Sports
Thomas Rew’s blistering century helps England U19s level series with India
Somerset wicketkeeper-batter Thomas Rew scored a sensational 131 to break the record for the fastest century for England Under-19s and propel his country to a dramatic one-wicket win in this second one-day international against India at Northampton.
Rew reached three figures off just 73 balls, beating Ben Foakes’ 79-ball ton against New Zealand in 2012. In all, Rew faced 89 balls in a display of brutal hitting and deft strokeplay, smashing 16 fours and six huge sixes.
England captain Rew shared a stand of 123 in 21 overs with Lancashire’s Rocky Flintoff (39) but a clatter of late wickets left England nine down, needing seven off the final over. Middlesex’s Seb Morgan held his nerve to hit a boundary to seal the win with three balls to spare as England levelled the five-match series 1-1.
With the ball, Surrey seamer Alex French took 4 for 71, while Leicestershire’s Alex Green and Worcestershire’s Jack Home each claimed three wickets as India were bowled out for 290 in exactly 49 overs.
All of England’s seamers were guilty of spraying the ball, contributing an extra 26 runs in wides towards India’s eventual total. But after 14-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryawanshi (45) set the tone up top with Vihann Malhotra (49), England pegged India back to 171 for 5. A quickfire sixth-wicket partnership of 78 in 12 overs between Rahul Kumar and Kanishk Chouhan reinvigorated the innings, allowing India to set a competitive total before French wrapped up the tail. RS Ambrish took the bulk of the wickets for India, finishing with figures of 4 for 80.
England had elected to field and while French conceded six wides in his opening over, his first legal ball proved effective, knocking over Ayush Mhatre’s off stump.
Suryavanshi set the early pace with two sixes off French, contributing the lion’s share of a stand of 67 in 10 overs. After Suryavanshi hooked Home for his third six over fine leg, though, Morgan took a well-judged boundary catch as the batter attempted to upper cut.
Maulyarajsinh Chavda played his first shot in anger over extra cover off Home as he mounted a 50-run stand with Malhotra in 11 overs. Chavda attacked Green’s pace, but the Leicestershire quick sent his off stump flying when he attempted a big booming drive.
Malhotra, who played some pleasant drives, then shared a stand worth 44 with Abhigyan Kundu before Malhotra top-edged Home to deep square leg. Kundu departed two overs later, caught at backward point, flashing outside off stump against Green.
Kumar and Chouhan pressed the accelerator, taking the score to 249 before Home picked up his third wicket, Kumar heaving into the leg side where Joe Moores took a good catch. Then when Chouhan flat-batted Green down the wicket, he was well caught by Morgan, French nipping in to claim the last three wickets, all to catches in the outfield.
England lost opener Ben Dawkins early, caught behind when he flashed outside off stump against Yudhajit Guha, while Ben Mayes hit a speedy 27 before cutting Ambrish straight to point. England lost a third wicket nine balls later as Isaac Mohammed prodded outside off stump and was caught low at slip off Ambrish to leave England 47 for 3 in the 12th over.
Flintoff led the rebuilding initially, powering Ambrish over mid-on and punching him straight down the pitch. But Rew soon warmed up, taking consecutive boundaries off Chauhan, then driving him through cover to bring up the 50 partnership off 70 balls.
Rew dismissively pulled a half-tracker from Mohammed Enaan for six, but after 25 overs England were 112 for 3 and behind the run rate. Needing to accelerate, Rew took the attack to Suryavanshi, swinging him over deep midwicket for six and four as England started to close in on the requirement.
Rew motored on, blazing consecutive sixes over deep midwicket off Enaan, but lost Flintoff when he cut too close to his body, keeper Kundu taking a sharp catch.
The runs kept flowing as Rew swung Chauhan away leg side for another six before celebrating his century, and then plundered 22 off one over from Ambrish, taking England past 200 before powering another six over midwicket and consecutive boundaries over the covers. But his valiant innings ended when he was caught in the deep off Patel, attempting another big leg-side shot, leaving England needing 61 more off 10.2 overs.
They lost a sixth wicket next over when Guha had Moores caught at deep square leg. Ralphie Albert played some shots, but pulled Ambrish to midwicket, while Patel comprehensively bowled Home three balls later.
With nerves jangling, Green and Morgan took 14 off Ambrish’s penultimate over, while Morgan hooked Guha for six, leaving England needing 12 from the last two overs. Green holed out at deep midwicket off the first delivery from Ambrish in the 49th over, but with seven needed off the final over, Morgan finished the game with elan.
