Smriti Mandhana leads Indian batting effort again, just two days after retiring hurt when she was struck by a Shabnim Ismail bouncer

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2022

India beat West Indies in their second warm-up fixture ahead of the Women’s World Cup, and now enter the main tournament on the back of successive warm-up wins after also beating South Africa on Sunday. While half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma set them up for a total of 258, a solid all-round effort with the ball ensured West Indies stopped at 177 for 9.Mandhana and Deepti added 117 for the second wicket after Shafali Verma fell for a second-ball duck, the opener’s relatively dry recent run continuing – she made 0 and 9 in the last two ODIs against New Zealand last week after having hit a 57-ball 51 in the third game, her first score of note in some time.Related

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But India would be relieved with Mandhana’s innings, as she cracked 66 from just 67 balls just two days after being forced to retire hurt when she was hit in the helmet by a Shabnim Ismail bouncer that caused “a mild soft tissue injury to her left earlobe which caused discomfort while batting”.Mithali Raj and Yastika Bhatia also chipped in with decent hands, of 30 and 42 respectively, after Cherry-Ann Fraser dismissed Mandhana and Deepti. Despite the good contributions, it was a worry for India as they slipped from 142 for 2 in the 27th over to 195 for 5 by the 37th. Fraser finished with 2 for 24 from five overs.Karishma Ramharack and Hayley Matthews picked up two wickets apiece too, but West Indies’ batters didn’t quite come to the party during the chase, losing their top four with just 53 on the board.Pooja Vastrakar struck twice up top, while Deepti and Meghna Singh picked up a wicket each. A brief recovery between Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle took West Indies to 122, before Meghna got rid of Matthews for 44 in the 38th over.By then, West Indies’ required rate had shot up, as they needed another 137 from the remaining 73 deliveries. And Vastrakar pretty much sealed it for India after she bowled Campbelle for 63.Sophie Devine smashed 161 not out in just 117 balls•ICC via Getty

New Zealand chased down a steep target of 322 seemingly with ease against Australia, getting to 325 with nine wickets in hand and nearly seven overs to spare. Captain Sophie Devine led the show with an unbeaten 161 off just 117 balls, an innings that featured 23 fours and four sixes. She got great company from fellow opener Suzie Bates, who hit 63 in a stand of 119 for the first wicket.There was no respite for Australia even after Alana King got rid of Bates, as Amelia Kerr continued her excellent form to remain undefeated on 92 from just 75 balls, cracking 13 fours on her way. The New Zealand batters took a special liking for Annabel Sutherland, smashing her for 41 in three overs, and Ashleigh Gardner, who went for 34 in her three.Before that, four half-centuries from Australia’s top six took them to what seemed like a winning total of 321, with captain Meg Lanning leading the way with 87 at just over a run-a-ball. Opener Alyssa Healy hit 64 and Beth Mooney struck a 51-ball 55, but the real impact came from Gardner at No. 6, as she clattered 60 from only 32 balls with six fours and four sixes.But Hannah Rowe, with 4 for 49, cleaned up Australia middle-order to help bowl them out with three balls left.In the end, though, the total wasn’t enough for Australia, who had beaten West Indies in their first warm-up. New Zealand, meanwhile, hit their straps after losing to Pakistan on Sunday. They will play the tournament opener against West Indies on Friday.

