Division One:
Yorkshire drew with Surrey
Warwickshire drew with Lancashire
Essex beat Middlesex by an innings and 34 runs
Hampshire drew with Somerset
Division Two:
Derbyshire beat Glamorgan by 39 runs
Durham drew with Worcestershire
Nottinghamshire drew with Kent
Northants beat Leicestershire by 3 runs
Sussex drew with Gloucestershire
Thursday 29 June 2017
Wednesday 28 June 2017
County Championship Day 3
Division One:
Middlesex 246 & 27-0 v Essex 542-3d
Yorksire 27-1 v Surrey 516-7d
Somerset 135-8 v Hampshire 211-9d
Lancashire 273 & 154-8 v Warwickshire 321
Division Two:
Durham 197 v Worcestershire 367
Gloucestershire 150-1 v Sussex 358-9d
Leicestershire 157 & 44-0 v Northants 261 & 289-7d
Kent 180 & 214-7 v Notts 371
Glamorgan 237 & 0-1 v Derbyshire 288 & 160
Middlesex 246 & 27-0 v Essex 542-3d
Yorksire 27-1 v Surrey 516-7d
Somerset 135-8 v Hampshire 211-9d
Lancashire 273 & 154-8 v Warwickshire 321
Division Two:
Durham 197 v Worcestershire 367
Gloucestershire 150-1 v Sussex 358-9d
Leicestershire 157 & 44-0 v Northants 261 & 289-7d
Kent 180 & 214-7 v Notts 371
Glamorgan 237 & 0-1 v Derbyshire 288 & 160
Tuesday 27 June 2017
County Championship Day 2
Division One:
Yorkshire 27-1 v Surrey 516-7d
Warwickshire v Lancashire 273
Essex 106-0 v Middlesex 246
Somerset 43-1 v Hampshire 211-9d
Division Two:
Worcestershire 367 v Durham 197
Northants 261 & 60-3 v Leicestershire 157
Gloucestershire 31-0 v Sussex 358-9d
Derbyshire 288 & 2-0 v Glamorgan 237
Kent 180 & 105-4 v Nottinghamshire 371
Yorkshire 27-1 v Surrey 516-7d
Warwickshire v Lancashire 273
Essex 106-0 v Middlesex 246
Somerset 43-1 v Hampshire 211-9d
Division Two:
Worcestershire 367 v Durham 197
Northants 261 & 60-3 v Leicestershire 157
Gloucestershire 31-0 v Sussex 358-9d
Derbyshire 288 & 2-0 v Glamorgan 237
Kent 180 & 105-4 v Nottinghamshire 371
Monday 26 June 2017
County Championship Day 1
Division One:
Surrey 374-6 v Yorkshire
Essex 106-0 v Middlesex 246
Somerset 18-0 v Hampshire 211-9d
Warwickshire 23-1 v Lancashire 273
Division Two:
Worcestershire 213-4 v Durham 193
Notts 135-3 v Kent 180
Glos 31-0 v Sussex 358-9d
Leicestershire 65-4 v Northants 261
Glamorgan 1-0 v Derbyshire 288
Surrey 374-6 v Yorkshire
Essex 106-0 v Middlesex 246
Somerset 18-0 v Hampshire 211-9d
Warwickshire 23-1 v Lancashire 273
Division Two:
Worcestershire 213-4 v Durham 193
Notts 135-3 v Kent 180
Glos 31-0 v Sussex 358-9d
Leicestershire 65-4 v Northants 261
Glamorgan 1-0 v Derbyshire 288
Sunday 25 June 2017
3 match T20 Series ENG 2-1 SA
Third T20
England 181-8 (20.0 overs) beat South Africa 162-7 by 19 runs
Dawid Malan has waited 11 years since turning professional to make the step up to international cricket and appears keen to make up for lost time. The Middlesex left-hander’s brutal debut innings of 78, followed by a professional shutout by the bowlers, took England to a 19-run victory over South Africa in Cardiff and with it a Twenty20 series win.
Malan’s 44-ball innings was a record score by an England debutant in the shortest format that, along with 31 from Jos Buttler, took them to 181 for eight after losing the toss. Chris Jordan’s three for 31 and two for 22 from Tom Curran on his second appearance then helped derail the chase, with South Africa stuttering to 162 for seven by the end of their 20 overs.
Buttler was the stand-in captain on the day after Eoin Morgan had made the decision to drop himself and continue a trend of experimentation with newcomers. Morgan has always been his own man and, while the end might not justify the means for some, the 15,000 supporters that packed out Sophia Gardens under overcast skies could scarcely say they did not get bang for their buck on the day.
With Joe Root and Ben Stokes rested completely, England have made little secret of their intention to widen the selection net. And though Morgan may have gone too far for some here when giving Liam Livingstone a second cap – James Taylor, who was forced to retire at 26, was among the critics in the commentary box – the sight of Mason Crane celebrating the wicket of AB de Villiers would not have come without Adil Rashid being one of those who was stood down.
This high-profile first scalp for the leg-spinner was the moment when the game’s destiny felt secure too, with De Villiers responding to three early wickets from Jordan, Curran and Liam Plunkett through some typically brutal hitting. At the start of the 11th this found the South African captain, in his final innings of the tour, sweeping Crane for a four and two sixes to leg.
Morgan had said before the series that confronting De Villiers would be the perfect test of the 20-year-old’s temperament. And it was one he passed with flying colours here, responding to the initial mauling by tossing his final delivery up above the eye-line, urging a repeat of the shot before seeing Alex Hales gratefully gobble it up at square-leg.
While Crane erupted in the manner his opposite number, Imran Tahir, has made a trademark, and Jordan and Curran closed out proceedings thereafter, there was little doubt where the man of the match award was going at the end of the match.
Malan had walked out to the middle at the end of the second over after Jason Roy was caught behind off Morne Morkel – a relief for the wicketkeeper, Mangaliso Mosehle, who had dropped a skier off the opener’s third ball – and immediately made his presence felt, heaving his second ball in international cricket off Chris Morris for six with a handsome pull over leg.
The compact left-hander then began unfurling cuts and pulls as the dominant partner in a stand of 105 with Hales from 10.3 overs. Hales, who was dropped on 11 in the deep, flicked in and out of nick before picking out midwicket on 36, perhaps due to a lack of strike but also having been impeded after crashing a pull into an unprotected area on the side of his knee.
At the other end Malan had glowed with confidence. If his second six – thumped straight into the River Taff off Morkel –was the most brutal strike in his clinical assault, then the most audacious was the shot that brought up his half-century from 31 balls. as Tahir was dinked through fine leg to the delight of a nearly full house.
The wrist-spinner, whom Malan took for five fours in total, eventually celebrated his demise, however, when long-on was picked out, and just when thoughts had been turning to the 29-year-old becoming the first centurion on debut. Ricky Ponting’s 98 in Auckland, way back in 2005, remains the closest any newbie has got to date.
As Malan trudged back to the gloriously named Discover Leeks Pavilion to a standing ovation, England appeared set for a sizeable total, sitting at 127 for three midway through the 14th over. Buttler, who crunched two sixes, put on 39 for the fourth wicket with Sam Billings but the latter’s departure for 12 was the first of five wickets in 12 balls.
Dane Paterson picked up four in this late collapse with Livingstone, the man Morgan had benevolently reprieved, following Billings when a ramp shot, first ball, met fresh air and middle stump was clattered. But his embarrassment, and a touch of awkwardness for the captain, was spared in the end as England’s bowlers efficiently contained the tourists.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second T20
South Africa 174-8; England 171-6 South Africa win by three runs to level series at 1-1
South Africa defeated England by just three runs at Taunton, levelling the three-match NatWest Twenty20 international series at 1-1 after a thrilling contest.
Eoin Morgan’s men had to chase down South Africa’s 174 for eight, with AB de Villiers scoring 46 runs from 20 balls. Surrey seamer Tom Curran became the fifth England player to take three wickets on his international T20 debut.
England opener Jason Roy found form with a knock of 67 from 45 balls, but was controversially dismissed by the third umpire. Roy was given out for obstructing the field at the non-striker’s end with the hosts heading for victory at 133 for two.
That changed the momentum of the match, South Africa’s bowlers keeping England in reach, before Andile Phehlukwayo bowled Jos Buttler with an immaculate yorker.
Liam Dawson found the boundary for four runs to take the game to the final ball, but Phehlukwayo produced another yorker to deny Dawson and set up a decider in Cardiff on Sunday.
England 181-8 (20.0 overs) beat South Africa 162-7 by 19 runs
Dawid Malan has waited 11 years since turning professional to make the step up to international cricket and appears keen to make up for lost time. The Middlesex left-hander’s brutal debut innings of 78, followed by a professional shutout by the bowlers, took England to a 19-run victory over South Africa in Cardiff and with it a Twenty20 series win.
Malan’s 44-ball innings was a record score by an England debutant in the shortest format that, along with 31 from Jos Buttler, took them to 181 for eight after losing the toss. Chris Jordan’s three for 31 and two for 22 from Tom Curran on his second appearance then helped derail the chase, with South Africa stuttering to 162 for seven by the end of their 20 overs.
Buttler was the stand-in captain on the day after Eoin Morgan had made the decision to drop himself and continue a trend of experimentation with newcomers. Morgan has always been his own man and, while the end might not justify the means for some, the 15,000 supporters that packed out Sophia Gardens under overcast skies could scarcely say they did not get bang for their buck on the day.
With Joe Root and Ben Stokes rested completely, England have made little secret of their intention to widen the selection net. And though Morgan may have gone too far for some here when giving Liam Livingstone a second cap – James Taylor, who was forced to retire at 26, was among the critics in the commentary box – the sight of Mason Crane celebrating the wicket of AB de Villiers would not have come without Adil Rashid being one of those who was stood down.
