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Kirton, Gordon and Heyliger sparkle in landmark Canada win

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Canada wrapped up a comfortable win despite a 62-run seventh-wicket stand between Mark Adair and George Dockrell [Cricinfo]

The Associate has struck twice in two days. Group C and D might have been the groups of death leading up to the T20 World Cup 2024 but for the moment the blockbuster results are coming out of Group A. After USA shocked Pakistan in Dallas on Thursday, it was Canada’s turn to stun a Full Member side on Friday as they beat Ireland by 12 runs in New York to record their first-ever T20 World Cup win.

The focus was all on the surface in New York and while Canada found the going tough early on, Nicholas Kirton and Shreyas Movva steadied the ship to take them to 137 for 7 in their 20 overs. This was the first time in five innings that a team had managed to breach the 100-run mark in New York this World Cup. And it proved to be enough.

The Canada bowlers were all over the Ireland batters in the chase. They did not let them get away in the powerplay before Junaid Siddiqui and Saad Bin Zafar applied the squeeze in the middle overs. When Ireland slipped to 59 for 6 in the 13th over, it seemed all but over for them. Mark Adair and George Dockrell resurrected the Irish innings and put on 62 for the seventh wicket, but Jeremy Gordon and Dilon Heyliger held their own at the death to deliver Canada a famous win. Ireland were restricted to 125 for 7 and have now lost two in two.

On an uneven surface and a sluggish outfield, a chase of 138 was always going to be a tricky ask. Canada’s defence did not get off to the best of starts with Kaleem Sana unable to control the early movement. But Gordon understood the lengths to bowl on the surface from the get-go and the rest of the bowlers followed suit. Ireland could only manage two fours in the first six overs – one in the first over and one in the sixth. In between, there were plenty of swishes and misses from Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie and hardly any decent connections.

Gordon’s relentless lengths got the better of Stirling in the final over of the powerplay when he could only manage a top edge on his attempted heave with the wicketkeeper taking a comfortable catch. He fell for an uncharacteristic 9 off 17 and Ireland’s innings went downhill thereon.

It was complete Canadian domination in the next seven overs or so with Ireland unable to understand how to go about the chase. Saad and Siddiqui attacked the stumps, hardly giving the batters anything to work with: 33 of the 48 balls they bowled finished on a wicket-to-wicket line, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data. The surface seemed to slow up a touch in the second half and the two spinners made sure to take full toll.

Balbirnie fell second ball after the powerplay, caught and bowled by Siddiqui. Saad struck next with a straight ball that breached Harry Tector’s defences. Lorcan Tucker inexplicably ran himself out in the 10th over before Heyliger sent back Curtis Campher with a little help from Aaron Johnson, who took a lovely catch at deep backward square leg diving to his left. And when Gareth Delany fell in the 13th over with the Ireland score on 59, an early finish was on the cards.

With the equation reading 64 off 30 after 15 overs and only four wickets in hand, Ireland needed nothing short of a miracle to pull this off. Dockrell gave Ireland a chance when he bashed Siddiqui for a four and six in the 16th over before Adair produced a similar result against Sana in the next. Heyliger, however, kept his cool to only concede eight runs in the 18th over.

Sana’s 19th went for 11, which meant Gordon had 16 runs to defend in the final over. And he did it expertly. There were no full balls, only the hard-length stuff and there was nothing Adair could do. He played and missed the first ball and top-edged the next. Barry McCarthy came in and hacked across the line three times, but couldn’t get much out of it.

And when Dockrell mistimed his heave to long-on off the final ball, celebrations began in the Canada dugout. This was just the third time Canada had beaten Ireland in T20Is. They are the only Full Member team they have beaten in the format.

Earlier, it seemed like a good toss to win for Ireland with their bowlers finding movement and carry. Adair had Navneet Dhaliwal caught at backward point before Craig Young sent back Aaron Johnson, caught at deep backward square leg. Canada hit six fours in the powerplay but a lack of strike rotation meant they could only reach 37 for 2 after the first six.

Young struck straight after the powerplay, too, sending back Pargat Singh, before Delany had Dilpreet Bajwa caught and bowled with Canada’s score after 8.1 overs reading 53 for 4.

Kirton has been in excellent T20I form of late. He had scored a fifty against Nepal in Canada’s warm-up game and another one against USA in the World Cup opener. And he started in a similar vein in New York. Alongside Movva, he first steadied the Canada innings and then went big in the final five.

There was a distinct Caribbean flair to the Barbados-born Kirton’s strokeplay. He took on Young, Ireland’s most successful bowler up to the point, smashing him for two sixes and a four in the 16th over. Movva also kept chugging along with the duo adding 75 runs for the fifth wicket off 63 balls. Kirton fell one short of another half-century but Movva stayed right till the last ball and Canada posted the highest score in New York this T20 World Cup.

Brief scores:
Canada 137 for 7 in 20 overs (Nicholas Kirton 49, Shreyas Movva 37; Mark Adair 1-23,  Barry McCarthy 2-24, Craig Young 2-32, Gareth Delany 1-10) beat Ireland 125 for 7 in 20 overs (Mark Adair 34, George Dockrell 30*; Jeremy Gordon 2-16, Dilon Heyliger 2-18, Junaid Siddiqi 1-27, Saad Bin Zafar 1-22) by 12 runs

[Cricinfo]



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Suspect killed after shooting at Secret Service agents, officials confirm

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A person has been shot and killed after they opened fire outside the White House, the US Secret Service has confirmed.

Here is their statement in full:

Shortly after 6 p.m Saturday an individual in the area on 17th street and Pennsylvania Avenue pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing.

Secret Service police returned fire striking the suspect who was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. During the shooting one bystander was also struck by gunfire.

No injuries were sustained by officers. The President was in the White House during the incident, however no protectees or operations were impacted.

This incident remains under investigation and additional information will be released as it becomes available.

Suspect identified, had previous ‘run-in’ with Secret Service – CBSpublished at 07:45

The deceased suspect in the shooting outside the White House has been identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, a person familiar with the investigation has told BBC’s US media partner CBS.

The source said that the suspect had already been arrested by the US Secret Service in July 2025 after he tried to gain entry to the White House, and he was sent to a psychiatric ward for mental health issues in the aftermath.

(BBC)

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Trump says Iran deal ‘largely negotiated’ including reopening Strait of Hormuz

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(Pic BBC)

US President Donald Trump says an agreement with Iran has been “largely negotiated” and details will be announced soon.

The deal would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, he said on Saturday, without giving further details.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei earlier told state television that US and Iranian positions had been converging in the last week, but warned that did not mean agreements would be reached on key issues and accused the Americans of “contradictory statements”.

On social media, Trump said he had a “very good call” with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and others about a “Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE”.

“An agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed,” Trump said.

“Final aspects and details of the deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly.”

He also said he had a call on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which “went very well”.

The president has not given any further details on the deal, but has insisted any agreement would “absolutely” prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Later, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said: “I congratulate President Donald Trump on his extraordinary efforts to pursue peace,” and said the phone call had been “very useful and productive”.

Pakistan has been helping to negotiate a peace deal  serving as an intermediary.

“We hope to host the next round of talks very soon,” he wrote in the statement on X.

The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, sparking conflict across the Middle East. Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.

A ceasefire in Iran was agreed in early April, and since then Washington and Tehran have engaged in talks over a long-term peace deal.

(BBC)

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Devine intervention brings New Zealand back from the dead

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Sophie Devine built a brilliant innings for New Zealand [Cricinfo]

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]

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