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ScorecardAndrew Hodd was struck on the helmet by Steve Finn•Getty Images

Shortly after half-past four, bad light at Scarborough brought a sudden exodus. The bulk of the spectators tramped for the exit, in no mood to kill time in the hope of more play. “Seen enough,” said one Yorkshire supporter implacably, a self-appointed spokesman for the determinedly departed. Down North Marine Road they stampeded, faces set, for the warmth of the guest houses or the nearest pub.It has been that sort of summer. It has been that sort of Championship season. The first week of July and it has still to come to life, even in Yorkshire where the White Rose is seeking a hat-trick of titles. Middlesex 130 for 2 in reply to Yorkshire’s 406 and, after Gary Ballance’s century on the first day, not much to reflect upon.First the spectators prematurely called off play for the day, then the Yorkshire PA announcer sounded as if he had done the same. The umpires, stoutly awaiting a break in the weather, must have wondered what was going on. Never call off play while you can still see the Scarborough windmill.A former Yorkshire secretary, Joe Lister, used to make the PA announcements himself, in between fielding correspondence and making his daily run to the bookmakers’ tent. “The umpires have called off play for the day,” he would say, making huge play on the word “reluctantly”, even though everybody knew he wanted rid of the crowd as soon as possible.One day, he inadvertently left his microphone on. Having issued his edict, he added: “Thank heavens for that, time for another gin and tonic.””Gerr’em out there Bird,” came a traditional cry from the tiny minority who were prepared to hang around in the hope of more play: they were rewarded with 21 balls, thoroughly inconsequential.Dickie Bird stood in his last Test 20 years ago, but the call still goes out in Yorkshire in celebration of his well-worn tale about how he was once barracked entering a Headingley Test during a stoppage for a wet outfield, complete with the punchline: “I wasn’t even umpiring”. It is good to imagine that the shout will be heard as long as county cricket is played.The morning had been taken up by the dregs of Yorkshire’s first innings, Ballance, 106 not out overnight, moving on to 132 before a checked drive fell into the hands of the bowler, James Franklin. Azeem Rafiq, caught at the wicket later that over, made nought on his Championship return before a spirited counter-attack brought 72 for the last two wickets in 15 overs.Andrew Hodd, who led the resistance, was struck on the helmet by Steven Finn during Yorkshire’s rally, with no ill effects. Steven Patterson was bowled by Finn stepping outrageously to leg, slapping his bat in the crease in self-admonishment, before last man Jack Brooks gained dressing room bragging rights by hooking Finn for six into the pavilion seats.This is an okay pitch: slow – how can it not be after all this rain? – but with a little in it for the bowlers. For Middlesex, Sam Robson played attractively for his 40 as Yorkshire’s attack began moderately, well enough to believe reports from those who have watched him more regularly that he is a better player than the timid debutant who made the last of his seven Test appearances against India two years ago.Brooks dismissed him attempting a swivel pull, but top-edging to midwicket. Nick Gubbins fell lbw to a fullish ball around leg stump in Will Rhodes’ first over.

