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New Zealand’s discipline gave them four South African wickets on a pitch that was rather seamer-friendly on a day marred by rain
The Report by Alagappan Muthu24-Mar-2017
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:30
Moonda: New Zealand let South Africa off the hook again
Two sessions is often too little time to divine where a Test match would go and such was the case in the decider in Hamilton. New Zealand took the early lead when they took two wickets in the first three overs. South Africa would still have felt comfortable with Hashim Amla sticking around and making his 32nd half-century. So enthralling was the action that rain came by no less than three times in five hours and eventually just didn’t leave. So a score of 123 for 4, achieved an hour after lunch, remained until stumps.It was typical that a day when the bowlers were having more fun than the batsmen had to be cut short. Helping them was a pitch that bore a strange look, with tufts of grass in some areas – 11 to 12 mm long according to the host broadcaster’s pitch report – and completely bare patches right alongside them. That meant the same delivery, off a similar pace and length, behaved in different ways after pitching. It sped up when it hit the green bits and slowed down off the bald areas.Amla negotiated the challenge well, batting outside his crease, and playing as late as he could. His 50 included a couple of scorching straight drives, and a picture perfect back-foot punch through the covers that indicated he was settling in for the long haul. But then came the most dramatic ball of the day, not because it did anything extravagant, simply that it made a set batsman play all around it and then shattered the middle stump.At that time South Africa were 97 for 4, with Faf du Plessis forced to sit through a disdainful examination of technique by Neil Wagner. Again, there was nothing spectacular happening. The left-arm quick was simply testing the South African captain’s judgment of off stump, and occasionally sneaking in the bouncer to catch him off guard.New Zealand’s entire day was built around bowling like that, within themselves. The line was wicket-to-wicket to exploit the swing in the air and the surface ensured there was that little bit of seam movement. The batsmen knew they were high atop a bed of nails. They also knew it could be avoided. Easily, if they had enough balls to leave. If only Matt Henry and Colin de Grandhomme didn’t take such despicable delight in pushing people over the edge.The first to go was debutant Theunis de Bruyn. For most of his 36 first-class matches, he had been a middle-order player. On Test debut he was thrust up to open and couldn’t quite deal with the challenge. Fishing at a back of a length delivery from Henry, far enough outside off to be left, he nicked off to second slip.Hashim Amla was bowled playing around a straight ball•AFP
Then de Grandhomme managed the inverse sucker ball from around the wicket. It pitched on a length and was wide enough to make Dean Elgar think of no reason to play it. Moments later, he was staring at a flattened off stump. The batsman who had spent 772 minutes canoodling the crease in Dunedin was gone inside 15 in Hamilton.Henry, charging in for his second spell, toppled JP Duminy for 20 with a bouncer just before lunch. The batsman went for an ill-advised hook – what with the ball climing up towards his badge and its line on middle stump not affording him any chance to put power on the shot – and was caught on the long leg boundary. It was an awkward dismissal – both in terms of timing and for the fact that a batsman at No. 4 in a Test side had fallen to the short ball on what has largely been a slow pitch.So barring the weather, Kane Williamson did not have too many reasons to feel displeased. Things did begin in a fashion that might make him question if his fairy godmother was shirking her duties. He had lost Tim Southee and Trent Boult on the eve of the match and so had to lead a New Zealand side without both its spearheads for the first time in five years. On the day of the match, he lost his eighth toss in a row – so long were those odds that du Plessis buckled over in laughter when he had called tails and the coin came down as he had bid. But it appeared Williamson’s bad luck had reached a limit right there, meaning not much of it could seep into the actual Test, one they have to win to level the series. He could use some DRS tips though.In the 11th over, Wagner’s first, Duminy was pinned in front of middle stump. Umpire Bruce Oxenford thought it would have slipped down leg, but replays indicated it would have crashed into the target. In the 18th, they opted to review another lbw appeal that was struck down on the field and were told umpire Rod Tucker had good reason to because it had pitched outside leg. The worst, though, was yet to come. In the 29th over, Williamson was persuaded to tee it up for another lbw only to find the ball had smashed into the middle of the bat. Predictably, when DRS was no longer an option, Wagner produced a peach that took du Plessis’ outside edge through to the wicketkeeper and the umpire didn’t notice.With rain forecast on all five days of the Test – Sunday shapes as the worst to be affected – South Africa have not fallen too far behind. They have a 1-0 lead and could pocket another trophy on the road with even a drawn result.
