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Track the squads ahead of the new seasons as clubs build their lists

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2025 • Updated on 25-Aug-2025

Adelaide Strikers

Men: Hasan Ali (Pak), Cameron Boyce, Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Mackenzie Harvey, Thomas Kelly, Chris Lynn, Harry Nielsen, Jamie Overton (Eng), Lloyd Pope, Alex Ross, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Matt Short, Henry Thornton, Luke Wood (Eng)
In Jason Sangha (Thunder), Mackenzie Harvey (Renegades)
Out Brendan Doggett (Renegades), Jake Weatherald (Hurricanes)Women: Jemma Barsby, Tammy Beaumont (Eng), Darcie Brown, Sophie Ecclestone (Eng), Anesu Mushangwe, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Madeline Penna, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Wolvaardt (SA)
In
Out Katie Mack (Scorchers)Related

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Brisbane Heat

Men: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pak), Tom Alsop (Eng), Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Lachlan Hearne, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro (NZ), Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Callum Vidler, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth
In Lachlan Hearne, Hugh Weibgen (Thunder)
Out Mitchell Swepson (Stars)Women: Lily Bassingthwaighte, Bonnie Berry, Lucy Bourke, Nadine de Klerk (SA), Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Chinelle Henry (WI), Jess Jonassen, Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Jemimah Rodrigues (Ind)
In TBC
Out Laura Harris (Thunder)

Hobart Hurricanes

Men: Rehan Ahmed (Eng), Iain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Rishad Hossain (Ban), Chris Jordan (Eng), Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster, Mac Wright
In Jake Weatherald (Strikers), Beau Webster (Stars)
Out Caleb Jewell (Renegades)Women: Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Nat Sciver-Brunt (Eng), Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Linsey Smith (Eng), Molly Strano, Elyse Villani, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
In TBC
Out TBCCaleb Jewell has moved from Hurricanes to Renegades•Getty Images

Melbourne Renegades

Men: Jason Behrendorff, Josh Brown, Harry Dixon, Brendan Doggett, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Caleb Jewell, Hassan Khan (Pak), Nathan Lyon, Fergus O’Neill, Ollie Peake, Mohammad Rizwan (Pak), Tom Rogers, Tim Seifert (NZ), Will Sutherland, Adam Zampa
In Jason Behrendorff (Scorchers), Brendan Doggett (Strikers), Caleb Jewell (Hurricanes)
Out Mackenzie Harvey (Strikers)Women: Alice Capsey (Eng), Emma de Broughe, Deandra Dottin (WI), Tess Flintoff, Milly Illingworth, Sophie Molineux, Naomi Stalenberg, Georgia Wareham
In Tess Flintoff (Stars)
Out Ella Hayward (Stars), Georgia Prestwidge (Stars)

Melbourne Stars

Men: Austin Anlezark, Scott Boland, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke (Eng), Tom Curran (Eng), Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell, Hamish McKenzie, Haris Rauf (Pak), Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson
In Liam Hatcher (Thunder), Mitch Swepson (Heat)
Out Beau Webster (Hurricanes), Joel Paris (Scorchers)Women: Sophie Day, Kim Garth, Dani Gibson (Eng), Ella Hayward, Amy Jones (Eng), Marizanne Kapp (RSA), Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Ines McKeon, Georgia Prestwidge, Sophie Reid, Annabel Sutherland
In Ella Hayward (Renegades), Georgia Prestwidge (Renegades)
Out Tess Flintoff (Renegades), Hasrat Gill (Thunder)

Perth Scorchers

Men: Ashton Agar, Finn Allen (NZ), Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Laurie Evans (Eng), Sam Fanning, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Bryce Jackson, Matt Kelly, Mitchell Marsh, Lance Morris, Joel Paris, David Payne (Eng), Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner
In Joel Paris (Stars), Bryce Jackson
Out Jason Behrendorff (Renegades)Katie Mack has signed with Scorchers•Getty Images

Women: Chloe Ainsworth, Maddy Darke, Sophie Devine (NZ), Amy Edgar, Mikayla Hinkley, Ebony Hoskin, Alana King, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Paige Scholfield (Eng), Chloe Tryon (SA)
In Katie Mack (Strikers)
Out TBC

