Recent Match Report - India vs Hong Kong 4th Match, Group A 2022

India 192 for 2 (Suryakumar 68*, Kohli 59*, Ghazanfar 1-19) beat Hong Kong 152 for 5 (Hayat 41, Kinchit 30, Bhuvneshwar 1-15, Jadeja -15) by 40 runs

A blazing half-century from Suryakumar Yadav, and a more sedate one from Virat Kohli, helped India cruise into the Super 4 round of the Asia Cup as they beat Hong Kong by 40 runs in Dubai. The victory ensured India would finish as the top team in Group A.

After being put in, India struggled to force the pace on the ball on a sluggish surface. But as the game progressed, the pitch seemed to ease out. Suryakumar cashed in on that, smashing six fours and as many sixes to post 68 not out in just 26 balls. Kohli, too, found his timing after a slow start and finished unbeaten on 59 off 44. His knock included one four and three sixes. The pair added an unbroken 98 in just 42 balls, propelling India to 192 for 2.

From there on, it was always going to be an uphill task for Hong Kong. Despite scoring 51 for 2 in the powerplay, they were behind the asking rate, and once the field spread out, their scoring rate dipped further. In the end, they could manage only 152 for 5.

However, it was a far from perfect game for India. Apart from a slow start, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh looked off colour. Avesh gave away 53 from his four overs, and Arshdeep went for 44 from his quota. Both picked up a wicket each, though.

India' slow start
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul started slowly; India managed just six runs in the first two overs. Rohit broke the shackles by jumping out of his crease to seamer Haroon Arshad and launching him for a straight six. Rahul joined him later in the over when he dispatched a free hit over deep midwicket. Off the last ball, Rohit hit a four to make it 22 from the over.

Ayush Shukla broke the stand in the fifth over when Rohit mistimed an offcutter to mid-on. He scored 21 off 13 balls but Rahul was struggling for timing at the other end. Kohli too found it difficult to get going. At one stage, Rahul was on 21 off 25, Kohli on 12 off 14, and India hadn't managed a boundary for 22 balls. Rahul ended that drought with a six off Aizaz Khan but despite that India only got to 70 for 1 at the ten-over mark.

Suryakumar Yadav smoked 68 not out off just 26 balls•AFP/Getty Images

Suryakumar lights up the night
Kohli showed signs of aggression after the halfway stage, hitting Mohammad Ghazanfar for a four and a six in successive overs from the legspinner. Ghazanfar, though, ended Rahul's struggle by having him caught behind for 36 off 39 balls.

That brought Suryakumar to the middle, and he swept the first two balls he faced, from Yasim Murtaza, for fours. That was just the teaser, and soon he showed his full range. In the 16th over, he hit Aizaz over short third for four before scooping him for a six, off consecutive balls. A couple of overs later, he flicked Shukla over deep square leg to move to 41 off just 17 balls.

Kohli, meanwhile, brought up his fifty off 40 balls. Three balls after reaching the landmark, he slog-swept Ehsan Khan for a 91-metre six but it paled in comparison to Suryakumar's dazzling strokeplay.

In the last over of the innings, Suryakumar hit Haroon's first three deliveries for sixes - the second one took him to his fifty off just 22 balls and was arguably the shot of the day. He had initially shaped up for a scoop but seeing Haroon bowl it full and wide, he changed his shot and lofted it over deep cover. The fourth ball was a dot, and Suryakumar pulled the next one over short fine leg for another six. Haroon escaped with a couple off the final ball but India already had a daunting total.

Ravindra Jadeja hurt Hong Kong with a run-out and the wicket of Babar Hayat•AFP/Getty Images

Spinners put brakes on after Babar Hayat's brisk start
Arshdeep bounced out Yasim in the second over but Babar Hayat's power-hitting took Hong Kong past 50 in the sixth over. The tall right-hander smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh over their heads for a six off each. In the sixth over, he took on Arshdeep, hitting him for two fours.

India found some relief when Nizakat Khan was run out on the last ball of the powerplay. It was a free hit that Nizakat steered towards backward point before taking a couple of steps down the pitch. But Ravindra Jadeja nailed a direct hit before he could get back in.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Jadeja then conceded only 14 in the next four overs. That left Hong Kong with a monumental task of getting 128 from the last ten.

The chase peters out
At the end of the powerplay, Babar was on 29 off 17 but could manage only 12 off the next 18 balls he faced. Jadeja sent him back when he miscued a cut to backward point. Kinchit Shah and Aizaz offered some resistance by adding 31 off 22 balls for the fourth wicket but it was too little to trouble India. In the final two overs, Zeeshan Ali and Scott McKechnie hit a flurry of boundaries but that was too little too late to have an impact on the final result.

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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UN releases Xinjiang report despite China's 'firm' opposition

Discriminatory detention of Muslim groups in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region may constitute crimes against humanity, says UN human rights in new report. Beijing "firmly opposes" report release.

"We all know so well that the so-called Xinjiang issue is a completely fabricated lie out of political motivations," says China's UN Ambassador, Zhang Jun ahead of report release. (AA)

The office of UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has published its long-awaited report on alleged rights violations in China's western Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, brushing aside Beijing's demands to keep a lid on a report that fanned a tug-of-war for diplomatic influence with the West over the rights of the region's native Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. Wednesday's report, which Western diplomats and UN officials said had been all but ready for months, was published with just minutes to go in Bachelet's four-year term.  The report said serious human rights violations have been committed in the region and "patterns of torture" allegations in Xinjiang are "credible." "The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uighur and other predominantly Muslim groups, pursuant to law and policy, in context of restrictions and deprivation more generally of fundamental rights enjoyed individually and collectively, may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity," the report said. The report was unexpected to break significant new ground beyond sweeping findings from independent advocacy groups and journalists who have documented concerns about human rights in Xinjiang for years.  But Bachelet's report comes with the imprimatur of the United Nations, and the member states that make it up.  The run-up to its release fuelled a debate over China's influence on the world body and epitomised the on-and-off diplomatic chill between Beijing and the West over human rights, among other sore spots. Beijing 'firmly opposed' to release Hours before the release, China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said Beijing remains "firmly opposed" to the release. "We haven't seen this report yet, but we are completely opposed to such a report, we do not think it will produce any good to anyone," Zhang told reporters outside the Security Council.  "We have made it very clear to the high commissioner and on a number of other occasions that we are firmly opposed to such a report." "We all know so well that the so-called Xinjiang issue is a completely fabricated lie out of political motivations, and its purpose is definitely to undermine China's stability and to obstruct China's development," he added.  Bachelet said in recent months that she received pressure from both sides to publish, or not publish, the report and resisted it all, treading a fine line all the while noting her experience with political squeeze during her two terms as president of Chile. In June, Bachelet said she would not seek a new term as rights chief, and promised the report would be released by her departure date on August 31.  Detention camps or training centres That led to a swell in back-channel campaigns, including letters from civil society, civilians and governments on both sides of the issue.  She hinted last week her office might miss her deadline, saying it was "trying" to release it before her exit. Bachelet had set her sights on the Xinjiang region upon taking office in September 2018, but Western diplomats voiced concerns in private that over her term, she did not challenge China enough. The West alleges China's "mass detention campaign" in Xinjiang swept an estimated million Uighurs and other ethnic groups into a network of prisons and camps.  Beijing rejects such accusations and calls them "training centres". Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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Recent Match Report - Pakistan vs India 2nd Match, Group A 2022

