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Keys stuns Swiatek to set up Sabalenka title showdown

Published

11 months ago

2025/01/24

Priyan

Madison Keys is on an 11-match winning streak

Madison Keys saved a match point before stunning world number two Iga Swiatek to set up an Australian Open final against two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Keys claimed a shock 5-7 6-1 7-6 (10-8) victory over five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek to reach the second major final of her career.

Poland’s Swiatek served for the match at 6-5 in the third set and held match point but Keys saved it, broke back and then recovered from 7-5 down in a fraught tie-breaker to advance.

Keys said: “The third set was so up and down. There were so many big points and break point chances. I feel I blacked out at one point and I was just there running around.”

Keys’ victory came after Belarusian top seed Sabalenka earned the chance to become the first woman in 26 years to win three successive Australian Open titles with a commanding 6-4 6-2 win over close friend Paula Badosa.

While Keys has achieved a career-best Australian Open run, Sabalenka is aiming to emulate Martina Hingis’ three straight titles between 1997-99.

“I have goosebumps. I am so proud of myself and my team that we were able to put ourselves in such a situation,” Sabalenka said.

“If I put my name in history it will mean the world for me. I couldn’t even dream of it.”

Swiatek’s loss also means Sabalenka will retain the world number one ranking after the tournament.

Swiatek had been in imperious form in Melbourne, losing just 14 games across her five matches before the semi-finals.

For context, only three players in history have dropped fewer games in making the last four at the Australian Open in a 128-player draw during the Open era.

However, the four-time French Open winner was undone by an inspired Keys, determined to win an Australian Open semi-final at the third attempt.

A messy start featuring five breaks of serve in the opening six games set the tone for an awkward night under Rod Laver Arena roof for Swiatek, who broke for a fourth time to take the first set before capitulating in the second.

Keys took just 27 minutes to overwhelm Swiatek reeling off five straight games to force a deciding set.

Both players saved numerous break points as the tension ramped up during an enthralling, high-quality deciding set.

Swiatek eventually took her eighth opportunity to break for a 6-5 lead but, after failing to take her first match point, conceded serve with a double fault.

A winner-takes-all tie-break was what Keys and the match deserved but Swiatek looked to be in control of it at 7-5 up.

However, in a final impressive show of physical and mental resilience, Keys won five of the next six points to complete a sensational win after two hours and 35 minutes.

On facing Sabalenka in the final, Keys said: “There will definitely be some big hitting and not a lot of long points, but I’m really excited for the challenge.”

[BBC Sports]

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Renuka and Deepti back with a bang as India seal the series

Published

18 hours ago

2025/12/27

Priyan

Renuka Singh picked up figures of 4-1-21-4 (BCCI)

Shafali Verma continued her superb form, cracking a 42-ball 79 as India brushed aside Sri Lanka once again to win the third T20I in Thiruvananthapuram and complete a series victory.

The template was familiar and ruthlessly executed: win the toss, bowl, restrict Sri Lanka, and then stroll through the chase. Just as in the first two matches, India were clinical. Renuka Singh spearheaded the bowling, with support from Deepti Sharma, to keep Sri Lanka to 112 for 7 before Shafali wrapped up the chase with 40 balls to spare.

Sri Lanka shuffled their opening combination, leaving out Vishmi Gunaratne and promoting Hasini Perera to partner Chamari Athapaththu. Perera showed early intent, striking two boundaries off Renuka, who returned to the XI in place of Arundhati Reddy, in the first over.

India introduced Deepti in the third, and Perera greeted her with another boundary. While Perera looked positive, Athapaththu struggled to find her rhythm, managing just 3 off 12 in a stand worth 25 – Sri Lanka’s highest opening partnership of the series. The pressure told in the fifth over when Athapaththu attempted a cross-batted swipe and top-edged to mid-on, handing Deepti her first wicket.

Renuka then turned the screws in her second over of the powerplay. After Perera pierced the infield early in the over, Renuka placed Deepti at short third, a move that paid dividends as Perera edged one straight to the fielder. She fell for 25 off 18, unable to capitalise on her start. Renuka capped off the over in style, having Harshitha Samarawickrama caught and bowled off the final delivery, swinging the powerplay decisively India’s way.