Ben Stokes hopes to return to bowling in the third ODI of the series against Pakistan having recovered from injury
George Dobell28-Aug-2016Ben Stokes hopes to return to bowling in the third ODI of the series against Pakistan having recovered from injury.Stokes has played in the first two matches as a specialist batsman – a decision he admits was something of a surprise given the form of Jonny Bairstow – but has bowled at full pace in training in recent days and feels he will be able to play a full-part with the ball at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.He has endured an injury ravaged summer. Having had to pull out of the Sri Lanka series with a knee injury that required surgery, he limped out of his comeback game in international cricket, the second Test at Old Trafford against Pakistan, after sustaining a calf injury.”The plan from the start was to be fit and ready to bowl by the third ODI,” Stokes said. “By the way things are going it is looking likely I will be an option for Eoin Morgan in Nottingham if needed.”I have done all the prep to get myself fit and put my hand up and say I am ready to bowl. I bowled for about 15 minutes flat out and all the build-up stuff I needed to do has been done.”The selection of Stokes ahead of various other batting options is intriguing. He is, after all, averaging an underwhelming 22.48 after 41 ODIs.But the England management talk highly of the energy and edge he gives the side – an edge they felt was badly missed when the Test team were defeated by Pakistan at The Oval recently – and see him as a key player at both the Champions Trophy in 2017 and the World Cup of 2019. For that reason, they are keen to provide further opportunities for him to learn his trade as an ODI batsman reasoning that his potential justifies a prolonged apprenticeship.While Stokes admits his selection as a specialist batsman was a surprise, he also found it a boost to his confidence. And even though he confesses he finds 50 overs in the field without bowling “boring,” he accepts that the extra time to work on his batting has probably been no bad thing.”I was a bit surprised I got the nod ahead of Jonny,” Stokes said. “Since South Africa he has shown amazing form. But at the same time it’s nice to get that confidence from your captain and coach saying we want you to play as a specialist batsman.”Not bowling makes the fielding innings seem a lot longer. It’s so boring. If you bowl 10 overs, it kind of takes 20 overs out of the game for you.”But knowing I wasn’t going to bowl in these first two games, I worked longer on my batting in the build-up days. It’s normally quite hard to get everything into training that I want, so it’s been quite nice to solely concentrate on the batting in these first two games. But I will be going into the next training session trying to put my hand up and say I am fit to bowl.”Given England’s winter schedule – with Test and limited-overs series looming against Bangladesh and India – it bodes well that Stokes feels that his batting against spin, in particular, has progressed. He struggled in the three Test series in the UAE last year – he averaged just 14.66 and was dismissed by spin in four of his six innings, although two of them was with a badly damaged shoulder – but greater trust in his defence has given him the confidence to believe he doesn’t have to attack the spinners as a default position.”I think sometimes I have been drawn into trying to be too aggressive too early,” Stokes said. “So something that I have learnt is that I can give myself time. I don’t need to be going out and reverse sweeping and sweeping for four and six. I can just try to rotate the strike. Singles are just as valuable as boundaries if you are rotating the strike and not letting the bowlers settle.”I have also worked hard on my defensive game. After the UAE tour where I struggled against the spin, I knew it was something I needed to work on.”