This high-profile first scalp for the leg-spinner was the moment when the game’s destiny felt secure too, with De Villiers responding to three early wickets from Jordan, Curran and Liam Plunkett through some typically brutal hitting. At the start of the 11th this found the South African captain, in his final innings of the tour, sweeping Crane for a four and two sixes to leg.
Morgan had said before the series that confronting De Villiers would be the perfect test of the 20-year-old’s temperament. And it was one he passed with flying colours here, responding to the initial mauling by tossing his final delivery up above the eye-line, urging a repeat of the shot before seeing Alex Hales gratefully gobble it up at square-leg.
While Crane erupted in the manner his opposite number, Imran Tahir, has made a trademark, and Jordan and Curran closed out proceedings thereafter, there was little doubt where the man of the match award was going at the end of the match.
Malan had walked out to the middle at the end of the second over after Jason Roy was caught behind off Morne Morkel – a relief for the wicketkeeper, Mangaliso Mosehle, who had dropped a skier off the opener’s third ball – and immediately made his presence felt, heaving his second ball in international cricket off Chris Morris for six with a handsome pull over leg.
The compact left-hander then began unfurling cuts and pulls as the dominant partner in a stand of 105 with Hales from 10.3 overs. Hales, who was dropped on 11 in the deep, flicked in and out of nick before picking out midwicket on 36, perhaps due to a lack of strike but also having been impeded after crashing a pull into an unprotected area on the side of his knee.
At the other end Malan had glowed with confidence. If his second six – thumped straight into the River Taff off Morkel –was the most brutal strike in his clinical assault, then the most audacious was the shot that brought up his half-century from 31 balls. as Tahir was dinked through fine leg to the delight of a nearly full house.
The wrist-spinner, whom Malan took for five fours in total, eventually celebrated his demise, however, when long-on was picked out, and just when thoughts had been turning to the 29-year-old becoming the first centurion on debut. Ricky Ponting’s 98 in Auckland, way back in 2005, remains the closest any newbie has got to date.
As Malan trudged back to the gloriously named Discover Leeks Pavilion to a standing ovation, England appeared set for a sizeable total, sitting at 127 for three midway through the 14th over. Buttler, who crunched two sixes, put on 39 for the fourth wicket with Sam Billings but the latter’s departure for 12 was the first of five wickets in 12 balls.
Dane Paterson picked up four in this late collapse with Livingstone, the man Morgan had benevolently reprieved, following Billings when a ramp shot, first ball, met fresh air and middle stump was clattered. But his embarrassment, and a touch of awkwardness for the captain, was spared in the end as England’s bowlers efficiently contained the tourists.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second T20
South Africa 174-8; England 171-6 South Africa win by three runs to level series at 1-1
South Africa defeated England by just three runs at Taunton, levelling the three-match NatWest Twenty20 international series at 1-1 after a thrilling contest.
Eoin Morgan’s men had to chase down South Africa’s 174 for eight, with AB de Villiers scoring 46 runs from 20 balls. Surrey seamer Tom Curran became the fifth England player to take three wickets on his international T20 debut.
England opener Jason Roy found form with a knock of 67 from 45 balls, but was controversially dismissed by the third umpire. Roy was given out for obstructing the field at the non-striker’s end with the hosts heading for victory at 133 for two.
That changed the momentum of the match, South Africa’s bowlers keeping England in reach, before Andile Phehlukwayo bowled Jos Buttler with an immaculate yorker.
Liam Dawson found the boundary for four runs to take the game to the final ball, but Phehlukwayo produced another yorker to deny Dawson and set up a decider in Cardiff on Sunday.
Thursday 22 June 2017
County Championship Day 4
Division One:
Essex beat Warwickshire by an innings and 164 runs
Lancashire beat Hampshire by an innings and 30 runs
Middlesex beat Yorkshire by an innings and 64 runs
Division Two:
Worcestershire beat Kent by 4 wickets
Durham beat Glamorgan by 9 wickets
Nottinghamshire beat Leicestershire by an innings and 280 runs
Essex beat Warwickshire by an innings and 164 runs
Lancashire beat Hampshire by an innings and 30 runs
Middlesex beat Yorkshire by an innings and 64 runs
Division Two:
Worcestershire beat Kent by 4 wickets
Durham beat Glamorgan by 9 wickets
Nottinghamshire beat Leicestershire by an innings and 280 runs
Wednesday 21 June 2017
County Championship Day 3
Division One:
Middlesex beat Yorkshire by an innings and 64 runs
Hampshire 395 & 50-5 v Lancashire 593
Warwickshire 283 & 27-2 (f/o) v Essex 541-9d
Division Two:
Notts beat Leics by an innings and 280 runs
Worcestershire 366 & 16-0 v Kent 260 & 474
Glamorgan 295 & 92-2 v Durham 402
Middlesex beat Yorkshire by an innings and 64 runs
Hampshire 395 & 50-5 v Lancashire 593
Warwickshire 283 & 27-2 (f/o) v Essex 541-9d
Division Two:
Notts beat Leics by an innings and 280 runs
Worcestershire 366 & 16-0 v Kent 260 & 474
Glamorgan 295 & 92-2 v Durham 402
Tuesday 20 June 2017
County Championship Day 2
Division One:
Yorkshire 186-9 v Middlesex 446
Warwickshire 60-2 v Essex 541-8
Lancashire 278-5 v Hampshire 395
Division Two:
Kent 260 & 120-3 v Worcestershire 336
Leicestershire 134 (f/o incoming) v Nottinghamshire 548-9d
Durham 281-4 v Glamorgan 295
Yorkshire 186-9 v Middlesex 446
Warwickshire 60-2 v Essex 541-8
Lancashire 278-5 v Hampshire 395
Division Two:
Kent 260 & 120-3 v Worcestershire 336
Leicestershire 134 (f/o incoming) v Nottinghamshire 548-9d
Durham 281-4 v Glamorgan 295
Monday 19 June 2017
County Championship Day 1
Division One:
Middlesex 337-4 v Yorkshire
Hampshire 351-8 v Lancashire
Essex 263-5 v Warwickshire
Division Two:
Worcestershire 95-3 v Kent 260
Nottinghamshire 345-4 v Leicestershire
Glamorgan 221-7 v Durham
Middlesex 337-4 v Yorkshire
Hampshire 351-8 v Lancashire
Essex 263-5 v Warwickshire
Division Two:
Worcestershire 95-3 v Kent 260
Nottinghamshire 345-4 v Leicestershire
Glamorgan 221-7 v Durham
Sunday 18 June 2017
ICC Champions Trophy 2017 (1st-18th June)
Final - Pakistan v India
Pakistan 338 - 4 (50.0 overs)
India 158 all out (30.4 overs)
A brilliant opening spell by Mohammed Amir followed by a near flawless performance in the field led to Pakistan taking the Champions Trophy with astonishing ease. They won by 180 runs against an India side widely tipped to prevail before the start.
Even after Pakistan had chalked up 338, which owed much to a barnstorming century from the new boy, Fakhar Zaman, there was still the feeling that the target was well within India’s compass, especially given Virat Kohli’s incredible record of scoring runs when chasing. But Amir, who had to miss the semi-final win over England because of back spasms, soon banished these thoughts with bowling of such quality that it conjured up memories of Wasim Akram in his pomp.
The classic in-swinger accounted for Rohit Sharma, who was lbw to Amir’s third ball. Out came Kohli. Soon the India captain pushed forward and edged to first slip where Azhar Ali juggled and dropped a straightforward catch. Azhar slapped the turf in exasperation and his team-mates were none too pleased either.
In came Amir again and this time Kohli spied runs on the leg side to rub salt into the wound but the ball took the leading edge and flew to backward point where Shadab Khan make no mistake. Jubilation was mixed with relief amid the celebrations of the Pakistan team. Soon to follow was Shikhar Dhawan edging a snorter to the keeper.
India were 33 for three but they had the vast experience of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni at the crease. Yet experience is not everything. Up stepped Shadab, an 18-year-old seeking to master cricket’s most difficult art: wrist-spin bowling.
He propelled a leg-break which struck Yuvraj’s front pad but the appeal was rejected. Shadab, despite – or maybe as a consequence of – his youth insisted upon a review and Sarfraz Ahmed, the captain, had the good sense to consent. Yuvraj had to go grumpily. In the next over Dhoni hooked in the air and was caught on the leg-side boundary.
At 54 for five it was all over barring a miracle but Hardik Pandya briefly threatened one. He hit three consecutive sixes off Shadab (but Sarfraz kept him on for another over anyway). There were two more off Fakhar, who had been pressed into service as an emergency left-arm spinner because of an injury to Imad Wasim.
Pandya had sped to 76 from 43 balls with Ravindra Jadeja a silent partner. They had added 80 in less than 10 overs when India’s fate was sealed. There is nothing more morale-sapping than a daft run-out which sacrifices the only hope of victory. Now the two batsmen ended up at the same end but it was the explosive Pandya rather than Jadeja who had to go. In the circumstances Jadeja should have sacrificed himself but this did not appear to occur to him.
So mighty India subsided against a team ranked No8 in the world, which they had crushed just over a fortnight ago. Pakistan had delivered a thrashing that no one had expected, which made it all the more mesmerising.
There has been an endearing serendipity about Pakistan throughout this tournament. It does not feel as if they have been plotting their campaign for the past two years whereas there is the impression that Andrew Strauss and Eoin Morgan have been thinking of little else.
Out of nowhere they have plucked Fakhar to open the batting. He was omitted from Pakistan’s first game of the tournament – that defeat against India – and then made his debut in their second against South Africa. Since then he has yet to fail, although he appeared to do so on Sunday. On three Fakhar edged a wide delivery from Jasprit Bumrah into the safe gloves of Dhoni and set off dolefully to the dressing room. But in the 21st century there is always the outside chance of a reprieve. It transpired that Bumrah had overstepped.