Sydney Sixers

Men: Sean Abbott, Babar Azam (Pak), Jafer Chohan (Eng), Sam Curran (Eng), Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Kane Richardson, Lachlan Shaw, Jordan Silk, Steven Smith
In Kane Richardson
OutWomen: Caoimhe Bray, Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Sophia Dunkley (Eng), Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Elsa Hunter, Amelia Kerr (NZ), Ellyse Perry, Courtney Sippel, Mady Villiers
In Elsa Hunter
Out TBC

Sydney Thunder

Men: R Ashwin (Ind), Tom Andrews, Wes Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings (Eng), Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson (NZ), Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Shadab Khan (Pak), Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner
In
Out Liam Hatcher (Stars), Jason Sangha (Strikers), Hugh Weibgen (Heat)Women: Chamari Athapaththu (SL), Samantha Bates, Ella Briscoe, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Hasrat Gill, Laura Harris, Shabnim Ismail (SA), Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson
In Laura Harris (Heat), Hasrat Gill (Stars)

Out Sammy Jo-Johnson (retired)

Middlesex stutter to 189 for 8 on truncated day at Emirates Old Trafford

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay16-Sep-2025Middlesex 189 for 8 (De Caires 52, Geddes 52, Bailey 4-60) vs Lancashire Tom Bailey took four wickets to ensure Lancashire reduced Middlesex’s already slim promotion hopes still further on a rain-affected second day of the Rothesay County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.After the first day of the game had been wiped out by rain, only 44 overs’ play was possible between the heavy showers on the second but the visitors ended a long and mostly sunlit evening session on 189 for 8 after Ben Geddes had been dismissed for 52 four overs before the close and Seb Morgan had fallen lbw to Bailey’s last ball of a truncated day.Having been asked to bat first in bowler-friendly conditions, the visitors were also indebted to opener Josh De Caires, who made 52 runs, many of them against the new ball at a time when the players were regularly forced off the field by rain.The match began at noon but barely 20 minutes’ play was possible before a heavy shower forced the players off again. In that time, however, Middlesex lost two wickets in five overs, Sam Robson being caught at second slip by Keaton Jennings off Bailey for 9, and the left-handed Luke Hollman being taken at first slip by Michael Jones for a four-ball nought when James Anderson slanted a ball across him and induced the edge.Two balls later – and probably to Hollman’s intense irritation – more showers blew in on the westerly wind and prevented play resuming for over two hours. An early lunch was taken and Middlesex resumed their innings on 13 for 2.On the bright side, the visitors then added 48 runs in six overs, De Caires hitting three successive fours off Tom Aspinwall and the visitors bringing up their fifty in the tenth over. However, only seven more balls were possible, though, before yet more heavy rain arrived from the direction of the Party Stand with Middlesex on 61 for 2.Play resumed at four o’clock and Middlesex immediately lost two wickets to successive deliveries from Aspinwall. Having put on 54 with de Caires, Leus du Plooy was caught behind for 22 when attempting to drive and Ryan Higgins departed first ball when he appeared surprised by Aspinwall’s pace and edged a catch to Jones at first slip.Geddes joined de Caires and the pair put on another 54 runs during the course of which the Middlesex opener was dropped by Bailey off his own bowling when on 46. De Caires reached his fifty off 65 balls when he nicked Bailey past third slip and to the boundary but the opener was caught behind for 52 three balls later when driving ambitiously at the same bowler.Josh Bohannon was introduced into the attack from the Statham End and struck with his first ball when he bowled Joe Cracknell for 6. By the close, however, Middlesex had recovered to near parity in the conditions with Geddes having reached his 50 off 80 balls with five fours and three sixes, all of the latter having been whacked over the short boundary on the Party Stand side of the ground.Nine balls after reaching that personal landmark, Geddes nicked Bailey high to Jennings’ left at second slip and the former Lancashire skipper took a fine two-handed catch. At the close, Zafar Gohar was 16 not out. Bailey finished the day with figures of 4 for 60 and Aspinwall with 2 for 48.

