Awesome foursome of Gayle, Bravo, Russell and Pollard can’t prevent title defence from flopping

Deivarayan Muthu04-Nov-20216:49

Are West Indies playing an outdated brand of T20 cricket?

October 7, 2012. Marlon Samuels devours Lasith Malinga and Sri Lanka as West Indies win their first T20 World Cup title. Their coruscating T20I reign begins there and runs until…….November 4, 2021, when it comes to a grinding halt at the hands of Sri Lanka in the UAE.It was Chris Gayle who led West Indies’ rousing celebrations nearly a decade ago in Colombo, with press-ups and jigs as Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard all cheered him on. The quartet go on to become the face, heart, and soul of T20 cricket around the world.Once the West Indies board underwent a revamp, with Ricky Skerritt taking over from Dave Cameron, their grand plan was to get the old rock band back together in 2019. Pollard was appointed West Indies’ white-ball captain under a new administration, Bravo decided to come out of T20I retirement for his last dance. Gayle pushed himself on to another World Cup, becoming the oldest player at the tournament at 42. You can probably hear Russell’s knee rattle when he runs into bowl, but he, too, is in for another tilt at the world title.

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On Thursday, West Indies, the defending champions, are up against Sri Lanka, who had to play the qualifier to make the tournament proper. Former captain Daren Sammy keeps repeating on the TV commentary that West Indies’ legacy is on the line. After losing three tosses, Pollard finally wins one and opts to bowl first in Abu Dhabi. But his bowling attack never really turns up, as has been the case throughout the tournament.Related

• West Indies crashed and burned in the 2021 World Cup. How do they turn their T20I fortunes around?

• Akeal Hosein's time to shine

• Is this the last time we see Chris Gayle for West Indies?

• As it happened – Sri Lanka vs West Indies, Men's T20 World Cup, Super 12s

• Dwayne Bravo confirms international retirement after West Indies exit

West Indies’ success in 2012 and 2016 was built around a versatile attack. Samuel Badree gave nothing away in the powerplay; he was superbly backed up by Sunil Narine (in 2012) and Suleiman Benn (2016) in the powerplay. In 2016, Bravo was at the peak of his T20 powers while Carlos Brathwaite and Sammy also pitched in with the ball.In this edition of the tournament, their bowling attack has been fragile although Jason Holder’s late inclusion in the main squad did make it look slightly better. Ravi Rampaul, who was part of West Indies’ title-winning team in 2012, is now 37-years-old. Sure, he bowled some tough overs for Trinbago Knight Riders on his return to the CPL, but it was a gamble to pick him as one of the frontline seamers after just one good season.ESPNcricinfo LtdFabian Allen was originally lined up to do the role that Benn did with the ball five years ago, but an injury sidelined him from the tournament. Akeal Hosein had one of the best economy rates in the most recent CPL, however, couldn’t find similar control in the UAE. Bravo was in hot form for Chennai Super Kings in their run to the IPL title, but cooled off so much that he conceded 42 runs in his four overs against Sri Lanka. It was his third-worst analysis in what could be his second-last T20I.

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All up, West Indies’ attack picked up only 14 wickets in four innings at an average of 37.71. Only India and Netherlands have taken fewer wickets in the tournament, having played one game fewer.Oshane Thomas, who bowled with renewed vigour for Barbados Tridents in the CPL, could have added some extra pace and fizz to the attack, but West Indies were rigid with their combination and didn’t use him at all.