India 148 for 5 (Kohli 35, Jadeja 35, Hardik 33*, Nawaz 3-33, Naseem 2-27) beat Pakistan 147 all out (Rizwan 43, Iftikhar 28, Dahani 16*, Bhuvneshwar 4-26, Hardik 3-25) by five wickets

Hardik Pandya cracked open the game for India with both ball and bat to take them to a tense win over Pakistan with two balls to spare. He bowled with pace and venom, using the short ball perfectly on a pitch with steep bounce to return figures of 4-0-25-3 and restrict Pakistan to 147. On a tacky pitch, India never really broke away from Pakistan until Hardik hit three boundaries in the 19th over. Even in the 20th, Mohammad Nawaz brought it to six required off three, but Hardik sealed it with a flat six over long-on to end up with 33 off 17.

This was a gruelling match played in oppressive heat and humidity. As a result, both teams struggled to keep time and were penalised for slow over-rate. But while Hardik's middle-overs wickets had made sure Pakistan couldn't really exploit there being only four fielders in the deep - instead of the usual five - Hardik was himself there to cash in with the bat.

Pakistan were further hampered by their key death bowlers - Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf - cramping up. In the end, they were left with Nawaz bowling the last over because India promoted Ravindra Jadeja when the two spinners - both turning the ball away from right-hand batters - had India in a choke hold in the middle overs. Jadeja immediately hit a six and a four off Nawaz, which meant they had to delay his final over. It also meant the asking rate never got to India because they knew they had that over left; as it happened, it was bowled with an extra fielder in the circle.

If it doesn't swing, dig it in
With grass on the pitch and also given the history of Dubai, it was a big toss to win for India. They expected swing, but didn't get any. While there was still seam movement on offer, Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a surprise bouncer to Babar Azam. It was a brave change-up with third and fine leg both inside the circle, but the line was wide, which meant Babar had to fetch it. He managed just a top edge for short fine leg to catch.

Just as Pakistan looked to make the most of the final powerplay over, Avesh Khan came back from a six and a four with another short ball that took the top edge from a Fakhar Zaman cut. At 43 for 2, Pakistan had fallen behind the game early.

Mohammad Rizwan just couldn't come to terms with the pitch, falling behind a run a ball. He could hardly time any of his attempted big hits. Iftikhar Ahmed, batting against spinners - not his stronger suit - still managed to score 28 off 22 in a 45-run partnership.

With eight overs to go, Pakistan needed to get a move on. This is when Hardik came back to bowl with great pace and bounce. The first ball was just too high and too quick for Iftikhar, taking a top edge on the hook. In the 15th over, Hardik took out both Rizwan and Khushdil Shah with the short ball to make it 103 for 5.

Dahani, Rauf give themselves something to bowl
Pinpoint knuckle balls from Bhuvneshwar then reduced Pakistan to 128 for 9, but Shahnawaz Dahani and Rauf managed to score 29 off 13 balls between the two of them. Dahani smacked two lovely sixes, one over long-on and another over midwicket, a hook to a slower bouncer.

Pakistan's fast bowlers impress
The start of India's innings was hectic. Naseem had KL Rahul play on with the second ball of his T20I career. Then Virat Kohli was dropped for a duck at second slip. Edges went past the wicket. Rohit Sharma kept getting beaten on the outside edge, enduring the slowest powerplay he has had in T20Is. The ball kept fizzing around, but in between Kohli played a lovely front-foot pull over wide mid-on and a back-foot punch. When the powerplay ended at 38 for 1, Pakistan were right in the game.

Hardik Pandya produced an all-round show in India's win•AFP/Getty Images

Spinners strike, India disrupt
India made a bold choice playing Kohli ahead of Rishabh Pant, the only left-hand batter in the top seven. It becomes tricky for India especially when Rohit and Kohli are batting together against spin. If there was any consolation, they didn't muck around. They went for their shots, but on this pitch Nawaz was good enough to have them caught on the boundary with the last ball of the eighth over and the first of the 10th.

Between those two wickets, India improvised, sending Jadeja in at No. 4. The purpose of that move is dual. They get to know how good Jadeja can be when given more batting responsibility, and they also force Pakistan to make a change. Of course all of this would only come to matter if if Jadeja could overcome his ordinary record against spin, which he did by using his feet against Nawaz to hit those boundaries and force Pakistan to keep his last over in the bank.

Both sides hang in
Now Jadeja stopped taking risks. Suryakumar Yadav tried but seam movement for Nasem flattened his off stump. Hardik and Jadeja then picked risk-free runs to see how long Pakistan could delay the return of Nawaz. Hardik especially was good enough to accumulate at a healthy rate. The bowlers began to cramp up. India played the waiting game. Even Pakistan were found three overs short, which made 32 off three overs look easier than it should.

Pandya overcomes Naseem heroics
When Naseem began the 18th, it was clear Pakistan were going to try their best bets first. However, Naseem's cramps became debilitating. He could hardly charge in, but conceded just five runs off the first four balls. He came close to getting Jadeja lbw but the batter got the decision overturned on review. The knockout blow came when Jadeja timed him over long-on for a six.

Hardik then used the extra fielder in to place his boundaries instead of muscling them. Three fours in the 19th over left India just seven to get in Nawaz's over. In a final twist, Jadeja was bowled trying to play the slog-sweep, and it came down to six required off the last three. If Pakistan could keep Hardik off strike they had a chance because Karthik's record against spin is ordinary. However, Hardik coolly hit a flat six over wide long-on to take India home.

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Recent Match Report - Zimbabwe vs Australia 1st ODI 2022

Australia 201 for 5 (Warner 57, Smith 48*, Burl 3-60) beat Zimbabwe 200 (Madhevere 72, Green 5-33, Zampa 3-57) by five wickets

The first five-wicket haul of Cameron Green's international career set Australia up for a comfortable victory over Zimbabwe in the first ODI in Townsville to mark the early start to their season, although they needed to work hard to break the back of the visitors' batting.

Wessly Madhevere's career-best 72 held Zimbabwe together, though they were never able to really cut loose, as the innings fell away rapidly in the closing stages, losing 6 for 15 as Green's wicket tally quickly swelled after he had earlier claimed the key wicket of the in-form Sikandar Raza.

A target of 201 was always unlikely to cause too many concerns, and it was duly knocked off with more than 16 overs to spare amid a flurry of boundaries by Glenn Maxwell. David Warner lived a charmed life in making a half-century, but Steven Smith played a controlled innings to ensure the loss of three wickets to Ryan Burl from some casual strokeplay did not become a problem.

On a day where tributes were paid to former Australia allrounder Andrew Symonds, who died in a car accident in May, one of this generation's finest all-round prospects added another milestone to the early stages of his career.