Plans being formulated to renovate a total of eight venues around the USA

Peter Della Penna18-Mar-2022The organizers of Major League Cricket, USA’s officially sanctioned T20 franchise league anticipated to launch in 2023, announced on Thursday the next phase of their venue development plan, in which they intend to spend approximately $110 million dollars on building or renovating a total of eight venues around the USA.Aside from five venues already in existence earmarked for upgrades, MLC is in negotiations to secure land and build new venues at Marymoor Park in the eastern Seattle suburb of Redmond, Washington; as well as two California venues – one proposed for the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, and the other in Orange County south of Los Angeles.”This array of venue developments in areas with significant cricket-passionate communities comes as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has identified the United States as its primary target market to expand the game with the award of co-hosting rights to the 2024 T20 Men’s World Cup,” Sameer Mehta, co-founder of Major League Cricket, said. “MLC is committed to supporting that vision alongside its long-term partner USA Cricket and we’re excited to work together to transform the landscape and opportunities for cricket to rapidly develop across the country with this infrastructure investment.”The announcement comes following the first venue acquisition made by MLC and its parent American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) in November 2020 of AirHogs Stadium in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Grand Prairie. The former minor league baseball facility was originally due to have renovations completed for its opening as a cricket venue in 2022.But according to multiple sources, administrators experienced logistical difficulties securing permits to begin construction work on making necessary design changes to the facility to make it suitable for cricket. As a result, MLC still has yet to break ground on any construction work, but officials have stated that construction is now anticipated to begin in April 2022. When it opened as a baseball facility in 2008, seating capacity was 5,445, but MLC has stated that once renovations are completed it will have 7,000 permanent seats with a total capacity of 15,000, though it may be expanded to 20,000 with temporary seating for large-scale events.The other venues currently in existence which MLC has committed to making upgrades to are Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina, as well as two venues in the Houston metropolitan area: Moosa Stadium, located about 25 miles south of downtown Houston in the suburb of Pearland; and Prairie View Cricket Complex, which is located 50 miles northwest of Houston in the university town of Prairie View. Church Street Park is anticipated to have the most significant changes, with broadcast facilities and up to 3,500 permanent seats added to the facility making total capacity expandable up to 5,000. According to an MLC spokesperson, changes to each of the existing facilities will cost upwards of $3 million per venue.Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida is the only ICC ODI accredited venue in the USA•Peter Della PennaAt the moment, the three most likely venues to have successful bids for USA’s half of co-hosting the 2024 Men’s ICC T20 World Cup would be AirHogs Stadium, Church Street Park and Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida. The 10,000 capacity Broward County Stadium is currently the only ICC certified ODI and T20I venue in the USA and MLC says it is also in discussions with local officials to invest in making upgrades to the facility.However, MLC has announced they are in negotiations with city officials for three new west coast venues which could not only open up doors for staging venues for the franchise league ahead of its anticipated launch in 2023, but could also serve as potential venues for the 2024 T20 World Cup with each design plan for the three venues projecting a capacity between 10,000 and 20,000. An MLC spokesperson says that the projected cost for each of the venues in Seattle, San Jose and Orange County will be approximately $30 million.None of MLC’s plans include a venue in the New York metropolitan area. However, a group unaffiliated with MLC is trying to rally support for securing land to build a possible venue. Their proposed plan involves securing land at one of three potential sites: Marine Park in Brooklyn; Spring Creek Park just west of JFK Airport along the Belt Parkway in Queens; or repurposing the south parking lot at Aqueduct Racetrack, also in Queens. Businessman Chubb Bedessee, who has longstanding ties in both the New York and West Indian cricket communities, is spearheading the initiative in the hopes that New York can be a host venue for the 2024 Men’s ICC T20 World Cup.Bedessee’s NYC stadium project is also being supported by former ICC events manager Eddie Fitzgibbon, Jamaica Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller, USA Cricket board member Ajith Bhaskar and former USA Cricket Association executive secretary John Aaron, among others. In the four weeks since an online petition went live on February 22 soliciting signatures in support of the project, a source told ESPNcricinfo that 830 people have signed the petition.

Celtic made a huge profit in the transfer market when they decided to cash in on attacking midfielder Matt O’Riley at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion swooped in to secure a deal for the Denmark international for a fee that is reported to be worth more than £25m.

The Hoops struck gold with the English-born star, who they paid £1.5m for from MK Dons at the start of 2022, as they made a profit of more than £23.5m on him.

Celtic's most profitable stars

O’Riley is not the first example of a big profit for the Glaswegian side with their player trading model undoubtedly the very best in Scotland.

Just think of academy graduate Kieran Tierney who was sold to Arsenal in a mega £25m deal. Think Odsonne Edouard who also left for the Premier League, heading in the direction of Crystal Palace for a fee of around £14m.

The profit Celtic made on Kristoffer Ajer was colossal too. Signed the Dane as a teenager for a price of £500k, he subsequently headed to Brentford in a move that cost the London side a fee of £13.5m.