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How about their batting? It was just as one-dimensional, with their high-risk six-or-nothing approach failing them in the UAE. West Indies’ dot-ball percentage of 45.70 was the third worst in the tournament, behind Namibia and Scotland. Lendl Simmons epitomised West Indies’ batting struggles when he dawdled to 16 off 35 balls in a match-losing innings against South Africa.The big four – Gayle, Pollard, Russell and Bravo – couldn’t get the big hits away either. Against Sri Lanka, Gayle chipped left-arm seamer Binura Fernando to mid-on. Russell was bounced out by Chamika Karunaratne while both Pollard and Bravo were done in by sharp wrong’uns from Wanindu Hasaranga.Success was limited for West Indies in the UAE•ICC via GettySri Lanka aced their match-ups and Pollard would later admit that West Indies lacked enough game-smarts.The old band is now breaking up and the search for a new one is already on. In a way, the fading seniors have already passed the baton to Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran, who hit 81 and 46 respectively even as West Indies crashed out. Pollard has tipped them to be the future batting leaders, but the prospects do look bleak on the bowling front. Who is the next big T20 spinner after Sunil Narine? Who is the next big T20 fast bowler from the Caribbean?Pollard, Gayle, Bravo and Russell transformed West Indies into the first great men’s T20I team and revolutionised the format, but winds of change are already beginning to blow through Caribbean cricket.

Sunderland haven’t always found life in the Premier League to be the smoothest experience.

Indeed, the Black Cats have finished rock bottom of the top-flight pile a miserable total of three times, with Regis Le Bris now desperately hoping he won’t be another dire face added to the list of managers who have sunk the Wearside outfit.

Sunderland’s chances of immediately staying afloat have been negatively impacted by Jobe Bellingham’s expected departure to Borussia Dortmund officially going through, but new signings galore will certainly soften that blow.

The top-flight underdogs won’t just be hunting down midfielders to replace their teenage sensation, however, with one new potential defensive addition already being lined up that could see the Stadium of Light outfit land their next version of Patrick Van Aanholt.

Van Aanholt's memorable Sunderland stint

Now back in his native Netherlands to see out his career, the attack-minded left-back was previously a fan’s favourite on Wearside when the Black Cats were in the Premier League during the 2010s.

In total, Van Aanholt would go on to amass a hefty nine goals and ten assists for the regular Wearside strugglers from 95 appearances, before banking Sunderland a sturdy £14m in 2017 when moving onto Crystal Palace.

Le Bris will hope as his team embarks on their new Premier League adventure that they can be as daring as the Dutchman once was coming out from defence, with right-back Trai Hume already proving last season his gung-ho qualities when chipping in with three goals and six assists in league action.

To complement Hume’s forward-thinking approach on the right channel, the Black Cats could be about to welcome a modern iteration of Van Aanholt into the building, with this goal-and-assist-heavy Spaniard now tipped to join the newly promoted team’s ranks.

Sunderland targeting new Van Aanholt

Le Bris’ men are slightly light in the left-back department, with the Premier League new boys only having Dennis Cirkin and Leo Hjelde to call upon there.

To boost their numbers down the left-hand side, Sunderland could soon snap up the services of wantaway Aston Villa defender Alex Moreno, with reports from Spain filtering through that the Black Cats are keen on adding the left-back to their roster for only £5m. They aren’t alone in their interest, unfortunately, with fellow newly promoted side Burnley also eyeing him up.

Before being chucked out on loan to Nottingham Forest for more minutes, Moreno did operate as a useful bright spark for Unai Emery’s men, as seen in this delightful effort cannoning in when Villa plied their trade in the Conference League back in 2023.

That is just one of three goals the “sensational” ace – as he was once labelled glowingly by football journalist Charlie Haffenden – has managed to pick up for Villa, with his vast career beyond England also further affirming his eye for a goal and assist.

His defensive class has been evident too, after picking up a respectable seven clean sheets across his Premier League playing days to date.

Moreno’s G/A numbers by club
Club played for	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
Rayo Vallecano	127	9	9
Real Betis	122	6	14
Villa	48	3	3
Elche CF	41	2	4
RCD Mallorca	32	2	1
UE Llagostera	31	2	0
Nottingham Forest	19	0	1
Sourced by Transfermarkt

In total, Moreno has collected a healthy 56 goal contributions across his varied career, meaning he could soon go on to be Sunderland’s second coming of Van Aanholt down the left, such is his front-foot approach. Like the Dutchman – whom the Black Cats signed from Chelsea – Moreno would also be arriving from a Premier League rival, should he move to Wearside.

