered for the Test tour of India which starts in February 2023.The injury means Maxwell won’t have the chance to make a rare Sheffield Shield appearance in early December or feature for Australia A against South Africa.”Glenn is in good spirits,” national selector George Bailey said. “It was an unfortunate accident and we feel for Glenn in the circumstances given he was in great touch in his last few games. Glenn is a critical part of our white-ball structure and we will continue to support him through his recovery and rehabilitation.”Stars general manager Blair Crouch said: “Glenn is obviously a huge part of the Melbourne Stars and we wish him well in his recovery. He will continue to be a key part of the club during the start of the season as he works his way back to full fitness and we look forward to seeing him soon.”Sean Abbott will replace Maxwell in the squad to face England.Earlier this year England’s Jonny Bairstow suffered a badly broken ankle when he slipped playing golf and was ruled out for the remainder of the year. Australia wicketkeeper Josh Inglis missed the T20 World Cup after badly cutting his hand playing golf on the eve of the tournament.

Only Healy posed a challenge in Warriorz’s chase but spinners turned the match in RCB’s favour

Valkerie Baynes04-Mar-2024Was it a grimace or a grin that spread across Ellyse Perry’s face with the sound of smashing glass and screaming RCB fans ringing in her ears? A grin, surely, for she had just obliterated the window of a sponsor’s car with her fourth six of a remarkable innings which helped her side to a mammoth total and, ultimately, victory over UP Warriorz.Smriti Mandhana had already roughed up the Warriorz bowlers with her stunning 80 off 50 deliveries, her second half-century in three games, and Perry delivered the decisive blow with a 37-ball 58, the pair sharing a 95-run stand for the second wicket to set Warriorz a lofty victory target of 199.A determined 55 off 38 balls by Alyssa Healy gave Warriorz hope but it wasn’t enough as RCB held on to break a two-game losing streak in their last match at home in Bengaluru before the tournament moves to Delhi, giving Perry and her team plenty to smile about.

Mandhana magic

S Meghana moved up to open ahead of Sophie Devine and raced to 28 off 21 balls with five fours to complement Mandhana’s no-nonsense scoring. By the end of the powerplay, RCB were flying at 57 for 1, Meghana skying Anjali Sarvani to extra cover where Chamari Athapaththu stood waiting under a comfortable catch. Her departure signalled Perry’s arrival as Devine stayed in the dugout, RCB continuing to play with their batting order.Mandhana should have been out for 28 when she lofted Sophie Ecclestone down the ground but Athapaththu looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her up after she over-ran what should have been a straightforward catch. She sprinted in from long-off and then had to reach overhead but failed to hold on. Mandhana moved to 48 by advancing down the pitch and punching a Rajeshwari Gayakwad delivery over extra cover for a 75m six and she brought up her half-century off 34 balls swinging Grace Harris away through midwicket for a single. Perry chimed in with a maximum off Harris over wide long-on and Mandhana picked off three boundaries in one Athapaththu over followed by three more off Sarvani – plus one to Perry – leaving UP Warriorz looking bereft.An Ellyse Perry six ended up shattering the window of the sponsor’s car•BCCI

Smashing from Perry

By the time Mandhana holed out to deep midwicket off Deepti Sharma in the 17th over, she and Perry had done serious damage, with RCB cruising at 146 for 2. Gayakwad conceded 21 runs off the 18th over, chiefly through back-to-back sixes to Perry followed by another maximum, slog-swept by Richa Ghosh, who came in at No. 4. Perry raised her fifty off 34 balls charging at Deepti and smashing the ball back over the bowler’s head for four. But it was her heave over wide long-on two balls later off Deepti that was the highlight, leaving the ball to be fished from a mound of glass on the back seat of the promotional car and Warriorz with a mountain to climb. Perry fell in the final over, spooning an Ecclestone delivery to Poonam Khemnar at deep midwicket. Ghosh threaded the final ball of the innings through backward point for four as RCB finished just shy of the 200-mark.