So, who could be the next mega-money mover out of Parkhead? Well, they’re well and truly set to strike gold if they ship off one of their Champions League stars of the recent week and a bit…

Celtic's next mega-money sale

In the January transfer window at the start of 2024, Brendan Rodgers looked to improve his options out wide and turned to the Austrian Bundesliga to sign a German forward.

It was reported that the Scottish giants splashed out a fee of £3m to sign 24-year-old winger Nicolas Kuhn from Rapid Vienna on a five-and-a-half-year deal.

In the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, Kuhn had two goals, five assists, and 11 ‘big chances’ created in 16 appearances in the Bundesliga for his former club.

He followed that up with a return of two goals, two assists, and five ‘big chances’ created in 14 outings for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership during the second half of the season.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

The left-footed wizard’s form during the current campaign, after a full pre-season with the Hoops, has now garnered interest from elsewhere and caused his value to soar.

Nicolas Kuhn's current market value in 2024

Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg claimed that Premier League teams Fulham and Brentford have both been keeping tabs on the German attacker and are eyeing up a possible move for the winger.

It was also recently reported by Kronen Zeitung, via the Daily Record, that a potential fee of €30m (£25m) has been discussed for the former Bayern Munich youngster, which would be around the same value as O’Riley’s move to Brighton.

This means that his value, as it stands, has soared by a staggering 733% from the initial £3m that the club paid to sign him from Rapid Vienna at the start of the year, showing that the Hoops hit the jackpot when they brought him to Parkhead.

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn has been on fire in the Premiership so far this season, with ten direct goal contributions in eight starts.

In all competitions, the impressive sensation has contributed with ten goals and 11 assists in 14 starts in all competitions, which shows that he has consistently made a huge impact in the final third, hence why his value has soared.

Kuhn was described as a “cheat code” by pundit Lee Miller recently, which is backed up by his statistics, and his sensational performances on the pitch show that the club have struck gold with him.

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1

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Dan Emery

Nov 13, 2024

It will now be interesting to see whether or not Brentford, Fulham or another potentially interested side, are willing to come in with an offer of £25m or more when the window opens for business.

Laurie Evans has quit red-ball cricket after signing a white-ball-only contract extension with Surrey.Evans re-joined Surrey on an all-formats contract in 2020 after three seasons with Sussex and has played five first-class matches in his second stint at The Oval, including two appearances in last summer’s County Championship.He had initially joined Sussex in a bid to play more first-class cricket after struggling for regular first-team opportunities at Warwickshire, but has become a sought-after T20 batter around the world since finishing the Blast as the competition’s leading run-scorer in 2018. Most recently, he was player-of-the-match in the Big Bash final to help Perth Scorchers beat Sydney Sixers to the trophy.Evans leaves the red-ball game at the age of 34 after 73 first-class appearances, in which he made six hundreds and 18 fifties to finish with an average of 29.36.Related

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“I have made the decision to focus the remainder of my career on white-ball cricket for a number of reasons,” Evans said in a statement. “Firstly, I still have a burning ambition to play at international level. The chances of me doing this in Test cricket are gone but I still believe that I could do a job for England in white-ball cricket and by focusing my efforts purely on this, I can best develop my skills further.”Secondly, I believe this is the best way for me to manage myself physically over the coming years. I am loving my time at The Kia Oval and also the experiences I am getting from playing in franchise competitions around the world.”Finally, I believe this is the best decision for Surrey County Cricket Club as it allows younger players to gain experience in red-ball cricket with me stepping aside fully. I would like to thank the club for their continued understanding and support.”Evans’ contract with Surrey was due to expire at the end of the 2022 season but has now been extended for at least one more year with the option of a further season.He will, in theory, be available for Surrey in all white-ball cricket but is almost certain to be signed in the Hundred draft at the end of March, which will mean he misses the Royal London Cup and is only available in the T20 Blast. He has previously played in the Caribbean Premier League and his retirement from red-ball cricket could open up further CPL opportunities.Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said: “This is not a choice I would advise any younger player to make while there is still plenty of time for them to achieve so much in the game.”However, at this stage of Laurie’s career and after discussing it at length with him, I fully understand and respect the decision he has made. I look forward to seeing him perform in T20 cricket for Surrey over the coming seasons.”Surrey failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the T20 Blast last season but are expected to compete this season. They have re-signed Chris Jordan from Sussex as captain, while Dan Worrall, who has regularly taken the new ball for Adelaide Strikers in the BBL, has signed as a local player and several England players – including Tom Curran, Sam Curran and Jason Roy – are expected to be available for most of the group stages.

