A firefighting 87 from Sophie Devine propelled New Zealand from a perilous 11 for 4 to a series-squaring 14-run win over England in the second women’s T20I at Canterbury.

Already 1-0 down, the tourists were floored when reduced to 5 for 3 after just nine balls – New Zealand women’s joint-lowest total at the fall of the third wicket in T20Is. They were soon four-down in the fourth over, with Linsey Smith (3 for 25) the main destructor, her wily brand of slow left-arm swing flummoxing the top-order.

But Devine and Maddy Green, who finished with an unbeaten 56, rebuilt and then thrived with a stand of 159 that ended with Devine’s run-out off the final ball of the innings. Regular boundaries between the pair – including eight sixes, six belonging to Devine – ensured the White Ferns did not miss out on the pristine batting conditions that convinced Melie Kerr to bat first upon winning the toss.

Yet again, Lauren Bell struck early, dismissing Izzy Gaze at the end of her first over having dismissed Georgia Plimmer with the first delivery of the opening T20I at Derby. Plimmer had the ignominy of a second successive golden duck when she got herself in a tangle to gift Smith a return catch at the start of the second over.

But Devine and Green ensured there would be no repeat of Wednesday’s defeat. England’s target would have been more manageable than 171 had Smith effected a run-out at the non-striker’s end midway through her third over. It would have removed Devine for 48 in the 14th over. She struck 39 off her remaining 20 deliveries, and faced 57 in all before finally being run out off the final ball of the innings.

In their reply, England were above the rate at the three-over mark, before Sophia Dunkley was dismissed for a sprightly 26, caught off Nensi Patel, the offspinner having come into the side for Suzie Bates. And New Zealand assumed the ascendancy out when set batters Heather Knight (25) and Maia Bouchier (38) were dismissed in successive balls. It was particularly poor from Bouchier, finding the fielder at long-on off Patel, moments after Knight had been run out after aborting a second run following a late call.

The silver lining for England was that it brought hard-hitting allrounders Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson to the middle at the death. But with too much to do, Gibson was bowled by Bree Illing hacking across the line, and Kemp became the returning Leah Tahuhu’s 99th T20I wicket when caught on the fence with 23 required from the final four balls.

Issy Wong, replacing Sophie Ecclestone who sat out with a tight hamstring, lofted the final ball over the boundary, reducing the margin of defeat. It also highlighted a key difference between the two teams. It was only England’s second six, a third as many as Devine had managed on her own.

It has been an excellent first half of the year for Sophie Devine. Saturday’s half-century was her third so far, giving her an average of 48 and strike rate of 160. While admittedly from a sample size of seven innings, it speaks to a player focussed on going out on a high. This, by the way, is now her second highest score in the format, slotting beneath her sole century that came against South Africa in February 2020.

“I’m enjoying my cricket and enjoying what I got left on the international scene,” Devine said during her play of the match interview. Retiring at the end of the upcoming T20 World Cup, the 36-year old is gunning for the sweetest swansong.

England were warned. On, Wednesday in a similar situation, Devine counterpunched with 45 off 22 from less shakier ground – 13 for 2 in the fourth over – but was eventually trimmed off by Gibson. The difference this time was not just carrying on (especially after the life on 48) but support from Green.

Overall, Green was only striking at 116.66, but she was able to keep pace for the majority of what became a maiden T20I fifty. A brace of fours off Gibson took Green to 40 from 33, with Devine watching on appreciatively, 49 off 38 to her name.

That passage of five overs after the midway point saw Green momentarily assume senior status, facing 20 balls and allowing Devine to rest up for the final push. The 56 from the final four overs – 36 from Devine – put New Zealand out of reach.

“It shows the growth of the group, to be able to rebound and put on a score of 170,” said Devine. “For a player like me, I don’t really like sitting back. It’s a real battle of the mind regarding what you want to do.

“We absorbed pressure really well and then to be able to throw it back at them at the backend. It’s a fantastic confidence builder for us.”

“They keep playing her like a left-arm spinner – they need to play her like a left-arm swing bowler,” said Nasser Hussain on Sky. In between celebrating Linsey Smith’s brilliance, the former England men’s captain could not help but lament New Zealand’s approach to the left-arm orthodox bowler.