Warriorz come out fighting

After a maiden from Renuka Singh to begin, Warriorz set off in keen pursuit, Healy smashing two sixes off Devine in the second over and Renuka conceding an eye-watering 24 off the next. Devine had Kiran Navgire caught by Georgia Wareham, running back from mid-on in the fifth over, but at the end of the powerplay, Warriorz were just one run behind where RCB had been at the same point in their innings. Healy greeted leg-spinner Wareham’s first ball with a slog sweep for six but she was left stunned when RCB removed Athapaththu on review. A wide-eyed Healy shouted, “no way” when ball-tracking showed the ball pitching in on leg stump and going on to hit middle stump halfway up, contrary to the expected path of a conventional leg-spinner.Harris was relaxed and smiling when she arrived to join Healy at the crease but Devine claimed her second wicket with a slower length ball which Harris looked to scoop, only to find Ghosh, who anticipated her shot and started moving to her left and leapt high in the air to claim an excellent catch. Undeterred, Healy helped herself to three consecutive fours off Wareham’s next over. But then Asha Sobhana, who had taken a five-for as RCB squeaked home by two runs in the first meeting of 2024 between these sides, struck with her third delivery of the match to remove Shweta Sehrawat cheaply. Healy brought up her fifty off 34 balls with four off Asha through midwicket but, no sooner had she nailed a reverse sweep off Sophie Molineux to the boundary than she was out, stumped by Ghosh off the next ball.

Asha does it again

Needing 52 runs off the last four overs, Warriorz weren’t done battling as Deepti and Khemnar offered neat cameos in a 41-run stand for the sixth wicket. Both struck four fours and a six en route to 33 and 31 respectively but, in an attempt to reel in the target, Deepti came down the pitch to Asha and skewed the ball straight up. Asha and Ekta Bisht – the latter making her WPL debut at the age of 38 – both went for the catch and Asha managed to hold on, despite becoming entangled with her team-mate and going to ground. Wareham soon removed Ecclestone but Khemnar wouldn’t give up, ending the over with a four and a six. But, with 29 needed off the last, the task proved too much. Molineux bowled Khemnar with the final ball of the match as she, Asha, Wareham and Devine all finished with two wickets apiece.

He also confirmed his participation in the SA20 in January, though his “absolute priority” is still playing for New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2024Kane Williamson has confirmed that the SA20 will be his destination in January, after he declined a New Zealand central contract for the 2024-25 season, but added it was no indication that his international career was nearing an end.Williamson stressed that it was NZC’s rules around player availability to be eligible for a contract – they have to play Super Smash if not on international duty – that led him to make the decision, and that he remains committed to New Zealand outside of heading to South Africa.It could be that the only international cricket he misses is three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka, although reported there was some doubt over his participation in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September. Williamson will play the WTC series against Sri Lanka and India away, the three-match home series against England, and then make an ODI trip to Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy in February.Related