The Melbourne Renegades kept their BBL campaign alive with a dramatic one-run win over hosts Brisbane Heat
The Report by Alex Malcolm in Brisbane20-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSunil Narine picked up two wickets in the 19th over and set up a dramatic finish•Getty Images
Nine deliveries, 16 runs and three wickets featured in one of the most bizarre final overs in BBL history. But the Melbourne Renegades kept their finals hopes alive with a nail-biting one-run win over the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba.The equation was simple at the beginning of the final over. The Heat needed 18 runs to secure a home semi-final. Nathan Rimmington needed to defend 16 or less to keep the Renegades alive.Rimmington did his job, but only . He bowled four wides, conceded two sixes, took the wicket of Joe Burns and completed two run-outs in roller-coaster ride that would have left the most adventurous of thrill-seekers feeling nauseous.It had been a night for the batsmen. The Renegades had set a big total of 199 on the back of a stunning opening stand from Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris. They scored 106 runs in just nine overs before Harris fell.The Heat then trumped that start with the second-highest score in the Powerplay in BBL history. Brendon McCullum and Sam Heazlett took 84 from the first five overs of the chase. The Renegades, though, pulled Heat back courtesy outstanding spells from Thisara Perera and Brad Hogg. Extraordinary hitting from Ben Cutting and Joe Burns and some rain then added to the drama of the final overs but the Renegades somehow held their nerve. 1wd 6 6 W 1wd W 1wd 0 W(1wd)
The final over of the match from Rimmington had to be seen to be believed. The Renegades had lost three final-over thrillers this season with Finch, Perera and James Pattinson all entrusted with the final six balls and all conceding the winning runs. Finch turned to Rimmington for this over instead of Pattinson after Perera, one of their best bowlers on the night, had bowled out. Rimmington had bowled an excellent 18th over, conceding just eight runs and removing Cutting, who had scored a rampaging 35 from 18 balls and was threatening to end the Renegades’ season. Burns was 23 from 19 balls and had only found the boundary once, so the Renegades were favourites.But Rimmington bowled a wide first ball, attempting a yorker. 17 off 6 balls. Burns then nailed two short balls over the long boundary at midwicket for sixes. 5 off 4. He got a third in the slot but mis-hit it to long-off and Perera held on to keep things interesting. 5 off 3. Rimmington bowled another wide. 4 off 3. Buchanan nailed the next – a full wide ball – to cover where Finch gathered and fired at the non-striker’s end. Rimmington’s collect to break the stumps was superb as Buchanan was run-out. 4 off 2. Rimmington bowled another wide to Mark Steketee. 3 off 2. He tried the wide yorker for a sixth time in the over and finally got it inside the guideline beating Steketee, who strangely backed away to leg, for a dot ball. 3 off 1. Rimmington went wide again for the final ball. Swepson got a running start at the non-striker’s end, hoping to run two for a super over if Steketee made contact, but he instead left alone another wide only to look up and see his team-mate charging at him. Debutant wicketkeeper Andrew Harriott threw the ball to Rimmington and the run-out ended the game. Although not everyone on the ground was certain of the result, with Finch admitting later he thought it was only the eighth wicket.Aaron Finch gave the Renegades a blazing start with 71 off 35 balls•Cricket Australia/Getty Images
Finch’s fireworks
Finch has responded to his axing from the Australian one-day side in the finest possible fashion with three half-centuries in his last four BBL innings. This was the most destructive. He clubbed 71 from 35 balls with six fours and four sixes. He started in the first over with a mammoth hit over cover that landed in the second tier. Incredibly, he played second fiddle to Harris for the next three overs. At the end of the fourth over Harris was 30 from 15 balls while Finch had scored just 18 from nine balls. But he took charge in the eighth over. He was gifted a life, and six runs, from Burns in the deep during a hat-trick of bombs off Marnus Labuschagne. Callum Ferguson also played a vital hand scoring 31 not out from 15 balls to help get the total up to 199.Now the waiting begins
The result puts the Renegades into the top four on the table for now. The Heat’s loss means a home semi-final is in jeopardy. Everything now hangs on Saturday’s matches. If the Scorchers beat the Hurricanes and the Stars account for the Sixers, the Renegades will play in the finals. But if the Sixers beat the Stars, then the Renegades will likely be squeezed out due to an inferior net run-rate. The Hurricanes are now likely to miss out on the finals after the Heat’s loss even if they beat the Scorchers due to a very poor net run-rate. Peter Nevill might be available for a potential final after being cleared of a facial fracture. He could come back in for Harriott who did a fine job having been plucked from NSW premier cricket to make his T20 debut at the Gabba. He took two catches and kept well throughout.Brendon McCullum shellacked a fifty off 18 balls – the second fastest in BBL history – but it was not enough for the Heat to secure a home semi-final•Getty Images
Hogg, the unsung hero
While Finch was named Man of the Match, his 71 was just one of a number of blistering knocks on a night where the batsmen were very productive. McCullum also set the Gabba alight with a fifty off 18 balls, but, arguably, it was Hogg who turned the game. McCullum was a runaway freight train in the first five overs before Perera arrived and bowled a brilliant sixth over, conceding just a single. Hogg then spun his web. His first three overs cost only eight runs, all singles, although there were five leg byes. McCullum scored just six runs from his next 17 balls after reaching fifty. Overall, Hogg bowled nine balls to McCullum and conceded only two runs. He also removed the dangerous Alex Ross to apply additional pressure on the Heat.