After an incredibly tough start to their first Premier League campaign in 22 years, Ipswich Town are looking like a team that can stay up.

Kieran McKenna’s side have already played the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, and yet they are just one point off of safety.

However, today brings with it another stern test as the Suffolk side take on the high-flying Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, and should he be fit, they’ll have to find a way of coping with the talented Morgan Gibbs-White.

Fortunately, the Tractor Boys should be in high spirits following their draw with United on Sunday, and they even have an answer to the Forest ace in one of their own exciting attackers.

Ipswich's recent form

Impressively, Ipswich are unbeaten in their last three league games, drawing away to Leicester City, beating Spurs, and then, of course, earning a famous point at home against the Red Devils over the weekend.

There were standout performers all over the pitch for the Tractor Boys on Sunday, including summer signing Dara O’Shea, who looked like a brick wall at times.

The Irishman received an 8/10 rating at full-time from the East Anglian Daily Times’ Alex Jones for his efforts, and as his statistics from the game show, it was fully deserved.

For example, in just 94 minutes, he was able to make four tackles, five clearances, two interceptions, win ten of ten duels, and even block a shot for good measure.

Alongside the Irishman, Jones awarded captain Sam Morsy an 8/10 for his efforts, and once again, it’s an opinion that’s hard to argue against, as alongside making two interceptions and one clearance, the Egyptian international made things tick in the middle of the park, taking 84 touches and completing 67 of 71 passes.

However, while both starters put in stellar performances, Jones’ man of the match was someone else entirely, someone who could be McKenna’s answer to Gibbs-White.

Ipswich's answer to Gibbs-White

So, to get right to the point, the Ipswich player who seriously impressed on Sunday and could be the team’s answer to Gibbs-White is none other than Omari Hutchinson.

The former Chelsea star scored the Tractor Boys’ only goal against United, earned a 9/10 from Jones, and generally looked a threat all game, but why is he the club’s Gibbs-White?

Well, the first reason is his positional versatility.

Like the Forest ace, the “superb” 21-year-old gem, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is more than capable of playing off the right or in attacking midfield, depending on what the team needs at any given time.

This ability to play in two different areas of the pitch and do so well is such an incredibly useful skill to have, as it allows the manager more flexibility in how he sets up his team or reacts to the opposition.

The second reason is related to what we saw on Sunday: the ability to just make something happen for their team.

Now, it’s true that the Redhill-born dynamo has struggled with his output this season, but it is his first season of top-flight football, and in 50 appearances for the Blues last season, he racked up an impressive haul of 11 goals and six assists.

Moreover, he scored crucial goals, including two in the penultimate game of the season away from Hull City, and then scored the team’s second goal against Huddersfield Town on the final day of the season, thus securing promotion.

Ultimately, Hutchinson is an incredibly exciting prospect in his own right, but it’s his positional flexibility and ability to make things happen that make him Ipswich’s own Gibbs-White, and therefore, McKenna has to play him today.

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By
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Nov 21, 2024

Before the weekend’s disappointing draw away to Fulham, Arsenal were riding high courtesy of a 2-0 home win against fierce rivals Manchester United.

However, it wasn’t just the fixture that made Wednesday night’s clash a special one; it was also the fact that it was the 500th competitive men’s game at the Emirates Stadium.

It’s a stadium that has seen some special players in the 18 years since it was completed, but the last couple of years have been the first time it’s hosted a side that are bonafide title challengers and good enough to go all the way in Europe.

Therefore, while plenty of brilliant signings have been made since 2006, it’s hard to look past this current crop of players as the best of the Emirates era, particularly Martin Odegaard.