Allrounder’s 19, three wickets and two catches proved too much for Originals, who are now bottom

ECB Media13-Aug-2025Welsh Fire 137 for 8 (Smith 26, Kohler-Cadmore 26, Tongue 3-25) beat Manchester Originals 112 (Buttler 57, Meredith 4-9) by 25 runsAussie pace bowler Riley Meredith cranked it up in front of a raucous Cardiff crowd, taking 4 for 9 as Welsh Fire defeated Manchester Originals by 25 runs.There were also three-fors for both Chris Green (3 for 19) and David Payne (3 for 14) as a brilliant fielding and bowling performance earned Fire a much deserved win.Bowling first, Originals got off to a flying start, Sonny Baker having Jonny Bairstow caught by Lewis Gregory at slip with his fifth ball.Fire reached 28 for 1 after the powerplay, 22 of the runs to Steve Smith, including a stunning six over point off Josh Tongue.Tongue soon got his revenge, seeing Smith caught behind for 26. Fire then lost Luke Wells to Scott Currie for 13, reaching 57 for 3 at the halfway point.Tongue returned to remove Abell (22) and Currie got rid of Saif Zaib (15), both caught behind by Jos Buttler, the Fire innings threatening to fizzle out at 108 for 6.Chris Green added some late impetus, striking two sixes in his nine-ball 19, as Fire closed on 137 for 8, Currie (3 for 21) and Tongue (3 for 25) the pick of the Originals’ attack.A brilliant burst of 3 for 6 from 10 balls by Riley Meredith saw the backs of Phil Salt (3), McKinney (10) and Mark Chapman (0), Salt spectacularly caught at deep backward-square by Green, as the Fire started well on top.Buttler began the counterattack, hitting Paul Walter for back-to-back boundaries, but the Fire struck a huge blow when they had Heinrich Klaasen (11) caught in the deep off Green.Buttler kept going, bringing up his fifty from 28 balls with a six off Green, but the off-spinner then struck twice, taking the key wickets of Buttler (57) and Gregory (21), both caught at deep midwicket by Abell, before Payne and Meredith cleaned up the tail.Meerkat Match Hero Chris Green said: “It was a lot of fun. The last two games here have been an amazing atmosphere. The support here in Cardiff has been fantastic and it was great to reward that support with a win here tonight.”Tommy Abell thought 130 was defendable, there was a bit of hold for the off-cutters for the seamers and a bit of hold for the spinners as well.”Riley Meredith was outstanding up front and probably should be standing here because I thought he broke the game open. The energy we had and the support we had tonight got us over the line and we go into a big game in London on Saturday.”

In response, Brathwaite and Carty took the hosts to 70 for 1 at stumps

Hemant Brar01-Dec-2024Jayden Seales registered astonishing figures of 15.5-10-5-4 as West Indies bowled out Bangladesh for 164 on the second day of the second Test at Sabina Park. Seales’ analyses were the most economical in Test cricket since 1977 (minimum 60 balls). In response, West Indies lost Mikyle Louis early but Kraigg Brathwaite and Keacy Carty took them to 70 for 1 before bad light forced early stumps for the second successive day.It was Shamar Joseph, though, who first rocked the Bangladesh innings. At one stage, the visitors were 83 for 2. In the next 34 balls, they collapsed to 98 for 6 as Shamar picked up three of the four wickets to fall.He first ended a patient stand of 73 between Shadman Islam and Shahadat Hossain by castling the latter for 22. Soon after, he had Jaker Ali caught behind with a short ball. The batter was late on the pull; he top-edged it onto his shoulder and the ball lobbed behind the stumps for an easy catch to Joshua Da Silva.In his next over, Shamar found the outside edge of Shadman to provide Da Silva his fourth catch of the innings. In between, Seales had Litton Das caught at first slip for 1.After lunch, however, Shamar and Alzarri Joseph overused the short-ball ploy against Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam. The two batters hung around for 116 balls and added 41. Eventually, Taijul fended a short ball from Alzarri to third slip.Seales then snared the last three wickets for five runs. Taskin was the first to depart. He tried to pull a short ball but the edge flew behind the stumps. Da Silva leapt and parried it towards second slip where Alick Athanaze dived backwards to pouch it with both hands.Seales had Mehidy top-edging a hook into the hands of fine leg in the same over before uprooting Nahid Rana’s leg stump to wrap up the innings.The Bangladesh seamers also started miserly, giving away only 16 runs in the ten overs before tea. After tea, Rana breached the 150kph mark multiple times and had Louis caught behind for 12.Taijul also found help from the surface and neither Brathwaite nor Carty could get him away. Seven of his ten overs were maidens but he could not pick up a wicket.

