Latest News
Duckett, Stokes revive England in chase of 371
Ben Duckett’s half-century and his unbroken 69-run partnership with Ben Stokes led England’s recovery in the final session on Day 4 after Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins combined to rattle the hosts early in their chase of 371. After Stuart Broad’s four-wicket haul bowled Australia out for 279, England had slipped to 45/4. But Duckett, who was the beneficiary of a controversial ruling from the third umpire late in the day, helped the hosts to 114/4 at Stumps on Saturday (July 1), with the hosts needing 257 more to win the Lord’s Test and square the series.
An innocuous delivery which was heading down the leg side gave Starc his first wicket as Zak Crawley got a faint tickle through to the ‘keeper. Duckett, who was put down by Cameron Green (a very tough chance) in the opening over, also managed to overturn a leg-before decision. But the left-arm pacer struck in his next, with beauty that swung in late into Ollie Pope and uprooted the middle stump. Joe Root and Duckett then built a steady partnership – rotating the strike well, with the former also scoring a couple of boundaries.
Cummins sowed the seeds of doubt with short balls in the 13th over and there was immediately a change in the atmosphere. Root, hit on his forearm, fended the next one to Warner at first slip to depart for 18. Harry Brook got off the mark with a confident straight drive over Cummins’ head. But he got a terrific delivery soon after, one that pitched on a length, seamed away, beat the outside edge and crashed onto the stumps.
Stokes and Duckett put their heads down and built a steady partnership to aid England’s recovery. They kept the pacemen at bay before taking on part-timer Travis Head. Stokes came down the track to hit a six while Duckett went over mid-on for a boundary as the two batters did not allow the spinner to settle down. They also rotated the strike well, picking up the singles and twos to ensure England weren’t bogged down as they maintained a decent scoring rate.
The introduction of Green saw Australia turn to short balls again but Duckett was up to the task, scoring a couple of boundaries, and also put away a loose ball from Starc for a four. Green, however, troubled Stokes with his short length deliveries and nearly dismissed the England skipper, with the ball just dropping wide of gully. In late drama, Duckett was given not out after being caught at fine leg by Starc off Green, with the third umpire ruling that the ball made contact with the ground when the catch was about to be completed.
Earlier, Khawaja and Smith were untroubled in the first hour, making most of the sunny conditions as they stretched the lead past 250 and extended their stand past 50. James Anderson, who wasn’t effective, was taken off the attack after only three overs. Josh Tongue and Ollie Robinson, who bowled in tandem, came up with a barrage of short deliveries. Smith and Khawaja were disciplined with their shot selection against the short deliveries but they also had a few uncomfortable moments.
It was Stuart Broad, introduced after the drinks break, who made the breakthrough as he had Khawaja off a top edge to end a 64-run stand. Smith handed a catch in the deep trying to guide a short one from Tongue in the gap. Head, dropped by Anderson on 0, had a short stay as he too fell to a short ball from Broad, with Joe Root taking a splendid one-handed catch at short leg. Alex Carey and Green kept the England bowlers at bay as they added 25 before the Lunch break to stretch the lead past 300.
It was an attritional second session with England being relentless with their short-ball strategy while Carey and Green were happy to play the waiting game. Eventually, it was England who came out on top in the game of patience as Robinson’s short-pitched balls got the better of Green and Carey in quick succession after a 42-run partnership that came off 123 deliveries.
Ben Stokes, who bowled right from the start of the post-lunch session, delivered 12 overs on the trot and was struggling with his knee, but continued nevertheless. He eventually accounted for Josh Hazlewood’s wicket, after Broad, who replaced Robinson (nine successive overs) dismissed Cummins. Nathan Lyon, who walked out to bat to a huge reception, added 15 runs with Starc before being the last to be dismissed as Broad finished with four.
Brief scores:
Australia 416 & 279 (Usman Khawaja 77, Steven Smith 34; Stuart Broad 4-65, Ollie Robinson 2-48) lead England 325 & 114/4 (Ben Duckett 50*, Ben Stokes 29*; Pat Cummins 2-20, Mitchell Starc 2-40) by 256 runs.
In a tournament that has so far been characterised by plucky challenges from unfancied underdogs, here’s a clash of big beasts to whet the appetite. Okay, so West Indies may not be among the big hitters on a global scale any more – hell, they didn’t even qualify for the ICC’s last two 50-over tournaments. But in a 20-over gunfight, they’ve proven time and again that their particular brand of physical might is right. Not least against Wednesday’s familiar foes at the Wankhede.
A clash of England and West Indies in a T20 World Cup is an inevitable opportunity to revisit one of the greatest finales of all time. Ten years ago in Kolkata, not quite to the month, Carlos Brathwaite launched Ben Stokes into the stratosphere time and time again to swipe the 2016 trophy from England’s grasp, almost as the engraver was getting to work.
But if the raw aggression of that moment left England feeling robbed, they could not say that they hadn’t been warned. For it was at the Wankhede, in their very first match of that same campaign, that they came a cropper in the face of an even more ferocious beating, as the mighty Chris Gayle blitzed 11 massive sixes in his 47-ball hundred.