Initially there was no great expectation that Fakhar would make the Indians pay for this. Most of his early runs came from the edge of his bat; then there would be an eyebrow-raising boundary of great audacity. One moment Fakhar resembled a club cricketer caught up in a dreamlike sequence, which found him playing in a final watched by an enormous worldwide audience; the next he whipped the ball through the gaps like Brian Lara.
The opening pair added 128 and were separated only by a run out. Azhar Ali had progressed just as quickly as Fakhar, though with greater orthodoxy, when the two batsmen found themselves at the same end. Fakhar might have been distraught at this mix-up, which had culminated in the sacrifice of a senior player. Instead he seemed galvanised.
Fakhar played the two Indian spinners brilliantly, often with whipped drives that suggested he must have been a great hockey player in his youth. Sometimes he found the gaps; sometimes he simply cleared the boundary. Ravi Ashwin and Jadeja would bowl 18 overs for no wickets conceding 137 runs and it was Fakhar, an unknown bystander three weeks ago, who set the tone.
In his wake there were handy contributions from Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez whose 57 from 37 balls was suitably skittish especially for someone who is known as “The Professor”. The last 10 overs yielded 91 and Pakistan had set a target that had never been achieved in the final of an ICC tournament, a record that remained intact at the end of a very surprising afternoon.
Pakistan 338 - 4 (50.0 overs)
India 158 all out (30.4 overs)
A brilliant opening spell by Mohammed Amir followed by a near flawless performance in the field led to Pakistan taking the Champions Trophy with astonishing ease. They won by 180 runs against an India side widely tipped to prevail before the start.
Even after Pakistan had chalked up 338, which owed much to a barnstorming century from the new boy, Fakhar Zaman, there was still the feeling that the target was well within India’s compass, especially given Virat Kohli’s incredible record of scoring runs when chasing. But Amir, who had to miss the semi-final win over England because of back spasms, soon banished these thoughts with bowling of such quality that it conjured up memories of Wasim Akram in his pomp.
The classic in-swinger accounted for Rohit Sharma, who was lbw to Amir’s third ball. Out came Kohli. Soon the India captain pushed forward and edged to first slip where Azhar Ali juggled and dropped a straightforward catch. Azhar slapped the turf in exasperation and his team-mates were none too pleased either.
In came Amir again and this time Kohli spied runs on the leg side to rub salt into the wound but the ball took the leading edge and flew to backward point where Shadab Khan make no mistake. Jubilation was mixed with relief amid the celebrations of the Pakistan team. Soon to follow was Shikhar Dhawan edging a snorter to the keeper.
India were 33 for three but they had the vast experience of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni at the crease. Yet experience is not everything. Up stepped Shadab, an 18-year-old seeking to master cricket’s most difficult art: wrist-spin bowling.
He propelled a leg-break which struck Yuvraj’s front pad but the appeal was rejected. Shadab, despite – or maybe as a consequence of – his youth insisted upon a review and Sarfraz Ahmed, the captain, had the good sense to consent. Yuvraj had to go grumpily. In the next over Dhoni hooked in the air and was caught on the leg-side boundary.
At 54 for five it was all over barring a miracle but Hardik Pandya briefly threatened one. He hit three consecutive sixes off Shadab (but Sarfraz kept him on for another over anyway). There were two more off Fakhar, who had been pressed into service as an emergency left-arm spinner because of an injury to Imad Wasim.
Pandya had sped to 76 from 43 balls with Ravindra Jadeja a silent partner. They had added 80 in less than 10 overs when India’s fate was sealed. There is nothing more morale-sapping than a daft run-out which sacrifices the only hope of victory. Now the two batsmen ended up at the same end but it was the explosive Pandya rather than Jadeja who had to go. In the circumstances Jadeja should have sacrificed himself but this did not appear to occur to him.
So mighty India subsided against a team ranked No8 in the world, which they had crushed just over a fortnight ago. Pakistan had delivered a thrashing that no one had expected, which made it all the more mesmerising.
There has been an endearing serendipity about Pakistan throughout this tournament. It does not feel as if they have been plotting their campaign for the past two years whereas there is the impression that Andrew Strauss and Eoin Morgan have been thinking of little else.
Out of nowhere they have plucked Fakhar to open the batting. He was omitted from Pakistan’s first game of the tournament – that defeat against India – and then made his debut in their second against South Africa. Since then he has yet to fail, although he appeared to do so on Sunday. On three Fakhar edged a wide delivery from Jasprit Bumrah into the safe gloves of Dhoni and set off dolefully to the dressing room. But in the 21st century there is always the outside chance of a reprieve. It transpired that Bumrah had overstepped.
Initially there was no great expectation that Fakhar would make the Indians pay for this. Most of his early runs came from the edge of his bat; then there would be an eyebrow-raising boundary of great audacity. One moment Fakhar resembled a club cricketer caught up in a dreamlike sequence, which found him playing in a final watched by an enormous worldwide audience; the next he whipped the ball through the gaps like Brian Lara.
The opening pair added 128 and were separated only by a run out. Azhar Ali had progressed just as quickly as Fakhar, though with greater orthodoxy, when the two batsmen found themselves at the same end. Fakhar might have been distraught at this mix-up, which had culminated in the sacrifice of a senior player. Instead he seemed galvanised.
Fakhar played the two Indian spinners brilliantly, often with whipped drives that suggested he must have been a great hockey player in his youth. Sometimes he found the gaps; sometimes he simply cleared the boundary. Ravi Ashwin and Jadeja would bowl 18 overs for no wickets conceding 137 runs and it was Fakhar, an unknown bystander three weeks ago, who set the tone.
In his wake there were handy contributions from Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez whose 57 from 37 balls was suitably skittish especially for someone who is known as “The Professor”. The last 10 overs yielded 91 and Pakistan had set a target that had never been achieved in the final of an ICC tournament, a record that remained intact at the end of a very surprising afternoon.
Saturday 17 June 2017
Royal London One-Day Cup, 2nd Semi-Final
SURREY BEAT WORCESTERSHIRE BY 153 RUNS
Surrey 363-7 (50 overs) v Worcestershire 210 (33.2 overs)
Jason Roy scored 92 and Gareth Batty took five wickets as Surrey cruised into a third successive One-Day Cup final in a one-sided semi-final against Worcestershire at New Road.
England one-day opener Roy returned to form after his midweek Champions Trophy semi-final exclusion with a superb knock as Surrey piled up 363-7.
But the hosts fell well short and were dismissed for 210, to lose by 153 runs.
Surrey, runners-up in 2015 and 2016, face Nottinghamshire in the final.
Surrey 363-7 (50 overs) v Worcestershire 210 (33.2 overs)
Jason Roy scored 92 and Gareth Batty took five wickets as Surrey cruised into a third successive One-Day Cup final in a one-sided semi-final against Worcestershire at New Road.
England one-day opener Roy returned to form after his midweek Champions Trophy semi-final exclusion with a superb knock as Surrey piled up 363-7.
But the hosts fell well short and were dismissed for 210, to lose by 153 runs.
Surrey, runners-up in 2015 and 2016, face Nottinghamshire in the final.
Friday 16 June 2017
Royal London One-Day Cup, 1st Semi-Final
Essex 370/5
Notts 371/5
Notts win by 5 wickets
Nottinghamshire pulled off a remarkable record run chase in England to beat Essex by five wickets at Chelmsford and reach the One-Day Cup final.
Essex made 370-5 thanks to centuries from Ryan ten Doeschate and Alastair Cook, but superb hundreds from Samit Patel (122 not out) and Steven Mullaney (111) guided the visitors to 373-5.
The pair put on 185 in 23.4 overs in a devastating display of power hitting.
Notts will play Worcestershire or Surrey in the Lord's final on 1 July.
Nottinghamshire cruised past the previous-highest successful run chase - Hampshire's 359-8 against Surrey in 2005 - smashing 40 fours and seven sixes in their innings.
While experienced all-rounder Patel crafted his 123-ball knock, Mullaney attacked from the outset, bringing up his maiden List A hundred off 71 deliveries with the fifth of his six maximums.
The 30-year-old arrived at the crease at 180-4 following a calamitous run out of Brendan Taylor for 62, which saw the Zimbabwean and Patel stranded at the same end following a mix-up.
It was all Nottinghamshire from then on as Essex fell apart in the field, summed up by Paul Walter dropping a simple catch to dismiss Patel with 16 needed off 14 balls.
Mullaney edged Neil Wagner behind in the penultimate over, but the damage had already been done and Notts got over the line with three balls to spare.
Earlier, the hosts had piled up their fourth-highest List A score - anchored by Cook's 12th one-day century and a 64-ball hundred from captain Ten Doeschate.
But, in a day which saw 743 runs scored and four batsmen hitting centuries, Nottinghamshire produced one of the finest run chases in limited-overs history to reach the final.
Notts 371/5
Notts win by 5 wickets
Nottinghamshire pulled off a remarkable record run chase in England to beat Essex by five wickets at Chelmsford and reach the One-Day Cup final.
Essex made 370-5 thanks to centuries from Ryan ten Doeschate and Alastair Cook, but superb hundreds from Samit Patel (122 not out) and Steven Mullaney (111) guided the visitors to 373-5.
The pair put on 185 in 23.4 overs in a devastating display of power hitting.
Notts will play Worcestershire or Surrey in the Lord's final on 1 July.
Nottinghamshire cruised past the previous-highest successful run chase - Hampshire's 359-8 against Surrey in 2005 - smashing 40 fours and seven sixes in their innings.
While experienced all-rounder Patel crafted his 123-ball knock, Mullaney attacked from the outset, bringing up his maiden List A hundred off 71 deliveries with the fifth of his six maximums.
The 30-year-old arrived at the crease at 180-4 following a calamitous run out of Brendan Taylor for 62, which saw the Zimbabwean and Patel stranded at the same end following a mix-up.