At the toss, Melie Kerr revealed the team had discussed how best to combat Smith, who had flummoxed them in the first T20I. Stifling the White Ferns scoring with 15 dot balls among her 1 for 10 from her four overs, Kerr called for a more pro-active batting effort. Unfortunately, she could not lead as an example, out LBW sweeping her first ball, gifting Smith her second dismissal halfway through her first over.

Blindly swinging across the line was surely not a tactic formulated in that brainstorming session. Georgia Plimmer attacking immediately – a return catch giving her a second successive golden duck – was a little too cavalier. Left-hander Brooke Halliday’s initiative to advance down the crease felt the most appropriate, even if that resulted in a straight-forward catch to Bouchier at long off.

Smith has added a fascinating dimension to the XI, as a slower bowler thriving in the Powerplay. And it will be interesting to see how opposition batters deal with her at the World Cup given what she’s shown weeks out from the competition.

As Hussain states, tit may be wiser to approach Smith like a seamer, focussing on the movement through the air rather than what revolutions there may be on the ball. It was instructive that Smith, speaking ahead of the match, revealed she had got into trouble for forgetting to shine the ball, a regular habit for quick bowlers but something this spinner needs to remember to do given how much of her success is coming from swing rather than spin.

Most of New Zealand’s right-handers have had little joy trying to heave her to leg. Might more joy be found making room and accessing the off side, particularly during the first six overs? We may be about to find out.

That England happened to get their strongest hitters Kemp and Gibson out there in the final five overs was entirely by accident. Even if they had managed the 52 required from the remaining 26 deliveries, the main takeaway should be that they were introduced too late.

Angling for what would have been the side’s third-highest successful chase, perhaps Kemp, off the back of a handy 31 not out to finish the first T20I, should have come out when Capsey fell at the end of the 10th over. At that point, the required rate was on the verge of reaching double figures. By the time Knight and Bouchier were done, both allrounders would have had to strike at 200 to get England home.

Head coach Charlotte Edwards has focussed on adding more heft to the lower order, and there is no doubt Kemp and Gibson give opponents something to fear. Gibson’s consecutive fours off Devine sparked momentary jeopardy before her dismissal. A little more time and maybe her and/or Kemp could have made a decisive impact. No doubt an error to learn from ahead of the main event next month.

Brief scores:
New Zealand Women 170 for 5 in 20 overs (Sophie Devine 87, Maddy Green 56*; Lauren Bell 1-22, Linsey Smith 3-25) beat England Women 156 for 6 in 20 overs  (Sophia Dunkley 26, Alice Capsey 22, Maia Bouchier 38, Heather Knight 25, Freya Kemp 14, Dani Gibson 12; Bree Illing 1-27, Nensi Patel 2-25, Lea Tahuhu 1-32, Mellie Kerr 1-28) by 14 runs

[Cricinfo]

Shreyas Iyer’s first IPL entury helped Punjab Kings break a six-match losing streak and keep their playoffs hopes alive. PBKS are now in the top four and will remain there should Rajasthan Royals lose their final game of the season against Mumbai Indians. Also, for PBKS will hope Kolkata Knight Riders won’t win big against Delhi Capitals, who are now eliminated.

A weakened Lucknow Super Giants – they fielded only two overseas players in the XII, with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram going home – were beaten with 12 balls and seven wickets to spare.

LSG had a hit-and-miss powerplay. Overs two, three and four produced just eight runs. Overs one, five and six produced 58 runs. Ayush Badoni walked in ahead of Rishabh Pant at No. 4, when the innings was going nowhere. Badoni himself was 2 off 5 before suddenly surging to 42 off 16.

Josh Inglis was 16 off 6 with four boundaries. From there, he made just 10 off the next 15 balls. Just when it looked like he had lost all form – including instances where his favourite ramps were failing him – the Australian batter found another high-scoring period, hitting 29 off nine balls. He brought up his fifty during this second burst and was largely the reason why LSG could get to a total of 196.

Yuzvendra Chahal was crucial to PBKS’ bowling effort. He dismissed Badoni, though credit for that should go to Prabhsimran Singh, who had the batter stumped with smart glovework. Badoni made the mistake of thinking the ball was dead as soon as he played and missed. It was not. Prabhsimran waited for the moment he knew was coming – Badoni resetting his position in the crease. Just as his back foot went up he flipped the bails off.