After five straight defeats, Stars posted five straight wins to book a knockout final against Sydney Thunder

Tristan Lavalette19-Jan-2025Glenn Maxwell may not be touring Sri Lanka, but in a silver lining he’ll be part of the BBL finals after Melbourne Stars’ remarkable regular season turnaround was complete with a comprehensive victory over Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG.Stars needed a win to leapfrog Perth Scorchers into fourth place and qualify for the finals. They took care of business against a Hurricanes team with little to play for.Maxwell continued his purple patch with 76 not out off 32 balls before quick Mark Steketee claimed three early wickets as Stars reached the finals for the first time since BBL 09.Related

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After a woeful start to the season with five straight defeats, Stars have gained significant momentum with five straight wins to book a knockout final against Sydney Thunder at the Showgrounds.The match was essentially a tune-up for Hurricanes, who had already locked up top spot and a home final in the Qualifier against Sydney Sixers.

Maxwell ignites again after Webster’s half-century

All eyes were on Maxwell. But the big crowd at the MCG had to wait for their hero as openers Sam Harper and Thomas Rogers laid a solid platform.Stars have badly struggled at the top of the order with Harper particularly out of form. But they peeled off 19 runs in the first two overs in the best opening stand of the season for Stars.Harper whacked four early boundaries, but Stars couldn’t get through the powerplay unblemished with Rogers succumbing to a clever change of pace from quick Nathan Ellis.Having ended a run of five straight single digit scores, Harper could not go on with it after he was trapped lbw by the spin of Nikhil Chaudhary.With Beau Webster struggling with his timing, Marcus Stoinis tried to regain Stars’ momentum with numerous powerful blows to race to 32 off 19 balls. But like countless times this season, Stoinis could not launch off the platform and his dismissal brought Maxwell to the crease.Maxwell, fresh off his extraordinary 90 against Renegades, started fast and smashed Chaudhary down the ground for six on his fourth delivery. His presence had a profound effect on Webster, who shook from his slumber to put the foot down.Webster hogged the strike, but didn’t cop the wrath of Maxwell’s legion of fans as he powered to his half-century with a six down the ground.Maxwell took over after Webster’s dismissal and had the crowd in the palm of his hands when he got under a slower short delivery from left-arm quick Marcus Bean and with a flick of the wrists whacked it over fine leg.He was unstoppable at the death, clubbing a six off quick Cameron Gannon to reach his half-century and then smashing two more into the crowd as Stars powered past 200.It brought some cheer for Maxwell, whose Test career looks over after he missed out on Australia’s squad to Sri Lanka.Mark Steketee took three wickets in his first two overs•Getty Images

Hurricanes experiment with their attack

With little to play for, Hurricanes decided to play it safe. Spearhead Riley Meredith did not play while Nathan Ellis only bowled one over with Ben McDermott on the broadcast saying he was managing a sore groin.Ellis used the match to experiment and seven bowlers were used. Tim David’s handy offspin opened the bowling, while Chris Jordan bowled in the backend in his return from a back injury but struggled amid Maxwell’s onslaught.With injured quick Billy Stanlake to miss the finals, his position is up for grabs and seemingly a race between Bean and Gannon, freshly signed as Stanlake’s replacement.Bean, plucked out of Tasmanian club cricket, impressed in his professional debut against Brisbane Heat at the Gabba. Sporting a change of hair colour, from gold to silver, Bean enjoyed the wicket of Stoinis with an awkward delivery that climbed and hurried the batter.But he suffered in the backend and so too did Gannon, who was playing in the BBL for the first time in three years. He’s been in outstanding Sheffield Shield form, but Gannon struggled with his lengths to finish with 0 for 48 off 4 overs. Bean took 1 for 45 off his 4.Hurricanes were also extremely sloppy in the field to cap a forgettable performance.