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“There’s a number of great competitions on during that time, but SA20 looks really exciting,” Williamson told reporters on his return to New Zealand after the T20 World Cup. “Unfortunately, it meant turning down a central contract, however my priority still is, absolutely, playing for New Zealand. Think I miss maybe a handful of games over a three-week period.”It’s simply the contract, the rules that currently exist meant I wasn’t able to have one but in terms of playing for New Zealand I’m not missing almost any cricket really, so that was important to me.”In terms of how far Williamson’s international career extends, the reported that he and NZC CEO Scott Weenink had discussed the 2028 T20 World Cup to be staged in New Zealand and Australia when he would be 38. Publicly, Williamson remained coy although acknowledged major events and series – such as the Test series in Australia in 2026-27 – remained on his radar.”I want to play as long as I can,” he said. “I’ve really, really enjoyed my time captaining and it’s been a privilege and an honour to do that for a number of years. I’m excited with what’s next for the team in terms of the leadership as well and looking forward to being part of that.”In terms of a timeframe, it’s difficult to say. Want to keep being fit, doing as well as I can, keep trying to improve. That [2028] is a number of years away and it’s a year at a time. All major events and key series are things that whet the appetite and are an exciting prospect. They are down the line. Managing my time as well as I can after doing it for so many years is important and I know New Zealand Cricket are really supportive of that.”Williamson added that he was keen to continue international cricket across three formats, although his T20 spot may come under scrutiny as the team rebuilds from their group stage exit in West Indies.”Naturally after major events there are always different decisions that are made and you are always looking to bring different players through, but being part of this team is so dear to me and I want to remain in that community as long as I can, and as long as I’m offering value,” he said.Meanwhile, Weenink said that the casual playing arrangement afforded to Williamson would only be offered to a handful of senior players, citing Trent Boult, who opted out of a central contract in 2022, and Tim Southee as others who had earned that option. However, Test captain Southee is expected to be on the next contract list.”Those guys have certainly earned the right to be treated in a certain way, in that we want to try and prolong their careers,” Weenink told the . “If we had a hard and fast rule around certain players like Kane Williamson, we would lose him to playing for New Zealand earlier than we would need to.”That casual contract is not going to be offered to everyone and going off contract is pretty risky. There’s a lot of advantages to being on a New Zealand central contract and we will be prioritising the players who are centrally contracted.”

Visitors cling on after last-wicket pair defy Cricket Australia XI attack for more than an hour

ECB Reporters Network25-Jan-2025England Lions 316 (Flintoff 108, Davies 76, Whitney 4-72) and 276 for 9 (Coles 67, Hurst 53, Elliott 3-38) drew with Cricket Australia XI 214 (Hicks 64, Brown 5-21) and 442 for 9 dec (Ward 120, Clayton 84, Hackney 70*, Radhakrishnan 58, Cook 4-47)England Lions held out for a battling draw after last pair Josh Tongue and Sam Cook defied a Cricket Australia XI attack for more than an hour in their tour game at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.Half-centuries from Matt Hurst and James Coles rebuilt the Lions innings after they had slipped to 21 for 4, before the tail held on despite Jem Ryan and Sam Elliott claiming three wickets apiece.The Lions had been set a target of 331 after Ryan Hackney’s unbeaten 70 helped the home side to declare at 441 for 9. Cook finished with 4 for 47 but his unbeaten 8 in 86 minutes of batting at the end of the day was just as valuable as he survived alongside Tongue, who finished unbeaten on 19 from 50 balls.The Lions innings had run into trouble when Elliott struck twice in as many balls, removing Hamza Shaikh and James Rew, to leave the tourists four down inside nine overs.Opener Ben McKinney counter-attacked with 47 before Hurst and Coles got to work on balancing a salvage job with keeping a still-achievable victory target within their scope.Hurst was judged leg before after moving down the wicket and looking to engineer a shot to leg off Elliott before Coles pulled Ryan to Hackney as the field had started to spread.First-innings centurion Rocky Flintoff was cast into a different role, his patient 28 from 64 balls befitting the situation, while Shoaib Bashir (24) batted for an hour before Hugo Burdon found his off stump. Last pair Tongue and Cook completed the rearguard by surviving 45 balls, as the Lions reached stumps on 276 for 9.The Lions now turn their attention to next week’s first-class match against Australia A in Sydney, which start on 30 January.