Green had one wicket from seven ODIs before this outing, but he is being viewed as a key figure as Australia build towards the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, having been entrusted as the third frontline quick to allow a very long batting order. He caused problems throughout with his extra bounce, with two batters being caught at fine leg while unable to control short deliveries.

Unsurprisingly, Aaron Finch had put Zimbabwe in with the early start, as Australia kept the scoring rate on a tight leash during the first ten overs. But the visiting openers did well to withstand the opening spells. Mitchell Marsh made the breakthrough shortly after the powerplay when Innocent Kaia offered a return catch, but Zimbabwe steadily increased the tempo with Tadiwanashe Marumani getting the benefit of his early hard work.

However, with a maiden half-century in sight, Marumani advanced at Adam Zampa and was beaten which led to a few overs of caution. Madhevere and Tony Munyonga then produced a boundary apiece against Zampa in the 25th over, only for Smith to pull off a spectacular running catch from mid-off to remove Munyonga as he aimed down the ground again.

The in-form Raza, who has enjoyed a stunning run against Bangladesh and India in recent weeks, was tied down by Australia's quicks before falling to a short delivery from Green which he top-edged to fine leg removing a major threat with nearly 20 overs to go.

David Warner top-scored for Australia with 57•AFP/Getty Images

Madhevere, who would not have played but for an elbow injury suffered by Sean Williams in nets on Saturday, continued to anchor the innings and brought up his half-century from 67 balls while captain Regis Chakabva provided some extra momentum heading into the final ten overs with a spritely display. However, Madhevere's stay came to a rather soft end, when he prodded a return catch to Zampa off his final delivery.

The innings quickly lost its way after that as Green struck four times in two overs, making good use of the short ball, although he looked somewhat sheepish as his fourth and fifth wickets were snaffled by Maxwell at deep midwicket.

Australia made a steady start to the chase before left-armer Richard Ngarava, who caused a few problems, forced Finch to drag into his stumps via an inside edge.

The 17th over, bowled by Raza, brought a lot of action involving Warner, who was firstly dropped at point when Marumani spilled a simple chance. Then there were bizarre scenes when Zimbabwe reviewed for a caught behind that was given not out, and Warner was so sure he had edged it that he was almost off the field when the third umpire decided there was no conclusive evidence to overturn.

When Warner faced Raza's next over, he pulled the first six of the match over deep square leg and then went to hit a 57-ball fifty, but did not go much further when he swung across the line. Raza's celebration certainly had some feeling about it, and perhaps a few words.

Smith had looked in good touch from the moment he arrived in the middle, and unfurled some well-timed drives between ticking the scoreboard over. He lost a flurry of partners as Australia's middle order tried to attack Burl's legspin, with Alex Carey well caught at long-on then Marcus Stoinis and Marsh falling in the same over.

However, Maxwell crunched his first ball for four - and thrice cleared the fence later on - as his 32 off nine balls hastened the finish which came with consecutive sixes.

Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Recent Match Report - Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Group B 2022

Afghanistan 106 for 2 (Gurbaz 40*, Zazai 37, Hasaranga 1-19) beat Sri Lanka 105 all out (Rajapaksa 38, Farooqi 3-11, Nabi 2-14) by 8 wickets

A thrilling all-round performance saw Afghanistan crush Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the first game of the 2022 Asia Cup. The bowlers set the foundation, reducing Sri Lanka to 5 for 3, with Fazalhaq Farooqi responsible for most of the carnage. Despite a brief resurgence in the middle thanks to a 44-run stand between Danushka Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Afghanistan struck back hard, running through the lower order.

Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb ur Rehman and Mohammad Nabi were all among the wickets, and despite late resistance from Chamika Karunaratne, the 105 Sri Lanka managed was woefully inadequate. It took the Afghan openers just 10.1 overs to take it down; Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai racked up 83 runs in the Powerplay itself effectively ending the game as a contest right there.

The first three overs
There was chaos and controversy to kick off the Asia Cup, but by the time the fog of the first three overs lifted, Afghanistan had a vice-like grip on the game. Farooqi struck twice in two balls in the first over to remove Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka, but it was Pathum Nissanka's wicket that raised eyebrows. The umpire deemed the batter to have nicked off to the keeper, only for Sri Lanka to review immediately. In a baffling bit of third umpiring, the on-field umpire was advised to stand by his decision despite UltraEdge showing almost no deviation. It caused consternation among the Sri Lanka camp, but Afghanistan had the rub of the green. Over the next three hours. They made it count.

Rajapaksa revival
There was the briefest glimmer of hope for Sri Lanka just after that destructive start that saw them lose three early wickets. It came in the form of a classy little stand between Gunathilaka and Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa lifted Naveen ul Haq over the mid-off boundary for a glorious six to kickstart that passage of play, with his team-mate joining in later in the over. The real carnage took place in the final Powerplay over that saw the pair plunder four boundaries in an over that cost 20 to undo some of the damage that had happened early on. But when Gunathilaka sent a reverse sweep straight down deep cover's throat, things began to unravel for Sri Lanka once more. Rajapaksa soldiered on briefly, but was ultimately done by some shocking running that saw two wickets fall in that fashion in two balls.

Karunaratne's resistance
It was probably much too late by the 15th over, but Karunaratne wasn't to know that. Farming the strike adroitly for the final five overs, he almost single-handedly added 30 to the final partnership to ensure Sri Lanka recovered from 75 for 9 to post a three-figure total. It was an engrossing period of play in many ways, with almost every delivery struck to a deep fielder and ending up as a dot ball. There were occasions where the running might have been sharper, but after two run-outs that could only be described as brain freezes, Karunaratne wasn't taking any chances.

Gurbazball?
A low-scoring game in the UAE against Sri Lanka has the potential to become a horrid second-innings scrap, but Gurbaz wasn't having any of it. In a whirwind of a cameo, he would thump 40 off 18 balls to help Afghanistan rack up 83 in the Powerplay, breaking the back of the chase before Sri Lanka's spinners could even get into their work. Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana were singled out for punishment, tonked for 16 and 21 respectively in a no-holds barred display of pure power.

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Canadian Muslim rights group urges release of UN's Uyghur report

TRENTON, Canada
The long-anticipated UN report on the alleged human rights abuses against the Uyghurs should be made public now, Justice for All Canada said Friday. The Canadian Muslim organization, a long-time champion of the plight of the Muslim minority Uyghurs, agreed with Canada's UN ambassador Bob Rae who said there is "no excuse" for the delay in publishing the report. "Canada’s UN representative Bob Rae was instrumental in a previous ground-breaking report that set the stage for a global humanitarian response to the Rohingya genocide," Taha Ghayyur, the executive director of Justice For All Canada, told Anadolu Agency in an email interview on Friday. "Canadian activists are calling for similar swift justice and intervention on behalf of Uyghur Muslims, who are living through one of the worst modern genocides since WWII." Rae is not buying the line from Michelle Bachelet, UN high commissioner for human rights, who said she is "trying very hard" to issue the report but is under "tremendous pressure." "There is no excuse for not getting it out," Rae told CBC, Canada's state broadcaster on Thursday. "The only person that controls that is her. It's her report." "I don't think there's any question at all that the Chinese have been making very strong representations but I don't know under what process a human rights commission would say we're going to allow the perpetrators of this injustice — of this genocide — we're going to allow them to comment and see the report and review it and then get their feedback on it before we publish the report," Rae said. China has been accused by human rights groups of keeping more than a million Uyghurs in detention camps against their will. China has denied committing any human rights violation but insists the "re-education camps" were necessary to clamp down on extremism by Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims. Bachelet earlier promised to make the report public by Aug. 31.
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Recent Match Report - South Africa vs England 2nd Test 2022

England 111 for 3 (Bairstow 38*, Crawley 17*) trail South Africa 151 (Rabada 36, Anderson 3-32, Broad 3-37) by 40 runs

Already you can sense England warming to the thrill of the chase, and the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford isn't yet 90 overs old. On another flawed, but captivating day of vibes-driven Test cricket, Ben Stokes' men were handed an opportunity to reprise the match situations that led to their thrilling run of four victories against New Zealand and India earlier in the summer, and by the close of an 13-wicket day, that man Jonny Bairstow was just beginning to tick once again.