Fittingly, those were the only two defeats of England’s knowingly naïve campaign. Perhaps they came too early in their ongoing white-ball awakening for the players to possess the street-smarts required to bring down an IPL-trained mean machine. But the lessons they learned would be invaluable, especially when the 2019 World Cup reached its own clutch moments.
England still have two survivors from that campaign – Adil Rashid and Jos Buttler, whose recognition of the value of six-hitting was his single biggest takeaway from that tournament; that, for a player who trusts his ability to clear the ropes, even the steepest of chases can be broken down into a handful of big hits when the match-up is right.
But, as Sam Curran noted after his nerveless death over had saved the day against Nepal, the lessons of that tournament cut both ways as they continue to echo down the generations. “I weirdly thought of the 2016 final, when Carlos got hold of Stokesy,” he told the BBC afterwards. “I was thinking, ‘Well, if I execute, he’s not going to hit me for six.'”
As for West Indies, Johnson Charles and Jason Holder remain from that squad of ten years ago, alongside their head coach, Darren Sammy – whose captaincy proved instrumental in drawing his players together to fight for a common cause. As he demonstrated on match eve, shooting the breeze with the media in a 15-minute address that touched every issue imaginable in West Indies cricket, his class of 2026 are unlikely to lack for motivation against these opponents.
History and precedent aside, this is a significant match-up for more basic qualification reasons. On the face of it, the jeopardy in Group C has been reduced by Bangladesh’s decision to withdraw, but Nepal are clearly itching for an upset and, as Scotland showed with a comprehensive win over the likely stragglers Italy, they have embraced their unlikely opportunity with gusto.
It’s an occasion that deserves to be savoured. As the weeks of uncertainty over India versus Pakistan ended up demonstrating, there’s still something precious about proper historical rivalries on the grandest stages that the game can offer. England and West Indies have each won two T20 World Cup titles, tying them with India as the most successful teams in the tournament’s history. Their storied pasts will inform the present on Wednesday night, as each team seeks to stride on into the future.
One of the main reasons for England’s angst in that Nepal run-chase was the unexpectedly brutal treatment meted out on Adil Rashid. Not only did he go wicketless for the first time in 25 T20I innings, dating back to the last World Cup, he was launched at a rate of 14 runs an over, the second most expensive T20I spell of three or more overs in his career. Nepal’s ability to pick his variations was the clincher, borne no doubt of their own familiarity with the art of legspin, and given his form coming into the tournament, there’s no question of Harry Brook losing any faith in Rashid’s impact. As the man himself said on this site last week, “you have to have a big heart as a spinner”. It’s about to be tested once more.
Quality spin remains an Achilles heel for England’s heavy hitters, and in Gudakesh Motie, they’ll be reunited with a left-arm spinner who knows how to cramp their style. Ten of his 40 T20I wickets have come in his frequent clashes with England, including a matchwinning haul of 3 for 24 in Tarouba two years ago. He was recently left out of their tour of New Zealand after a dip in form linked to a technical flaw, but last month he reasserted his trump-card status with a matchwinning haul in a rain-reduced game against South Africa.
Once again, England were quick out of the blocks with their starting XI. Just the one change from that fraught opener against Nepal, with Luke Wood’s left-arm seam making way from the heavier deck-hitting capabilities of Jamie Overton. He hits a long ball too, which might be useful down the order, given West Indies’ own six-hitting reputation.
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (capt), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
West Indies know their XI, but have chosen not to divulge it just yet. There was not much reason to change a winning formula from their tournament opener against Scotland.
West Indies (probable): Brandon King, Shai Hope (capt & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosain, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie.
[Cricinfo]
Australia are the last side to begin their T20 World Cup campaign and the late start plays heavily into their favour, given the injury issues they have had coming into the tournament.
They are already without Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood after both were ruled out with injury, and Australia’s selectors have intriguingly not yet replaced Hazlewood in the 15 and will only have 13 to choose from for their opening match against Ireland with Tim David expected to miss the opening round as he continues to rehab his hamstring injury.
Had the first match been any earlier, there may have also been doubts on Nathan Ellis coming off a hamstring concern and Adam Zampa, who experienced some groin tightness in the last T20I of the tour of Pakistan a fortnight ago, which Australia lost 3-0.
Australia are also struggling for form, having been hammered in Pakistan despite many of them coming from the BBL. However Ellis, David and Glenn Maxwell were all absent from that trip while many of the World Cup squad only played one or two games in the series at most. The change in conditions will challenge them, as will Ireland’s spinners George Dockerell and Gareth Delany after both bowled well against Sri Lanka.
Ireland themselves will feel under some pressure after butchering a chance to beat Sri Lanka in Colombo in their tournament opener. They dropped seven catches and gave up 59 runs from their final four overs with the ball. They were 105 for 2, albeit with the required run-rate climbing, but lost 8 for 38 to lose the game by 20 runs.
In theory, Ireland have the advantage of being a slightly unknown quantity to Australia. The two teams have only met twice in T20Is and only once in all international cricket since 2016. They played at the Gabba in the 2022 T20 World Cup and eight of the Ireland XI that played against Sri Lanka played in that game too. However, Australia may only have four players in their XI who played four years ago, with a number of retirements and injuries changing the formation of Australia’s team.