It was all Nottinghamshire from then on as Essex fell apart in the field, summed up by Paul Walter dropping a simple catch to dismiss Patel with 16 needed off 14 balls.
Mullaney edged Neil Wagner behind in the penultimate over, but the damage had already been done and Notts got over the line with three balls to spare.
Earlier, the hosts had piled up their fourth-highest List A score - anchored by Cook's 12th one-day century and a 64-ball hundred from captain Ten Doeschate.
But, in a day which saw 743 runs scored and four batsmen hitting centuries, Nottinghamshire produced one of the finest run chases in limited-overs history to reach the final.
Thursday 15 June 2017
ODI Series WI 1-1 AFG
1st ODI - West Indies v Afghanistan
Afghanistan 212 for 6 beat West Indies 149 by 63 runs
Afghanistan had won on four previous occasions when Rashid Khan had picked up four wickets or more. But Friday brought him one of his tougher challenges: he had only 212 to defend on a sluggish St Lucia surface but that only seemed to spur him on. The 18-year old legspinner finished with 7 for 18 - the fourth-best haul in ODI history - and West Indies were bowled out for 149.
The 63-run victory for Afghanistan, their first in this format over a Full Member other than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh, exposed the ineptness of a West Indies unit struggling in their quest to qualify directly for the 2019 World Cup.
Rashid, introduced in the 23rd over with West Indies seemingly steady at 68 for 2, broke open the game by picking up wickets off his first two deliveries. And if that isn't impressive enough, he struck on consecutive balls in the 25th as well to be on a hat-trick twice during the course of his first two overs, opening his spell with figures of 4 for 1. The lone run conceded came courtesy of a dubious wide call in which a googly spun in from outside leg stump to strike Jonathan Carter's back leg after a missed sweep before ricocheting to fine leg.
Jason Mohammed played for a straight ball when there was turn, debutant Roston Chase fell for a golden duck, completely deceived by a googly, Shai Hope was snaffled courtesy Mohammad Nabi's brilliance at slip and Jason Holder's defence was breached by a ripping wrong 'un. At 70 for 6, West Indies were railroaded, having to switch back to survival mode.
That didn't prevent Ashley Nurse from trying ungainly slogs and was quickly shown his place by a skiddy googly that gave Rashid his second five-for in ODIs. The upset was sealed in the 45th over, fittingly with another Rashid googly, as Afghanistan added to the shockwaves that rocked the cricket world this night. After all, it was only a few hours previously that another underdog, Bangladesh, had stunned New Zealand in the Champions Trophy.
While Rashid walked away with the plaudits - among bowlers with at least 50 wickets, he has the best bowling average (15.05) and strike-rate (22.3) - it was opener Javed Ahmadi quietly worked his way through to make 81, his highest ODI score, to set the game up. He showed the resolve to fight through testing spells from Shannon Gabriel and Miguel Cummins and, given he had to face a lot of short-pitched bowling, he also showed that he was particularly strong square of the wicket. Forty of his runs, including four fours and a six, came behind point.
Ahmadi built the platform in a slow, but assured, second-wicket stand of 55 with Rahmat Shah, before West Indies hit back with two quick strikes. They went into a shell against Nurse, who used the strong breeze to drift the ball away from the right-handers. He took out Asghar Stanikzai, who played for turn when there was none, and Samiullah Shenwari, who was unfortunately given out as the ball lobbed to slip off his forearm while trying to reverse sweep.
With Afghanistan at 131 for 5 in the 38th over, and Ahmadi back in the pavilion as well, West Indies had a firm grip over the contest. But Gulbadin Naib used his muscle to pepper the legside boundary and take apart Jason Holder, who conceded 36 off his last three overs. Naib would hammer three fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 28-ball 41. The 58-run stand for the eighth wicket with Mohammad Nabi, who quietly finished 27 not out, would signal the change in momentum for Afghanistan.
West Indies would have hoped for a brisk start from their batsmen but it was not to be and by being diffident and overcautious, they played themselves into a situation where one costly lapse could trigger an alarming slide. And slide they did.
2nd ODI - West Indies v Afghanistan
West Indies 138 for 6 beat Afghanistan 135 by four wickets
Stung by their 63-run defeat in the first ODI, West Indies hit back via their fast bowlers, who exposed Afghanistan's frailties against the short ball as they slid to 135 all out. West Indies' batting, though, isn't without frailties of its own, and Rashid Khan, responsible for bowling them out for 149 on Friday, caused yet another serious wobble with his zippy, stump-to-stump legbreaks and googlies. Afghanistan's total, though, proved a fair way short of matchwinning as Shai Hope held a shaky chase together and steered West Indies to a series-levelling four-wicket win.
Afghanistan could perhaps have pushed West Indies even closer with more aggressive tactics. Asghar Stanikzai, their captain, only brought Rashid on in the seventh over, by which time Evin Lewis and Kieran Powell had already knocked 37 off the target.
Rashid struck in his first over, getting Powell to nick a googly to slip, and went around the wicket in his third over to trap Lewis lbw with another perfectly pitched wrong 'un. This was high-quality bowling, and West Indies' batsmen, unsure of which way the ball would turn, were stabbing nervously at him with leaden feet. Stanikzai, though, took Rashid off the attack after only a five-over spell.
Gulbadin Naib, who had already made a sizeable contribution by scoring his third ODI fifty, then brought Afghanistan more cheer with his medium-pace, dismissing Jonathan Carter - who showed poor judgment while cutting - and Jason Mohammed - who failed to keep a cut down - in his first three overs.
With West Indies four down, Stanikzai brought Rashid back after only two overs from Amir Hamza. Hope and Roston Chase played out the legspinner's sixth and seventh overs, but he struck again with the last ball of his eighth, flighting it wide of off stump and inviting the drive. Dip deceived Chase into reaching for the ball, turn made him miss it, and all of that unbalanced him enough to drag him out of his crease. Afsar Zazai's lightning hands did the rest behind the stumps.
By then, though, West Indies only needed 38, and only needed one reasonable partnership. Hope and Rovman Powell provided that, and Jason Holder applied the necessary touch of urgency at the finish.
Apart from Naib's 51, there was little to cheer for Afghanistan when they batted, and their batsmen played no role in West Indies' only real moments of concern, with Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph spending brief spells off the field nursing injuries. Gabriel walked off four legal balls into his sixth over, clutching his left side, while Joseph hurt his ankle while stumbling over the advertising hoardings in a failed attempt to flick a hook from Rashid back into play.
Having chosen to bat once again, Afghanistan made a cautious start - Noor Ali Zadran shouldered arms to every ball of the sixth over, bowled by Holder - and moved to 21 for 0 in seven overs before the short ball found its first victim. Holder got one to lift towards Noor's helmet, and the batsman, fending awkwardly, popped back a return catch.
A mix-up at the end of the same over, which left Ahmadi and Rahmat Shah stranded at the same end, was quickly followed by Rahmat top-edging a hook off Gabriel to the fielder at long leg. Afghanistan had lost three wickets in 11 balls. Gabriel struck again in his next over, this time with a fuller length, the umpire ruling Samiullah Shenwari out lbw even though the ball seemed to be slanting down the leg side.
West Indies introduced Alzarri Joseph in the 13th over, and he immediately set about peppering Stanikzai and Nabi with bouncers. Neither survived the test. Stanikzai was unlucky to receive the ball of the innings, angled in wickedly and rising head-high while giving him no time to react.
Naib, expecting another short ball first up, ducked at what turned out to be a good-length delivery outside off. Exceedingly nervy at the start of his innings, he calmed down as Joseph, bowling a six-over spell, lost some of his sting, and West Indies called upon the offspin of Ashley Nurse and the gentle medium-pace of Rovman Powell.
Naib grew comfortable enough to launch a rare full ball from Joseph over the long-on boundary, but that aside, runs came in a trickle. Zazai crawled to 9 off 33 before stepping out and nicking Roston Chase to slip. Then Rashid, having top-edged a hook over deep backward square leg, fell trying a similar shot next ball, only managing a nick to the keeper.
Naib, looking to farm the strike, began finding the straight boundary with greater frequency, but couldn't keep the tail away from the strike entirely. Dawlat Zadran slogged Nurse to deep midwicket, and a couple of overs later Naib, having just reached his fifty, gave Nurse his second wicket, holing out to long-off.
3rd ODI - West Indies v Afghanistan
No result (abandoned with a toss)
The series between West Indies and Afghanistan ended in a 1-1 tie as the deciding match was washed out by rain, which had been heavy overnight and persistent through the day.
There was just enough time with clear skies for the two captains to come out for the toss - two hours after schedule - but as soon as Asghar Stanikzai found the favour of the coin, he lost those of the elements. A drizzle prompted the groundstaff to cover the square again and pushed the match into an interminable delay. For your information, Afghanistan opted to bat.
In other news, West Indies coach Stuart Law, during a pre-match interview with the host broadcaster, was very frank in his assessment of the team. He said his players were actually less experienced than the opposition's - an Associate Member - in ODI cricket and also admitted that West Indies were in a great struggle to climb up the rankings and gain automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup.
The top eight sides on September 30 will be locked in to play the showpiece event in England - and with Bangladesh making the semi-final of the Champions Trophy and Pakistan going one better to secure a spot in the final, they will likely widen the gap between themselves and the No. 9 ranked West Indies. The international teams that don't make the cut must then participate in a gruelling qualifying tournament in April 2018, when 10 contenders, including the best of the Associate nations, fight for two spots.
"But we can't be focussed on that," Law said. "We have to be up for this contest, and then the next series against India. If we can win a couple of games, and then a couple against England, I'm sure we can climb the ladder. Whether or not we get direct entry into the World Cup, I'm not sure."
West Indies had begun the series on 79 points. Even if they had won it today, they still would have lost a point.