At stumps, South Africa's bowlers had chipped off three top-order wickets in reply to their own malfunctioning innings of 151 all out - with Kagiso Rabada's extraction of Joe Root for his third single-figure score of the series the stand-out dismissal of the day. But Bairstow, with a bristling 38 not out from 45 balls, provided the steadying hand that Zak Crawley needed to dig himself through to the close in an uncharacteristically dour 17 not out from 77 balls, to reduce the arrears to a mere 40 runs, and set up the match in the reactive fashion to which England have become rather attached.

For, in a deviation from the tactics that brought South Africa such rampant success in their innings victory at Lord's last week, Dean Elgar chose to bat first after winning the toss, despite cloudy overhead conditions and to the clear delight of his opposite number, Stokes, who gleefully confirmed he'd have bowled first anyway. By the time James Anderson had marked his 100th home Test with England's stand-out figures of 3 for 32, it was shaping up as a very good toss to have lost.

Elgar's logic had been dictated to a large degree by South Africa's team selection, with Simon Harmer restored to the XI as a second spin option alongside Keshav Maharaj, and given his prowess for Essex in the County Championship over the past five years, he could yet come into his own later in the match, on a ground where he has claimed 15 wickets at 17.60 in his three matches against Lancashire.

For the time being, however, Harmer has been limited to an exploratory final over of the day, while the absence of the lanky left-armer Marco Jansen looks like a potential oversight on a pitch offering consistent seam movement as well as extra bounce for England's quicks - not least the restored Ollie Robinson, who utilised his high release point to challenge both edges of the bat, and hinted at a renewed commitment to his fitness levels in the quickest spell of his Test career to date.

Though he claimed a solitary wicket in his first outing since the Hobart Test in January, Robinson was a handful in each of his 14 overs, spread across three spells, not least for the opener, Sarel Erwee. Despite his key contributions to the Lord's win, Erwee was never allowed to settle as Anderson and Robinson hounded him in a probing new-ball pairing, and after playing-and-missing relentlessly in an unconvincing 12-ball stay, Anderson found his inside-edge to carve an opening in the fifth over of the day.

Elgar fared little better, even after a reprieve on 10 when Robinson was denied a catch at short leg after overstepping. After taking 16 balls to get off the mark, Elgar had been limited to a solitary punched boundary through long-off when Broad - entering the attack as the hour mark approached - hit a good length outside off with a hint of away movement. Jonny Bairstow at third slip stooped low to gather, and South Africa's captain was gone for 12.

Ben Stokes appeals successfully for lbw against Rassie van der Dussen•Getty Images

Keegan Petersen connected with a trio of off-side boundaries - two of them firm cuts and one fat edge past the slips - in his innings of 21, but Broad's hungry introduction cut short his progress. This was the first time since the Cape Town Test of 2009-10 that he and Anderson had not shared the new ball when playing together, and in his third over, more steep bounce on a good length kissed the edge of the bat as Petersen got squared up with flat feet. Joe Root at first slip swallowed the edge to leave South Africa wobbing at 41 for 3.

Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen compiled the beginnings of a fourth-wicket stand to restore South Africa's hopes of reaching lunch without further damage. But Stokes, in a typically golden-armed intervention, had other ideas.

Stokes' first breakthrough was reminiscent of Ian Botham's maiden Test wicket in 1977 - a rank long-hop that deserved to get the treatment, but instead induced the error from the batter. Markram swung lustily across the line, but managed only a steepling top-edge to Foakes, running back towards fine leg.

One over later, van der Dussen was gone as well, to an each-way bet of an lbw decision from umpire Chris Gaffaney. The ball thumped the front pad very close to the inside edge, and carried through to the keeper. Van der Dussen reviewed, but the decision stood, with DRS returning an umpire's call verdict on both impact and the top of the leg bail.

It didn't take long after lunch for the wickets to flow again - two in two for Anderson, as first Harmer and Maharaj were nailed on the front pad for plumb lbws. Kyle Verreynne then became Broad's third, as he snicked another off-stump lifter through to Foakes for 21, but England's habitual struggles to see off the tail resurfaced before tea as Rabada took to the long handle with Nortje for company.

Straight after the break, however, Robinson earned his first wicket since the Hobart Test in January as Nortje was pinned plumb lbw, before Rabada - with only Lungi Ngidi for company - aimed a wild hack at Jack Leach to be caught at slip.

That left England with a full session in which to survive or thrive, and given neither of their efforts at Lord's had extended beyond 45 overs, there was no immediate guarantee that South Africa would not be batting again before the close. Sure enough, Alex Lees was caught behind in Ngidi's first over, before Ollie Pope's skittish attempts to force the pace came a familiar cropper at the hands of Nortje's genuine pace.

But it was Root's extraction, at 43 for 3 in the 14th over, that could truly have rattled England's cage. As at Lord's, his dismissal was prefaced by a loud groan of "oh no!" - such is the surety of his shot selection, he's equally sure when he's got his choices wrong - as Erwee at first slip juggled a full four times before clutching a precious chance to his chest.

Crawley by this stage was deeply entrenched on a dour 7 from 34 balls - a far cry from the flowing attributes for which he has been retained in the team. And yet, his innings was characterised first and foremost by good choices, a steadfast refusal to be lured outside the eyeline, and a blank-batted resolve to see off anything and everything that challenged the line of off stump.

He struck just one four in his first 69 balls - and that, off Ngidi, was a freebie into his pads - before picking off a sweep against Maharaj in the dying moments of the day. But, with the match situation set in stone by South Africa's early collapse, Crawley's lack of hurry was in itself a positive option, in the truest sense of the mindset shift that Brendon McCullum has set about instilling in his players.

It certainly offered Bairstow a bedrock from which to push into his own evening's work. This was not a return to the dashing displays that had lit up his efforts against New Zealand and India, but nor, in the circumstances, did it need to be. And yet, six peppered boundaries kept his innings ticking along at a strike-rate of 84, to ensure England as a whole were still easing along at a notch under four an over - and to ensure the sight of Broad in his pads on the pavilion balcony, ready to be unleashed as the "Nighthawk" if the need had arisen. In spite of the manifest flaws on display, they could not have dreamed of a match situation that plays more clearly to their strengths.

Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket

#Match #Report #South #Africa #England #2nd #Test https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-south-africa-vs-england-2nd-test-2022/?feed_id=15804&_unique_id=6307e04beaf77

Recent Match Report - West Indies vs New Zealand 3rd ODI 2022

New Zealand 307 for 5 (Latham 69, Mitchell 63, Guptill 57, Conway 56, Holder 2-37) beat West Indies 301 for 8 (Mayers 105, Pooran 91, Hope 51, Boult 3-53) by five wickets

Four batters posted half centuries as New Zealand overhauled the West Indies' total of 301 for 8 to win the third ODI on Sunday by five wickets and clinch the series 2-1.

Tom Latham scored 69 and put on 120 for the fourth wicket with Daryl Mitchell (63) in a stand which paced the run chase and carried New Zealand in sight of victory.

Martin Guptill (57) and Devon Conway (56) had earlier combined to add 82 runs for the second wicket to give New Zealand a platform for a demanding chase.

Mitchell was out with the score on 248 in the 42nd over and Latham at 259 in the 44th, with New Zealand still requiring 43 runs. Jimmy Neesham settled the issue with a decisive innings of 34 from 11 deliveries, taking 18 runs from the 45th over bowled by Yannic Cariah.

Neesham hit a six from the bowling of West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran to end the chase with 17 balls remaining.

"It was obviously nice to make a contribution," Latham said. "I think the partnership that Daryl and I were able to make put them under pressure. We set a target of getting to that 40-over mark where we needed a run a ball."

Latham appeared to have erred when he chose to bowl first and as the West Indies flourished in good batting conditions. Kyle Mayers made 105 in a 173-run opening partnership with Shai Hope, and Pooran smashed nine sixes in a rapid 91 for the West Indies.

The pitch proved much better for batting than those on which the West Indies won the first match by five wickets and New Zealand won the second by 50 runs. The highest previous total in the series was New Zealand's 212 in the second match.

Mayers and Hope stayed together for almost 35 overs to shape the West Indies innings. Their partnership ended when Hope was out for 51 off 100 balls and, as often happens with large partnerships, Mayers was out two balls later and without addition to the total. Brandon King fell soon afterwards with the score at 181 for 3 in a sudden reversal for the West Indies.

But Pooran picked up the pace again, posting a half-century from 33 balls. He had hit nine sixes and and four fours from 55 balls when he was out in the 49th over.

Mayers and Hope made a cautious start to the innings as they found the pace of the new pitch, crawling to 24 after 10 overs, negotiating a short rain break in the seventh over.

"I took my time in the powerplay and it gave me the chance to get in. The last two games I got out in the powerplay," Mayers said in a television interview. "It's not every day you bat the powerplay for 20 runs but it worked out well in the end."

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-west-indies-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-2022/?feed_id=14432&_unique_id=63040caf13e2d

Recent Match Report - Pakistan vs Netherlands 3rd ODI 2022

Pakistan 206 (Babar 91, Nawaz 27, de Leede 3-50, Kingma 2-15) beat Netherlands 197 (Cooper 62, Vikramjit 50, Naseem 5-33, Wasim 4-36) by nine runs

Pakistan nearly paid the price for extreme caution with the bat, but standout bowling performances from Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim spared their blushes as they eked out a nine-run win in the third and final ODI in Rotterdam and sealed the series 3-0.

For a large part of the chase, it seemed that Netherlands would topple Pakistan, particularly during a 71-run fourth-wicket partnership between Vikramjit Singh and Tom Cooper. But with the pressure at its most intense, Naseem and Wasim bowled with a composure that belied their inexperience, taking nine wickets between them to close out the game. Naseem's career-best figures of 5 for 33, backed up by Wasim's 4 for 36, made all the difference in the end as the Netherlands batters failed to close out the game.

Earlier, a miserly bowling performance from Netherlands saw Pakistan bowled out for 206 in 49.4 overs, handing the home side a golden opportunity to nab a win. Pakistan were exceptionally conservative with the bat for much of the innings; by the end of 30 overs, they were 105 for 3. Bas de Leede, Netherlands' best player of the series, was once again exceptional with the ball as he ran through the middle order, striking thrice to prevent Pakistan ever really breaking away. Only Babar Azam, who scored a steady, if sedate, 125-ball 91, was able to keep the innings together, but in the absence of a supporting cast or an injection of impetus, a modest total was all that Pakistan could muster.

Netherlands sniffed an opportunity, but they were abundantly cautious early on, and Naseem, as he had done all series, continued to punch holes in their batters' defences. Max O'Dowd played at one that nipped away to cap an indifferent series before Naseem cleaned up Musa Ahmad with a ball that held its line from around the wicket. Wasim, who replaced the somewhat less potent Shahnawaz Dahani, took up the mantle from the other end, sending de Leede back after he nicked one through to Mohammad Haris.

But with the target relatively low, the hosts were never out of the game, and one big partnership was enough to give Pakistan a real fright. Vikramjit and Cooper began to rebuild after the early blows, the former's three successive boundaries off Wasim a clear signal of intent. The duo looked comfortable against most Pakistan bowlers.

Pakistan needed a breakthrough fast, and for that, Babar turned to Wasim once more. In the second over of his new spell, he sent Vikramjit packing. Naseem, of course, was not to be outdone, removing Scott Edwards in his first over back with a dream delivery that beat the outside edge of the bat and crunched into off stump.

But Netherlands rebuilt with Cooper and Teja Nidamanuru, a 56-run stand taking them to within 35 of the target. At that stage, the asking rate was under seven, and Netherlands were turning the screws once more.

Aryan Dutt had Babar Azam caught and bowled on 91•KNCB/Gerhard van der Laarse

But the Naseem-Wasim duo refused to give up, combining in a scintillating death-overs display to remove the pair in the space of six balls and burrow into the tail. From thereon, it was an uphill task for Netherlands against two bowlers in top form and, while Pakistan were made to sweat, victory always seemed a touch out of their reach. Wasim rattled Aryan Dutt's stumps to finish off the game, and Pakistan just about got away with one.

In the morning, Pakistan made four changes to their side, bringing in Abdullah Shafique as opener for his ODI debut, as well as Haris in place of Mohammad Rizwan. After they opted to bat, Shafique had the opportunity to impress straightaway, but Vivian Kingma struck early once again.

Kingma and Dutt kept things tighter than a taxman's purse, never allowing Pakistan any freedom to accelerate. The fielding was lively, and with the batters finding the fielders with most shots, Pakistan began to feel suffocated. Neither Fakhar Zaman nor Babar could truly break away, and even when there were changes in the bowling, a change in fortunes for Pakistan did not accompany them.

The pressure finally got to Fakhar, who went for a huge heave against Logan van Beek, only to be beaten by the pace and have his off stump rattled. Netherlands only squeezed harder, with the run rate continuing to snail along well under four.

Babar was curiously passive through the innings, and the failure of the inexperienced middle order to capitalise made his wicket even more valuable. It didn't come until fairly late in the innings, but his failure to break free meant he couldn't inflict much damage anyway. It was Dutt, the pick of the bowlers, who got rid of him for the second time this series, taking a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling. Dutt had deserved it more than perhaps any other bowler, his figures of 10-1-34-1 just rewards for a sensational showing.

