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Edwards, lower order prop Netherlands to handy total
South Africa were taken aback by a riveting slog-overs assault from Netherlands led by skipper Scott Edwards with entertaining cameos from Roelof van der Merwe and Aryan Dutt. A whopping 104 runs came off the final nine overs of the innings as the Dutch ended with a more than handy score of 245 in the World Cup encounter at Dharamsala on Tuesday (October 17). Persistent showers meant that the game was reduced to 43-overs-a-side right after the toss was held.
Given the overhead conditions and the expectation of inclement weather later on, South African skipper Temba Bavuma opted to bowl. He’d have opted for some movement as the surface had been under covers for a long time. Also, Dharamsala has historically favoured the quicks, which is why the Proteas got in the extra pacer in Gerald Coetzee in place of Tabraiz Shamsi. Despite a slightly wayward start, South Africa’s pacers vindicated their skipper’s decision and had the Dutch struggling at 50/4 in no time.
Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen with their varying skill sets had Netherlands’ batters in a lot of trouble while Coetzee’s extra pace also proved to be a handful on the pacy deck. When Edwards walked to the middle to join Teja Nidamanuru, the score read 82/5. The duo was just about starting to put the innings on track before the latter became the victim of a searing Jansen yorker. Logan van Beek also got a start but he too wasn’t able to hang around for long with his skipper. At 140/7, you couldn’t have faulted South Africa for wishing to wrap up the innings quickly. Except that they couldn’t.
van der Merwe is known across the globe for his ferocity on the field, be it with bat, ball or on the field. Not many will forget his incredible running catch in the 2022 T20 World Cup to dismiss David Miller. He came out today with that typical grit and threw the South African bowlers off-guard with his brand of unconventional hitting. Suddenly, the Proteas weren’t sure of where to bowl and the set Edwards also feasted on some lackluster death bowling. Their 64-run stand came off just 36 balls to completely reverse the momentum in Netherlands’ favour.
van der Merwe’s cameo was cut short by a sharp Ngidi bouncer but more drama awaited South Africa in the form of Dutt who smoked three sixes in his nine-ball innings to give the perfect finishing kick to the innings. At the other end, Edwards kept doing his thing by finding regular boundaries and the cumulative effect of the trio’s efforts is a competitive total on the board for the Dutch. It may not be a daunting total but South Africa certainly have a game on their hands now as far as the chase is concerned.
Brief scores: Netherlands 245/8 in 43 overs (Scott Edwards 78*, Roelof van der Merwe 29; Marco Jansen 2-27, Kagiso Rabada 2-56) vs South Africa
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Bangladesh and Nepal to host Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup from January 21 to February 6
Four venues in Bangladesh and Nepal will host the 2027 Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, which is set to run from January 21 to February 6. Chattogram, Sylhet, Kirtipur and Mulpani are the four venues, with Chattogram set to host the two semi-finals on February 4 as well as the final on February 6.
The 16-team event will feature four groups of four teams each, with the group stage set to be followed by a two-group Super Six stage, and then the semi-finals and final.
This is the third edition of the tournament, with India having won the first two back-to-back in 2023 and 2025. The defending champions have been drawn in group A alongside Ireland, West Indies and Nepal. Group B has 2025 runners-up South Africa as well as New Zealand, Pakistan and Samoa.
Australia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and UAE make up Group C, while England, Sri Lanka, USA and Scotland have been drawn in Group D.
The tournament will kick off with four matches on January 21, with Sylhet hosting Bangladesh vs UAE and Australia vs Nigeria, and Mulpani hosting Sri Lanka vs Scotland and England vs USA. The other two venues and other eight teams will be involved on January 22: New Zealand vs Samoa and South Africa vs Pakistan in Chattogram, and Nepal vs Ireland and India vs West Indies in Kirtipur.
All 41 games of the tournament will be played during the day. Morning matches will begin at 9.30am local time, and afternoon games at 1.30pm local time.
“The ICC U19 World Cup is the stage that showcases the future of our sport and serves as the ultimate platform for young players to make the leap towards elite careers representing their countries,” ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said. “These future stars representing 16 teams will garner the world’s attention and become relatable role models for many young girls playing the sport, serving inspiration for their continued cricket journeys.
“The choice of our hosts – Bangladesh and Nepal – is also reflective of the ICC’s belief and investment in the future of the cricket ecosystem. With deep passion for cricket and nearly 40% of the two countries’ populations below the age of 20, they serve as the ideal hosts for one of the world’s biggest youth sporting events.”
(Cricinfo)
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (20) paid his last respects to the remains of Most Venerable Kappetiyagoda Siri Wimala Thera, Anunayake of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya and Chief Incumbent of the Rajopawanaramaya Temple in Gatambe, Kandy, who passed away.
The President visited the Rajopawanaramaya Temple in Gatambe, Kandy, where the remains of the Thera are lying, and paid his last respects. He subsequently expressed his deepest condolences to the Maha Sangha and the temple’s Dayaka Sabha, who are mourning the passing of the Thera.
Central Province Governor and Consultant Physician Dr Harsha Suranga Fernando, Kandy District Secretary Indika Udawatta and several others were present.
President’s Media Division (PMD)
India opener Shafali Verma has received an official reprimand and a demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the second T20I against Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Shafali, an ICC release said, breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match.”
It was Shafali’s first offence in a 24-month period.
The incident occurred in the 12th over of Zimbabwe’s innings when Shafali threw the ball into the ground in frustration after dropping a chance at mid-off offered by Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano off Sree Charani.
Shafali admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee GS Lakshmi, which meant there was no need for a formal hearing.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
India currently lead the three-match series 2-0 with the third game to be played on Tuesday evening. The T20Is will be followed by three ODIs in Vadodara from October 23.
(Cricinfo)
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