Afghanistan 212 for 6 beat West Indies 149 by 63 runs
Afghanistan had won on four previous occasions when Rashid Khan had picked up four wickets or more. But Friday brought him one of his tougher challenges: he had only 212 to defend on a sluggish St Lucia surface but that only seemed to spur him on. The 18-year old legspinner finished with 7 for 18 - the fourth-best haul in ODI history - and West Indies were bowled out for 149.
The 63-run victory for Afghanistan, their first in this format over a Full Member other than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh, exposed the ineptness of a West Indies unit struggling in their quest to qualify directly for the 2019 World Cup.
Rashid, introduced in the 23rd over with West Indies seemingly steady at 68 for 2, broke open the game by picking up wickets off his first two deliveries. And if that isn't impressive enough, he struck on consecutive balls in the 25th as well to be on a hat-trick twice during the course of his first two overs, opening his spell with figures of 4 for 1. The lone run conceded came courtesy of a dubious wide call in which a googly spun in from outside leg stump to strike Jonathan Carter's back leg after a missed sweep before ricocheting to fine leg.
Jason Mohammed played for a straight ball when there was turn, debutant Roston Chase fell for a golden duck, completely deceived by a googly, Shai Hope was snaffled courtesy Mohammad Nabi's brilliance at slip and Jason Holder's defence was breached by a ripping wrong 'un. At 70 for 6, West Indies were railroaded, having to switch back to survival mode.
That didn't prevent Ashley Nurse from trying ungainly slogs and was quickly shown his place by a skiddy googly that gave Rashid his second five-for in ODIs. The upset was sealed in the 45th over, fittingly with another Rashid googly, as Afghanistan added to the shockwaves that rocked the cricket world this night. After all, it was only a few hours previously that another underdog, Bangladesh, had stunned New Zealand in the Champions Trophy.
While Rashid walked away with the plaudits - among bowlers with at least 50 wickets, he has the best bowling average (15.05) and strike-rate (22.3) - it was opener Javed Ahmadi quietly worked his way through to make 81, his highest ODI score, to set the game up. He showed the resolve to fight through testing spells from Shannon Gabriel and Miguel Cummins and, given he had to face a lot of short-pitched bowling, he also showed that he was particularly strong square of the wicket. Forty of his runs, including four fours and a six, came behind point.
Ahmadi built the platform in a slow, but assured, second-wicket stand of 55 with Rahmat Shah, before West Indies hit back with two quick strikes. They went into a shell against Nurse, who used the strong breeze to drift the ball away from the right-handers. He took out Asghar Stanikzai, who played for turn when there was none, and Samiullah Shenwari, who was unfortunately given out as the ball lobbed to slip off his forearm while trying to reverse sweep.
With Afghanistan at 131 for 5 in the 38th over, and Ahmadi back in the pavilion as well, West Indies had a firm grip over the contest. But Gulbadin Naib used his muscle to pepper the legside boundary and take apart Jason Holder, who conceded 36 off his last three overs. Naib would hammer three fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 28-ball 41. The 58-run stand for the eighth wicket with Mohammad Nabi, who quietly finished 27 not out, would signal the change in momentum for Afghanistan.
West Indies would have hoped for a brisk start from their batsmen but it was not to be and by being diffident and overcautious, they played themselves into a situation where one costly lapse could trigger an alarming slide. And slide they did.
2nd ODI - West Indies v Afghanistan
West Indies 138 for 6 beat Afghanistan 135 by four wickets
Stung by their 63-run defeat in the first ODI, West Indies hit back via their fast bowlers, who exposed Afghanistan's frailties against the short ball as they slid to 135 all out. West Indies' batting, though, isn't without frailties of its own, and Rashid Khan, responsible for bowling them out for 149 on Friday, caused yet another serious wobble with his zippy, stump-to-stump legbreaks and googlies. Afghanistan's total, though, proved a fair way short of matchwinning as Shai Hope held a shaky chase together and steered West Indies to a series-levelling four-wicket win.
Afghanistan could perhaps have pushed West Indies even closer with more aggressive tactics. Asghar Stanikzai, their captain, only brought Rashid on in the seventh over, by which time Evin Lewis and Kieran Powell had already knocked 37 off the target.
Rashid struck in his first over, getting Powell to nick a googly to slip, and went around the wicket in his third over to trap Lewis lbw with another perfectly pitched wrong 'un. This was high-quality bowling, and West Indies' batsmen, unsure of which way the ball would turn, were stabbing nervously at him with leaden feet. Stanikzai, though, took Rashid off the attack after only a five-over spell.
Gulbadin Naib, who had already made a sizeable contribution by scoring his third ODI fifty, then brought Afghanistan more cheer with his medium-pace, dismissing Jonathan Carter - who showed poor judgment while cutting - and Jason Mohammed - who failed to keep a cut down - in his first three overs.
With West Indies four down, Stanikzai brought Rashid back after only two overs from Amir Hamza. Hope and Roston Chase played out the legspinner's sixth and seventh overs, but he struck again with the last ball of his eighth, flighting it wide of off stump and inviting the drive. Dip deceived Chase into reaching for the ball, turn made him miss it, and all of that unbalanced him enough to drag him out of his crease. Afsar Zazai's lightning hands did the rest behind the stumps.
By then, though, West Indies only needed 38, and only needed one reasonable partnership. Hope and Rovman Powell provided that, and Jason Holder applied the necessary touch of urgency at the finish.
Apart from Naib's 51, there was little to cheer for Afghanistan when they batted, and their batsmen played no role in West Indies' only real moments of concern, with Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph spending brief spells off the field nursing injuries. Gabriel walked off four legal balls into his sixth over, clutching his left side, while Joseph hurt his ankle while stumbling over the advertising hoardings in a failed attempt to flick a hook from Rashid back into play.
Having chosen to bat once again, Afghanistan made a cautious start - Noor Ali Zadran shouldered arms to every ball of the sixth over, bowled by Holder - and moved to 21 for 0 in seven overs before the short ball found its first victim. Holder got one to lift towards Noor's helmet, and the batsman, fending awkwardly, popped back a return catch.
A mix-up at the end of the same over, which left Ahmadi and Rahmat Shah stranded at the same end, was quickly followed by Rahmat top-edging a hook off Gabriel to the fielder at long leg. Afghanistan had lost three wickets in 11 balls. Gabriel struck again in his next over, this time with a fuller length, the umpire ruling Samiullah Shenwari out lbw even though the ball seemed to be slanting down the leg side.
West Indies introduced Alzarri Joseph in the 13th over, and he immediately set about peppering Stanikzai and Nabi with bouncers. Neither survived the test. Stanikzai was unlucky to receive the ball of the innings, angled in wickedly and rising head-high while giving him no time to react.
Naib, expecting another short ball first up, ducked at what turned out to be a good-length delivery outside off. Exceedingly nervy at the start of his innings, he calmed down as Joseph, bowling a six-over spell, lost some of his sting, and West Indies called upon the offspin of Ashley Nurse and the gentle medium-pace of Rovman Powell.
Naib grew comfortable enough to launch a rare full ball from Joseph over the long-on boundary, but that aside, runs came in a trickle. Zazai crawled to 9 off 33 before stepping out and nicking Roston Chase to slip. Then Rashid, having top-edged a hook over deep backward square leg, fell trying a similar shot next ball, only managing a nick to the keeper.
Naib, looking to farm the strike, began finding the straight boundary with greater frequency, but couldn't keep the tail away from the strike entirely. Dawlat Zadran slogged Nurse to deep midwicket, and a couple of overs later Naib, having just reached his fifty, gave Nurse his second wicket, holing out to long-off.
3rd ODI - West Indies v Afghanistan
No result (abandoned with a toss)
The series between West Indies and Afghanistan ended in a 1-1 tie as the deciding match was washed out by rain, which had been heavy overnight and persistent through the day.
There was just enough time with clear skies for the two captains to come out for the toss - two hours after schedule - but as soon as Asghar Stanikzai found the favour of the coin, he lost those of the elements. A drizzle prompted the groundstaff to cover the square again and pushed the match into an interminable delay. For your information, Afghanistan opted to bat.
In other news, West Indies coach Stuart Law, during a pre-match interview with the host broadcaster, was very frank in his assessment of the team. He said his players were actually less experienced than the opposition's - an Associate Member - in ODI cricket and also admitted that West Indies were in a great struggle to climb up the rankings and gain automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup.
The top eight sides on September 30 will be locked in to play the showpiece event in England - and with Bangladesh making the semi-final of the Champions Trophy and Pakistan going one better to secure a spot in the final, they will likely widen the gap between themselves and the No. 9 ranked West Indies. The international teams that don't make the cut must then participate in a gruelling qualifying tournament in April 2018, when 10 contenders, including the best of the Associate nations, fight for two spots.
"But we can't be focussed on that," Law said. "We have to be up for this contest, and then the next series against India. If we can win a couple of games, and then a couple against England, I'm sure we can climb the ladder. Whether or not we get direct entry into the World Cup, I'm not sure."
West Indies had begun the series on 79 points. Even if they had won it today, they still would have lost a point.
Tuesday 13 June 2017
Royal London One Day Cup 1/4 finals
Surrey 313-7 (50 overs): Sangakkara 121, Foakes 86; Rafiq 3-51
Yorkshire: Lyth 75, Handscomb 60; Rampaul 3-54
Surrey beat Yorkshire by 24 runs
Kumar Sangakkara's 100th career century helped Surrey beat Yorkshire by 24 runs to reach the One-Day Cup semi-finals.
The Sri Lankan's brilliant run-a-ball innings saw the visitors to 313-7 at Headingley, aided by a fourth-wicket stand of 180 with Ben Foakes (86).
Opener Adam Lyth struck 75 and Australia batsman Peter Handscomb made 60 but Yorkshire fell short on 289-9.
Surrey play Worcestershire at New Road in the last four on Saturday, with the final at Lord's on 1 July.
