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Healy and in-form Gardner give Australia opening points of Ashes battle
Ash Gardner shone with bat, ball and in the field as Australia chased down a modest target to seize the first points of their Ashes battle with England.
Alyssa Healey,Australia’s captain, sealed her full comeback from injury with an important 70 runs off 78 balls after Australia had bundled their opponents out for 204 inside 44 overs at North Sydney Oval.
Gardner, whose three wickets were pivotal in the downfall of an England batting line-up which was also culpable amid a rash of soft dismissals, saw Australia home by four wickets with her unbeaten 42, having also taken two catches.
Healy had been battling a knee injury since mid-November which ruled her out of her home series against India and forced her to play as a batter only in New Zealand last month while her return to wicketkeeping duties could only be confirmed on the eve of this match.
On Sunday, she picked the gaps to perfection as she racked up 11 fours while taking her team within 41 runs of victory.
Lauren Bell should have had Garder out for 31 in what would have been an interesting twist with Australia still needing 22 runs but Sophie Ecclestone failed to control her catch as she tumbled at mid-off.
Gardner and fellow spinner Alana King then combined to good effect, as they had done with the ball, to see their side over the line before 6236 fans, a record attendance for a women’s international at North Sydney Oval.
Lauren Filler overcame her slippery introduction to this ground Thursday’s washed-out warm-up against the Governor General’s XI where she repeatedly lost her footing in delivery to claim two wickets.
She set off England’s defence with promise when she removed Phoebe Litchfield with her fifth delivery – the 11th of the innings – an excellent wobble-seam ball that nipped across the left-hander, brushing the outside edge as Amy Jones gathered behind the stumps.
Healy overturned an lbw decision off Bell on height and England torched a review for caught behind off Ellyse Perry with replays showing the Filer’s delivery struck the thigh pad with no bat or glove anywhere near. Filer would have had her second had Alice Capsey not dropped a sitter at fine leg off Perry.
The Australian duo amped things up in a 19-run over from Filer, Perry’s flick evading Capsey to find the rope at fine leg followed by three fours to Healy, an inside edge just missing leg stump before two more convincing shots through point and cover. But England successfully reviewed to remove Perry, plumb lbw to Bell, and Australia were 43 for 2.
Ecclestone entered the attack in the 15th over and she broke a 61-run stand between Healy and Beth Mooney in her next. Having launched Ecclestone for six over deep midwicket, Mooney tried the same next ball but didn’t connect so well as the spinner dragged her length back and found the safe hands of Danni Wyatt Hodge at stationed just inside the boundary.
Wyatt-Hodge executed another calm catch in the deep from Annabel Sutherland’s top-edged pull off Filer but that brought Garder to the crease and she asserted herself with a big six down the ground off Ecclestone.
Gardner and Healy put on 40 runs for the fifth wicket before Healy advanced on a fuller ball from offspinner Charlie Dean and was bowled.
Maia Bouchier took an excellent diving catch at point to remove Tahlia McGrath before Gardner made the most of her reprieve and King hit the wining runs with a four down the ground.
Earlier, Gardner and King shared five wickets between them in the face of a below-par batting performance by England, backed up by two wickets apiece for Sutherland and Kim Garth.
Heather Knight top-scored for England with 39, followed by Wyatt-Hodge with a laboured 38 from 52 balls after their side had made a nervy start.
Bouchier chopped the third ball of the match onto her stumps only to be saved when it was discovered that Megan Schutt had overstepped by the barest of margins while Tammy Beaumont wafted dangerously at one outside off stump in the third over.
Bouchier broke a run of 16 dot balls between the opening pair when she lofted Garth over midwicket for four but Garth responded by pushing one through from back of a length to draw an outside edge which Healy collected behind the stumps.
Knight scored her fourth boundary in 20 balls faced driving Sutherland’s yorker outside off deftly through point and Beaumont broke the shackles of a slow start when she had eight off 22 balls, her lofted drive off Garth finding the boundary. The England pair brought up a 50-run partnership for the second wicket but, two balls later Beaumont chipped Sutherland straight to Garth at mid-on to fall for 13 from 31 balls.
