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Stephen Fleming: Pakistan made a ‘massive mistake’ in the death overs

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3 years ago

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Pakistan were 119 for 4 after 16 overs in the T20 World Cup final against England at the MCG but managed to score only 18 for the loss of four wickets in the last four overs, and their approach at the death was a “massive mistake” according to former New Zealand captain and current Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming.

“[Pakistan were] 121 [119] for 4 in 16 overs. There’s enough in that wicket to suggest that a 165-score is going to be a real good challenge,” Fleming said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out show. “There was inconsistent bounce, there was a little bit of movement on offer and it was turning.

“So as a unit, you should be saying that ‘we’ve got some artillery here, we know that we just need to get a score on the board and we will be competitive’. The fact that the last four overs went for 16 [18] runs, I think that’s a massive mistake.”

“Even at 10 [runs per over], you get to 161 and if you have one good over, you get to 165 which I think is more than competitive given what we have seen,” Fleming said. “Especially given the turn, which was unexpected, and the little bit that’s on offer for probably a quicker and more skilful pace attack. So yeah, there was a lot going on up to that point, but Pakistan missed a massive trick.”

Fleming said that Pakistan did not read the ground dimensions and conditions well. “Teams often go to the MCG and they think traditionally, we’ll get to 16 overs and then we’ll whack ourselves 15 runs an over and we’ll get a great score. The MCG is not that ground. If there’s any research that should have been done is on how to finish off an innings.”

Pakistan’s last three recognised batters – Shan Masood, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz – were all caught attempting the big hits at the MCG. “The ones and twos that were so good all the way through the innings, they disappeared and all of a sudden they were just trying to hit it out of the ground over 85 metre boundaries,” Fleming said. “And that just doesn’t work. Livingstone’s there, just picking it off. Sorry, I reckon it just wasn’t smart and it could cost them, the score of 165 was easily there.”

Former Australia allrounder Tom Moody said that Masood, who scored 38 off 28 in the final, laid down the right template with his running between the wickets.

“We saw Shan Masood show the way to how to score runs at the MCG. His running between the wickets was superb, the twos that he ran, the pressure he put on the outfield, that didn’t really need to change,” Moody said, adding that Babar Azam’s dismissal was the turning point in Pakistan’s innings.

“I think it was in the 12th over Babar was dismissed, and from then onwards, it just went south where they just seemed to lose sight of how to accumulate runs and get to that 160-165 that Flem’s [Fleming] talking about,” Moody said. “In a total of 120 balls, if you’re scoring six fours and two sixes [Pakistan scored eight fours and two sixes], I think that shows more than anything that no one else really got in on that surface to be able to in those last four overs pick off a few boundaries.

“It was a pretty disappointing finish from Pakistan, they should be more than what they got and it’s really down to some poor management with their batting in the back 10 overs.”

Former India captain and head coach Anil Kumble said Masood’s dismissal put the pressure back on Pakistan. “I think, like Flem [Fleming] mentioned, they were probably thinking boundaries and sixes and that’s what you are sort of tuned to in the last four overs. I think Shan Masood getting out at that time certainly put the pressure back on Pakistan, because he was someone who looked comfortable and he was in control of his scoring,” Kumble said.

“And that’s something I didn’t see in even Babar, even though Babar batted well till he got out. Shan Masood looked in better control of the proceedings, in terms of how he wanted to manoeuvre the bowling.

(cricinfo)


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Colts win First Class title

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2026/04/2

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Major Club 3-Day League 2025 - Champions - Colts CC

Colombo Colts Cricket Club finished off the First Class season with flying colours with their unbeaten run enabling them to win the title. Colts played seven games in the Super Eight segment and won one and drew seven games. Ace Capital gave them stiff competition and finished second.

Former Sri Lanka Under-19 cricketer Wanuja Sahan capped off a sensational season as he was Player of the Tournament. Sahan captured 54 wickets in ten games with his left-arm spin and produced 484 runs with the bat.

Major Club 3-Day League 2025 – Most Valuable Player – Wanuja Sahan, Ace Capital

NCC’s Lahiru Udara continued to top run charts amassing 908 runs in ten matches averaging 60 in ten games with one double hundred and three centuries.

Dilum Sudeera of Police was named Best Bowler after finishing wth 61 wickets.

SSC meanwhile having lost First Class status the last season fought their way back to regain top status and their campaign was spearheaded by Nipun Dhananjaya, who was named Best Batsman in Tier ‘B’

Tier ‘B’ 3-Day League 2025-26 – Best Batsman – Nipun Dhananjaya – SSC

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GCC Blue and Kingfisher reach U-15 final

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2026/04/2

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GCC Blue 2026 U15 and Kingfisher C A U15 advanced to the final of the Global Cricket Club Under-15 Tournament after winning their semi-final matches in contrasting fashion.

‎In the first semi-final, GCC Blue 2026 U15 recorded a thrilling 2-wicket win over Apex Cricket Academy – Blue 2026 U15.

‎Apex, batting first, made 149 for 9 in 28 overs, with Anuhas Wickramasinghe top-scoring with 72 off 71 balls. Himash Silva starred with the ball for GCC Blue, taking 3 for 13, while Navith de Silva claimed 3 for 37.

‎In reply, GCC Blue reached 150 for eight in 27.2 overs, thanks to Hiruka Edirisooriya’s 46 off 34 balls and an unbeaten 37 off 26 balls by Onath Rodrigo, who was named the Player of the Match.

