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Usama Mir eclipses Britain stars with bat and ball to lead Firsts win

Published

2 months ago

August 8, 2023

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Usama Mir eclipses Britain stars with bat and ball to lead Firsts win

Pakistan leg-spinner Usama Mir outshined England stars with a quick-fire unbeaten 32 and two wickets to fire Manchester Originals to an impressive 49-run victory over Birmingham Phoenix in men’s Hundred clash at Emirates Old Trafford.

Phoenix, captained by Ashes returnee Moeen Ali, crumbled to 111 replying to 160 for 8.

Mir boosted Manchester from No. 8 with an inventive 14-ball assault and finished with 2 for 27 from 20 balls as last year’s finalists claimed their first win after an early defeat and no result.

Moeen made 1 off two balls but did not bowl. He did, however, run out his England white-ball captain Jos Buttler for 43 with a direct hit from cover at the non-striker’s end. It was unclear whether Buttler had grounded his bat over the line before it bounced up.

England limited-overs fringe quick Richard Gleeson also returned 2 for 22, including Moeen lbw, as he bowled in a match for the first time since January following wrist surgery.

This was Birmingham’s first completed fixture after two no results.

After being inserted, the Originals were only 26 for 1 after 25 balls following Phil Salt’s early departure lbw to Adam Milne.

With the score on 50, savvy seamer Benny Howell then struck twice en-route to 3 for 21 on a used pitch. Laurie Evans was caught at short fine leg ramping and Max Holden bowled reverse sweeping for a golden duck.

Buttler continued his encouraging start to the competition with a quartet of boundaries in 33 balls, adding to previous scores of 37 not out and 62.

But Ashton Turner, for 21 like Evans, was caught behind attempting to fend off a vicious Tom Helm bouncer before Buttler’s departure was followed by Paul Walter falling caught at short fine leg off Howell to make it 105 for 6 after 76 balls.

Significant impetus was added as Mir scooped, ramped and clobbered a six over midwicket off Kane Richardson. Jamie Overton also powered a useful 22 before being run out as one of two late wickets.

Phoenix’s chase then slipped to 21 for 3 after 14 balls. They lost openers Will Smeed and Ben Duckett caught at midwicket against Gleeson and fellow quick Josh Little before the former struck Moeen on the back pad with a searing yorker.

Liam Livingstone and Jamie Smith, the latter twice in two balls, hit sixes to advance. But it was only a brief respite. Smith was caught at long-on for 15 off Walter’s left-arm seam before Mir had Dan Mousley lbw, leaving Phoenix with a mountain to climb at 64 for 5 after 47. And it was a task too great.

Mir had compatriot Shadab Khan caught at deep midwicket and Livingstone fell caught-and-bowled by his Lancashire team-mate Tom Hartley for an innings-high 27.

Hartley finished with a late 3 for 13 and Ireland’s Little added a second wicket to wrap up victory.

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Bangladesh name Najmul captain for third New Zealand ODI

Published

1 week ago

September 25, 2023

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Bangladesh name Najmul captain for third New Zealand ODI

Bangladesh named batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto captain for the third one-day international against New Zealand and brought several senior players back.

Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam join Najmul for the must-win contest at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday.

New Zealand are leading the three-match series 1-0 thanks to their 86-run win in the second match on Saturday, the side’s first win against Bangladesh in the country in nearly 15 years.

The first match was washed out by rain.

The Kiwis last beat Bangladesh in their own backyard in October 2008.

They then lost the next two series in 2010 and 2013, respectively, by 4-0 and 3-0.

Over that period, New Zealand’s only ODI victory in Bangladesh came against South Africa in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final.

Bangladesh rested Liton Das, Tamim Iqbal, Khaled Ahmed, Soumya Sarkar, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tanzim Hasan, who all played in the second match against New Zealand.

Regular captain Shakib Al Hasan did not play any part of the series. In the absence of Shakib and Liton, Najmul is now set to become the 16th ODI captain for Bangladesh.

The series is the last for both teams ahead of the upcoming World Cup in India, which opens on October 5.

Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Zakir Hasan, Anamul Haque, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Rishad Hossain.

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Sports

Naseem Shah likely to undergo shoulder surgery

Published

1 week ago

September 25, 2023

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Naseem Shah likely to undergo shoulder surgery

Pakistan’s pace icon Naseem Shah, who was injured in the match against India in the Asia Cup, is likely to undergo shoulder surgery.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Shah had been asked for the shoulder surgery following his medical examination and consultation with experts. It is expected that recovery of fast bowler will take four months.

Also Read: Naseem Shah bowls Indian girl over with ‘charming look’

Earlier, Pakistan Cricket Team chief selector Inzamamul Haq had also mentioned the health of Shah while he was announcing the squad for the ICC World Cup.

Also Read: Naseem Shah does it again as Pakistan win last-over thriller against Afghanistan

Naseem Shah, who is not part of the World Cup 2023 squad expressed his dismay through his Tweet.

Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Shah mentioned that “With a heavy heart, I’m sharing that I will not be part of this amazing team that will be representing our beloved country. While I’m disappointed, I believe everything is in Allah’s hands. InshahAllah will be on the field very soon.”

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Sports

Leather, willow and sunflowers: China gets to grip with cricket

Published

1 week ago

September 25, 2023

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Leather, willow and sunflowers: China gets to grip with cricket

There’s a reverential hush from the respectful crowd as Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal opens the bowling to Bangladesh’s Shathi Rani in the Asian Games women’s bronze medal match in Hangzhou.

The sound of leather on willow echoes around the purpose-built cricket ground, which until recently was full of sunflowers.

The atmosphere is more village green than the fever pitch of, say, Pakistan’s Gaddafi Stadium, but the few hundred spectators are fully engaged — even if many admit to never seeing the game before.

Almost entirely Chinese, the crowd “oohs and aahs” and clap when a wicket falls, cheer every boundary and then look bewildered when a loud lbw appeal pierces the serenity of the Zhejiang University of Technology (ZJUT) Cricket Field.

“I didn’t ever see cricket before so I was interested to know more about this sport,” said spectator Huang Dapeng, who runs his own business in Hangzhou. “I’m starting to understand it a little, but I am really enjoying it anyway.” A few have some knowledge of the game and seem captivated.

“I travelled to Sri Lanka before and a friend invited me to watch cricket, so I became interested,” said Liang Xiaoqian, a travel agent. “When I heard it was in the Asian Games I wanted to learn more about this game,” she added, ahead of Monday afternoon’s final between India and Sri Lanka.

“I am enjoying watching. I will be supporting Sri Lanka in the gold medal match.” Others are there just because it is the Asian Games and they want to watch sport, any sport. “It’s the only Asian Games tickets we could get,” said a smiling Jeff Wang, an engineer who was sitting in the stand with his father Wang Hang.

“It’s my first time to watch cricket. It’s unknown to me before, I don’t really know what is going on. “But I did hear this game is very famous in South Asia.”

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