It will be a tough ask for Sunderland to come out on top in the race for the experienced full-back’s services – with Leeds United also hunting down the 32-year-old’s in-demand signature – but it would be a real statement buy if they were successful.

After all, Van Aanholt was last regularly rampaging down the left at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland were a Premier League regular, with Moreno perhaps the sort of buy the Black Cats need to make to become a top-flight staple again.

Sky Sports: Sunderland now in direct contact to sign £17m Ligue 1 forward

The Black Cats are looking to continue their summer business.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 10, 2025

da esoccer bet： Derby County face Blackburn Rovers in the race to sign a versatile midfielder with the same agent as Craig Forsyth, according to a new report.

Forsyth signs new Derby contract as Eustace targets attackers

da brdice： Earlier this week, Derby announced that experienced defender Forsyth has signed a new two-year contract to remain with the Rams. The left-back’s contract was set to expire at the end of this month, but John Eustace, who was a teammate of Forsyth’s during his playing career, has decided to keep the 36-year-old at the club until 2027.

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Forsyth played 39 times for the Rams in the Championship last season, as they avoided relegation to League One. In those appearances, the defender managed to score an impressive three goals and grab four assists. This latest contract will see Forsyth extend his football career to 20 years, and this contract will also see Derby support him in getting his coaching qualifications.

As Eustace decides to keep valuable experience in his defence, in a fan forum held at Pride Park, the Derby boss has revealed that signing new attackers is a priority for the club this summer, given their lack of goals last season.

Eustace said, via BBC Sport: “I’d love to play a back four, some exciting attacking wingers and two good strikers.”

This comes as the Rams have agreed a deal with Luton Town to sign striker Carlton Morris, who is set to undergo his medical once he returns from holiday.

Derby face Blackburn in race to sign Russell

The arrivals at Pride Park don’t look to be stopping there, as according to Football League World, Derby are keen on signing midfielder Jon Russell from League One side Barnsley.

It isn’t just the Rams looking at the 24-year-old however; Blackburn Rovers, Oxford United and Stoke City are also keeping an eye on the player’s situation ahead of a potential move.

Russell, who is a former Chelsea academy graduate, has been with the Tykes since January 2023, when he joined from Huddersfield Town.

The Jamaica international has been a key contributor for Barnsley in his two full seasons at the club – he played 31 times during the 2023/24 League One season, as Barnsley reached the play-offs. He then bettered that last term, as he played 40 times in the league, scoring an impressive 11 goals, as well as grabbing two assists.

Jon Russell’s 24/25 League One stats

Apps

40

Starts

34

Goals

11

Chance conversion

19%

Assists

2

Touches per game

38.9

Key passes per game

0.8

Big chances created

4

Duels per game (won)

4.0 (50%)

This report doesn’t claim how much the League One side would want for Russell, but given his contract expires next summer, Barnsley may have to consider cashing in on the midfielder now, before he leaves for nothing.

In further good news for Derby, they may hold an advantage in this race, as Russell, who can play in a defensive role as well as an advanced role in midfield, has the same representatives, Two Touch Agency, as Derby defender Forsyth, who they have of course recently concluded positive talks with.

Liverpool are set to be in the market to add a new central defender to their squad after adding Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez to the group.

Wirtz and Frimpong have already been confirmed as new signings, both joining from Bayer Leverkusen, whilst Kerkez is reportedly on the verge of a move to Anfield.

The Premier League champions will then need to find another centre-back to compete for a place in the team, because Jarell Quansah is set to move on from Merseyside.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that Bayer Leverkusen have agreed a deal worth an initial £30m to sign the England U21 international from the Reds this summer.

Quansah was the third centre-back for Arne Slot during the 2024/25 campaign, behind Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, which means that the club will need to find another player to fill that slot.

Liverpool have already missed out on one centre-back they were reportedly interested in, though, as Real Madrid snapped up Dean Huijsen earlier this summer.

Why missing out on Dean Huijsen was a blow for Liverpool

It was reported in May that Liverpool were preparing to make a bid to sign the Spain international from Bournemouth, but Real Madrid swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £50m.