Indian coach lauds “exceptional leader” Rohit Sharma for “giving so much of his time and energy in the dressing room to the boys”

Yash Jha19-Nov-20235:24

Dravid: ‘We gave it everything we had’

India fell “30-40 runs short” of a good total in the final, but it wasn’t because of a safety-first approach in the middle overs – that’s the line Rahul Dravid took in the wake of his team’s defeat to Australia in the 2023 World Cup title bout in Ahmedabad.”I won’t agree that we played with fear. We had 80 runs in ten overs. We had lost wickets, and when you lose wickets you have to change your strategy,” Dravid said at the post-match press conference.Rohit Sharma’s 31-ball 47 had set India on their way, with the team reaching 80 at the end of the first powerplay. But they only managed four boundaries in the rest of their innings to eventually finish on 240. Dravid attributed the slowdown to the loss of wickets at regular intervals, and not a lack of intent.Related

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“We haven’t played any fearful cricket in this final. In the middle overs, they bowled really well and we had lost three wickets. So a period of consolidation was needed, and every time we thought we could get on the attack, we would lose a wicket,” he said. “If you lose wickets, you have to rebuild. We didn’t set out to play defensively.”While Australia eventually coasted to the target with seven overs to spare and six wickets in hand, Dravid reckoned the game would have played out differently had India got 30-40 more runs on a surface he believed was tougher to bat on in the afternoon.”Just felt like the ball was stopping in the afternoon a little bit more than it did in the evening,” he said. “It felt like the ball came on to the bat a lot better in the evening. There was that period where the ball was stopping and we weren’t able to get boundaries. We were able to rotate the strike but we weren’t able to get those boundaries.”If we had got to 280-290 and they were 60 for 3 then it might have been a very different game. But 240, I think they were always one partnership away from getting there.”Sunday’s loss extended India’s run of near-misses at global events; in the last 13 months alone, they have faced a semi-final exit at the T20 World Cup, lost the World Test Championship final, and now the ODI World Cup final.”I’ve been involved in three… and I think we haven’t played really well on the day,” Dravid said. “I thought we were a bit short in Adelaide, in the semi-final [of the T20 World Cup, against England]. We lost the first day in the World Test Championship [final]. We didn’t bowl particularly well after Australia were three down. And here we didn’t bat well enough.”There’s not one particular reason you can pin it down to. I didn’t feel at any stage going into this game that there were any nerves or the guys were intimidated by the game. I thought the energy and the mental space the boys were in leading into this particular game was spot on.”Dravid, whose two-year contract as head coach runs out this month, heaped praise on Rohit for his leadership and his batting throughout the World Cup.”I think he has been an exceptional leader, always felt he’s led this team fantastically well,” Dravid said. “He’s given so much of his time and energy in the dressing room to the boys. There’s been a lot of planning, a lot of strategy, he’s always committed to those things.2:06

Should one of Kohli or Rahul have taken charge?

“His batting as well, I thought it was fantastic the way he set the tone for us. We knew that we wanted to play a certain way, we wanted to play a positive, attacking brand of cricket, and he was very committed to doing that. He wanted to lead by example, and I thought right throughout the tournament he was superb. Can’t speak more highly of him, as a person and a leader.”Dravid, who had made the walk towards the press-conference room even as Australia were being handed their winners’ medals, admitted that emotions were running high in the Indian dressing room.”There was a lot of emotions in that dressing room. It was tough to see as a coach, because I know how hard these guys have worked, what they’ve put in, the sacrifices they’ve made,” he said. “But that’s sport. That happens. It can happen. And the better team won on the day. I’m sure the sun will come up tomorrow morning.”We’ll learn from it, we’ll reflect, and we’ll move on. That’s what you do as sportsmen. You have some great highs in sport, and you have some lows in sport. And you keep moving on. You don’t stop.”