The only other time the two teams met in the shortest format was in the 2012 T20 World Cup in Colombo. Paul Stirling, Dockrell and Maxwell all played in that game.
Can Glenn Maxwell go to the well one more time to produce a stunning World Cup for his nation? Given he turns 38 this year, it seems unlikely that he will play another one for Australia, having already retired from ODI cricket. But since a match-winning 62 not out against South Africa last August, he has had a very lean run in all T20s. In eight innings in the BBL when he got past 3 he remained unbeaten, but that only happened three times with a highest score of 39 not out. His bowling will also be vital in the tournament as he will likely be the lone spinning allrounder in the top seven for most of the event.
Ireland need skipper Paul Stirling to set the tone at the top of the order, particularly against an inexperienced new-ball attack for Australia. His returns have also been lean in recent times with scores of 21, 29, 38, 0, 23, 45, 8, 14, and 6 in his last nine T20Is, striking at just 125.17. His 6 off 13 against Sri Lanka was not the start to the tournament he or Ireland were hoping for.
Australia appear set to play two specialist spinners in Matt Kuhnemann and Zampa. It will mean one of Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis will miss out. There is another option Australia could take with Cooper Connolly playing at No. 8 to lengthen the batting, but that appears unlikely based on form. David’s absence will likely give Matt Renshaw a chance in the middle order. The combination of the top seven is likely to be fluid with the potential of elevating Maxwell early against spin.
Australia (probable): Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (wk), Matt Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett/Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Matt Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa
There could be a temptation to bring in left-arm seamer Josh Little, who bowled very well against Australia four years ago, but he has gone wicketless in his last four T20Is. Ireland will more than likely remain unchanged given catching was the major issue against Sri Lanka.
Ireland (probable): Paul Stirling (capt), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Ben Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys
[Cricinfo]
Afghanistan made it till the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup, but this time, after just one game, they face an uphill task. Their loss to New Zealand in their opening match has put them, in all likelihood, in a do-or-die situation against South Africa: if they lose, even the wins against Canada and UAE may not be enough to qualify for the Super Eight stage.
It will not be easy for Afghanistan. They have faced South Africa three times in T20Is. On all three occasions, they were on the losing side. Their last defeat – in of the 2024 edition – was particularly chastening: South Africa bowled them out for 56 and then chased down the target with nine wickets to spare.
Apart from all that history, too, South Africa will be well primed after their win against Canada, where they ticked most boxes. Their captain Aiden Markram scored a half-century, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs added 75 in an unbroken stand, and the team posted the highest total of the tournament so far. Lungi Ngidi’s four-for was the icing on the cake. A win against Afghanistan will make their path to the Super Eight stage smooth.
It’s a day game, starting at 11am. But as Stubbs said after the Canada match, it may not make much of a difference.
It may feel like Rashid Khan is not the same bowler he once was. But numbers tell a different story. Since the start of 2024, he has taken 52 wickets in 26 T20Is against Full Members. Both his strike rate (11.3) and economy (5.83) in this period are better than his career numbers. If Afghanistan are to qualify for the next round, they will need similar performances from their captain.
Since his return to T20I cricket in October, Quinton de Kock has five single digit scores in 11 innings. But when he gets going, it’s not easy to stop him. He has scored 355 runs in this period, at an average of 32.27 and a strike rate of 181.12. His overall record in India is also impressive, and he will be keen to put behind his 22-ball 25 in South Africa’s opening match against Canada.
Expect Noor Ahmad to replace Ziaur Rahman, who conceded 33 from his three wicketless overs against New Zealand.
Afghanistan (probable): Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (capt), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
South Africa could consider bringing in a second spinner in George Linde for one of the many fast bowlers.
South Africa (probable): Aiden Markram (capt), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
[Cricinfo]
Ten new buses with facilities for people with special needs
Ghosts of 2016 writ large as England, West Indies meet again
Amendment to the regulations for registration of Subscriber SIM Cards (Subscriber Identity Modules- SIM) and reregistration of subscriber information related to the SIM cards obtained before 02-08-2019
Undermanned Australia get campaign going against dangerous Ireland
Afghanistan face mighty South Africa with campaign on the line
Pilot praised after crash-landing faulty Somali passenger plane on seashore
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Features3 days agoMy experience in turning around the Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka (MBSL) – Episode 3
-
Business4 days agoZone24x7 enters 2026 with strong momentum, reinforcing its role as an enterprise AI and automation partner
-
Business3 days agoRemotely conducted Business Forum in Paris attracts reputed French companies
-
Business3 days agoFour runs, a thousand dreams: How a small-town school bowled its way into the record books
-
Business3 days agoComBank and Hayleys Mobility redefine sustainable mobility with flexible leasing solutions
-
Business4 days agoHNB recognized among Top 10 Best Employers of 2025 at the EFC National Best Employer Awards
-
Editorial6 days agoAll’s not well that ends well?
-
Business4 days agoGREAT 2025–2030: Sri Lanka’s Green ambition meets a grid reality check