Sangakkara, who is retiring from first-class cricket at the end of this season, looked in superb touch once again, offering only one difficult chance to Alex Lees on the boundary early on in his innings.
The rest of the 39-year-old's knock was chanceless as he brought up his 39th List A century, mixing deft touches to the boundary with some brutal straight hitting over the rope.
When he was eventually stumped off Azeem Rafiq and Foakes fell to the same bowler soon after, Surrey teenagers Ollie Pope (37) and Sam Curran (19) made sure they passed 300.
In the chase, Yorkshire were well placed with Lyth and Jack Leaning (42) taking them to 126-1 at the halfway stage.
But once Lyth gifted a catch to Mark Stoneman on the cover boundary off seamer Ravi Rampaul and Leaning nicked Rampaul behind in his next over, Yorkshire began to struggle.
Skipper Gary Ballance (36) added 64 with Handscomb but could not push on, and only a late flurry of boundaries from Matthew Waite in his 34 prevented an even bigger winning margin for Surrey.
Yorkshire: Lyth 75, Handscomb 60; Rampaul 3-54
Surrey beat Yorkshire by 24 runs
Kumar Sangakkara's 100th career century helped Surrey beat Yorkshire by 24 runs to reach the One-Day Cup semi-finals.
The Sri Lankan's brilliant run-a-ball innings saw the visitors to 313-7 at Headingley, aided by a fourth-wicket stand of 180 with Ben Foakes (86).
Opener Adam Lyth struck 75 and Australia batsman Peter Handscomb made 60 but Yorkshire fell short on 289-9.
Surrey play Worcestershire at New Road in the last four on Saturday, with the final at Lord's on 1 July.
Sangakkara, who is retiring from first-class cricket at the end of this season, looked in superb touch once again, offering only one difficult chance to Alex Lees on the boundary early on in his innings.
The rest of the 39-year-old's knock was chanceless as he brought up his 39th List A century, mixing deft touches to the boundary with some brutal straight hitting over the rope.
When he was eventually stumped off Azeem Rafiq and Foakes fell to the same bowler soon after, Surrey teenagers Ollie Pope (37) and Sam Curran (19) made sure they passed 300.
In the chase, Yorkshire were well placed with Lyth and Jack Leaning (42) taking them to 126-1 at the halfway stage.
But once Lyth gifted a catch to Mark Stoneman on the cover boundary off seamer Ravi Rampaul and Leaning nicked Rampaul behind in his next over, Yorkshire began to struggle.
Skipper Gary Ballance (36) added 64 with Handscomb but could not push on, and only a late flurry of boundaries from Matthew Waite in his 34 prevented an even bigger winning margin for Surrey.
Monday 12 June 2017
County Championship Day 4
Essex beat Surrey by 8 wickets
Yorkshire beat Somerset by 3 runs
Lancashire beat Middlesex by 8 wickets
Sussex beat Leicestershire by 5 wickets
Nottinghamshire draw with Gloucestershire
Yorkshire beat Somerset by 3 runs
Lancashire beat Middlesex by 8 wickets
Sussex beat Leicestershire by 5 wickets
Nottinghamshire draw with Gloucestershire
Sunday 11 June 2017
County Championship Day 3 (Day 4 DUR V KENT)
Division One:
Surrey 399 & 253-7 v Essex 435
Middlesex 180 & 156-6 v Lancashire 309
Somerset 224 & 101-4 v Yorkshire 202 & 283
Division Two:
Glamorgan beat Worcestershire by 9 wickets
Derbyshire beat Northants by 128 runs
Kent drew with Durham
Gloucestershire 303 & 30-1 v Notts 535-8d
Sussex 284 & 100-2 v Leicestershire 340 & 175
Surrey 399 & 253-7 v Essex 435
Middlesex 180 & 156-6 v Lancashire 309
Somerset 224 & 101-4 v Yorkshire 202 & 283
Division Two:
Glamorgan beat Worcestershire by 9 wickets
Derbyshire beat Northants by 128 runs
Kent drew with Durham
Gloucestershire 303 & 30-1 v Notts 535-8d
Sussex 284 & 100-2 v Leicestershire 340 & 175
Saturday 10 June 2017
County Championship Day 2 (Day 3 DUR V KENT)
Division One:
Essex 367-7 v Surrey 399
Yorkshire 202 & 127-2 v Somerset 224
Lancashire 123-4 v Middlesex 180
Division Two:
Northants 218 & 274-4 v Derbyshire 176
Worcestershire 267 & 34-1 v Glamorgan 381
Notts 221-3 v Gloucestershire 303
Sussex 276-9 v Leicestershire 340
Essex 367-7 v Surrey 399
Yorkshire 202 & 127-2 v Somerset 224
Lancashire 123-4 v Middlesex 180
Division Two:
Northants 218 & 274-4 v Derbyshire 176
Worcestershire 267 & 34-1 v Glamorgan 381
Notts 221-3 v Gloucestershire 303
Sussex 276-9 v Leicestershire 340
Friday 9 June 2017
County Championship Day 1 (Day 2 DUR V KENT)
Division One:
Surrey 353-5 v Essex
Lancashire 123-4 v Middlesex 180
Somerset 41-3 v Yorkshire 202
Division Two:
Gloucestershire 256-7 v Nottinghamshire
Leicestershire 322-7 v Sussex
Glamorgan 76-6 v Worcestershire 267
Derbyshire 135-6 v Northants 218
Surrey 353-5 v Essex
Lancashire 123-4 v Middlesex 180
Somerset 41-3 v Yorkshire 202
Division Two:
Gloucestershire 256-7 v Nottinghamshire
Leicestershire 322-7 v Sussex
Glamorgan 76-6 v Worcestershire 267
Derbyshire 135-6 v Northants 218
Thursday 8 June 2017
County Championship Kent v Durham - day one
Durham 318/5
Captain Paul Collingwood continued his good form in helping Durham make a promising start to their Division Two match against Kent at Canterbury.
Collingwood (93 not out) passed 50 for the fourth time in his past five Championship innings as the visitors reached 318-5 at the close on day one.
The 41-year-old ex-England batsman shared a fifth-wicket stand of 141 with Ryan Pringle, who made 71.
Pakistan spinner Yasir Shah ended with 0-60 from 20 overs on his Kent debut.
Durham openers Stephen Cook (25) and Keaton Jennings (43) put on 79 for the first wicket but none of their top four batsmen were unable to convert good starts into big scores, with Darren Stevens (2-55) checking the visitors' progress.
Collingwood and Pringle came together at 148-4 and pushed Durham into a strong position, the latter scoring his second Championship half-century of 2017 before edging behind off Matt Coles (2-72).
Captain Paul Collingwood continued his good form in helping Durham make a promising start to their Division Two match against Kent at Canterbury.
Collingwood (93 not out) passed 50 for the fourth time in his past five Championship innings as the visitors reached 318-5 at the close on day one.
The 41-year-old ex-England batsman shared a fifth-wicket stand of 141 with Ryan Pringle, who made 71.
Pakistan spinner Yasir Shah ended with 0-60 from 20 overs on his Kent debut.
Durham openers Stephen Cook (25) and Keaton Jennings (43) put on 79 for the first wicket but none of their top four batsmen were unable to convert good starts into big scores, with Darren Stevens (2-55) checking the visitors' progress.
Collingwood and Pringle came together at 148-4 and pushed Durham into a strong position, the latter scoring his second Championship half-century of 2017 before edging behind off Matt Coles (2-72).
Tuesday 6 June 2017
3 match T20 series WI 3-0 AFG
1st T20
West Indies 114 for 4 beat Afghanistan 110 by six wickets
An attacking approach with the bat, that saw no improvisation as the innings worsened, ended Afghanistan's record 11-match winning streak and sent them tumbling to a six-wicket loss in the series opener against West Indies at Warner Park. After choosing to bat first on a slightly two-paced surface, Afghanistan threw their bats at the ball and subsequently their wickets. They were reduced to 58 for 8 by the 14th over, and were staring at their lowest total in T20 internationals. Rashid Khan, coming off a productive, maiden IPL stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Amir Hamza, however, dragged the side to 110.
Afghanistan had defended a similar total against West Indies in the World T20 in India last year - which marked the beginning of their golden run - and more recently in the tour match against West Indies Cricket Board President's XI on Tuesday. But Marlon Samuels' stylish 35 ensured the hosts cantered home with 21 balls to spare.
Swinging like millionaires, collapsing like paupers
Gulbadin Naib started the innings with a violent triptych off fast bowler James Taylor: a flick over square leg, a pull over the same region, and a swipe over midwicket. The other five balls he played out were all dots, including a non-turning legbreak from Samuel Badree, which snuck through his defense. His boundary-or-nothing innings, perhaps, was a sign of things to follow.
Naib's opening partner, Usman Ghani, was the victim of a farcical mix-up, where he and Asghar Stanikzai were at the strikers end. Four balls later, the Afghanistan captain pulled hard at a sharp bouncer, and only spliced a return catch. The visitors, though, kept swinging. Karim Janat dared to back away outside leg and slap Badree through the covers for four. A wild leg-side mow at Carlos Brathwaite, though, resulted in a top edge to Chadwick Walton, the wicketkeeper. Forty-two for 4 became 46 for 5 when Nabi recklessly slashed a catch to third man. Sunil Narine's triple-strike then left Afghanistan in serious danger of being dismissed for their lowest total in T20Is. They had been skittled for 72 against Bangladesh in the 2014 World T20.
Saving face
Rashid and Hamza then knocked the balls along the ground as Afghanistan recalibrated their strategy. Badree, Brathwaite, and Taylor were all milked for ones and twos. The two spinners later cut loose in the last two overs of the innings, which yielded 32 runs. The highlights included a flat-batted swat over long-off and a short-arm jab over wide long-on. On another night, such an onslaught could have saved the day for Afghanistan. On Saturday, it only helped them save face.