That brought Nat Sciver-Brunt to the crease and she slog-swept King for six off the seventh ball she faced. But Gardner claimed the crucial wickets of Knight and Sciver-Brunt in consecutive overs – both holing out to Perry at deep midwicket.
Perry couldn’t hold on when she had to come rocketing in from the deep square leg boundary and dive forward just to get hands to Amy Jones’s pull with just one run to her name.
Jones launched Sutherland for six over deep midwicket and looked in good touch with back-to-back fours off Garth, who conceded 18 runs all up in the 28th over. But no sooner had Jones raised the fifty stand with Wyatt-Hodge by driving King through mid on and she spooned the very next delivery back to the bowler to fall for a 30-ball 31.
Capsey never got going and while Australia had no recourse when King struck Dean, on nought, convincingly on the pad with the DRS down, the system was back up and running and couldn’t save Dean when King hit her directly in front for 1.
When Wyatt-Hodge picked out Brown at long leg off Sutherland, it fell to the tailenders to salvage a defendable total. Ecclestone made the most of being put down by Healy when she was yet to score, with two boundaries in her 17-ball 16 and Filer opened her tally with consecutive boundaries off Sutherland.
But Ecclestone followed England’s blueprint for easy wickets when she sent a leading edge off Darcie Brown straight to Gardner, who then claimed her 100th ODI wicket when she bowled Bell to end England’s innings.
Brief scores:
Australia Women 206 for 6 in 38.5 overs (Alyssa Healy 70, Ashley Gardner 42*; Lauren Filler 2-58, Siophie Ecclestone 2-38) beat England Women 204 in 43.1 overs (Heather Knight 39, Danni Wyatt-Hodge 38, Amy Jones 31; Ash Gardner 3-19, Kim Garth 2-46, Annabel Sutherland 2-42, Alana King 2-45) by four wickets
[Cricinfo]
The 169th birth anniversary celebration of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the World Scouting Movement, and World Scout Thinking Day, was held on 22 February at the National Scout Headquarters, with the participation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister emphasized that the Scouting Movement is not merely about holding positions, but a noble form of training that nurtures readiness to help others and to serve society while “being prepared.”
She further highlighted the importance of serving society as a disciplined and intelligent “smart” Scout who respects others while effectively using modern technology. The Prime Minister also called upon Scouts to contribute responsibly to safeguarding the nation’s future through environmentally friendly initiatives such as tree planting and the protection of water resources.
During the event, laptops were symbolically distributed to several districts under the Scout Digitalization Project, along with the provision of first-aid kits. Additionally, Chief Scout Commissioner Attorney-at-Law Manoj Nanayakkara presented the Prime Minister with a special Scout stamp collection and a commemorative cover.
The occasion was attended by the Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, officials of the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and a large number of Scouts from across the island.
(Prime Minister’s Media Division)
Two years ago, Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup. Not only did they make the competition this time, they entered the Super Eights unbeaten.
First, it was Blessing Muzarabani who shut Australia down on a slow pitch in Colombo. Then their top four silenced the Khettarama crowd by chasing down 189 against Sri Lanka. The common factor in those wins were also Brian Bennett’s fifties and Sikandar Raza’s quick cameos. Muzarabani and Brad Evans are also among the top ten wicket takers in the tournament.
With contributions from several players, Zimbabwe could prove a handful for West Indies in Mumbai. They will have to make a quick adjustment, though, having played all their group matches in Sri Lanka, while West Indies have already played twice at the Wankhede.
These two sides have faced each other only four times in T20 internationals. When lined up player-against-player, West Indies – also undefeated – look stronger with bat, with an in-form Shai Hope, a rejuvenated Shimron Hetmyer at No. 3, and a solid finisher in Sherfaine Rutherford.