Match facts

Sunday, May 29, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)4:38

O’Brien: The best batting side v the best bowling side

Big Picture

On Sunday night at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, two teams will seek to complete the final stretch of a journey to a summit that has thus far eluded them both. At first glance, it would appear as if the hosts, Royal Challengers Bangalore, are surer of their footing. They have built up considerable momentum, winning seven of their previous eight matches. Their two leading batsmen, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, bring fearsome form into the contest. And unlike Sunrisers Hyderabad, they have been in an IPL final before – twice, in 2009 and 2011. Playing a third final, in their own backyard, against an opposition that already finds itself in uncharted territory, must feel like an opportunity begging to be grabbed.But the flip side of having played in two finals before is that they have lost two finals before. That brings mental baggage that Royal Challengers could well do without. For years they have been fancied to win the IPL, only to stumble and fall at some point. They have delivered many memorable wins, they have lit up the tournament with bursts of individual brilliance, but, in the final analysis, they have flattered to deceive. So, in some ways, the fact that a golden opportunity now presents itself puts even more pressure on Royal Challengers to get the job done this time.Sunrisers, meanwhile, must strive to approach their first IPL final with a clarity of purpose. While they will be buoyed by the confidence of having won two knockout matches to reach this stage, it does not help that those matches were played in Delhi, in vastly different conditions. Add to it the fact that they arrived in Bangalore only on match-eve, with a delayed flight adding to their woes.Playing Royal Challengers in Bangalore, with little time to adjust to the conditions, in front of a vociferous and partisan crowd, they might well feel that the odds are stacked against them. But if they can avoid a deer-in-the-headlights mentality and make the most of their resources, they could turn in a performance to silence the Chinnaswamy din.That will, in large part, depend on their bowlers. No batting lineup – not even one that boasts an in-form David Warner – can match up to Kohli and de Villiers if they hit the dizzying heights that they have reached with regularity in this tournament. In trying to tame Royal Challengers’ batting, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will play a particularly pivotal role. He is already the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, with 23 wickets in 16 matches. If he can add a couple to that tally when bowling in the Powerplay, that might just decide the match. His ability to limit the end-overs damage with his pinpoint yorkers will also make a huge difference.

Form guide

Royal Challengers Bangalore WWWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Sunrisers Hyderabad WWLLW

In the spotlight

After playing second fiddle to Yuzvendra Chahal for much of the tournament, Iqbal Abdulla came to the fore in Royal Challengers’ hour of need in Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Lions- as a batsman. Coming in to bat at 68 for 6 in the 10th over with a target of 159, Abdulla showed composure – and ability – under pressure to provide the perfect foil to AB de Villiers’ match-winning masterclass. Equally invaluable were Abdulla’s early strikes with the ball, removing Brendon McCullum and Aaron Finch for single-figure scores in the second over of the match. It remains to be seen how Kohli will use Abdulla in the final, but the left-arm spinner has shown that he is a man for a big occasion.If Bhuvneshwar cannot provide Sunrisers with early breakthroughs, the onus might well fall on Moises Henriques in the middle overs. Henriques has taken 12 wickets in the tournament and maintained a reasonable economy rate of 7.65. His bowling performance will be an important supporting act to Bhuvneshwar and Barinder Sran. Henriques will also hope to be the middle-overs supporting act to Warner with the bat. His batting returns so far this season – 178 runs at 16.18, with a strike rate of 116.33 – have been disappointing, but he has looked better in his last few knocks. The Australian allrounder was a mainstay of Sunrisers’ campaign last year; he has one last chance this season to make a serious impact for Sunrisers.

Team news

Chahal was the only bowler to have an off-day for Royal Challengers in Qualifier 1, but, given his consistent performances throughout the season, they are unlikely to discard him for the final. It is reasonable to expect that Royal Challengers will stick with their winning combination.Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Virat Kohli (capt), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Shane Watson, 6 Stuart Binny, 7 Sachin Baby, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Iqbal Abdulla, 10 S Aravind, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalSunrisers are sweating – to the point of dehydration, surely – on Mustafizur Rahman’s fitness. He missed Qualifier 2 against Lions due to a hamstring injury. While his replacement, Trent Boult, made an impact with his bowling and fielding early on, Sunrisers sorely missed Mustafizur’s control at the death. If the Bangladesh bowler is still unfit, Boult is likely to keep his place.Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable) 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Moises Henriques, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Ben Cutting, 7 Naman Ojha (wk) 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Bipul Sharma, 10 Barinder Sran 11 Mustafizur Rahman/Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

For Qualifier 1, the Chinnaswamy Stadium sported a rather sticky pitch, which flew in the face of the ground’s reputation for big runs. Given how nearly that ended in disaster for the home team, such a track is unlikely to be repeated. Expect a return to the batting belters seen here in the rest of the season. The type of batting belter that enabled 200 to be crossed three times at this venue in IPL 2016, including once in a 15-over match. There is a chance of evening showers on Sunday, but, if the weather does play spoilsport, Monday will serve as the reserve day.