A regulation chase
Walton and Evin Lewis made early inroads into the slim chase, adding 33 in only 3.3 overs. Unlike the Afghanistan batsmen, they held their shape and picked their areas. Shapoor Zadran, the only front-line fast-bowling option for Afghanistan, conceded two fours off the first two balls of the chase. Lewis then launched him over mid-off for a six. Nabi and Hamza weren't spared either. Rashid, though, held his own with the ball as well, finishing with 1 for 14 in his four-over spell, which contained 18 dots.
Samuels, who was cold in his stint with Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, blew hot. He announced his arrival with a massive six over long-on, which flew out of the ground. He continued to time the ball exquisitely before being bowled by Shapoor with West Indies 12 away from victory. Jason Mohammed and Rovman Powell, picked in place of an ill Kieron Pollard, completed the formalities.
West Indies may be a fading ODI force, failing to qualify for the Champions Trophy in England, but they reminded Afghanistan and the rest of the world that they are still the bosses in T20 cricket.
2nd T20I
West Indies 112 for 3 beat Afghanistan 93 by 29 runs (D/L method)
West Indies clinched the T20 series with a game to go, brushing Afghanistan aside for the second night in a row. With a combination of Samuel Badree's discipline and the pace of Jerome Taylor and Kesrick Williams, the hosts struck thrice inside four overs in Afghanistan's chase of 123, setting the tone for a comfortable defense.
The target was revised, adjusted to amplify West Indies' 112 for 3 in 15 overs, after rain took away nearly two hours from the fixture. Evin Lewis and Marlon Samuels got starts after wicketkeeper-batsman Chadwick Walton had powered West Indies in the Powerplay. Rashid Khan, Karim Janat and Gulbadin Naib, though, reversed the advantage with strong performances with the ball.
Afghanistan's chase was a scattered display of anxiety against pace and hare-brained running - perhaps the two were correlated. They slipped to 19 for 3 quickly and the recovery never came. Captain Carlos Brathwaite, who had chipped away at the lower-middle order, took the final catch to notch up a series win.
West Indies begin brightly
Chadwick Walton led the charge with four pulled boundaries as Afghanistan's new-ball duo insisted on bowling short at him. Having forced the early introduction of Amir Hamza, Walton clubbed a full delivery from the left-arm spinner onto the roof over long-off.
A mix-up between the openers should have resulted in the run-out of Evin Lewis, who responded slowly as Walton tried to pinch a single in front of square leg; it ended with a bad throw, as well as a bad collision at the non-strikers end when Lewis ran into Samiullah Shenwari. The resultant stoppage disturbed Walton's momentum, and he holed out to long-on next ball. But when Lewis stepped out to Nabi immediately after to smash him over long-off, West Indies were destined for a solid start. They made 52 for 1 in the Powerplay.
Rashid, Naib tidy up
West Indies looked like they had one plan against Rashid Khan - to play him out. By the time Ashgar Stanikzai brought the legspinner on, West Indies were cruising at 71 for 1 in eight overs. Rashid hit his signature line, at the stumps, and pushed them through quickly to cut out any heaves across the line. Both Lewis and Marlon Samuels prodded from the back foot with minimal impact; Rashid snuck in tidy figures of 2-0-4-0. In between his two overs, Lewis had holed out to deep midwicket.
After the match was reduced to 15 overs, Gulbadin Naib brought out a top spell, bowling seven dot balls in his two overs and going for just ten, with the wicket of Samuels.
Fire in Basseterre
Six-and-out, four-and-out, six-and-out. Naib, Noor Ali Zadran and Stanikzai finished their respective innings in similar fashion. It was an accurate representation of Afghanistan's chase - a cycle of long periods of strangulation with the occasional release.
The chase started with a typically tight over from Badree, which went for only one. Taylor shared the new ball and chose to begin from around the wicket. His first short ball was met with a swipe across the line by Naib. What should have been a simple catch for Sunil Narine at long-off almost turned into a spectacular catch by Brathwaite running back from mid-on. Badree had Naib in the next over.
This was followed by a brutish over from Williams where the default shot was now set to awkward fend. Noor Ali didn't conform, and for his rebellion he got a four before being cramped on a hook that lobbed up for short fine leg. Shenwari feathered one to Walton first ball. There was nearly a third wicket that over - but Mohammad Nabi's glance off the hips landed short of Taylor.
3rd T20I
West Indies 147 for 3 beat Afghanistan 146 for 6 by seven wickets
Marlon Samuels' highest score in T20Is, an unbeaten 66-ball 89, steered West Indies to a whitewash-sealing seven-wicket win at Warner Park. Afghanistan, who were bowled out for 110 and 93 in the first two T20Is, put up their best batting display of the series, but a total of 146 wasn't quite enough to challenge West Indies' line-up.
The hit-and-miss start
Jerome Taylor bowled the first over of the match from around the wicket, and his angle across the right-handed Noor Ali Zadran produced four straight plays and misses. A cover-driven boundary at the end of the over settled Noor's nerves, though, and his next 12 balls produced two sixes and four more fours, including three in a row in Taylor's second over.
Afghanistan raced to 40 for 1 by the end of the fourth over, but Noor's departure in the fifth - bowled by Kesrick Williams after moving too far across his stumps, and too early - slowed them down considerably. Williams, Carlos Brathwaite and Samuel Badree sent down tight post-Powerplay overs, making a clear effort to bowl straight and deny hitting room, and by the end of the 10th over Afghanistan were only 61 for 3.
Nabi, lower order give Afghanistan a fighting chance
The next 10 overs, though, brought a far healthier 85. Sunil Narine, bowling his four overs on the trot from the 12th onwards, was typically frugal, conceding only 27 runs and one boundary, but Afghanistan showed off their hitting power against the quicker bowlers at the other end. Nabi hit two big sixes, Shafiqullah smacked Williams over midwicket and out of Warner Park in the 19th over - before hitting the next two balls for four - and Gulbadin Naib, who only got to face five balls, managed to send one pick-up shot off Taylor sailing over the square leg boundary. In all, Afghanistan scored 55 off the last five overs of seam.
Samuels bosses chase
As was the case in the second T20I, Afghanistan only played one genuine fast bowler, with Shapoor Zadran taking Dawlat Zadran's place, and his only seam support came from Karim Janat, the allrounder. Janat did not have the greatest game - he scored 8 off 17, batting at No. 5, and then conceded 41 off his four overs, bowling a length that was too short for his limited pace. Selection apart, there were tactical errors too - such as waiting until the 11th over to bring on their best bowler, Rashid Khan - and one very costly fielding lapse.
It came in the 10th over, when Nabi, having got the ball to stop on Samuels, dropped a straightforward return catch. Samuels, at that point, was batting on 40 off 32 balls. Nabi pinned Evin Lewis lbw in the same over to end a 61-run second-wicket stand, but it was Samuels who had been hurting Afghanistan the most, clearing his front leg and getting into position to flat-bat anywhere in the arc between point and midwicket.
Lendl Simmons replaced Lewis and made a brisk, attractive 15 before slicing Rashid to long-off, and a small window seemed to open up for Afghanistan, with West Indies needing 65 off 43 at that point. Samuels, though, quickly reduced the gap between runs required and balls remaining, picking up two pulled fours in the next two overs before clattering successive leg-side sixes off Nabi in the 16th. With Jason Mohammed showing off his hitting power as well - a sliced six over point off Janat the highlight of his innings - West Indies strolled home with four balls remaining.
West Indies 114 for 4 beat Afghanistan 110 by six wickets
An attacking approach with the bat, that saw no improvisation as the innings worsened, ended Afghanistan's record 11-match winning streak and sent them tumbling to a six-wicket loss in the series opener against West Indies at Warner Park. After choosing to bat first on a slightly two-paced surface, Afghanistan threw their bats at the ball and subsequently their wickets. They were reduced to 58 for 8 by the 14th over, and were staring at their lowest total in T20 internationals. Rashid Khan, coming off a productive, maiden IPL stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Amir Hamza, however, dragged the side to 110.
Afghanistan had defended a similar total against West Indies in the World T20 in India last year - which marked the beginning of their golden run - and more recently in the tour match against West Indies Cricket Board President's XI on Tuesday. But Marlon Samuels' stylish 35 ensured the hosts cantered home with 21 balls to spare.
Swinging like millionaires, collapsing like paupers
Gulbadin Naib started the innings with a violent triptych off fast bowler James Taylor: a flick over square leg, a pull over the same region, and a swipe over midwicket. The other five balls he played out were all dots, including a non-turning legbreak from Samuel Badree, which snuck through his defense. His boundary-or-nothing innings, perhaps, was a sign of things to follow.
Naib's opening partner, Usman Ghani, was the victim of a farcical mix-up, where he and Asghar Stanikzai were at the strikers end. Four balls later, the Afghanistan captain pulled hard at a sharp bouncer, and only spliced a return catch. The visitors, though, kept swinging. Karim Janat dared to back away outside leg and slap Badree through the covers for four. A wild leg-side mow at Carlos Brathwaite, though, resulted in a top edge to Chadwick Walton, the wicketkeeper. Forty-two for 4 became 46 for 5 when Nabi recklessly slashed a catch to third man. Sunil Narine's triple-strike then left Afghanistan in serious danger of being dismissed for their lowest total in T20Is. They had been skittled for 72 against Bangladesh in the 2014 World T20.
Saving face
Rashid and Hamza then knocked the balls along the ground as Afghanistan recalibrated their strategy. Badree, Brathwaite, and Taylor were all milked for ones and twos. The two spinners later cut loose in the last two overs of the innings, which yielded 32 runs. The highlights included a flat-batted swat over long-off and a short-arm jab over wide long-on. On another night, such an onslaught could have saved the day for Afghanistan. On Saturday, it only helped them save face.