That said, he may not hold the crown for being one of Arsenal’s best deals of recent years for too much longer. More on that player in just a moment…

Odegaard's Arsenal career

Arsenal initially signed Odegaard on a six-month loan deal from Real Madrid in January 2021, and while he certainly wasn’t poor in that spell, his tally of two goals and two assists in 20 appearances wasn’t exactly earth-shattering.

However, Arteta and Edu Gaspar had a vision of the team with the Norwegian at the centre and opted to pay Los Blancos £30m for his services that summer, and what a game-changing decision that has since turned out to be.

The Drammen-born magician has become absolutely essential to how the Gunners play and his leadership abilities saw him named club captain in 2022 at just 23 years old.

Appearances

163

Goals

36

Assists

28

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

So far, the 25-year-old superstar has scored 36 goals and provided 28 assists in 163 appearances for the club, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.54 games, and on top of that, he has the increasingly rare ability to get fans on their feet with a piece of immaculate close control or an aesthetically dazzling pass.

Overall, while he is yet to lead the club to a title or trophy, there can be no denying that Odegaard has been an utterly sublime signing for Arsenal and easily one of the best since the Emirates was completed.

However, he’s not the only one that fits that description in the current squad.

The newest member of Arsenal's best Emirates-era signings

So, while there are more than a handful of players in the current squad who could be named here, the player we are talking about is Dutch defender Jurrien Timber, who joined the club for £38m last summer.

Now, we know that it probably is too easy to make such a sweeping statement about a player who is essentially in his first season for the club, but he’s looked that impressive, and what’s football without a little bit of hyperbole?

With that said, what makes the former Ajax defender such a special player, so special in fact that respected analyst Ben Mattinon proclaimed him “one of the best signings of the Emirates era” late last month?

Well, it’s twofold, and the first reason is simply that he’s a modern full-back who is more than capable of defending.

The Amsterdam-born titan might not be on the level as William Saliba or Gabriel Magahales in this respect, but when he’s starting on the right-hand side, it’s rare to see him skinned by an opposing player or come out on the losing side of a physical battle, despite being just 5 foot 10.

However, the most significant reason why people have been so impressed with the 23-year-old is the difference he makes going forward.

While Ben White was great at overlapping with Bukayo Saka on the right, the Dutchman seems to be comfortable doing that and underlapping, and as his former manager Michael Reiziger says, he’s “at ease and one with the ball.”

We also saw him score his first goal for the club against United, chipping in with a header in the absence of Gabriel.

Ultimately, while he’s not the flashiest of players, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore his consistently brilliant performances when he starts on the right, and perhaps the biggest compliment you can pay him is that White will have an almighty battle on his hands to displace him when fit.

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أسفرت قرعة كأس أمم إفريقيا للشباب تحت 20 عامًا، عن وقوع منتخب مصر في مواجهة جنوب إفريقيا في مباراة الافتتاح للبطولة القارية المقامة على أرض مصر.

وتقام بطولة كأس أمم إقريقيا للشباب في مصر، بعد اعتذار كوت ديفوار عن عدم استضافة البطولة، خلال الفترة من 27 أبريل الجاري وحتى 18 مايو المقبل.

وجاء منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولي من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للشباب بجانب منتخبات جنوب إفريقيا وسيراليون وزامبيا. موعد مباراة مصر وجنوب إفريقيا في افتتاح كأس أمم إفريقيا تحت 20 عامًا

يلعب منتخب مصر مع جنوب إفريقيا في الجولة الأولى لمباريات المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا يوم الأحد الموافق 27 أبريل الجاري.

يذكر، أن بطولة كأس أمم أفريقيا للشباب، تعد مؤهلة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم للشباب 2025، التي ستقام في دولة تشيلي.

Ruben Amorim kickstarted his Manchester United tenure with a 1-1 draw away against newly promoted Ipswich Town at Portman Road this afternoon.

Marcus Rashford handed the Red Devils the dream start, firing home after just 81 seconds following superb work down the right-hand side by Amad Diallo.

However, they were pegged back before the interval, after Omari Hutchinson’s strike from the edge of the box found the top corner via a deflection off the head of Noussair Mazraoui.