Sunday’s training session gave no possible answers to Bharat vs Kishan and how many spinners India will pick

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Jun-2023Two spinners and three fast bowlers? Or one spinner and four fast men including Shardul Thakur as bowling allrounder? Who should be wicketkeeper – the specialist KS Bharat or the X-factor player Ishan Kishan?These are among the key questions that have confronted India since they announced their squad for the WTC final. If you were at The Oval on Sunday, two days before the Test billed as the Ultimate Test, you would have struggled to come away with any hints as to what combination India are leaning towards.Two young men, good friends, both in their 20s, were in focus during India’s first training session in London after almost a week in Arundel where the squad assembled in batches, with players joining at different times while the IPL concluded.Related

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Shubman Gill and Kishan share a close bond off the field, and are not shy to rib each other with friendly banter. Gill needled Kishan as soon as he noticed the left-hander attempting to sweep a few times, albeit not convincingly. Kishan acknowledged that it was “not my shot.”Kishan, who is yet to make his Test debut, had two long batting sessions lasting close to three-quarters of an hour overall, but didn’t practise his keeping. He also had a potential scare late in his second stint, taking a hit to his left forearm while trying to push at a delivery from left-arm quick Aniket Choudhary, one of India’s back-up bowlers. Kishan instantly dropped his bat and walked out to get his forearm iced and wrapped.It didn’t appear to be a serious injury, as Kishan carried two bats comfortably in the hand of his injured arm post-training. A couple of hours later he and Gill walked onto what could potentially be the match pitch for a quick inspection.Though he did not keep wickets, the ample batting time he got is an indicator that India are seriously considering Kishan. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said Kishan would feature in his India XI because the left-hander is an “X-factor player that you need when you might be pushing for a win in a Test match.” Ponting felt that job had previously been done by Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a car crash last December.Bharat, Kishan’s direct competitor, started the training session with a spell of wicketkeeping drills on one of the practice strips on the main square and then returned to bat. Bharat replaced Pant for the four-Test home series against Australia in February-March and showed signs of being a talent who remains a work-in-progress both behind and in front of the stumps.A major challenge for wicketkeepers in England is that the ball tends to wobble and dip after passing the stumps, so technique and positioning are key attributes while standing back to fast bowlers. Neither Bharat or Kishan have any international experience of keeping in England, though Bharat has kept wickets for India A in one match, against West Indies A in Beckenham in 2018.Mohammed Siraj is expected to start at The Oval, but Umesh Yadav could also feature if India play four quicks•ICC via Getty Images

Overall, the Indians turned up at full strength on a sunny Sunday. While they had their sweatshirt hoodies on in the morning, they discarded them when noon approached and The Oval shone under a clear blue sky.Barring Ajinkya Rahane and the fast-bowling trio of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav, the rest of the Indian squad got through batting sessions.Gill enjoyed his time in the sun. He has experience of long-format cricket in English conditions, having played two Tests there in 2021, including the previous WTC final in Southampton, as well as three County Championship games for Glamorgan in 2022, scoring 244 runs at an average of 61.00, his four innings including a 92 against Worcestershire and a century against Sussex. Incidentally, Gill batted at No. 3 in all four innings.With KL Rahul injured, Gill is set to open in the WTC final alongside Rohit Sharma. Gill arrives in England on the back of stellar form across all international formats in 2023 and in the IPL. Gill, though, will be mindful both of Australia’s bowling attack and the seamer-friendly conditions where the Dukes ball can surprise the best of batters. On Sunday, Gill spent considerable one-one-one time with batting coach Vikram Rathour.A good opening partnership was a catalyst in India playing the dominant hand in the first four Tests of the 2021-22 Test series in England, with both Rohit and Rahul scoring big runs. Both scored match-winning hundreds, Rahul in the second Test at Lord’s and Rohit in the fourth Test at The Oval.Any apprehension India may have felt about playing in June (The Oval has hosted Test matches since 1880 but never one in June) would have been eased by the forecast for the coming week, promising sunny weather with temperatures ranging from the late teens to the early 20s Celsius. While there was no confirmation about which strip will be used for the match, it will be a fresh pitch with the surface likely to be dry,All three Indian spinners bowled and batted on Sunday, suggesting both R Ashwin and Axar Patel were in contention for the second spinner’s slot if India pick two slow bowlers. But if they field four seamers, India ensured Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat and Umesh were ready alongside the lead new-ball pair of Shami and Siraj.Both Thakur and Unadkat bowled long spells and then had decent batting stints. Unadkat also received advice from head coach Rahul Dravid on his bat swing.Having watched more than three hours of the training the impression you would walk way with was: India are keeping all their options open, but ready.

