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Radha, Ghosh rescue RCB before Patil five-for consigns GG to defeat
Royal Challengers Begaluru [RCB] completed a hat-trick of wins thanks to a 105-run stand between Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav followed by a five-for from Shrvanka Patil and a three-for from Lauren Bell. It means RCB are still the only unbeaten team in WPL 2026 so far.
Ghosh and Radha’s partnership lifted RCB from 43 for 4 to 148, before they finished on 182 for 7. RCB were also aided by Nadine de Klerk’s cameo of 26 from 12 balls at the end. In the chase, many of Gujarat Giant’s [GG] batters got off to starts, but none of them could convert it, which meant there was only one fifty-plus partnership in their innings before they suffered a 32-run loss.
The first over of the day, bowled by Renuka Singh, went for 23 runs, and the next five had 22 runs and four wickets. Renuka conceded seven runs off three wide balls, while Grace Harris found the boundary four times – all through the leg side. There was an lbw shout given out which was overturned.
Kashvee Gautam was the first to strike with an inswinger pinning Harris lbw. In her next over, debutant Shivani Singh plucked a one-handed catch at short fine leg to dismiss Dayalan Hemalatha. Renuka made amends on return by having Smriti Mandhana slice a catch to short third. Devine had Gautami Naik plumb in front in the sixth over as RCB slipped to 43 for 4.
Radha, who was promoted to No. 5, tagged along with Ghosh to first stem the flow of wickets. After two overs of slow going, Radha took on Wareham for a six and a four. Each over from the eighth to the 17th had at least one boundary in it.
All of Radha and Ghosh’s fours came through the off side. They were severe on width, and used cuts, and cover and square drives to good effect. Radha brought up her maiden WPL fifty in the 15th over by which time Ghosh had gotten going. The acceleration brought up only the second century stand between two India batters in the WPL.
Once Ghosh fell, de Klerk produced a boundary barrage. She whacked two fours and two sixes off the 19th over, taking down Gautam for 22 runs. RCB had some luck along the way as de Klerk was dropped by Ashleigh Gardner, and Radha got a reprieve thanks to DRS in the 11th over.
Bell wasn’t able to give RCB another strong start as she missed her lines. Beth Mooney flicked the first ball for four. In Bell’s next over, she picked up a six and two fours as Giants raced to 32 for 0.
Arundhati Reddy came on to take a sharp return catch to dismiss Devine. In the next over, Patil used the angle in from around the wicket to trap Mooney lbw.
The middle overs started with Kanika Ahuja getting off to a decent start before Patil went around the wicket again and beat her defence for another lbw. At 70 for 5, the game looked all but done.
But Bharti Fulmali and Gautam had other ideas. Fulmali dined on anything full, and cleared the boundaries with ease. RCB dropped a couple of chances – first Fulmali by Smriti Mandhana off Arundhati Reddy’s bowling in the 13th over, and then Kashvee by Reddy off de Klerk’s bowling in the 15th.
With a partnership growing at pace – more on that later – Patil returned and dismissed Kashvee with a loopy ball that was hit to long-on.
The boundaries didn’t stop as GG’s batters kept going for big shots. But their chances faded quickly when Bell returned to fox Fulmali with a slower ball. Two balls later, she bowled another slower one to dismiss Shivani. Patil finished off the game in the 19th over by striking twice.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women 182 for 7 in 20 overs (Grace Harris 17, Radha Yadav 66, Richa Ghosh 44, Nadine de Klerk 26; Renuka Singh 1-41, Kashvee Gautam 2-42, Sophie Devine 3-31, Georgia Wareham 1-35) beat Gujarat Giants Women 150 (Beth Mooney 27, Kanika Ahunja 16, Georgia Wareham 13, Bharathi Fulmali 39, Kashvee Gautam 18, Tanuja Kanvar 21; Shryanka Patil 5-23, Lauren Bell 3-29, Arundhati Reddy 1-31, Nadine de Klerk 1-30) by 32 runs
[Cricinfo]
The ICC has decided to send officials to Dhaka this weekend to meet the BCB’s top brass in a bid to resolve the impasse over Bangladesh travelling to India for the T20 World Cup that starts in three weeks.
The ICC’s team is expected to provide the BCB with security details including an independent assessment as part of the discussions. The development comes days after the BCB reiterated its stance of not sending Bangladesh to play in co-hosts India’s venues owing to “security concerns.” So far meetings and discussions have taken place via video conference; this will be the first time the two parties will meet in person.
During the January 13 virtual meeting, the BCB asked the ICC to move Bangladesh, who are placed in Group C, outside India. However, the ICC said it would not tweak the original schedule, with the tournament start date – February 7 – less than a month away. Bangladesh are scheduled to play on that opening day, against West Indies, in Kolkata.
With relations between India and Bangladesh tense in recent times, the BCB sent a letter to ICC on January 4 stating it would not be safe for Bangladesh to travel to India for the World Cup where its four group matches are scheduled. That was in response to the BCCI “authorising” Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh left arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman. No specific reason was given for that decision.