The two batsmen hit counterattacking centuries in the second innings after Central Zone had secured a 111-run first-innings lead in Rajshahi
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2018Mohammad Mithun and Mosaddek Hossain hit centuries to help South Zone secure a draw against Central Zone, after they had conceded a 111-run first-innings lead in Rajshahi.After being sent in, South Zone collapsed to 191 all out in 49.5 overs, with only opener Fazle Mahmud (40) passing 30. Seamer Ebadot Hossain and left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain took four wickets each for Central Zone.Central Zone’s batsmen showed greater fight and posted 302, with opener Shadman Islam top-scoring with 93. Left-arm spinner
Abdur Razzak, who had recently made a comeback to the national team, claimed 6 for 106 in 31 overs for South Zone.South Zone started shakily in their second innings, too, and were 84 for 3 in the 26th over. Mithun, however, revived the innings with a 193-run stand for the fourth wicket with Tushar Imran. Mithun hit 118 off 121 balls, including 16 fours and a six, while Tushar made 88 off 141 balls, with 10 fours and a six.Mosaddek then took charge of the innings, despite a shoulder injury. He added 53 for the seventh wicket with Ziaur Rahman before adding 121 runs for the eighth wicket with Nayeem Hasan, who chipped in with 43. Mosaddek stayed unbeaten on 102 off 107 balls.Central Zone were 158 for 5 when play was called off on the final day. Razzak took three wickets to stretch his match tally to nine.
The PCB said ICC rules prevented the player from being named until the chemical report was confirmed by the government’s anti-doping agency
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2018A prominent Pakistani cricketer has tested positive for a prohibited substance. This was confirmed by the PCB on Twitter when it said ICC rules prevented the player from being named until the chemical report was confirmed by the government’s anti-doping agency.
While the dope test has come back positive, the report from the laboratory that tested the player’s blood sample has yet to be confirmed by Pakistan’s anti-doping department. The PCB is awaiting the results of that test, saying it would be available in the next day or so. The test is understood to have taken place during the recent domestic 50-over tournament in Faisalabad.Depending on the nature of the prohibited substance, the player could face up to a two-year ban. The last Pakistan international to suffer that fate was Raza Hasan, who tested positive for cocaine in 2015, and was banned till 2017. In the last few years, Pakistan spinners Yasir Shah and Abdur Rehman were also banned for minor doping offences, each serving three-month bans.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was guilty of causing damage to a part of the ground during their two-run defeat to hosts Zimbabwe in Bulawayo
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2018Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad has been suspended from his team’s two remaining Group B matches in the World Cup Qualifier, after he was guilty of causing damage to a part of the ground during their two-run defeat to hosts Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai, who underwent surgery for appendicitis, has been ruled out of the tournament. Stanikzai, whose surgery happened on the eve of his side’s first warm-up match against West Indies, was initially expected to be out for 10 days. Nineteen-year old legspinner Rashid Khan has been captaining Afghanistan in Stanikzai’s absence.