Steketee continues strong form

Veteran quick Steketee has been a key part of Stars’ revival with 15 wickets in five matches. He’s been impactful with the new ball and so was the case again. In the second over he dismissed opener Caleb Jewell after Stoinis took a blinder with a full-stretch dive running backwards at mid on.Steketee struck again two balls alter when Charlie Wakim drove straight to backward point. He trapped McDermott lbw in his next over before claiming Ellis at the end to finish with 4 for 24 off 3.3 overs.

Owen unleashes early but in vain

Mitchell Owen has been the breakout player this season with his move up the order being a considerable success for Hurricanes. Their hopes in the chase largely rested on Owen getting off to a flier and he tried his best by bludgeoning left-arm quick Joel Paris for a couple of big sixes in the opening over.He also took a liking to veteran quick Peter Siddle with several mighty blows, unleashing his considerable power, to motor to 34 off 10 balls. But he slowed down slightly before holing out on 38 as Hurricanes’ slim chances effectively ended.Ellis top-scored with a rapid 40 at the end until he holed out to – quite fittingly – Maxwell, who pumped his fist to the jubilant fans knowing Stars’ season will continue.

The teams will play each other twice in the first round, with the top two teams going through to the final

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2025Afghanistan, Pakistan and UAE will get more matches to prepare for the men’s T20 Asia Cup when they compete in a T20 tri-series hosted by the Emirates Cricket Board in Sharjah in August-September.The Asia Cup runs from September 9 to 28, also in the UAE.As such, based on the ICC’s future tours programme, Pakistan were expected to host Afghanistan for three T20Is in the window that has now been allotted to the tri-series.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Each team will play the other twice in the round-robin stage of the tournament, with the top two contesting the final. All the games will be played from 7pm local time. Pakistan are the highest-ranked side among the three on the ICC rankings at No. 8, with Afghanistan at No. 9, and UAE at No. 14.Pakistan are currently engaged in a bilateral white-ball series, where they have won the first game, against West Indies, and play their first match of the Asia Cup, against Oman on September 12. Afghanistan have not played a T20I since their bilateral series in Zimbabwe at the end of last year, and play their opening match of the Asia Cup, against Hong Kong on September 9.Both the teams qualified directly for the T20 World Cup in 2026, to be played in India and Sri Lanka – Afghanistan as one of the top-seven teams (excluding the hosts) in the previous T20 World Cup and Pakistan based on their ranking on the ICC table at the cut-off date of June 30, 2024. UAE, meanwhile, have not yet confirmed their spot at the World Cup. They have to go through the Asia-East Asia and Pacific qualifiers, to be played in Oman from October 8 to 17, to get there if they can.

The fast bowler is keen to keep himself in action ahead of facing England and will likely combine white and red-ball cricket

Andrew McGlashan28-Aug-2025

Josh Hazlewood will likely have a mixture of white and red-ball cricket ahead of the Ashes•Getty Images

Josh Hazlewood is expecting to play a Sheffield Shield match in the lead-up to the Ashes in November as he prepares to counter an “unbelievable” England batting line-up, which he believes will be strongest they will have brought to Australia during his career.Hazlewood recently played five out of the six white-ball matches against South Africa having sat out the T20I series against West Indies following the Tests while Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have not featured in the last few weeks. Hazlewood won’t be in action on the field in September but wants to keep getting miles in the legs ahead of the first Test in Perth rather than having extended downtime.”It felt like over the last 12 months, the best way for me to go about it is just keep on ticking over, keep playing, not having too long off bowling,” Hazlewood said at an event to promote Play Cricket week. “I find…getting back to that intensity and volume is quite tough for me. So if I can just keep staying up there, match intensity as long as I can, then that’s sort of the best way for me to go about it.”Related