The final few overs saw Pakistan trying to accelerate, only for Netherlands to shackle them further. The odd four or six gave hopes of a change in momentum, but it was swiftly followed by wickets. No. 10 Zahid Mahmood struck a six in the penultimate over, but Kingma returned to help Netherlands get the final two wickets.

At that stage, Netherlands looked on track for their first home win of the summer. They might well have reached there but for two young Pakistani fast bowlers.

Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Danny61000

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-pakistan-vs-netherlands-3rd-odi-2022/?feed_id=13933&_unique_id=6302813e05126

Recent Match Report - New Zealand vs West Indies 2nd ODI 2022

New Zealand 212 (Allen 96, Mitchell 41, Sinclair 4-41) beat West Indies 161 (Cariah 51, Joseph 49, Southee 4-22) by 50 runs (DLS method)

Finn Allen made 96 and Tim Southee took 4 for 22 as New Zealand beat West Indies by 50 runs in a rain-affected encounter in the second ODI to level the three-match series.

New Zealand made 212 batting first and the West Indies were in dire straits at 27 for 6, potentially facing their lowest-ever total in an ODI, until a long rain break and bold late-order batting changed the course of the match.

When the rain stopped late in the evening at Kensington Oval, West Indies, who were 63 for 7 at the break, were left to chase 212 from only 51 overs.

They found an unusual hero in Yannic Cariah who posted his first half-century in an ODI and shared an 85-run partnership with Alzarri Joseph (49) which raised the hopes for the home team.

Joseph fell with the total at 157 for 9 and Cariah was the last man out for 52 with the total at 161 to make Sunday's third ODI the series decider.

Trent Boult and Southee combined to crash through the West Indies top and middle order, leaving the home team six wickets down in the 10th over. Southee finished with 4 for 22 and Boult 3 for 18.

Earlier, Allen fell four runs short of a maiden century as New Zealand overcame the loss of its captain and a stuttering start to post 212 in 48.2 overs.

Finn Allen swings for the leg side•Associated Press

Skipper Kane Williamson was ruled out with a quad muscle strain suffered in the first match of the three-match series which the West Indies won by five wickets.

Stand-in captain Tom Latham was among three batters to fall early as New Zealand struggled to 31 for 3 in the 10th over. He was out for a three-ball duck while Martin Guptill fell for 3 and Devon Conway for 6.

Allen revived the innings with an 84-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell (41) for the fourth wicket. The pair stayed together for 20 overs to steer New Zealand into a stronger position at 115-4 when Mitchell top-edged an attempted slog over midwicket and was caught at square leg.

New Zealand failed to build from the promising position. Allrounder Michael Bracewell (6) and the power hitters Phillips (9) and Neesham (1) came and went quickly.

Allen finally was out for 96 on the first ball of the 41st over when New Zealand were 165 for 7. He had faced 117 balls and hit three sixes and seven fours.

"It was nice to get the team off to what we thought was a competitive total," Allen said after the match. "I was disappointed to leave us about 10 overs short. I thought there were stills a few runs out there which we could have put on the seal the deal a bit more."

The New Zealand innings again lost direction in his absence, though Mitchell Santner made an effort to rally the tail. He found an able partner in Boult who stayed with him for five overs during which the pair added a valuable 31 for the last wicket, guiding New Zealand past their total of 190 which proved inadequate in the first match.

Boult finally was out for 16, giving offspinner Sinclair his fourth wicket of the innings. Sinclair finished with 4 for 41 as spinners shared six wickets.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-new-zealand-vs-west-indies-2nd-odi-2022/?feed_id=13366&_unique_id=630084adf2ff4

Recent Match Report - Zimbabwe vs India 1st ODI 2022

India 192 for 0 (Gill 82*, Dhawan 81*) beat Zimbabwe 189 (Chakabva 35, Ngarava 34, Axar 3-24, Chahar 3-27, Prasidh 3-50) by 10 wickets

Deepak Chahar's probing new-ball spell on his impressive return after six months followed by a century stand between in-form openers Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill hurtled Zimbabwe to their 13th straight ODI loss to India. Chahar's swing, Prasidh Krishna's bounce and Axar Patel's accuracy helped them bag three wickets apiece to bowl the hosts out for 189 before Dhawan and Gill hunted the target down with nearly 20 overs to spare.

India's pace bowlers utilised the early moisture and swing to trouble Zimbabwe's top order, which had hardly scored against Bangladesh too. Chahar and Co. reduced Zimbabwe to 31 for 4 and then 110 for 8 before a counter-attacking ninth-wicket stand of 70 off 65 balls between Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava lifted them to a somewhat respectable total.

Chahar started gingerly before he sent back the hosts' top order in an opening burst of 7-0-27-3, in which he swung the ball both ways and had Innocent Kaia and Tadiwanashe Marumani caught behind by the ninth over. Seven balls after Marumani fell in the ninth over, the returning Sean Williams lasted just three balls when he edged Mohammed Siraj to first slip. Five balls later, Chahar's late outswing beat Wessley Madhevere to trap him lbw for 5, and Zimbabwe were four down in 10.1 overs.

It was down to Chakabva and Raza again. Chakabva instilled some confidence when he bashed three fours in the space of eight balls, and both batters used the DRS to get on-field lbw decisions overturned off Chahar and Kuldeep Yadav, respectively. But Prasidh's double-strike dented Zimbabwe further when he had Raza caught at slip and Ryan Burl threw his wicket away by holing out on the leg side to leave the hosts reeling on 83 for 6.

When Axar struck in successive overs by removing Chakabva and Luke Jongwe, it looked like Zimbabwe would be skittled for under 150, but Ngarava and Evans fought back with a flurry of boundaries off both pace and spin as conditions improved for batting. They started by rotating the strike and then switched to clean hitting to force bowling changes on India. Evans was more attacking of the two whereas Ngarava started slowly but picked up pace as the stand neared the 50-mark and even swung Axar for a massive six over long-on before he was bowled by Prasidh in the 40th over. Axar took the last wicket, which was also his 50th in ODIs.

An asking rate of under four an over in favourable batting conditions was hardly going to trouble an Indian batting line-up. Dhawan and Gill were cautious against the moving ball and hardly took any risk early on. Dhawan started the chase with two fours and hogged the strike in the first powerplay in which he scored 24 out of India's 43 and Zimbabwe had already gifted 13 extras by then.

Dhawan was beaten a few times by Victor Nyauchi's outswingers early on, but he also attacked with pulls and cuts whenever the bowlers pitched it short. He also got a life on 32 in the 13th over when he was dropped at square leg off Williams. He soon reached his 38th ODI fifty, his third in four innings, by when Gill had also opened up with three fours in the square region on the off side in one Evans over.