‎In the second semi-final, Kingfisher C A U15 outplayed Muthuwal Cricket Academy U15 by 70 runs.

‎Kingfisher posted 194 for nine in 28 overs, with Janadeepa Okash scoring 31 and Akash Dissanayake adding 29. For Muthuwal, Radil Anthony picked up three wickets.

‎Muthuwal were then bowled out for 124 in 22.5 overs, despite Sivakumar Navneeth’s fighting 56. Akash Dissanayake produced the best performance of the match with 4 for 8, while Sasindu Dilshara supported well with 3 for 19. Dissanayake was named the Player of the Match.

‎The final of the GCC Under 15 invitational cricket tournament 2026 between GCC Blue and Kingfisher C A promises to be an exciting contest and will be held on 04th April 2026 at Thurstan Cricket Ground commencing at 01.00 pm.

‎Fingara CA to encounter ARS Academy in U-13 Invitational Tournament final

‎Fingara Cricket Academy and ARS Academy advanced to the final of the Global Cricket Club Under-13 Tournament after winning their respective semi-finals.

‎Fingara Cricket Academy defeated GCC Blue 2026 U13 by 31 runs in the first semi-final. Batting first, Fingara made 203 for 6 in 30 overs with Thisanga Thewsara top-scoring with 49, while Kenul Binuka made 40 and Nethma Nilaksha Perera added a quick 35. In reply, GCC Blue were limited to 172 for 7. Nethma Nilaksha Perera starred with the ball as well, taking 3 for 23, and was named the Player of the Match.

‎In the second semi-final, ARS Academy U13 beat NP Cricket Academy U-13 by 6 wickets. NP Cricket Academy were bowled out for 93 in 25 overs, with Lasindu Rathnayake scoring 27. ARS Academy chased down the target, finishing on 97 for 4 in 20.1 overs, thanks to Akash Thilakarathne’s 36. Manula Mihisara was the standout performer with 3 for 16 and won the Player of the Match award.

‎The final will be played on 04th April 2026 at Thurstan Cricket Ground, Bauddhaloka Mw.Colombo 07 at 8am

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Amelia Kerr hits 139-ball 179* as New Zealand pull off record chase to level series

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16 hours ago

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2026/04/1

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Amelia Kerr ended with 179 not out off just 139 balls [Cricinfo]

It was the Amelia Kerr show at Basin Reserve on Wednesday as she played the sort of innings that would go into cricket folklore if it were played at a World Cup instead of a bilateral series, to completely hog the limelight in a match with three other knocks of note and a total of 696 runs in 99.4 overs. Amelia scored 179 not out in 139 balls. And as New Zealand crossed South Africa’s 346 with two balls left, it became the highest successful chase  in women’s ODI history.

The result hardly seemed like when New Zealand, faced with a chase of 347, lost Suzie Bates in the fifth over, bowled by Ayabonga Khaka. Amelia settled in fast, but by the midway stage, New Zealand were four down, Kayla Reyneke striking twice and Sune Luus once as Georgia Plimmer, Maddy Green and Brooke Halliday all fell without making a significant contribution.

Amelia finally found the partner she needed in Isabella Gaze, the wicketkeeper-batter at No. 6. Together, the two of them 120 runs in 82 balls, Amelia scoring 47 of those runs in 34 balls to Gaze’s enterprising 68 in 48, studded with 11 fours.

By the time Gaze fell, becoming the first of two wickets in the game for Masabata Klaas, New Zealand had bounced right back and were in with a strong sniff. Amelia, by then on 113 off 97 balls, looked in the mood.

And then, with the lower-order batters for company, Amelia did what she had to: speed up. She scored a-run-a-ball 23 in a 40-run stand with Izzy Sharp, then 25 in 12 balls with her sister Jess, Rosemary Mair came and went, and then Amelia finished the job in the company of debutant Kayley Knight with two balls left. Amelia had reached her century – her fifth in ODIs, which includes a double-century – off 90 balls, and the 79 she scored after that came off just 49 more.

Earlier, South Africa would have felt happy with their performance with the bat after New Zealand had won the toss and asked them to bat, having lost the first game batting first, though not out of choice.

New Zealand struck early, removing Tazmin Brits in the eighth over, but then had to wait till the 28th before they got lucky again. In between, Laura Wolvaardt (69 in 74 balls) and Anneke Bosch (91 in 90) had added 132 runs in 124 balls, and South Africa were clearly on top.

South Africa continued to get strong partnerships with many of their batters settling in and showing form: 44 between Bosch and Luus (40), 34 between Luus and Sinalo Jafta (37), 40 between Jafta and Chloe Tryon (52*), 36 in just 18 balls between Tryon and Nadine de Klerk (18), and 25 in 12 balls for the unbroken seventh wicket between Tryon and Reyneke (9*). All of that added up to a very healthy total despite Bree Illing’s 3 for 60 and Knight’s 2 for 65, and South Africa would have expected the finish the night with the series in the bag, till Amelia decided otherwise.

Brief scores:
New Zealand Women 350 for 8 in 49.4 overs  (Amelia Kerr 179*, Isabella Gaze 68; Ayabonga Khaka 3-51, Kayla Reyneke 2-54, Masabata  Klaas 2-61) beat South Africa Women  346 for 6 (Anneke Bosch 91, Laura Wolvaardt 69, Chloe Tryon 52*, Sune Luus 40; Bree  Illing 3-60, Kaylee Knight 2-65) by two wickets

[Cricinfo]

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