Stats and trivia

• Kohli is 81 runs away from becoming the first batsman to score 1000 runs in an IPL season
• Out of eight innings at the Chinnaswamy this season, Kohli has crossed fifty six times, scoring three centuries and three half-centuries. He has also made a duck
• Warner has scored 468 runs while chasing in this IPL, which is the most by a batsman while chasing in any IPL season

Quotes

“The biggest challenge for tomorrow I guess for all the players in the side is to not look at that game of cricket as something very different.”

Ben McKinney played with textbook orthodoxy and mature assurance in helping Durham to frustrate Essex for much of a sun-kissed day at Chelmsford with the second first-class century of his burgeoning career.The 20-year-old left-hander, so strong in the V between mid-on and mid-off where a large proportion of his 18 fours and two sixes were caressed, faced 228 balls in compiling an elegant 121 to help Durham to 316 for 8 at stumps in the battle to avoid relegation from Division One of the Rothesay County Championship against their fellow candidates.McKinney was joined by captain Alex Lees, who made 94 from 152 balls, in a 134-run second-wicket partnership that looked to have laid firm foundations for a commanding score on a lifeless Chelmsford pitch.But a new-ball burst from Jamie Porter saw three wickets fall in five balls, starting with McKinney’s departure, in the middle of an evening collapse in which Durham crashed from 240 for 3 to 291 for 8 in 22 overs. Porter finished the day with 3 for 63, backed up by New Zealander Doug Bracewell, who took 2 for 67 at the start of his second spell with Essex.Durham’s decision to bat on the green-tinged wicket was justified for a large part of day one. Apart from a bit of nip and spite in the first couple of overs, it became a batsmen’s paradise and Lees and McKinney in particular took full advantage in laying down a solid platform.Lees lost opening partner Emilio Gay with 55 on the board. Lees had just welcomed Bracewell back to Chelmsford for his second stint by taking 13 from his first five balls. But with delivery No.6 Bracewell had Gay flicking the ball off his legs into midwicket’s hands. It was redemption of a kind for Bracewell, who had dropped a regulation chance early on that reprieved Gay in the same spot where the wicket fell.Lees adopted the anchor role initially as McKinney contributed 35 of the partnership’s first fifty, but only 20 of the second. Though McKinney was outwardly the more aggressive, with two notable firmly-struck straight drives for four off Bracewell and Simon Harmer, it was Lees who clocked marginally the quicker half-century.Lees reached the milestone when he drove Noah Thain for his eighth boundary from 75 balls. McKinney needed three more balls to pass his fifty for only the second time this season, though he did it with his 11th four, a well-placed drive off Porter through mid-off.The partnership was finally broken when Lees played down the wrong line to Harmer and was lbw. David Bedingham followed almost instantly, run out to a throw from mid-off by Porter as he looked to get off the mark first ball. McKinney, at the other end, recognised there was no possibility of a run and barely moved a muscle.Harmer thought he had McKinney on 83 with a sharp caught-and-bowled low down, even throwing the ball to the umpire as he celebrated prematurely with team-mates. However, the umpires conferred and confirmed the ball had not carried. To rub salt in the wound, McKinney reached three figures from 156 balls with a four and a six from successive balls off Harmer, both crossing the long-off boundary.Shane Snater switched ends for the first over after tea and induced Colin Ackermann into an inside-edge to the fifth ball to be caught behind. And when Bracewell replaced Snater he had Ollie Robinson strangled down the legside with his third ball.Essex took the second new-ball after 80 overs and required a third one immediately: the original one lasted just two deliveries after Graham Clark pulled Porter’s loosener over square leg for six and knocked it out of shape.The change of balls finally paid dividends as Porter struck in short order, ending McKinney’s stay by bowling him, then having Ben Raine trapped lbw before disturbing Matthew Potts’s stumps

Stumps An extraordinary series will head into its 25th day on Monday, with its outcome still undecided. Powered by sparkling hundreds from Harry Brook and Joe Root, England were cruising towards a target of 374 without breaking sweat. But Prasidh Krishna kept India’s hopes alive with two wickets in nine balls, before bad light first and then heavy rain sent a fifth Test out of five into a fifth day.The equation is tantalising. England only need 35 more runs with four wickets in hand. But one of those, Chris Woakes, has his arm in a sling following a shoulder injury; he is expected to bat – as last man – if required. A new ball is available to India in 3.4 overs, and their seamers will return rested and refreshed after an exhausting workload on Sunday.Related