Brief scores:
England U19s 291 for 9 in 49.3 overs (Thomas Rew 131, Rocky Flintoff 39; Henil Patel 2-28, Yudhajit Guha 2-63 RS Ambrish 4-80) beat India U19s 290 in 49 overs (Vaibhav Suriyavanshi 45, Vihaan Malhotra 49, Rahul Kumar 47. Kanishk Chauhan 45; Alex French 4-71, Jack Home 3-63, Alex Green 3-50) by one wicket
[Cricinfo]
South Africa won their first T20I in eight attempts (outside of World Cups) against West Indies to take the lead in the three-match series. Crucially, their captain Aiden Markram, fresh off a SA20 hundred, reached his highest T20I score of 86 not out and could not have chosen a better time to find form. After struggling through most of the last 18 months in this format, Markram appeared in fine touch and hit nine fours and three sixes, and faced only eight dot balls in a dominant performance.
Chasing a reasonably challenging total of 174, Markram combined with Lhuan dre Pretorius and Ryan Rickelton for partnerships of 83 and 93 respectively, which meant South Africa’s powerful middle-order could take the night off. South Africa sealed the win with 13 balls to spare.
West Indies lacked any stands of similar significance. While Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell shared a sixth-wicket stand of 74, there were no other partnerships that reached 40 as West Indies lost batters too often. Hetmyer top-scored with 48 while South Africa’s left-arm spin duo of George Linde and Keshav Maharaj took five wickets between them.
West Indies were off to a flying start thanks to Brandon King’s 23 off 14 balls and an opening stand of 39 inside four overs, but South Africa struck quickly to peg them back. Maharaj bowled Johnson Charles before King got down on one knee to sweep Corbin Bosch and played the ball onto his stumps to begin a trend. Sherfane Rutherford was unable to build on his SA20 form and when Maharaj found turn and bounce, he fended and chopped on as West Indies closed out the powerplay on 57 for 3. Then, in the 12th over, stand-in captain Roston Chase, playing in his 50th T20I, tried to hit Linde over cover and played on, and West Indies were 95 for 5.
Though Maharaj took two wickets early on, he was on the receiving end of some of West Indies’ biggest hits from Hetmyer. With West Indies’ 100 up in the 14th over, Hetmyer decided to up the ante, advanced on Maharaj and hit him 102 metres into the Paarl night for his first six. Two balls later, Hetmyer came down the track again, and sent the ball into the wind and over deep midwicket for a second six. Maharaj’s final over cost 16 runs and he finished with figures of 2 for 44 in four overs, the most expensive of his T20I career. Hetmyer was dismissed when Dewald Brevis caught him off Linde.
It’s been a while since someone has drooled over Markram’s drives, with the captain in patchy T20I form over much of the last 18 months, but the signs of old were there from the opening over of the chase. Matthew Forde served up bread and butter for Markram with a wide half-volley second ball. Markram drove through the covers and four was the result. Two balls later, Forde took pace off but kept it full and Markram had all the time in the world to cream the ball past extra cover. And then, to end the over, Markram was on his front foot punching the ball through the covers for a third boundary. For good measure, his fourth four was off Jayden Seales and aerial as he showed off his full range. He raced to 31 off 15 in the powerplay and shared a big stand with Pretorius to set South Africa up well.
After being dropped, recalled, and then given a new position at No. 3, Rickelton had a golden opportunity to learn about his new role with less pressure after the start the openers had.
Pretorius was dismissed in the eighth over when he slog swept Chase to midwicket. Rickelton took an over to get his eye in and then reverse-swept Chase for four, and in Chase’s next over, he slog swept him over midwicket. Though he mistimed a few, Rickelton found his touch with a swivel-pull off Seales for his second six. This – 40 not out – was Rickelton’s highest score in six T20I innings and third-highest overall.
Brief scores:
South Africa 176 for 1 in 17.5 overs (Aiden Markram 86*, Lhuan dre Pretorius 44, Ryan Rickelton 40*; Roston Chase 1-31) beat West Indies 173 for 7 in 20 overs (Brandon King 27, Johnson Charles 13, Matthew Forde 16, Roston Chase 22, Shimron Hetmyer 48, Rovman Powell 29*; George Linde 3-25, Corbin Bosch 2-35, Keshav Maharaj 2-44) by nine wickets
[Cricinfo]
(a) not having been taken in the Player Auction and
(b) not having withdrawn from the Player Auction process.
New Zealand began in a poor manner losing Marco Alpe for just 2. However, the second wicket partnership carried them to 59/1 inside 8 overs to give New Zealand an excellent platform. From thereon, New Zealand lost their last 9 wickets for just 51 runs in quite an extraordinary manner. The well-set Hugo Bogue’s dismissal triggered the collapse as Abdul Subhan and Ali Raza tormented New Zealand. The duo combined to pick seven wickets as the New Zealand innings came to an end as early as in the 29th over.
New Zealand Under 19s 110 in 28.3 overs (Hugo Bogue 39; Abdul Subhan 4/11, Ali Raza 3/36) lost to Pakistan Under 19s 112/2 in 17.1 overs (Sameer Minhas 76*; Mason Clarke 1/34) by 8 wickets
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