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Hazlewood, who played four Tests during the 2023 Ashes, is expecting a tough challenge from the England batting line-up. At times in the recent India series they showed a more nuanced approach rather an all-out attack, before falling to six-run defeat at The Oval. A 7 for 66 collapse triggered by a stroke from Harry Brook promoted significant debate after a spectacular hundred.Brook, currently the No. 2-ranked Test batter behind Joe Root, will be on his first Test tour of Australia and in nine T20Is in the country in 2022 had a top score of 20. His first-class experience is limited to one England Lions outing in 2021 and how he adjusts to conditions will be key to the team’s prospects. So, too, the performance of Root who has yet to score a Test century in Australia where he averages 35.68 from 14 matches.Josh Hazlewood expects Harry Brook to play without any baggage in Australia•AFP/Getty Images

“England has obviously been quite flat wickets recently, the last few years, and it’s been a really dry summer as well, so they are probably starting to get tired and spin now,” Hazlewood said. “I think [Brook] will adapt. He’s a good player. He’s at the top of the rankings for a reason, and he’ll be a tough challenge.”When [Root] first came out, it was a little bit of a different attack. It was probably [Mitchell] Johnson and [Ryan] Harris and [Peter] Siddle. Gaz [Nathan Lyon] has been around a long time now, so he was probably there, but we sort of just jumped on the back of that”I think a fresh face like Harry Brook might find it easier. There’s no baggage behind him and he can just come out and play with freedom as he does. Joe’s probably in the form of his life as well. So they’re an unbelievable batting line, to be honest. The top seven have done really well…so it’s a challenge.”Asked whether it will be strongest batting up England have sent to Australia in recent times, Hazlewood said: “Yeah, definitely.”Australia have a three-match T20I series against New Zealand in early October then India visit for ODIs and T20Is ahead of the Ashes. It remains to be seen how Hazlewood’s schedule will be juggled to allow him a red-ball outing – the fourth round of Sheffield Shield matches starting on November 10, when New South Wales play Victoria at the SCG, may be too close to the start of the series – but he is keen to have the opportunity to replicate long-form intensity.Last season Hazlewood played one game for New South Wales ahead of the India Test series, and though he went wicketless across 24 overs against Queensland he was Australia’s best bowler early in the opening Test in Perth before his series was disrupted by injury. This winter, however, he was able to play all four Tests against South Africa and West Indies, albeit the workload on bowler-friendly Caribbean surfaces was not extreme.”The Test [only] guys will play more than one [Shield game]. They’ll probably play two or three, but everyone’s on different programs,” he said. “I used it last year and I’ve sort of found that it’s very beneficial. Time on the field, multiple spells in a day, it’s sort of hard to replicate it at training. So, to get that before a Test series is pretty pivotal, I think.”

The South Africa opener scored a 24-ball 37 to lead her team to victory against Australia in the semi-final of the Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2025Jemma Botha admitted being nervous heading out to bat with South Africa chasing 106 against Australia for a place in the Women’s Under-19 World Cup final, but said talking to head coach Dinesha Devnarain and having Simone Lourens alongside calmed her.”I think before the game I spoke to the coach because I was really nervous. But nerves are good. It means that we care,” Botha said after South Africa’s five-wicket win. “And I think if you don’t have nerves going into a semi-final, then you’re not human. Going out to bat with Simis [Lourens] is always nice. I think we complement each other in many ways. She really helps with a lot of my anxiety and my nerves.”Botha came storming out, smashing five fours and two sixes in her 24-ball 37 to set up a solid foundation for the chase. Riding on her knock, South Africa raced to 50 for 2 in the powerplay which made the task easier for the rest of the batters. Captain Kayla Reyneke shepherded the team towards the finishing line.Related