From there, the contest drifted into territory that had become all too familiar over the course of the series.

With Sri Lanka at 45 for 4 at the halfway stage, Imesha Dulani – coming into the XI for this match – combined with Kavisha Dilhari to add some much-needed runs for the fifth wicket. Dulani, reprieved on 8 when Shree Charani put down a chance, found the gaps, while Dilhari injected some intent, launching Kranti Gaud for a six.

The partnership, however, was short-lived. Deepti ensured it did not go beyond 40 runs, having Dilhari caught at deep midwicket for 20 en route to becoming the joint highest wicket taker in women’s T20Is.

India were not flawless in the field, putting down two more chances – Kaushini Nuthyangana on 4 by Gaud and Malsha Shehani on 5 by Deepti – but Sri Lanka failed to make India pay, drifting to 112 for 7 at the end of 20 overs.

Shafali set the tone for the chase immediately, launching Shehani for 6, 4 and 4 in the opening over. Smriti Mandhana struggled to find fluency at the other end, but it scarcely mattered with Shafali in full flow. She took on debutant Nimasha Meepage in the third over, picking up two boundaries, before Mandhana fell for 1 in the fourth, also burning a review in the process.

Shafali, meanwhile, continued to show her full range. In the fifth over, she took Meepage for 19 runs: starting with an uppish drive to the extra cover boundary, a back-foot whip that raced through midwicket, a full toss that was muscled for six over extra, and finishing the over by dropping to one knee to loft another boundary over cover. By then, she had raced to 43 off just 19 balls, bringing up her half-century in the following over from 24 deliveries. India, on the whole, were 55 for 1.

Shafali continued to dictate terms, scoring 68.7% of her team’s runs in a completed innings – which is a new national record – and rising to No. 4 on the list of India’s highest run-getters in women’s T20Is.

The win, along with a 3-0 lead in the five-match series, marked Harmanpreet Kaur’s 77th as captain, going past Meg Lanning to become the most successful captain in the format.

Brief scores:

India Women 115 for 2 in 13.2 overs (Shafali Verma 79*, Harmanpreet Kaur 21*; Kavisha Dilhari 2-18) beat Sri Lanka Women 112 for 7 in 20 overs (Hasini Perera 25, Imesha Dulani 27, Kavisha Dilhari 20, Kaushini Nuthyangana 10*; Renuka Singh 4-21, Deepti Sharma 3-18) by eight wickets

(Cricinfo)

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Australia seize handy lead after Josh Tongue five-for on 20-wicket day

Published

1 day ago

2025/12/26

Priyan

Scott Boland claimed the big wicket of Harry Brook (Cricinfo)

With the recriminations well underway from an Ashes defeat, compounded by the fallout from some rather embarrassing off-field shenanigans, England were momentarily feeling the Christmas cheer at a heaving MCG on the biggest day in Australian cricket.

But not for the first time this series, England could not capitalise on a position of strength as they trailed by 42 runs on the first innings – a seemingly sizeable deficit given the bowler-friendly conditions. By the end of a madcap opening day of the Boxing Day Test, England once again have their backs against the wall.

A ground record crowd of 94,119, surpassing the 2015 World Cup final for the biggest attendance, saw an astonishing 20 wickets fall – the most on an opening day at an Ashes MCG Test since 1901-02.

Reminiscent of the first Test in Perth, the match is moving at warp speed on a surface that is set to attract scrutiny. With 10mm of grass left on the pitch by curator Matt Page, the wickedly seaming conditions made batting extremely difficult with Usman Khawaja the only batter to face more than 50 deliveries. No England batter faced more than 40 balls with only three making more than five runs.

England’s bid to halt Australia’s push for a 5-0 whitewash did start well with Josh Tongue starring with 5 for 45. After being sent in, Australia were bundled out for 152 from just 45.2 overs amid overcast and cool morning conditions. It was their third-shortest innings in a home Ashes Test but the total was made to look formidable with England crashing to 16 for 4 when Joe Root walked off after a 15-ball duck.

Harry Brook then produced the most extraordinary counterattack, top-scoring with 41 off 34 balls as he audaciously danced down the wicket, reviving Bazball along the way amid an increasingly febrile atmosphere.