Missing out on a deal for the 20-year-old defender was a blow for the Reds because he is a proven Premier League performer who could have hit the ground running at Anfield, having already showcased his quality in the division for the Cherries.

Huijsen started 26 of his 32 appearances for Bournemouth in the top-flight during the 2024/25 campaign, and his performances were impressive enough to earn a £50m transfer to the Bernabeu.

Progressive passes

4.89

Top 15%

Progressive carries

1.52

Top 9%

Interceptions

1.89

Top 4%

Blocks

1.48

Top 31%

Clearances

7.34

Top 4%

Aerial duels won

2.52

Top 23%

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish titan combined progressive play in possession with solid defensive work, as shown by how highly he ranked against his positional peers.

This further emphasises how much of a blow it was to miss out on the young centre-back, as he could have been a standout performer for Liverpool if he could carry that form over to Anfield.

The Reds could, however, land an even bigger talent than Huijsen as they are now eyeing up a very talented teenage central defender as a potential signing.

Liverpool eyeing up Ajax star

According to the Athletic, the Premier League champions are mainly interested in a deal to sign Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi to replace Quansah before the end of the summer transfer window.

However, the report claims that the Reds will only press ahead with a move for the England international if the Eagles, who won the FA Cup this season, quote a reasonable asking price for him.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Athletic, therefore, adds that Liverpool are looking at alternative options to Guehi, and Ajax central defender Jorrel Hato has emerged as a target for the club.

It was previously reported by FootballTransfers that Ajax value the centre-back at a fee of around £43m, and that fellow Premier League side Arsenal are also keen on the Dutchman.

Slot should, now, push for Liverpool to secure a deal to sign Hato this summer because he is an even bigger centre-back talent than both Guehi and Huijsen.

Why Hato is a bigger talent than Guehi and Huijsen

The 19-year-old star’s progress with Ajax at an incredibly young age suggests that he has huge potential and could go on to be a top centre-back in the future.

Hato, despite not turning 20 until March 2026, has played a staggering 111 first-team matches for the Dutch giants. Huijsen, for reference, has only played 53 career games at the age of 20, whilst Guehi had played just 26 matches by the age of 19, and 71 games by the age of 20.

This suggests that the Dutch starlet is a bigger talent at his age than Huijsen and Guehi were, because he played more than twice as many games as the Spaniard and over four times as many matches as the Englishman at the same age.

Hato has also captained Ajax several times, at the ages of just 17 and 18, which suggests that he can bring leadership qualities at a very young age, just as Guehi, who is Palace’s captain, can.

Appearances

31

34

Goals

2

3

Assists

6

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.6

2.6

Dribbled past per game

0.3x

0.5x

Ground duel success rate

51%

63%

Aerial duel success rate

55%

54%

As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old starlet also matched up well against Guehi at league level this season, despite being five years younger than the Eagles star, as he won a higher percentage of his ground duels and was dribbled past less frequently.

Hato, who was hailed as “immense” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also provides positional flexibility, as he has played 70 games or more as both a centre-back and a left-back.

Whereas Guehi has never played more than two matches away from a centre-back role, and Huijsen has never played any other position other than centre-back in his career.

This means that the Ajax titan would offer far more versatility to Slot, due to his ability to play at left-back, as well as the defensive and leadership qualities that he can offer.

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Overall, Liverpool could land an even bigger talent than Guehi and Huijsen because of what Hato has already achieved in his career at such a young age, and the quality that he can provide in the here and now.