The experienced Salma Khatun returns and Rubya Haider misses out with a knee injury

Mohammad Isam05-Jul-2023Bangladesh have left out two big names in Jahanara Alam and Fargana Hoque from the women’s T20I side ahead of their three-match series against India this month. Jahanara, who played just one game in their previous series against Sri Lanka in May, was one of five changes in the team.Fargana is Bangladesh’s second-highest scorer in the format, and along with her, allrounder Lata Mondal and left-arm quick Fariha Trisna were also dropped from the side. Left-hand batter Rubya Haider’s knee injury meant she had to be left out too.The experienced Salma Khatun returned to the side alongside batters Dilara Akter, Shathi Rani and 16-year-old Shorna Akter, apart from pace bowler Marufa Akter. Salma, Dilara and Marufa were not in the squad for the Sri Lanka series. Then selector Manjurul Islam had said at the time that Salma was “rested” due to the volume of cricket this year.

Bangladesh T20I squad changes

IN: Dilara Akter, Shathi Rani, Shorna Akter, Marufa Akter, Salma Khatun

OUT: Jahanara Alam, Fargana Hoque, Rubya Haider (wk), Lata Mondal, Fariha Trisna

Selector Sajjad Ahmed said that they brought Salma back to bolster the spin attack, while Dilara, Shathi and Shorna were promising for the shortest format. Sajjad, however, declined to comment on the players dropped from the side, citing his short time spent in the new role.Bangladesh’s batting will depend on Nigar Sultana, the captain, and Shamima Sultana, apart from Dilara, Sobhana Mostary, Murshida Khatun and Shorna. Uncapped Shathi Rani could open in one of the matches, after she was selected on the back of a strong domestic season.The spin attack will have to carry much of the bowling department, as only two pace bowlers were picked: Marufa Akter and the uncapped Disha Biswas. The spin attack comprises Salma, Fahima Khatun, Nahida Akter, Ritu Mondol, Sanjida Akter and Sultana Khatun.The Indian team will arrive in Dhaka on July 6 for the three T20Is on July 9, 11 and 13 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.Bangladesh squad for India T20Is: Nigar Sultana (capt, wk), Nahida Akter, Dilara Akter, Shathi Rani, Shamima Sultana, Sobhana Mostary, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Disha Biswas, Marufa Akter, Sanjida Akter Meghla, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, Salma Khatun, Fahima Khatun

England are yet to determine which player will replace Topley but confirmed on Saturday night that Archer would not be considered for selection

Matt Roller22-Oct-2023England will try to identify “an X-factor player” as a replacement for Reece Topley, who has been formally ruled out of the rest of the World Cup after scans confirmed a fracture in his left index finger.Topley was struck while fielding a ball off his own bowling in England’s 229-run defeat to South Africa and could not complete his fourth over. He returned to bowl five further overs with his fingers taped together but could not bat, and the ECB confirmed on Sunday evening that his World Cup is over.Related