Stanikzai has been replaced by Afsar Zazai, the 24-year old wicketkeeper-batsman, with the ICC’s event technical committee approving the replacement on Wednesday.
Shahzad was the second wicket to fall in Afghanistan’s chase of 197, in the ninth over, after he had settled in with three boundaries. Upset with himself, Shahzad slammed his bat hard onto the adjacent pitch, leaving behind a noticeable divot as a result. He was fined 15 percent of his match fee and received one demerit point for his actions.As this was Shahzad’s second breach of the ICC’s code of conduct within a two-year period – he was fined the whole of his match fee and handed three demerit points after a T20I against UAE in December 2016 – the accumulated four demerit points, as per the ICC’s norms, translated into two suspension points.The latest penalty comes two months into his return to the national squad, after he spent a year out serving a doping ban. Shahzad’s suspension also leaves Afghanistan on shaky ground for the remainder of the group play. Having lost both their matches so far, Afghanistan are desperate to bounce back in upcoming matches against Hong Kong and Nepal to give themselves the best chance of advancing to the Super Sixes round and maintain hope of qualifying for next year’s World Cup in England.In separate incidents during the same match, Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor and 16-year old Afghanistan offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman were also handed out penalties. Taylor was fined 15 percent of his match fee and received one demerit point for showing dissent when umpire C Shamsuddin withheld an lbw appeal against Dawlat Zadran late in the Afghanistan chase. Mujeeb was handed out a 50 percent fine and three demerit points for throwing the ball back at batsman Taylor off his own bowling during the first innings in what the umpires deemed a dangerous manner.Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Nizakat Khan was fined 50 percent of his match fee and given three demerit points for making deliberate and inappropriate contact using his shoulder to barge into Scotland bowler Alasdair Evans while attempting a run.
Glasgow Rangers play their first competitive game of the 2025/26 campaign on Tuesday night as they prepare for the first leg of their Champions League qualifier at Ibrox.
The Light Blues will be hoping to take an advantage back to Greece the following week in their bid to make the next stage of the qualifying process, as they look to qualify for the league phase of the competition.
Russell Martin may not have the perfect squad to choose from on Tuesday night, though, as new signing Thelo Aasgaard is a doubt through injury.
The Scottish head coach has also confirmed that fellow new signing Djeidi Gassama will not be fit to start the game because of a “disrupted” pre-season, but the Frenchman will be a part of the Rangers squad.
Gassama recently signed for the Scottish Premiership giants from English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday on a permanent deal, but supporters look set to have to wait to see him from the start.
That is a shame for Martin, Rangers, and the fans because his performances for the Owls in the 2024/25 campaign suggest that he is a very exciting player.
On paper, supporters may look at Gassama’s numbers from last season and think that he is a goalscoring winger who does not create much for his teammates.
That is because he ended the campaign with a haul of seven goals and one assist in 43 outings in the Championship, which suggests that scoring goals is his biggest offensive attribute.
Whilst that may still be true, Gassama’s underlying numbers suggest that his teammates were the reason why he only had one assist to his name, rather than because of a lack of quality or creativity on his part.
|
24/25 Championship |
Gassama |
Percentile rank vs wingers |
|---|---|---|
|
xG |
5.92 |
Top 16% |
|
Goals |
7 |
Top 14% |
|
Shots on target |
23 |
Top 14% |
|
Chances created |
38 |
Top 23% |
|
xA |
2.54 |
Top 32% |
|
Assists |
1 |
Bottom 27% |
|
Touches in the opposition box |
153 |
Top 6% |
|
Stats via FotMob |
||
As you can see in the table above, his teammates only finished one of the 38 chances he created for them, and he underperformed his xA by almost two assists.
These statistics suggest that the 21-year-old starlet is a winger who will provide goals and creativity down the left flank, which is why he could be an exciting player for Rangers supporters to watch.
The Light Blues need a quality centre-forward to make the most of his creativity, though, and they are reportedly interested in a star who would fit the bill.