A Risk Assessment report for the World Cup, compiled by an independent security agency, and accessed by ESPNcricinfo, says the threat to teams playing in India is in the moderate-high band but there is “no information to indicate a direct threat against participating teams.”
The ICC shared that security assessment report with the BCB in their last call, which indicated no specific or heightened threat to the Bangladesh cricket team in India. The assessment was shared with the BCB’s security team and concluded there was no overall threat to the side, but pointed to low to moderate risks in some venues and low to nil in others – standard ICC categorisations around the world that do not ordinarily constitute sufficient reason to move games.
[Cricinfo]
Steven Hogan’s century, which included a 186-run stand with Nitesh Samuel, helped Australia brush aside Ireland for an eight wicket win in Windhoek.
After being put in to bat, Ireland openers James West and Freddie Ogillby were off to a slow start, before John James struck to remove West for 11. Sebastian Dijkstra was the next one to go, with Charles Lachmund pinning him in front in the 18th over. That brought Rob O’Brien to the crease, who then slowly rebuilt the innings in Ogilby’s company to put up a 43-run stand.
Offspinner Will Malajczuk, however, denied Ogilby his half-century, having him caught behind for 49 in the 29th over. O’Brien continued to build steadily and found the boundaries occasionally, before departing for a 98-ball 79 in the 49th over, helping push Ireland’s total to 235.
Australia got off to a strong start in the chase, with Malajczuk hitting a four and six in the first over. After he fell in the third over, Samuel and Hogan continued to build towards the target, scoring their half-centuries off 62 balls and 50 balls respectively. Their 100-run stand came up in the 21st over, and Hogan continued to find boundaries, bringing up his ton off 97 balls in the 32nd over.
Medium-pacer Luke Murray provided the breakthrough in the 36th over, having Hogan caught behind for 115. In his 111-ball stay, Hogan hit 11 fours and a six. By then, Australia needed only another 20 runs to win. Ollie Peake then joined Samuel, who finished unbeaten on 77, and together they completed the chase with 62 balls remaining to get Australia off to a rollicking start.
Brief scores:
Australia Under 19s 237 for 2 in 37.2 overs (Steven Hogan 115, Nitesh Samuel 77*; Luke Murray 1-46) beat Ireland Under 19s 235 for 7 in 50 overs (Freddie Ogilby 49, Rob O’Brien 79; Charles Lachmund 3-41) by eight wickets
[Cricinfo]
England Under 19s 210 in 46.5 overs (Ben Dawkins 33, Caleb Falconer 66; Ali Raza 2-36, Ahmed Hussain 3-38, Abdul Subhan 2-24, Momin Qmar 2-45) beat Pakistan Under 19s 173 in 46.3 overs (Farhan Yousaf 65; Alex Green 2-21, James Minto 2-23, Ralphie Albert 2-23) by 37 runs
Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf lacked support even as he fought back from 85 for 6 in their chase of 211 against England. Yousaf scored 65 off 86 deliveries, but the next highest score from Pakistan was Momin Qamar’s 18*. Eventually, they were bowled out for 173 as England started with a 37 run win after themselves being rescued by Caleb Falconer.
England’s No. 5 arrived at 67 for 3 in the 16th over, which soon became 90 for 4 after 19 on a slow pitch where the ball kept low. But Falconer then added 80 for the fifth wicket with Ralphie Albert, and dominated that partnership. He scored 50 of those runs, and on the way, brought up a run-a-ball half-century in the 29th over.
Four overs later, Ahmed Hussain broke that partnership by bowling Albert for 25, and finished with 3 for 38 off his ten overs. Falconer fell for 66 off 73 deliveries soon after, and England’s tail folded quickly.
In the chase, Alex Green and James Minto reduced Pakistan to 28 for 3 in the ninth over. There were only brief recoveries thereafter: Hussain and Yousaf added 26, while Yousaf and Huzaifa Ahsan had a stand of 23. Batting with the tail, Yousaf kept Pakistan’s faint hopes alive. But once he was caught off Minto, Pakistan needed another 67 to win with two wickets remaining. That turned out to be too much for their tailenders.
Brief scores:
England Under 19s 210 in 46.5 overs (Ben Dawkins 33, Caleb Falconer 66; Ali Raza 2-36, Ahmed Hussain 3-38, Abdul Subhan 2-24, Momin Qmar 2-45) beat Pakistan Under 19s 173 in 46.3 overs (Farhan Yousaf 65; Alex Green 2-21, James Minto 2-23, Ralphie Albert 2-23) by 37 runs
[Cricinfo]
The Government is taking steps to regulate early childhood education to ensure quality education while enhancing the professionalism of preschool teachers. — PM
ICC officials to meet BCB in Bangladesh to solve T20 World Cup impasse
U – 19 World Cup: Hogan’s ton help Australia brush aside Ireland
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