But his cavalier knock didn’t last long enough as recalled Michael Neser and hometown hero Scott Boland combined for seven wickets as England were bowled out just before stumps

To cap a whirlwind day, Australia had to face one over before the close with Boland opening alongside Travis Head in place of Jake Weatherald. He faced the entire over, but only just survived after Jacob Bethell dropped a tough chance at fifth slip before he hit a boundary to bring the curtain down on a dramatic day.

In seam-friendly, overcast conditions reminiscent of the 2010 Boxing Day Test – fond memories for England – one suspected that Ben Stokes was much more enthusiastic to win this toss compared to a couple of others earlier in the series.

But his mood soured quickly with 27 of Australia’s 72 runs in the session scored in the first six overs. Brydon Carse was the culprit with his forgettable opening spell starting off with a front-foot no-ball. Things did not improve with Carse wasting the new ball and conceding three boundaries in the fifth over.

England were in danger of wilting early before Gus Atkinson was rewarded for tight lengths when he had Head dragging onto his stumps in a similar dismissal to the backend of the second Test.

It was a tonic for Atkinson, who had been dropped for the third Test after a luckless start to the series – a selection decision that had raised the eyebrows of the Australia camp.

Atkinson received strong support from Tongue, who had a simple game plan that perhaps England’s quicks should have implemented earlier in the series – pitch the ball full outside off stump. His eight-over spell yielded 3 for 24 to put England well on top at lunch.

Tongue had initial good fortune when he had Weatherald strangled down the leg side. It continued a strange run of dismissals to start the Test career of Weatherald, who has not quite bedded down his spot despite a fluent 72 in Brisbane.

Tongue then removed Marnus Labuschagne and skipper Steven Smith, back in the side after being unwell to play the third Test, with top-shelf full-length deliveries. Labuschagne’s long Test century drought continued after edging a drive to first slip before Smith’s middle stump was knocked over having loosely attempted a booming drive.

It continued Tongue’s mastery over Smith across formats, having dismissed him in every innings from five games. Retaining his spot in the middle-order in favour of Josh Inglis, Khawaja and the in-form Alex Carey managed to get through to lunch in a session Stokes only deployed his three pace bowlers.

Stokes came into the attack after the interval as the ground suddenly became bathed in sunshine to suggest that batting might become slightly easier in the afternoon. Khawaja carried over his form from Adelaide and rolled past 8000 career Test runs before nicking off to Atkinson in an overturned decision – the latest example of him being troubled by quicks bowling around the wicket.

Carey has been a thorn for England through the series, but Stokes had him hitting straight to leg gully in a well-executed plan. Neser then dominated a 52-run partnership with Cameron Green, who entered under pressure having been demoted down the order after clinging onto his spot in the XI.

Green was mostly content with hanging in there, but Neser decided to counterattack and it was a plan that worked well as he clubbed Tongue for three consecutive boundaries in a rare period of batter dominance.

But Australia collapsed after Green ran himself out on 17, following a direct throw from a swift-moving Carse, who was perhaps fortunate to later dismiss Mitchell Starc after seemingly overstepping.

England were buoyed as they walked off the field but knew the job was not nearly done given the surface, Australia’s vaunted pace attack and also their own batting frailties.

Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley got through the first couple of overs unscathed before the mayhem started. Capping off a horror week amid the fallout from Noosa, Duckett gifted Starc another early wicket after tamely hitting straight to mid-on.

Recalled into the side – playing his fourth career Test match but first without the pink ball – Neser’s seam-bowling prowess saw him open the bowling to devastating effect.

He was all over Root and Bethell, who both were reduced to being lame ducks by the ball darting off the surface. Bethell’s much-hyped inclusion, finally replacing maligned No. 3 Ollie Pope, failed to materialise as he nicked off for 1 before Root also succumbed to Neser in similar fashion.

In the midst of all that, Starc added to his extraordinary series after Crawley edged to Smith at second slip before Brook for an hour had the fans in the palm of his hands.

There was drama on almost every delivery he faced, starting off from the very first ball when Brook charged Starc only to fail to connect. That did not deter him and he doubled down on the tactic in an effort to knock the bowlers off their lengths.