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There were a few nervy moments at the end but South Africa won rather comfortably with 11 balls to spare.”Simis going early was… I had a stressful moment there, but then I knew that it wasn’t about my stress or Simis’ wicket because there are still other batters and it’s not about us, it’s for the country,” Botha said. “And I think the country really needed us to go to the final and they need us to win it. So I’m happy that we can do this for them.”There was a lot of nerves and anxiety throughout the batting innings, but I’m glad that we [are] in the final.”This will be South Africa’s maiden appearance at the Women’s Under-19 World Cup final. They failed to make it to the semi-final in 2023 on run-rate but this time they have had an undefeated run in the tournament.”I think the 2023 group feels it the most because missing out due to net run rate is not the best thing,” Botha said. “And a lot of the management really deserve it because they put in so much hard work and so many hard hours.”I think us coming off and doing what they say is our way of thanking them for all that they do for us. Yeah, I think [the] 2023 group is really happy. I know some of the girls back home are watching us.South Africa will play the winner of the second semi-final between India and England in the final in Kuala Lumpur on February 2.

Sri Lanka captain Asalanka had earlier this year called for better batting tracks but now defended the pitches, saying turning tracks suited their strengths

Madushka Balasuriya18-Oct-20243:17

Sammy: West Indies sent a strong message

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has declared a “moral victory” for his side in the aftermath of the 2-1 T20I series defeat to Sri Lanka, and questioned the wisdom of the home side pivoting to turning tracks for the final two games, both must-wins for Sri Lanka.In a fairly scathing assessment, Sammy argued that while the next T20 World Cup – in 2026 – was going to be co-hosted by Sri Lanka, such turning tracks would not be the norm with the ICC having primary input over the curation of the wickets.”For us, to see the last two games, and the nature of the wicket from what it was at the start, I thought we actually won the contest,” Sammy said following the third T20I which Sri Lanka won by nine wickets. “Because we were the away team and in conditions set before us, we challenged them with a squad that was not our full squad, and they had to react to that.Related

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• Asalanka pitches for batting-friendly tracks in Sri Lanka

“So I told the guys, ‘yes, when the World Cup comes we won’t get these conditions – the ICC will make sure the pitches are good’. So it was a moral victory for us from the first game to the second game.”While Sri Lanka may no doubt contest Sammy’s views, it wasn’t long ago that many within Sri Lanka’s camp were themselves clamouring for more batter-friendly pitches. The calls had followed Sri Lanka’s dismal display in the 2023 World Cup in India, where their batters struggled to match the attacking approach of the top sides. This plan seemed to have taken root, to a fair amount of success, in the early part of the year where high scores were seen more frequently – particularly during the series against Afghanistan, where Sri Lanka narrowly failed to chase down a target of 210.Fast forward to the present, and Sri Lanka have just enjoyed their first-ever T20I bilateral series win against West Indies, which itself followed an ODI series win against India. Both triumphs have, however, taken place on turning tracks, which has brought up the uncomfortable question: are short-term results being prioritised in place of long-term gains?Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka – who had been one of those calling for better batting tracks – doesn’t think so, as he instead opted to focus on Sri Lanka’s strengths, in this case their spin bowling.”Sri Lanka’s strength has always been spin, and we still believe that it’s with spin that we will be able to win the most,” he said following Sri Lanka’s win in the third T20I. “So we made pitches to support that strength. When that’s working for us, I think it’s a lot easier for us to win.”Asalanka’s point is a valid one in many ways. In Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalage, Sri Lanka boast a spin attack that would be the envy of most sides in the world, and so playing to those strengths makes sense. Sammy, though, believes this could be to the detriment of their fast-bowling contingent.”When you have pacers, like the two slingers (Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana) not getting an opportunity to bowl on good wickets, when the true test comes that’s where you really test your team.”I mean, there’s home advantage, but what good does that make for the development of your squad, especially your fast bowlers, in being able to bowl and have an impact on the game?”Charith Asalanka: “As a team, our goal is that if we get a good wicket abroad, we should be able to score 200-250″•AP Photo/Viraj Kothalawala