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England are yet to determine which player will replace Topley in their 15-man squad but confirmed on Saturday night that Jofra Archer would not be considered for selection. Archer is recovering from an elbow stress fracture and joined England’s squad in Mumbai last week as part of his rehabilitation.He was initially described as a travelling reserve but Matthew Mott, England’s coach, clarified that he was not in the picture to replace Topley: “He’s not going to be able to play a part in the end of this campaign,” Mott said. He has since left India, though the ECB insist that his rehabilitation is progressing as expected.Brydon Carse, the Durham fast bowler, made one appearance in England’s ODI series against New Zealand last month and also featured in the second-string side that played Ireland, and as such is the favourite to replace Topley in the squad. But Mott stressed that England will also consider alternative options.”Good question,” Mott said, asked if England would replace Topley with another seamer. “We’ll have to sit down and have a look at that. We’ll have to look at the upcoming games. If there is an X-factor player we can look at… that’s why we were very keen not to name the replacements and reserves, and it leaves a bit of an open mind for what we might go with.”England are unlikely to qualify for the semi-finals unless they win all five of their remaining fixtures and change their balance significantly on Saturday. As such, they may be tempted to bring in a batter – like Jason Roy or Ben Duckett – or a spin-bowling allrounder such as Liam Dawson, Will Jacks or Rehan Ahmed. Luke Wood is also a possible like-for-like replacement.Topley left the field with a ball remaining in his fourth over in England’s 229-run defeat to South Africa on Saturday night. He was struck on the index finger of his bowling hand while attempting to stop a straight drive from Rassie van der Dussen, and, after bowling another delivery, was unable to complete his over.He later returned to bowl with his index and middle fingers strapped together, dismissing both Aiden Markram and David Miller after removing Quinton de Kock with the second ball of the match. But, like the rest of England’s attack, Topley was hammered at the death by Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen, conceding 45 runs across his final two overs to finish with 3 for 88 from 8.5 overs.He did not come out to bat in England’s innings and was sent for scans in Mumbai, which confirmed the medical team’s suspicions of a fracture. “Topley will return to the UK in the next 24 hours,” the ECB said in a statement. “He will work closely with the England and Surrey medical teams in respect of his rehabilitation.”Despite being left out for their first match of the tournament against New Zealand, Topley leaves the World Cup as England’s leading wicket-taker, with eight in his three appearances. It is the second consecutive ICC event he has left early, after he was ruled out on the eve of last year’s T20 World Cup with a freak ankle injury, suffered when treading on a boundary sponge.

Australia allrounder will prepare for WTC final with five County Championship matches

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2025Gloucestershire have signed Australia’s Cameron Green for five County Championship matches, in a deal made possible by a “significant donation” from one of the club’s members.ESPNcricinfo reported this month that Green is hoping to make his return from a back stress fracture before the end of the Sheffield Shield season, and that he was lining up a stint in county cricket. Gloucestershire announced on Friday that he will play five games for them between April 18 and May 26 in the second division of the Championship.Green’s stint will enable him to play competitively ahead of June’s World Test Championship final, which sees Australia face South Africa at Lord’s. He will only be available as a specialist batter, rather than an allrounder, and faces competition for places in the middle order after the recent success of Josh Inglis and Beau Webster early in their Test careers.Gloucestershire’s finances have been perilous in recent years, with the club posting a £1.19 million loss in their most recent accounts. But chair Peter Matthews said one of the club’s 2,000 or so members had donated a sum of money which will enable them to cover the cost of Green’s wages without exceeding their playing budget for the 2025 season.”We are delighted to welcome Cameron to Gloucestershire,” Matthews said. “This deal would not have been possible without a significant donation from a member of the club, and we are incredibly grateful for his generosity, which has enabled us to do this deal without going over the playing budget.”Related

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• Hampshire sign Stoneman as Vince cover

• Green hopeful of Shield return and county cricket ahead of WTC final

Green has never previously played county cricket and will link up with his Western Australia team-mate Cameron Bancroft in Bristol, who was appointed captain for their Championship season earlier this week.Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire’s coach, said: “Cameron Green’s ability is unquestionable… He usually operates in a key position for the best Test team in the world at the moment and having that pedigree in our camp is amazing for the players alongside him. We have serious ambitions in all formats in 2025 and Cameron’s signing will reinforce this sentiment.”Elsewhere, Hampshire have confirmed the signing of another Australian allrounder in New South Wales’ Jack Edwards. ESPNcricinfo reported this week that Edwards will effectively replace Mohammad Abbas for the first two months of the Championship season, with Hampshire’s hoping Edwards’ ability to bat No. 7 will help them fill the void left by James Vince quitting red-ball cricket.