Having as many as three allrounders – with Romario Shepherd in line to return after injury – gives them the option of playing three fast bowlers and three spinners. It’s an ideal mix in Mumbai, where the quicks (35 wickets) and spinners (34) have been equally effective, averaging 26.28 and 26.25 respectively this tournament.
It’s a big game for both sides, with matches against India and South Africa to follow next. Who will get on the points table first?
Blessing Muzarabani is an early wicket-taker and a serial wicket-taker. He has height, pace and discipline on lengths that can be threatening, especially with the new ball. He also bowls at the death where he generally goes on the shorter side peppered in with the odd slower ball. That’s as all-conditions as it gets in T20s, and form is on his side too.
West Indies have a clear batting approach outlined by regular boundary hitting, and Shai Hope is the initiator and the glue as he sets up and builds innings. He has the virtues of an upgraded anchor who doesn’t have to shut down when the team is on the back foot. He is coming off two fifties, the second of which against Nepal saw him power through even as wickets fell at the other end.
Shepherd is fit again. He had strapping on his right leg as he bowled and batted for a while on Saturday. He hit one over the roof, but wasn’t as comfortable while bowling. If fit, he could replace Matthew Forde.
Zimbabwe haven’t tinkered with their squad much and that’s likely to remain the case. They could bring back Richard Ngarava for Graeme Cremer if they feel the need for pace.
West Indies (probable): Brandon King, Shai Hope (capt & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd/Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosain, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie.
Zimbabwe (probable): Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (capt), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer/Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
[Cricinfo]
Mexico’s most wanted man and the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel has been killed during a security operation to arrest him, the defence ministry has said.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”, died on Sunday as he was being taken to the capital Mexico City, after being seriously injured in clashes between his supporters and the army.
Four CJNG members were killed in the town of Tapalpa, the central-western Jalisco state. Three army personnel were also injured. The US had given Mexico with information that assisted the operation.
CJNG retaliated by setting cars alight, building roadblocks and attacking security forces in eight states.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo later urged people to remain “calm”.
In a post on X, she wrote that “in most parts of the country, activities are proceeding normally”.
The CJNG cartel – which had its original power base in Jalisco – is now present across Mexico.
El Mencho, a 59-year-old former police officer, ran a vast criminal organisation responsible for trafficking huge quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl into the US.
It had offered a $15m (£11.1m) reward for information leading to El Mencho’s capture.
In a statement, the Mexican defence ministry said the operation was “planned and executed” by the country’s special forces.
Aircraft from the Mexican Air Force and the National Guard were also deployed.
It also said that several armoured vehicles and weapons – including rocket launchers – were seized during the operation.
The US had been providing information to Mexico that assisted its operation, the statement said.
Eyewitnesses have filmed plumes of smoke rising over several cities including Guadalajara – one of the host cities of the forthcoming Fifa World Cup.
In the tourist hotspot of Puerto Vallarta, on the Jalisco coast, potentially thousands of tourists are trapped in the resort around the fighting.
Throughout Sunday, there were reports of gunmen on the streets in Jalisco and elsewhere.
The governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus Navarro, on social media advised residents of the state to adhere to a code red warning and avoid leaving their homes.
He also said that public transport was suspended in the state.
The US Department of State issued a shelter-in-place warning for US citizens in the states of Jalisco, Tamaulipas, as well as some areas in Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon.
Former US ambassador to Mexico and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described El Mencho on social media as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins.”
He added that El Mencho’s death was “a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world”.
The killing of El Mencho represents a victory for the Mexican president in her fight against the country’s drug cartels.
It also could strengthen her relationship with US President Trump, who often has demanded more progress on security in Mexico.
However, if the security forces can’t bring the situation under control quickly, the Mexican administration’s victory may be overshadowed by the cartel’s violent response.
The Jalisco cartel has gained notoriety since it was formed in about 2010 for a series of attacks on security forces and public officials.
It has downed an army helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade, killed dozens of state officials, and has even been known to hang the bodies of its victims from bridges to intimidate its rivals.
[BBC]
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