The point takes Manchester United up to 12th in the Premier League, six points off the top four, with a Champions League place still up for grabs come the end of the season.

Undoubtedly, Amorim’s new system will take time to implement, but after today’s showing, he simply must be considering dropping numerous players after their disappointing performances.

Man Utd’s below-par performers against Ipswich

Midfielder Christian Eriksen started from the off in East Anglia, being preferred to academy star Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte, despite the Uruguayan’s previous stint under the new boss at Sporting CP.

The Denmark international featured for 68 minutes before being replaced by striker Joshua Zirkzee as United hunted for an equaliser during the closing stages.

However, before his withdrawal, the 32-year-old failed to impress, lacking tempo and looking sluggish throughout. He only won 50% of the duels he contested, whilst also losing possession ten times, looking wasteful with the ball at his feet.

Eriksen wasn’t the only player to disappoint in the draw, with teammate Alejandro Garnacho failing to make the impression he would have wished for in the first outing under the 39-year-old.

The Argentine featured in a wide left position, but was unable to create any opportunities within the final third, losing the ball every time he attempted a take-on and missing one big chance that could have secured all three points for the Red Devils.

The youngster was also outfought by former United talent Axel Tuanzebe, losing eight duels – the most of any player within Amorim’s starting XI.

However, the aforementioned pair weren’t the only two players to produce a disappointing display, with one other first-team member needing to be dropped as a result of his below-par showing.

The player Amorim needs to drop after Ipswich

Brazilian midfielder Casemiro has been a man under scrutiny in recent months for his failure to demonstrate why the hierarchy forked out £70m for his signature in 2022.

Despite his failures under former boss Erik ten Hag, he was handed an opportunity from the off by the new manager but was unable to grab his chance with both hands.

The 32-year-old was largely bypassed in the first half at Portman Road, being dribbled past twice as the hosts looked to counterattack given their lowly possession stat of just 40%.

Minutes played

56

Touches

28

Passes completed

16/23 (70%)

Dribbled past

2

Duels won

3/5

Possession lost

7x

Interceptions made

0

Casemiro also lost possession seven times in the first 45 minutes before being replaced just after the break by Ugarte – giving the ball away once every seven minutes during his time on the pitch.

He also only registered a tally of 28 touches within his display, a tally fewer than goalkeeper Andre Onana who registered 57 during the draw against Kieran McKenna’s men.

As a result, the former Real Madrid ace was handed a measly 4/10 match rating from the Metro’s Tony Mogan – an indication of how disappointing he was throughout the encounter.

Amorim will have to be brutal during his spell at Old Trafford if he is to bring the glory days back to the North West, with numerous players potentially being axed from his squad.

Casemiro and Garnacho will be two players lucky to retain their starting roles over the coming weeks after their outings this afternoon, with both players unable to have the desired effect against the Tractor Boys.

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Former captain will continue to play T20Is, having represented South Africa in 154 ODIs and a solitary Test

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2022South Africa batter Mignon du Preez has announced her retirement from ODIs and Tests with immediate effect. She said her decision was based on the need to focus more on the shortest format of the game, and on the need to spend more time with her family.”I’ve been wonderfully fortunate to play in four ICC ODI World Cups to date,” du Preez said in a statement released by CSA. “These have been some of my most treasured memories in life. I feel South African women’s cricket is in a very healthy state, and the time is right to step away and allow the next generation of exciting cricketers to continue to grow this beautiful game of ours.”Related

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du Preez retires from the two formats, having played a solitary Test – which came back in 2014 against India, when she hit 102 in a losing cause – and 154 ODIs where she piled up 3760 runs in a career that started in 2007. The 32-year-old even captained her country in 46 ODIs from 2011 to 2016, with South Africa winning 24 of those.”I would like to take a moment to thank everyone at Cricket South Africa and the Board for their continuous support during my ODI career,” she said. “I am extremely grateful for the honour to have represented my country in 154 ODI games and also for the opportunity to have captained my country at the highest level.”South Africa lost to England in the semi-final of the recently-concluded women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand, which now turns out to be du Preez’s final ODI appearance.She was also the Player of the Match in a must-win fixture against India, where her innings of 52* from No. 5 held her side together in a tense chase of 275, which they ultimately managed to achieve off the final ball.South Africa are next scheduled to play a T20I in England this July, a tour which also comprises a Test and three ODIs before the three T20Is.