Sammy’s point holds some merit. In the final T20I, both Pathirana and Thushara bowled just two overs each, with the former being introduced as a seventh bowling option – after both part-time spinners Asalanka and Kamindu Mendis. In contrast, in Sri Lanka’s series win earlier in the year against Afghanistan, only two spinners had been used in each game.And this might be where Asalanka and Sammy perhaps can find some common ground. While Asalanka has championed Sri Lanka’s spinners, he too acknowledges that they need to bolster their fast-bowling ranks.”We have a lot of fast bowlers on our bench. Today you saw Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana, and they bowled well when called upon. As a team, however, we need our fast bowlers to improve a little more. Aside from those currently in the side, we need more coming in. That’s how we will be able to play well in any conditions.”Bowling and pitches aside, one immutable fact is that Sri Lanka’s batters turned up more often than did those of West Indies. Sammy, who had stated ahead of the series that he was looking to test their squad depth, is keenly aware of the improvements that need to be made on that front.”We came here with the T20 World Cup I think less than 20 months away. Having seen the way we played on a typical Dambulla wicket – what we expected from what all the stats said – I thought we dominated.”We started the series with a squad looking to see the depth, and the home side had to change the whole set-up to make sure that their spinners got the advantage. Ideally, yes, our men did not respond well to the spin. However, with the mindset that we have in our team being a championship winning team, we must be able to play in different conditions. You know, by letting [our] bowlers be challenged and also our batters be challenged.”Asalanka, for his part, had no such qualms about his batters. Indeed, the scores over the course of the West Indies T20Is indicate that Sri Lanka’s batting has been performing well – they scored at least 160 in each game – despite the nature of the tracks.”We were expecting a spinning wicket in the first game as well, but it didn’t play as we expected,” Asalanka said. “Then in the second game it turned a lot more, but we still managed to score 162, and in this game we chased down 163 in 18 overs. I think, if you look at the scores you can’t really say it’s a bad wicket.”But what about on better tracks? While that is a question that can only be answered definitively once Sri Lanka have to deal with such conditions, Asalanka is confident that their batting line-up is primed to deal with whatever challenges are put before them.”As a team, our goal is that if we get a good wicket abroad, we should be able to score 200-250, but if it’s a harder wicket then we should be able to score 160-170 or in that range.”Against India, we were chasing 200 or so, but after a good start we were unable to finish it off. Even in the last game, we were on the verge of winning but then our set batters were unable to finish the game. On pitches like this it’s important that the batter that is set, as much as possible, takes the game long or finishes it off.”

The two made short work of the 292-run chase against Rajasthan in Vadodara

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2025Unbeaten centuries from Karun Nair and Dhruv Shorey saw Vidarbha chase down their target of 292 in style against Rajasthan and march to the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Vidarbha captain Nair notched up his fourth consecutive century and his fifth in the season and finished with an unbeaten 122. He tops the run charts this year with a whopping 664 runs, which is also his average as he has only been dismissed once in six innings.Nair and Shorey shared an unbroken 200-run stand for the second wicket as Vidarbha gunned down their target in 43.3 overs. Shorey first shared a 92-run opening stand with Yash Rathod before Nair joined him at the crease.The two then made short work of the chase, with Shorey hitting ten fours and three sixes to finish on 118* off 131 deliveries. Nair was more aggressive in his approach, taking just 82 balls for his 122, with 13 fours and five sixes.After being put in to bat, Rajasthan started slow and had only managed 15 runs when opener Abhijeet Tomar fell to Nachiket Bhute in the seventh over. One over later, his opening partner Manav Suthar was sent packing by Yash Thakur.Mahipal Lomror and Deepak Hooda then stitched a 71-run stand before the two fell in the space of four overs. Shubham Garhwal and Kartik Sharma then added 82 runs for the fifth wicket before Thakur struck again, removing Garhwal for 59. Kartik then shared a 50-run stand with wicketkeeper Samarpit Joshi but the two fell in consecutive overs, with Rajasthan’s score still under 250. Deepak Chahar smacked three sixes and two fours en route to a 14-ball 31 that helped Rajasthan get close to 300. Thakur was the pick of the bowlers for Vidarbha, with figures of 4 for 39.Vidarbha will play Maharashtra in the second semi-final in Vadodara on January 16.