Pant, who began the season as an opener, then wanted to be LSG’s No. 3 spot, came in at No. 5 today. He faced 14 balls from Chahal and hit him for two boundaries. But the legspinner won the battle in the end, concentrating on keeping the ball wide of the left-hander’s reach. Chahal could have dismissed Pant for 20 off 19 had Iyer taken a simple catch at extra cover. But Iyer’s drop didn’t matter much, because Chahal still dismissed him on 26 off 22.

This week, the newly appointed Cricket Interim Committee held its first media briefing and all those who attended returned to office marvelling at the finesse and grace with which committee head Eran Wickramaratne held his own. It wasn’t a briefing conducted on a placid SSC featherbed. There were bouncers, yorkers and even the occasional beamer, but Eran negotiated them all like a seasoned campaigner who had long ago mastered the art of surviving hostile spells – first in the banking sector and then at the UNP.

Royalists like Ranil Wickremesinghe and Ravi Karunanayake could learn a thing or two from their old schoolmate. This man is class personified.

Eran spoke passionately about cricket’s mandate to entertain the public. He reiterated that the game belonged to nobody but the adoring fans and that everyone involved – players, coaches, umpires and administrators – were merely custodians duty-bound to safeguard it. He was also quick to remind everyone that he was only a temporary guardian of the game, a refreshing contrast to an era not too long ago when certain individuals behaved as if cricket would collapse without them occupying the throne.

Former opening batter Sidath Wettimuny handled the opening overs before Eran took strike. On any given day, following Sidath is a tough act. He is articulate, thoughtful and commands enormous respect. But Eran slipped into the innings seamlessly, outlining the timeframe for a new constitution and explaining why some democratic elections – including those of Sri Lanka Cricket – had become deeply flawed exercises. Any institution that is headed by an individual who overstays his welcome is doomed to fail. SLC is one. UNP is the other.

Many wondered why Eran had been entrusted with heading the Interim Committee. He revealed that he had worked closely with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during their years in opposition and that his dream of building a corruption-free society may well have struck a chord with the President.

Credit must go to AKD as well.

Sri Lanka Cricket had become the sort of institution most politicians preferred not to touch with a barge pole. Successive Executive Presidents turned a blind eye to allegations of abuse of power, corruption and the alarming lack of foresight that steadily drove the game into the rough. Some may even have benefited from cricket’s vast financial muscle during election campaigns.

But AKD played this innings shrewdly, like a captain who knew exactly when to attack and when to defend. There has been no ICC suspension, individuals many believed untouchable have been forced to swallow humble pie and for the first time in years, there is genuine hope that the game can be steered back on course.

Looking at what AKD has achieved, the likes of J.R. Jayewardene and Gamini Dissanayake – both former presidents of Sri Lanka Cricket – might well be having a quiet chuckle from above. The political party they once led eventually turned a blind eye to what unfolded at Maitland Place under Ranil Wickremesinghe’s stewardship. Much like the UNP itself, Sri Lankan cricket too lost direction and nosedived badly. Then came complete outsiders in the form of the NPP and they have at least taken the first meaningful steps towards dragging the sport out of the mire.

Hats off to the comrades.

While Eran Wickramaratne and Prakash Schaffter have their sights fixed firmly on constitutional reforms and governance, cricketing matters are being handled by the trio of Sidath Wettimuny, Roshan Mahanama and Kumar Sangakkara. Wettimuny heads the Cricket Committee while Sangakkara, currently in India coaching IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, has joined discussions remotely.

Sidath explained how the number of schools playing cricket had multiplied because of the game’s immense popularity, but at the same time the country lacked qualified coaches to cater to the growing demand. One of the committee’s immediate priorities, therefore, is improving the standard of coaching education and broadening the horizons of those entrusted with nurturing young cricketers.

Sidath also elaborated on other pressing areas that require urgent attention – improving umpiring standards, producing better pitches and restoring professionalism to the system. They are not glamorous fixes that win applause overnight, but as every good cricket man knows, strong foundations matter more than flashy cover drives.

by Rex Clementine ✍️