England looking to overcome late batting collapse which nearly cost them against NZ

Valkerie Baynes23-Mar-2022

Sophia Dunkley will be looking to reprise the finisher role that has served her side well when England take on Pakistan in Thursday’s World Cup clash in Christchurch.England, the defending champions, are treating the match as another must-win clash, while Pakistan have been buoyed by their victory over West Indies earlier this week to break an 18-match losing streak at Women’s World Cups stretching over 13 years. England have won their last two matches after teetering on the brink of elimination with defeats in their opening three.Dunkley has scored 142 runs for the tournament so far, at an average of 28.40 and a strike rate of 84.02. Her highest score, 38, came batting at No. 7, but she has moved up to No. 6 since England replaced struggling opener Lauren Winfield-Hill with Danni Wyatt.During the English summer, Dunkley played some key innings for her side at No. 6, her calmness under pressure standing out. In her maiden ODI innings with the bat, she scored 73 not out and staged an unbroken partnership worth 92 for the sixth wicket with Katherine Brunt as England beat India by five wickets in Taunton last June.Related

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Consistent Cross continues to fly under the radar

WI, SA cast worried eye over batting line-ups ahead of high-stakes clash

Her unbeaten 33 from 25 balls in a 79-run stand with Wyatt helped bury New Zealand in Canterbury after Tammy Beaumont’s century at the top of the order set up victory by 203 runs. Earlier in New Zealand’s tour of England, Dunkley also shared important partnerships with Heather Knight and Brunt, scoring 22 not out off 21 balls in the process, as England won with just one ball remaining to clinch their T20I series 2-1.In the World Cup, England were on track for a comfortable win against New Zealand in Auckland on Sunday, with Dunkley and Nat Sciver putting on 70 runs for the fifth wicket, but then they lost 5 for 20 in 4.4 overs and managed to squeeze home by one wicket.”For me, it would be finishing games off and just getting that win clinically done,” Dunkley said of the improvements she was seeking personally from the rest of the group stage. “The other day we lost a few wickets late on in the game and it put us under a bit of pressure.”I think having that set batter there at the end would definitely do us the world of good, so definitely looking to finish a few more games off going forward… It’s just how we deal with that pressure a bit differently and feel a bit calmer towards the back end. But I think we took a lot from it, so hopefully, it’s a good learning point for us.”England can afford to lose one of their remaining two group games – they play Bangladesh on Saturday – if second-placed South Africa beat either West Indies or India. If that happens, and New Zealand beat Pakistan in their last group game, England would be tied on points with New Zealand and either West Indies or India. Net run rate would then come into the equation and, with England well ahead of New Zealand and West Indies, they could still advance.That so many permutations remain in play points to the closeness of the contest between the mid-table sides.”We’re always under a little bit of pressure throughout the World Cup because it is such a tight tournament,” Dunkley said. “But coming off two wins, we’re feeling pretty confident in the group, and we’re in quite a good place, so looking forward to the challenge. It’s quite an exciting opportunity.”It felt like the last two games were almost semi-finals in themselves for us because, had we lost, it puts us in a terrible position, so I think having those experiences and those feelings will be great. Hopefully, we can get a couple more wins that aren’t as nerve-wracking and aren’t as close, but good to have that experience for sure.”It is also why England aren’t taking Pakistan lightly, especially given their performance to beat West Indies in a rain-affected game by eight wickets, led by offspinner Nida Dar’s career-best 4 for 10.”They played really well the other day and beat West Indies really well, so they’ve got a lot of good players in that team,” Dunkley said. “It’s a game that obviously we need to win, and we’re going to be looking out for them and making sure we can combat that.”It was clear to see Pakistan’s bowling attack was really good, and they have got a lot of good spinners in their attack, and we know that there’s going to be a lot of spin coming our way. So it’s just playing the best we can with the bat and putting in a good performance against them. They’ve come off a great win so it will be challenging, I’m sure.”