Sri Lanka ahead in race, Zimbabwe need a win, Scotland and Netherlands face a steeper road

S Rajesh01-Jul-2023

Sri Lanka beat Netherlands in their Super Six fixture•ICC/Getty Images

Sri Lanka
A win against Zimbabwe on Sunday will ensure qualification for Sri Lanka as only one out of Zimbabwe or Scotland can reach eight points, as they are playing against each other. Even if Sri Lanka lose to Zimbabwe, they can still qualify if they beat West Indies in their last match on July 7. Zimbabwe and Scotland can also finish on eight points, but Sri Lanka should go through, given their excellent net run rate of 1.832.However, if Sri Lanka lose both their matches, then they can be knocked out, as Zimbabwe and Scotland can both finish above them on eight.Related

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Zimbabwe
Like Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe have taken all the points on offer from their three games so far, but their run rate isn’t as high as Sri Lanka, which leaves them more susceptible on NRR. For instance, even if they beat Sri Lanka, a defeat to Scotland could leave Zimbabwe in danger of missing out if Scotland win their last match and finish on eight, and if Sri Lanka beat West Indies.Zimbabwe’s NRR is currently 0.752, but if they beat Sri Lanka by a run and lose to Scotland by 40 (with first-innings scores of 300), then their net run rate will drop to 0.281, which can be overhauled by Scotland. However, if they beat Scotland on Tuesday, then they will qualify for sure, regardless of the result against Sri Lanka on Sunday.Scotland
Scotland have kept themselves in the hunt with the convincing win against West Indies. Not only have they added two points to their tally, but they have also improved their NRR to 0.188. Wins in their last two games will lift them to eight points, which will ensure qualification if Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe on Sunday. If Zimbabwe win that game, then all three teams could finish on eight, bringing run rates into play.Their next game, against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, is a must-win for them. A defeat will mean they can’t catch up with Zimbabwe on points, and Sri Lanka will almost certainly finish higher on NRR even if they lose both and stay on six points.Netherlands
Netherlands need to win both their games by fairly significant margins and finish on six points and then hope that several other results go their way. Their best bet will be for Sri Lanka to qualify, and for the second place to be a three-way battle among them, Zimbabwe and Scotland.To give an idea of result margins involved, if Netherlands win their last two games by a combined margin of 90 runs, and if Zimbabwe lose their last two by the same combined margin (with first-innings scores of 250), then Netherlands will sneak ahead of Zimbabwe on NRR.

Big picture: Will we witness Rinku magic again?

There isn’t a lot to talk about when talking about this game, is there? Just kidding. Where my Rinku fans at?Living up to that epic night three weeks ago is not going to be possible. 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 to win a game feels like a once-in-a-lifetime event.And in any case, both teams will want to focus on making the game as boring as possible. That sounds like a blasphemous way to build up to an IPL match, especially one that pits a side that kept defying the odds all the way to the title last year and one that has produced this year’s most outrageous result.But here’s the thing. Both Gujarat Titans (7 games) and Kolkata Knight Riders (8) have had enough of a go at this to figure out what their strengths and weaknesses are and how to play to them. In other words, their experience will help them manage difficult situations better, instead of letting them go so far that they end up needing a miracle.

Form guide

Gujarat Titans: WWLWL (Last five matches, most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders: WLLLL

Team news

KKR’s Litton Das left the IPL on Friday to attend to a medical emergency in his family in Bangladesh.Shubman Gill batting deep into the innings could enable Titans to mitigate the KKR mystery spin threat•BCCI

Toss and Impact Player strategy

Kolkata has not been kind to fast bowlers, so Titans, who have barely had to use Rahul Tewatia’s legspin, might decide to give him a proper run here. They’re also likely to swap Shubman Gill for Josh Little or Alzarri Joseph when they have to bring in their Impact Player.Gujarat Titans possible XII: 1 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 2 , 3 Hardik Pandya (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 David Miller, 6 Abhinav Manohar, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Mohit Sharma, 12 KKR will be pleased to see Jason Roy finding form. With Venkatesh Iyer and Suyash Sharma settling into life as Impact Subs, they aren’t short on options. They’ll want their quicks to buck up, though. With just 13 wickets at an average of 55.5 and an economy rate of 11.5, they are the worst-performing seam unit in the competition.Kolkata Knight Riders possible XII: 1 N Jagadeesan (wk), 2 Jason Roy, 3 , 4 Nitish Rana (capt), 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Andre Russell, 7 David Wiese, 8 Vaibhav Arora, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12