According to Football Insider, Rangers are eyeing up multiple experienced players to come in and improve the leadership within their dressing room this summer.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The report claims that Leicester City centre-back Conor Coady and free agent centre-forward Luuk De Jong are both being lined up to be ‘huge figures’ in the dressing room next season.
It states that the Gers are ready to step up their pursuit of both players, as Martin looks to bolster the quality within his side, and De Jong is available as a free agent.
The Dutch centre-forward left PSV at the start of the month, after his contract with the Dutch team expired, and this means that the Light Blues could sign him for nothing this summer.
Rangers want to sign De Jong, as well as Coady, to bring leadership and experience to the squad, but the 34-year-old star would also bring quality and could be the perfect striker for Gassama.
The former Barcelona marksman would be the perfect centre-forward for Gassama for multiple reasons, not least because he is a prolific goalscorer.
De Jong scored at least 18 goals in each of the last three seasons for PSV, scoring 18 in the 2022/23 campaign, 38 in the 2023/24 season, and 18 last term, showing that he has not slowed down in front of goal despite his age.
This suggests that he has the goalscoring pedigree and knack for finding the back of the net to make the most of the creativity that Gassama has the potential to provide on the left flank.
De Jong could, therefore, be a dream number nine for the French winger because his goalscoring quality in the final third could result in the former Sheffield Wednesday man racking up way more than one assist next season.
As aforementioned, though, Gassama is also a winger who has the quality to provide goals on a fairly regular basis from the left flank, as shown by his seven-goal haul in the Championship last season.
De Jong would also be perfect for the ex-Paris Saint-Germain youngster in that respect because he is a number nine who has the ability to consistently create high-quality chances for his teammates.
|
Luuk De Jong (Eredivisie) |
22/23 |
23/24 |
24/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
24 |
34 |
31 |
|
Goals |
14 |
29 |
14 |
|
Chances created |
20 |
67 |
55 |
|
xA |
3.16 |
7.35 |
5.92 |
|
Assists |
4 |
15 |
8 |
|
Stats via FotMob |
|||
As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman racked up 23 assists in the last two Eredivisie seasons with PSV, which shows that he has the potential to provide Gassama with plenty of chances to find the back of the net.
Whereas, Dessers, for example, has only assisted six goals in 70 matches in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers in the last two seasons, since his move to the club from Cremonese in 2023.
De Jong, who was described as an “exemplary” professional by Xavi during his time at Barcelona, is a complete number nine who offers experience, goals, and assists.
This is why he could be the perfect signing for Rangers, as they look for quality and leadership, as well as being the perfect signing for Gassama, who would have a striker to finish the chances he creates as well as a forward who can create chances for him to score.
Creates room for Rak-Sakyi: Rangers want to sell Dowell & "blistering" flop
Rangers can create space for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi as they look to sell several first-team players.