England finally had a batter in double-figures when Brook charged down the pitch and snicked Neser past Green’s outstretched arms at gully. He best stroke was a bludgeoning blow for six off Starc over extra cover and he also pulled Boland into the crowd.

But Boland got his revenge when he had Brook trapped plumb lbw to trigger another collapse. It was a field day for Australia’s quicks except for Jhye Richardson, who went wickletless from just four overs in his return to Test cricket since his last match in the 2021-22 Ashes series.

Atkinson added some invaluable runs to ensure England at least reached triple-figures, a landmark that was enthusiastically celebrated by the Barmy Army. But it was little solace for the embattled tourists who are again on the back foot in a match that might not last longer than two days.

Brief scores:

Australia 152 in 45.2 overs (Michael Neser 35; Josh Tongue 5-45, Gus Atkinson 2-28) and 4 for 0 lead England 110 in (Harry Brook 41; Michael Neser 4-45, Scott Boland 3-30) by 46 runs

(Cricinfo)

Latest News

BCB takes ownership rights of Chattogram Royals for remainder of BPL

Published

2 days ago

2025/12/25

Priyan

BCB appointed former national captain Habibul Bashar as mentor while Mizanur Rahman Babul and Nafis Iqbal will act as team manager of the Chattogram Royals [BCB]

The Bangladesh Cricket Board took over the ownership rights of Chattogram Royals for the remainder of the Bangladesh Premier League season. BCB vice-chairman Shakhawat Hossain, a member of BPL Governing Council, confirmed the development to Cricbuzz on Thursday.

Royals owner Kayum Rashed submitted a written request to the BCB, citing difficulties in continuing to run the team under the current circumstances and asked the board to take over the operations.

“We have taken over the ownership right of the team, and now the board will run the team,” Shakhawat told Cricbuzz. “We will sit with the players and discuss the next steps.”

According to the letter submitted to the board, and seen by Cricbuzz, Royals failed to attract sponsors.

“Since the acquisition of the franchise, there have been persistent and widespread speculations in various media outlets regarding the team’s uncertainty in participating in the tournament, as well as repeated questions surrounding the franchise’s financial and operational credibility. These rumours included, but were not limited to, allegations that franchise fees, bank guarantees, and players’ payments had not been made-despite the fact that such payments were not contractually required at those early stages,” it was stated in the letter.

“Unfortunately, no formal clarification or reassurance was issued to the media to counter these claims. As a direct consequence, the rumors gained traction across multiple platforms, severely impacting the reputation of Chattogram Royals. Several potential and confirmed sponsors, questioning the franchise’s credibility and the certainty of its participation in the tournament, withdrew from their partnerships.

“The withdrawal of sponsorship support has resulted in significant financial challenges, directly hampering the team’s preparation and jeopardizing its future prospects within the tournament. This situation arose not from any failure on our part to comply with contractual obligations, but rather from unchecked misinformation and the absence of authoritative clarification.

“In light of the above circumstances, and considering the substantial reputational and financial damage already sustained, I respectfully request the Bangladesh Cricket Board to take over from this point forward and assume the necessary responsibilities throughout the remainder of the tournament. This includes providing clear, timely communication to stakeholders and ensuring the integrity, stability, and smooth operation of the franchise within the BPL framework.

“I trust the Board will appreciate the seriousness of this matter and act in the best interests of the league, the franchise, and all associated stakeholders. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your guidance and support.”

Another BCB official said that their connection with dubious characters from the start of forming the team hit them hard in the long run considering the activities of those characters in their team jeopardized their reputation in the sponsorship market.

It is learnt, BCB appointed former national captain Habibul Bashar as mentor while Mizanur Rahman Babul and Nafis Iqbal will act as team manager of the Chattogram Royals.

Bashar was initially appointed as mentor of the team but left the position citing family issues though many feel he was uncomfortable seeing dubious characters in and around the franchise set-up, and as a result took up the decision. The move to change the set-up was aimed at stabilizing the franchise and ensuring the smooth running of the team for the rest of the tournament.

Many cricketers of the Royals decided to leave the team hotel on Wednesday (December 25) as they failed to receive money from the franchise till last night. The BPL is all set to commence at Sylhet on December 26 and it started with the expected move made by Royals owner. He insisted that he will pull out from the competition if things don’t turn his way.

[Cricbuzz]