Gill started attacking more when he neared his fifty and brought up the landmark by dispatching two full tosses from Burl through the covers in the 25th over. He started the next over with a four and a six through and over midwicket that took India to 150, and he even overtook Dhawan in the next over. As boundaries came more easily, Dhawan hit the winning runs by pulling Evans behind square to remain unbeaten on 81 with Gill on 82 not out.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-zimbabwe-vs-india-1st-odi-2022/?feed_id=12743&_unique_id=62fec0c4cdcc4

Recent Match Report - New Zealand vs West Indies 1st ODI 2022

West Indies 193 for 5 (Brooks 79) beat New Zealand 190 (Hosein 3-29, Joseph 3-36) by five wickets

Shamarh Brooks scored 79 and shared a 75-run partnership with captain Nicholas Pooran which guided the West Indies to a five-wicket win over top-ranked New Zealand on Wednesday in the series-opening ODI in Barbados.

Brooks reached his fourth ODI half century from 58 balls and had faced 91 deliveries when he was out in the 34th over with the West Indies closing on New Zealand's inadequate total of 190.

Jason Holder and Jermaine Blackwood were at the crease when the home team reached its target with 11 overs to spare.

Earlier, Akeal Hosein took 3 for 28 and Alzarri Joseph returned 3 for 36 as West Indies bowled out New Zealand in 45.2 overs after choosing to field.

"Watching the Kiwis bat I realized it was a bit tough going early for them," Brooks said in a television interview. "I guess credit must go to our bowlers for reducing them to a score of 190. I was just focused on going out there, getting some partnerships and getting that total off."

Rain breaks punctuated the West Indies innings but couldn't disturb the steady momentum set by Brooks. The first came in the opening over of the innings and the second in the 29th when West Indies were only 42 runs from victory. At that point they were well ahead of a winning total under the DLS system.

Pooran was out for 28 immediately after the second rain break but Brooks retained a strong guiding hand on the run chase.

Hosein, Joseph and debuting spinners Kevin Sinclair and Yannic Cariah turned the tide of the New Zealand innings with accurate bowling in the middle overs on a pitch which rewarded spinners with bounce.

Shamarh Brooks got off to a good start after West Indies lost early wickets•AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand made a solid start with a 41-run partnership between Martin Guptill and Finn Allen, who struck two sixes and a four from Holder's bowling in the seventh over.

A short rain break followed at the end of the eighth over and Allen was out for 25 four balls after the resumption. From then on New Zealand lost wickets regularly and struggled to build the partnerships that were necessary to reach a more challenging total.

Allen was Hosein's first wicket, caught by Pooran who had to run back and hold onto the ball as it came across his shoulder. Guptill fell in Hosein's next over, caught by Kyle Mayers at slip for 24 when New Zealand were 53 for 2.

Captain Kane Williamson attempted to lead a recovery with an innings of 34 from 50 balls. But he lacked support with Devon Conway and Tom Latham out cheaply as New Zealand slumped to 88 for 4.

Williamson's partnership with Daryl Mitchell held promise and the pair had added 28 for the fifth wicket before both were out to Joseph in the 30th over. Mitchell had made 20 from 32 balls when he was trapped lbw and Williamson followed when he edged behind.

Allrounders Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner added 40 for the seventh wicket but weren't able to tip the match back in New Zealand's favour. Bracewell was trapped lbw to give Cariah for his first international wicket as the Trinidadian wristspinner finished with 1 for 49 from nine overs.

The New Zealand lower order often comes to the rescue of the team but on this occasion there was no fightback. Santner was out for 25 with the total 189 for 8 and the last two wickets fell quickly.

"Obviously it was challenging out there to get some rhythm and some momentum," Williamson said. "Credit to the way the West Indies bowled. They got a lot out of that surface and executed their plans well and ultimately played a very good game of cricket."

The second game will be played Friday at the same venue.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-new-zealand-vs-west-indies-1st-odi-2022/?feed_id=12435&_unique_id=62fddee27d2c7

Recent Match Report - New Zealand vs West Indies 3rd T20I 2022

West Indies 150 for 2 (Brooks 56*, King 53) beat New Zealand 145 for 7 (Phillips 41, Smith 3-29)

Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks shared a 102-run opening partnership as West Indies struck a winning formula at last, beating New Zealand by eight wickets in the third T20I on Sunday to prevent a sweep of the three-match series.

After making the bold decision to rest captain Nicholas Pooran, the hosts also played more than one spinner for the first time in the series and their bowlers flourished on a slow pitch at Sabina Park.

New Zealand made only 145 for 7 after winning the toss, falling well short of its 185 for 5 in the first match and 215 for 5 in the second.

West Indies reached their target with an over to spare, as stand-in captain Rovman Powell hit Jimmy Neesham for six to clinch the win and leave the series 2-1 in New Zealand's favor.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, playing for the first time in the series, took 2 for 28 while allrounder Odean Smith took a career-best 3 for 29.

King, who missed the first two matches of the series with injury, provided impetus for the run chase by taking 53 runs from 35 balls. Brooks carried his bat throughout the innings, finishing on 56 while Powell hurried the end by striking 27 from 15 balls.

"It was very special being able to do this at home in front of everybody," King said. "The support is incredible, my family is here and I'm happy to be able to deliver. I think consistency is the key. When you're an opening batsman you try to give your team a good start.

"Today credit has to be given to the bowlers. They did an excellent job for us and made my job that much easier."

New Zealand failed to replicate its performances of the first two victories when it made strong starts and built partnerships around Kane Williamson who made 47 in the first match and Glenn Phillips who made 76 in the second.

On Sunday, Hosein came on in only the third over and immediately knocked over Martin Guptill to leave New Zealand 18 for 1.

Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner and Williamson all made starts but struggled to impart momentum to the innings. That task fell again to Phillips who made 41 from 26 balls and was Player of the Series.

Phillips needed to bat through but was out at a critical stage when New Zealand was 125 for 5 in the 17th over. New Zealand made big finishes in the first two matches, putting on 64 in the last five overs of the first two matches but managing only 39 in the last five overs this time.

West Indies innings stood in complete contrast with the opening partnership between King and Brooks occupying 13.1 overs and making the result a foregone conclusion. King reached his half century from 30 balls and Brooks hung around to anchor the innings, posting his 50 from 52 deliveries.

"The West Indies adapted to the conditions nicely," Williamson said. "With the bat we felt if we could get another 15 or so we could get a bit of momentum but they were able to take wickets throughout an execute their plans beautifully.

"They did the same thing with the bat and we couldn't open up an end with the ball. We knew that with 140 things would have to go well for us with the ball and they outplayed us today."

The teams meet in the first of three ODIs on Wednesday.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-new-zealand-vs-west-indies-3rd-t20i-2022/?feed_id=11056&_unique_id=62f9e5a1a6cae

SA likely to renew $3b deposit to help Pakistan: report

Saudi Arabia is planning to renew the kingdom's $3 billion deposit with Pakistan, Bloomberg reported Saturday, as the cash-strapped country desperately seeks financial assistance.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the publication said that apart from renewing the deposits with the State Bank of Pakistan as soon as this week (SBP), Saudi Arabia is also considering providing further financial help.

"The kingdom also plans to provide $100 million a month for 10 months in petroleum products that will be granted as additional support," the publication quoted the people.

The announcement is expected within two days, it added.