A regulation chase
Walton and Evin Lewis made early inroads into the slim chase, adding 33 in only 3.3 overs. Unlike the Afghanistan batsmen, they held their shape and picked their areas. Shapoor Zadran, the only front-line fast-bowling option for Afghanistan, conceded two fours off the first two balls of the chase. Lewis then launched him over mid-off for a six. Nabi and Hamza weren't spared either. Rashid, though, held his own with the ball as well, finishing with 1 for 14 in his four-over spell, which contained 18 dots.
Samuels, who was cold in his stint with Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, blew hot. He announced his arrival with a massive six over long-on, which flew out of the ground. He continued to time the ball exquisitely before being bowled by Shapoor with West Indies 12 away from victory. Jason Mohammed and Rovman Powell, picked in place of an ill Kieron Pollard, completed the formalities.
West Indies may be a fading ODI force, failing to qualify for the Champions Trophy in England, but they reminded Afghanistan and the rest of the world that they are still the bosses in T20 cricket.
2nd T20I
West Indies 112 for 3 beat Afghanistan 93 by 29 runs (D/L method)
West Indies clinched the T20 series with a game to go, brushing Afghanistan aside for the second night in a row. With a combination of Samuel Badree's discipline and the pace of Jerome Taylor and Kesrick Williams, the hosts struck thrice inside four overs in Afghanistan's chase of 123, setting the tone for a comfortable defense.
The target was revised, adjusted to amplify West Indies' 112 for 3 in 15 overs, after rain took away nearly two hours from the fixture. Evin Lewis and Marlon Samuels got starts after wicketkeeper-batsman Chadwick Walton had powered West Indies in the Powerplay. Rashid Khan, Karim Janat and Gulbadin Naib, though, reversed the advantage with strong performances with the ball.
Afghanistan's chase was a scattered display of anxiety against pace and hare-brained running - perhaps the two were correlated. They slipped to 19 for 3 quickly and the recovery never came. Captain Carlos Brathwaite, who had chipped away at the lower-middle order, took the final catch to notch up a series win.
West Indies begin brightly
Chadwick Walton led the charge with four pulled boundaries as Afghanistan's new-ball duo insisted on bowling short at him. Having forced the early introduction of Amir Hamza, Walton clubbed a full delivery from the left-arm spinner onto the roof over long-off.
A mix-up between the openers should have resulted in the run-out of Evin Lewis, who responded slowly as Walton tried to pinch a single in front of square leg; it ended with a bad throw, as well as a bad collision at the non-strikers end when Lewis ran into Samiullah Shenwari. The resultant stoppage disturbed Walton's momentum, and he holed out to long-on next ball. But when Lewis stepped out to Nabi immediately after to smash him over long-off, West Indies were destined for a solid start. They made 52 for 1 in the Powerplay.
Rashid, Naib tidy up
West Indies looked like they had one plan against Rashid Khan - to play him out. By the time Ashgar Stanikzai brought the legspinner on, West Indies were cruising at 71 for 1 in eight overs. Rashid hit his signature line, at the stumps, and pushed them through quickly to cut out any heaves across the line. Both Lewis and Marlon Samuels prodded from the back foot with minimal impact; Rashid snuck in tidy figures of 2-0-4-0. In between his two overs, Lewis had holed out to deep midwicket.
After the match was reduced to 15 overs, Gulbadin Naib brought out a top spell, bowling seven dot balls in his two overs and going for just ten, with the wicket of Samuels.
Fire in Basseterre
Six-and-out, four-and-out, six-and-out. Naib, Noor Ali Zadran and Stanikzai finished their respective innings in similar fashion. It was an accurate representation of Afghanistan's chase - a cycle of long periods of strangulation with the occasional release.
The chase started with a typically tight over from Badree, which went for only one. Taylor shared the new ball and chose to begin from around the wicket. His first short ball was met with a swipe across the line by Naib. What should have been a simple catch for Sunil Narine at long-off almost turned into a spectacular catch by Brathwaite running back from mid-on. Badree had Naib in the next over.
This was followed by a brutish over from Williams where the default shot was now set to awkward fend. Noor Ali didn't conform, and for his rebellion he got a four before being cramped on a hook that lobbed up for short fine leg. Shenwari feathered one to Walton first ball. There was nearly a third wicket that over - but Mohammad Nabi's glance off the hips landed short of Taylor.
3rd T20I
West Indies 147 for 3 beat Afghanistan 146 for 6 by seven wickets
Marlon Samuels' highest score in T20Is, an unbeaten 66-ball 89, steered West Indies to a whitewash-sealing seven-wicket win at Warner Park. Afghanistan, who were bowled out for 110 and 93 in the first two T20Is, put up their best batting display of the series, but a total of 146 wasn't quite enough to challenge West Indies' line-up.
The hit-and-miss start
Jerome Taylor bowled the first over of the match from around the wicket, and his angle across the right-handed Noor Ali Zadran produced four straight plays and misses. A cover-driven boundary at the end of the over settled Noor's nerves, though, and his next 12 balls produced two sixes and four more fours, including three in a row in Taylor's second over.
Afghanistan raced to 40 for 1 by the end of the fourth over, but Noor's departure in the fifth - bowled by Kesrick Williams after moving too far across his stumps, and too early - slowed them down considerably. Williams, Carlos Brathwaite and Samuel Badree sent down tight post-Powerplay overs, making a clear effort to bowl straight and deny hitting room, and by the end of the 10th over Afghanistan were only 61 for 3.
Nabi, lower order give Afghanistan a fighting chance
The next 10 overs, though, brought a far healthier 85. Sunil Narine, bowling his four overs on the trot from the 12th onwards, was typically frugal, conceding only 27 runs and one boundary, but Afghanistan showed off their hitting power against the quicker bowlers at the other end. Nabi hit two big sixes, Shafiqullah smacked Williams over midwicket and out of Warner Park in the 19th over - before hitting the next two balls for four - and Gulbadin Naib, who only got to face five balls, managed to send one pick-up shot off Taylor sailing over the square leg boundary. In all, Afghanistan scored 55 off the last five overs of seam.
Samuels bosses chase
As was the case in the second T20I, Afghanistan only played one genuine fast bowler, with Shapoor Zadran taking Dawlat Zadran's place, and his only seam support came from Karim Janat, the allrounder. Janat did not have the greatest game - he scored 8 off 17, batting at No. 5, and then conceded 41 off his four overs, bowling a length that was too short for his limited pace. Selection apart, there were tactical errors too - such as waiting until the 11th over to bring on their best bowler, Rashid Khan - and one very costly fielding lapse.
It came in the 10th over, when Nabi, having got the ball to stop on Samuels, dropped a straightforward return catch. Samuels, at that point, was batting on 40 off 32 balls. Nabi pinned Evin Lewis lbw in the same over to end a 61-run second-wicket stand, but it was Samuels who had been hurting Afghanistan the most, clearing his front leg and getting into position to flat-bat anywhere in the arc between point and midwicket.
Lendl Simmons replaced Lewis and made a brisk, attractive 15 before slicing Rashid to long-off, and a small window seemed to open up for Afghanistan, with West Indies needing 65 off 43 at that point. Samuels, though, quickly reduced the gap between runs required and balls remaining, picking up two pulled fours in the next two overs before clattering successive leg-side sixes off Nabi in the 16th. With Jason Mohammed showing off his hitting power as well - a sliced six over point off Janat the highlight of his innings - West Indies strolled home with four balls remaining.
Monday 5 June 2017
County Championship Day 4
Middlesex draw with Somerset
Hampshire beat Warwickshire by an innings and 94 runs
Sussex beat Worcestershire by an innings and seven runs
Notts drew with Derbyshire
Northants beat Durham by two wickets
Hampshire beat Warwickshire by an innings and 94 runs
Sussex beat Worcestershire by an innings and seven runs
Notts drew with Derbyshire
Northants beat Durham by two wickets
Sunday 4 June 2017
County Championship Day 3
Division One:
Yorkshire beat Lancashire by 10 wickets
Middlesex 311-7 v Somerset 443-9d
Warwickshire 254 & 75-2 v Hampshire 515
Division Two:
Worcestershire 312 & 124-4 v Sussex 579-8d
Notts 229 & 313-6 v Derbyshire 363
Northants 338 & 44-1 v Durham 166 & 376
Yorkshire beat Lancashire by 10 wickets
Middlesex 311-7 v Somerset 443-9d
Warwickshire 254 & 75-2 v Hampshire 515
Division Two:
Worcestershire 312 & 124-4 v Sussex 579-8d
Notts 229 & 313-6 v Derbyshire 363
Northants 338 & 44-1 v Durham 166 & 376
Saturday 3 June 2017
County Championship Day 2
Div One:
Lancashire 123 & 141-4 v Yorkshire 273
Warwickshire 49-6 v Hampshire 5151
Middlesex 42-0 v Somerset 443-9d
Div Two:
Durham 166 & 78-1 v Northants 338
Worcs 139-0 v Sussex 579-8d
Notts 229 & 67-2 v Derbyshire 363
Lancashire 123 & 141-4 v Yorkshire 273
Warwickshire 49-6 v Hampshire 5151
Middlesex 42-0 v Somerset 443-9d
Div Two:
Durham 166 & 78-1 v Northants 338
Worcs 139-0 v Sussex 579-8d
Notts 229 & 67-2 v Derbyshire 363
Friday 2 June 2017
County Championship Day 1
Division One:
Yorkshire 93-2 v Lancashire 123
Somerset 161-5 v Middlesex
Hampshire 294-3 v Warwickshire
Division Two:
Sussex 339-3 v Worcestershire
Northants 59-3 v Durham 166
Derbyshire 25-1 v Notts 229
Yorkshire 93-2 v Lancashire 123
Somerset 161-5 v Middlesex
Hampshire 294-3 v Warwickshire
Division Two:
Sussex 339-3 v Worcestershire
Northants 59-3 v Durham 166
Derbyshire 25-1 v Notts 229
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