Stats that matter

• Andre Russell is averaging 18 – his second-lowest in an IPL season – with five single-digit scores in eight innings. Not the best time to come up against Rashid Khan, who has dismissed him five times in 39 balls for 54 runs in T20 cricket.
• 3.6 vs 13.8. Those are Rinku Singh’s balls-per-boundary numbers against pace and spin this season. So if you’re the Titans captain, do the right thing. Don’t give him pace.
• Shubman Gill has an average of 59.2 and a strike rate of 143 against spin since IPL 2022. His batting deep into the innings might enable Titans to mitigate KKR’s mystery spin threat.
• Though right now one of them is not feeling so great. Sunil Narine has an economy rate of 8.9 in IPL 2023. Never in the history of this tournament has he been so expensive. Also, he hasn’t picked up a wicket for five matches straight. That’s another first for him in the IPL.
• Hardik Pandya has a strike rate of 102 against pace this season. This is the second-lowest among all batters who have faced at least 50 balls.

Pitch and conditions

Eden Gardens, after hosting three matches in this year’s IPL, has produced an average first-innings score of 222. It is the highest out of all the grounds on show in the tournament. So expect a few runs. Spin has offered a bit of respite, though – 21 wickets at an economy rate of 8.7 (versus 10.9 for pace) and a strike rate of 15.6, which is another season-topping metric among the grounds this IPL.

Pigeons and windows come a cropper as Warwickshire turn the screw at Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network 11-Jul-2023Kent 171 and 55 for 1 (Denly 29*, Compton 17*) trail Warwickshire 549 for 7 dec (Yates 228, Maxwell 81) by 323 runsA double-century from Rob Yates put Warwickshire in a commanding position after day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Kent at Canterbury.The visitors declared their first innings on 549 for seven, a lead of 378, before reducing Kent to 55 for one at stumps.Yates hit his highest first-class score of 228 not out from 421 balls, with 23 fours and a six, having batted for nearly nine hours. Australia’s Glenn Maxwell made 81 in his first championship appearance for four years and Henry Brookes was unbeaten on 52 as the visitors dominated throughout.Chris Rushworth bowled Tawanda Muyeye early in Kent’s second innings and although Ben Compton and Joe Denly survived till the close, the hosts are still 323 behind with two days remaining.Warwickshire began the day on 155 for two and they’d nudged into a three-run lead when Sam Hain edged Arshdeep Singh and fell to a diving catch by Jordan Cox for 32.Jacob Bethell immediately went on the attack, clubbing Hamid Qadri for a six that flew into the gardens on the Old Dover Road side of the ground. The ball was lost, somewhere in the vicinity of a dead pigeon it had apparently hit.Kent’s hopes were looking nearly as lifeless when Jack Leaning briefly revived them with two wickets in five balls. Bethell was out for 31, caught by a back-pedalling Arshdeep at deep mid-on for 31 and Ed Barnard went for a four-ball duck, narrowly surviving an lbw shout off the third ball he faced before getting caught behind.This spasm of hope for the home side quickly subsided as Yates and Maxwell put on a stand of 124. The former reached three figures when he cut Arshdeep to third man and the lead was exactly 100 at lunch.Maxwell looked set for a hundred, but he was caught behind chasing a wide delivery from Matt Quinn, though with the lead already past the 200 mark there was little celebration either in the middle or on the boundary.The most dramatic moment of the afternoon session came when Yates hit Qadri for a six that went so far over the bowler’s head that it ended up smashing a glass panel on the balcony of the Kent dressing-room.Yates cruised past his previous highest score of 141 with a straight-driven four off Grant Stewart and it was 442 for six at tea.Michael Burgess was subsequently out for 42, caught off Quinn by Harry Finch at backward point but Yates survived a major scare when he was on 199, chipping a ball from Qadri just out of reach of three fielders, before he drove the next ball through the covers to pass 200.The declaration came as soon as Brookes had creamed Leaning for six to reach his half-century, leaving Kent with 14 overs to survive under increasingly ashen skies.Muyeye lasted just five balls before Rushworth sent his off stump flying and although Denly and Compton made it to the close on 29 and 17 respectively, Kent will need something approaching a miracle over the next two days to avoid a damaging defeat.