Once the plan becomes official, Pakistan's $4 billion funding gap — a pre-condition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — will be fulfilled, paving way for the revival of the lender's programme.

The IMF had set a condition that the cash-strapped nation needed to fulfil its $4 billion financing gap for the loans to be disbursed under the combined seventh and eighth reviews.

Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail has confirmed that the IMF Executive Board is expected to meet on August 29 for taking up Pakistan’s request to approve the seventh and eighth reviews and release a tranche of $1.17 billion under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

“We have received the Letter of Intent (LoI) copy, and we will send it back to the IMF’s executive board on Monday," the finance minister told The News.

Pakistan received the much-awaited LoI from the IMF Friday, which would be sent back to the Fund’s executive board with the request to revive the stalled programme under the EFF.

The development comes as the country’s foreign exchange reserves held by the SBP continued to decline on a weekly basis, and fell below $8 billion — the lowest level since October 11, 2019.

On August 5, the foreign currency reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $7,830.3 million, down $555 million compared with $8,385.4 on July 29, data released by the SBP on Thursday showed, which can cover fewer than 1.12 months.

During this week's close, the Pakistani rupee maintained its uptrend for the ninth successive working day, as it further gained Rs3.38 to close at Rs215.50 against the US dollar in the interbank market.

Ministry of Finance's former adviser Dr Khaqan Najeeb said that the continuation of the IMF programme was “indeed necessary” for a country like Pakistan.

Explaining the need for the IMF programme, Najeeb said that the nation is facing a balance of payment challenge and critically low reserves of $7.8 billion.

“However, this breather must be used wisely,” he added.

Dr Najeeb explained that the current programme with the IMF could help ride over the liquidity crunch by ensuring external fund flows in the fiscal year 2022-23.

Along with an uptick in domestic revenues through higher taxes, he said it will help tame the quasi-fiscal losses in the energy sector through hurtful but necessary price pass-throughs.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/sa-likely-to-renew-3b-deposit-to-help-pakistan-report/?feed_id=10566&_unique_id=62f8521ea529a

Recent Match Report - New Zealand vs West Indies 2nd T20I 2022

New Zealand 215 for 5 (Phillips 76, Mitchell 48, Conway 42, McCoy 3-40) beat West Indies 125 for 9 (Bracewell 3-15, Santner 3-15) by 90 runs

Glenn Phillips struck a half century from 31 balls to propel New Zealand to a 90-run win over the West Indies in the second T20I in Jamaica, clinching the three-match series with a 2-0 lead.

After reaching his fifth T20I half century, Phillips went on to 76 from 40 balls and led New Zealand to 215 for 5, exceeding the 185 for 5 that was a winning total in the first match of the series. His innings included six sixes and four fours.

West Indies managed only 125 for 9 in reply, lacking the partnerships that underpinned a New Zealand total which was the highest by a visiting team against the West Indies in a T20I in the Caribbean.

Phillips put on 71 for the third wicket with Devon Conway who made 42 from 34 balls and 83 with Daryl Mitchell who made 48 from 20, the latter partnership coming off just 34 balls. In all, New Zealand scored 130 off their second 10 overs.

West Indies' best were stands of 35 for the seventh wicket between Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell which began when the home team was 40 for 6 and the match already lost. Hayden Walsh and Obed McCoy put on 38 in an unbroken stand for the last wicket.

Phillips put to good use his knowledge of conditions at Sabina Park, which is his home ground in the Caribbean Premier League.

"Coming back to Sabina Park is amazing. I've got great memories here," Phillips said in a television interview. "Being able to get a 50 for my country over here in front of a crowd which I really love is definitely very special for me.

"Credit to the West Indies for the way they bowled up front with the new ball which was really, really good in terms of taking the pace off the ball when it was new and harder. As it got older the pitch became a bit nicer to bat on."

Seven West Indies wickets fell to spin bowlers, including the first four of the innings.

Mitchell Santner, who was Player of the Match for his 3 for 19 in the first game, took a wicket with his first ball and two wickets in his opening over to set back West Indies' run chase.

Offspinner Michael Bracewell, who replaced fast bowler Lockie Ferguson in the New Zealand line-up, also took a wicket with his first delivery, dismissing captain Nicholas Pooran as West Indies slumped to 12 for 3 at the start of the fourth over.

Santner and Bracewell both finished with 3 for 15. Tim Southee took the only wicket which fell to a fast bowler, removing Odean Smith at the tail.

Shimron Hetmeyer was the first batter not to fall to a spin bowler, run out by a direct hit at the bowler's end by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. West Indies were 28 for 5 at that point and couldn't recover.

"We just didn't show up today," Pooran said. "They batted us out of it and we couldn't see our way with the bat. We had to stay in the game. It just didn't start well for us. We are struggling but the more cricket we play our performance will grow."

The final T20I will be played on Sunday at the same venue, followed by three ODIs

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-new-zealand-vs-west-indies-2nd-t20i-2022/?feed_id=10195&_unique_id=62f7062787f99

Jets agree to contract with tackle Duane Brown: report

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The New York Jets and offensive tackle Duane Brown agreed to terms on a two-year contract Thursday, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

The move came three days after the Jets learned they likely lost Mekhi Becton for the season because of a knee injury suffered in practice.

The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the signing. ESPN first reported the agreement between the Jets and Brown. NFL Network reported the deal is worth $22 million.

Brown, who turns 37 on Aug. 30, visited the Jets and attended their scrimmage at MetLife Stadium last Saturday night. Coach Robert Saleh acknowledged there was "mutual interest," and Becton's injury made a deal even more likely.

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Duane Brown #76 of the Seattle Seahawks blocks during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Lumen Field on October 25, 2021 in Seattle, Washington.  (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Becton suffered a chip fracture to his kneecap during the second play of 11-on-11 team drills Monday. The initial prognosis was optimistic, but an MRI later revealed more damage to the knee than first expected.

After Becton injured the same knee in the season opener last year, George Fant slid from right tackle to the left side and played well. Fant retained the starting spot at left tackle entering camp, with Becton moving over to the right side for the first time.

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Mekhi Becton #77 of the New York Jets is helped off the field after being injured during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)

Saleh praised Fant’s play in Becton’s absence and said the versatile veteran was "much more comfortable" playing left tackle. But the addition of Brown — Fant’s former teammate in Seattle — means Fant could again move to the right side.

Brown, who made his fifth Pro Bowl appearance last season, has played left tackle his entire NFL career.

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Duane Brown #76 of the Seattle Seahawks and NFC and Ali Marpet #74 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NFC block for Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks and NFC as he throws against the AFC during the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium on February 06, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The AFC defeated the NFC 41-35.   (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Jets were working Chuma Edoga and rookie Max Mitchell at right tackle in Becton’s absence. Conor McDermott was also considered to be in the mix, but he will be sidelined at least another week with a lower ankle injury.

Brown was a first-round pick by Houston out of Virginia Tech in 2008. He was selected an All-Pro in 2012 and made three straight Pro Bowls from 2012-14 before being traded to Seattle during the 2017 season.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/jets-agree-to-contract-with-tackle-duane-brown-report/?feed_id=9656&_unique_id=62f56491b0ae5