By
Dan Emery
Jul 17, 2025
Will Jacks scored a maiden Surrey century in only his third first-team match to add to the sense of feelgood about Surrey’s crop of young stars
ECB Reporters Network23-May-2018
ScorecardVirat Kohli will discover an impressive young team-mate when he arrives in London for his first stint in county cricket next month in the muscular form of teenage all-rounder Will Jacks.Jacks, a 19-year-old allrounder, cracked a sparkling maiden hundred in only his third first-team appearance in to ease Surrey to an emphatic six-wicket Royal London One-day Cup win over Gloucestershire at the Kia Oval.Jacks, who earlier turned his hand to five overs of offspin, hit a majestic 121 with 14 fours and four sixes to dominate a second-wicket partnership with Dean Elgar, the South Africa Test batsman, that added 158 in 25 overs to help Surrey canter to their opening south group win with 27 balls to spare.In pursuit of Gloucestershire’s 282 for 6 at an asking rate of 5.66 an over, Surrey lost mercurial opener Jason Roy to only the fifth ball of the reply. Fresh from a disappointing IPL stint with Delhi Daredevils, Roy drove hard at a wide, swinging length-ball from Craig Miles only to be caught at third man off a thick outside edge.That brought together Jacks and Elgar who raised 50 inside eight overs. Jacks, a tall, Chertsey-born strokemaker, proved the major aggressor cantering to a maiden half-century for his home county from 47 balls and with nine boundaries.The duo raised their century stand in the 17th over with Edgar, despite his vast international experience and having made 140 more List A appearances than his rookie partner, content to play second fiddle.The broad-shouldered Jacks received one let off when on 70 after Chris Dent downed a diving chance at extra cover, but otherwise the England Under-19 batsman remained strong and aggressive, clubbing a brace of sixes against slow left-armer Tom Smith. He then moved to three figures with his third maximum off Smith and removed his helmet to acknowledge the applause for his 86-ball century with 12 fours.Elgar raised his 59-ball 50 but perished soon after when attempting to slog sweep against Benny Howell then, with 98 still required, Jacks’ fun ended after 100 balls when he was caught on the ropes at backward square. He sidled off to a standing ovation, leaving Ben Foakes (50*) to guide Surrey through.Surrey, previously without a win, elected to bowl on a green-tinted pitch and having lost their opening two South Group matches when batting first.The decision paid quick dividends when Sam Curran had George Hankins caught at backward point driving on the up. Fellow opener, left-handed Dent, was then tucked up by Jade Dernbach and, shovelling to leg, spooned one to midwicket as Gloucestershire limped to 46 for 2 from their 10-over Powerplay.With the field spread, Gloucestershire rebuilt as Gareth Roderick and Howell posted 50 within 11 overs before Roderick dragged on against Rikki Clarke.Howell reached the first half-century of the match from 56 balls and with four fours and a six against veteran off-spinner Gareth Batty, yet Burns continued to take pace off the ball by giving stints to Scott Borthwick’s leg-breaks and Jacks’ off-spin.Borthwick struck to remove the dangerous Howell. Having reached 60 with a straight six, Howell drove Borthwick’s next delivery to mid-off to make it 114 for 4 at the mid-point of the innings.
Borthwick enticed Ian Cockbain to work against the spin and chip a comfortable catch to wide mid-on, forcing Jack Taylor and Ryan Higgins into another rebuilding job.Higgins, the former Middlesex all-rounder, scored his first List A 50 off 51 balls, then Taylor reached the milestone from 62 deliveries with a six over mid-wicket as the sixth-wicket pair added 110 in 18.1 overs.In the dash for late runs Taylor heaved a catch to cow corner to gift Curran a second scalp, leaving Higgins to clatter three fours during a Dernbach over on his way to an unbeaten 81 off 70 balls – his highest score in any form of county cricket.
Kevin O’Brien, Body Rankin and Simi Singh also made significant contributions to Ireland’s massive 226-run DLS win
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2018
ICC
Paul Stirling and William Porterfield put on a 205-run opening stand to lead Ireland to a 226-run drubbing of United Arab Emirates in Harare. Stirling went on to make his seventh ODI hundred, a 117-ball 126 that included 15 fours and five sixes. Porterfield struck 10 fours and two sixes in his 103-ball 92. Together, they added the highest opening stand in ODIs for Ireland. Both sides, though, made the Super Sixes stage of the World Cup Qualifier after Netherlands lost to West Indies.Rain in Harare had interrupted Ireland’s innings twice, resulting in a reduction of six overs. After Stirling fell in the 38th over, Kevin O’Brien led the charge, smashing seven fours and one six in his unbeaten 26-ball 50. Ireland scored 75 runs in the final seven overs to post 313 for 6. Fast bowler Mohammad Naveed took three wickets.UAE made a steady start to their chase, before they lost wickets in clumps. At one point, they were 65 for 2 after 13 overs. However, a spectacular collapse saw them lose their last eight wickets for 26 runs.Fast bowler Boyd Rankin returned exceptional figures of 6-2-15-4, while Simi Singh finished with 3 for 15 from his six overs. UAE’s net run-rate took a beating after the result.