Dean Foxcroft included in a squad which sees a number of senior players rested before the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2023Lockie Ferguson will captain New Zealand in their ODI series against Bangladesh later this month with Tom Latham among a group of senior players given a break before the World Cup.Latham, currently leading the one-day side in place of Kane Williamson, has been rested from the three-match tour in late September along with Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee to allow them a short period at home.Trent Boult will feature along with Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne. The spin bowling will be shared between Ish Sodhi, Rachin Ravindra and Cole McConchie.Related

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Ferguson recently captained New Zealand in a T20 warm-up match against Worcestershire on the current tour of England.”Lockie is an experienced bowler at the international level, and this is an opportunity for him to really lead from the front with not just the bowling group but the team as a whole,” head coach Gary Stead said. “He stepped into the role for the warm-up matches in England and led a group with a lot of moving parts well.”We have a very full schedule between now until the end of our tour to Pakistan in April including the World Cup and the start of the new World Test Championship cycle so trying to keep players and staff fresh and ready at the right times is paramount,” Stead added.”Balancing workloads also provides opportunities and it’s exciting to have different players in the group and learning in an environment like Bangladesh. It can be a challenging place to tour and getting used to different conditions quickly will be important over the next few months.”Dean Foxcroft, who has recently qualified for New Zealand and made his T20I debut against UAE last month, has been included in the squad.”Any time a player is selected for the first time it’s exciting and Dean’s shown as the [Otago] Volts’ leading white ball run scorer last summer the talent he has,” Stead said. “We were impressed with the way he came into the group with the T20 squad, and this will be another great opportunity to keep learning in our environment.”Mark Chapman and Jimmy Neesham weren’t considered for selection because of the birth of their first children.The three ODIs will take place in Dhaka on September 21, 23 and 26 with the teams then heading to India for the World Cup.New Zealand ODI squad vs Bangladesh Lockie Ferguson (capt), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult. Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young

A brilliant 111 from Daniel Bell-Drummond and a Grant Stewart hat-trick helped the Kent Spitfires to an emphatic 55-run win over Middlesex in the Vitality Blast at Canterbury.Bell-Drummond’s joyous innings lasted 58 balls and included four sixes as for the second consecutive evening Middlesex shipped way in excess of 200. Kent posted 228 for 3, but having stunned Surrey with a Blast-record run chase the previous evening, this time Middlesex subsided to 173 all out, with George Linde and Joey Evison also claiming three wickets apiece. Luke Hollman was the visitors’ top scorer with 48 from 20 balls, but the required rate became unmanageable and they were all out with an over to spare.The Spitfire Ground was sold out on a sweltering Friday night, with over 5,000 packed in to watch the hosts, resurgent after five consecutive wins, take on a Middlesex side who were still bottom of the South Group, despite Thursday night’s miracle.An early chance went begging when Tawanda Muyeye, who was on 8, holed out to Toby Greatwood, only for Hollman to miss an over-the-shoulder catch. Muyeye smote the next ball for six and the openers put on a stand of 127 before he was bowled by Josh de Caires for 50.Related

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The run-rate slowed slightly and Joe Denly was on 12 when Martin Andersson missed a difficult chance to catch him off Hollman, but it picked up again as Bell-Drummond reached his second Blast century with a classic cover drive for four off Greatwood and when Ryan Higgins’ 17th over only went for three it felt like a minor triumph for the visitors.Bell-Drummond was one short of his best Blast score when he hoicked Max Harris to Jack Davies at square leg and he departed to a standing ovation.Denly went for 30 driving Higgins to Andersson at long on but Sam Billings smashed 22 off the final over, meaning Middlesex had conceded exactly the same number of runs they did a week ago when Kent won the reverse fixture at Lord’s.