• Siraj goes on and on and on, tired but undeterred

• Root: Heavy roller on day five could be an 'advantage' for England

• Brook's distorted reality brings England's dream into focus

• Root says shoulder injury won't prevent Woakes from batting

• Stats – Root overtakes Ponting, Kallis and Jayawardene for most tons at home

It will be a fitting end to a brilliant, brutal Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, which has provided a gruelling test of players’ physical and mental resilience. England’s 2-1 series lead has been founded on a successful chase of 371 in Leeds, and defence of 193 at Lord’s; India have put them under sustained pressure, but need one final push on Monday morning if they are to head home with a drawn series.India came out firing on Sunday, their close fielders noticeably more vocal than at any other point in the match, and backing up their seamers. After Mohammed Siraj’s yorker accounted for Zak Crawley on the third evening, it was Prasidh who struck first on day four, having Ben Duckett caught at second slip for a characteristically punchy 54.Siraj, the only fast bowler standing on either side after playing all five Tests, struck again before lunch to leave England reeling at 106 for 3. For the second time in the match – and third time in the series – he pinned Ollie Pope lbw with a nip-backer, as Pope’s head fell over to the off side; Pope’s 27 took his series aggregate to 304 runs at 34, tailing off since his first-innings hundred at Headingley.2:51

What triggered India’s fightback in the final session?

But Siraj’s next involvement swung the pendulum back towards England. Brook, on 19, sensed his moment to counterattack, pulling Akash Deep for four and then launching him over extra cover for six. He decided to take on Prasidh, too, only to pick out Siraj on the long-leg boundary. Siraj took the catch, then stepped right on the advertising toblerone as he regained his balance. Prasidh had already started to celebrate, and Siraj stood in utter disbelief after his error.It gave Brook a life, and prompted him to double-down on his approach, cracking two more boundaries to take 16 runs off the over. By lunch, Brook had added 58 with Root in just 10.3 overs, and picked up from where he left off with a brace of boundaries off the unfortunate Prasidh.When the field spread in a bid to stem the flow of runs, Brook and Root rotated the strike effortlessly. They targeted the spinners, forcing Shubman Gill to bring back his seamers, and India’s afternoon was encapsulated by the exhausted Akash Deep, who stuck out his boot to try and stop the ball only to divert it into the boundary, taking Brook to 98.1:44

Bangar: India could have bowled straighter to Root

Brook punched the air and swiped his bat as he ran towards the dressing room after reaching three figures in only 91 balls. It was an audacious, adrenaline-fuelled effort, his first hundred in the fourth innings, and his tenth overall in only 50 Test innings.Brook has played other incredible innings – 317 in Multan and 186 in Wellington – but the context made this one his best yet.Brook’s dismissal was in keeping with the rest of his innings, his bat slipping out of his hands, and the ball skewing up to mid-off as he attempted to hit Akash Deep for a third consecutive boundary. But Root, after surviving an lbw review on 88, continued in his bubble to keep England in complete control, needing only 57 more to win at tea.2:11

Bangar: Mohammed Siraj will fancy the new ball

Root reached his hundred – his 39th – soon after, flicking off his pads for two, and celebrated with an emotional tribute to his mentor Graham Thorpe. He pulled out and wore one of the white headbands that were sold at The Oval on Friday in celebration of Thorpe’s life, raising over £150,000 for mental-health charities, and pointed to the skies in his memory.But there was a late twist to come. Jacob Bethell had only faced 85 balls in competitive cricket between the start of this series and the fifth Test, and batted like a man short on rhythm. He played two scoring shots in 31 balls before charging down and inside-edging Prasidh on to his stumps; India hardly celebrated, knowing Root’s was the wicket they needed.It came two overs later, and brought the Indian fans at The Oval back to life. Prasidh delivered again, finding a hint of seam movement with the old ball to have Root fiddling a catch behind. As the clouds rolled in, the scoring dried up completely: Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton added two runs between them in 20 balls, as Siraj charged in for a 22nd over of the day.India appealed half-heartedly for caught behind late in the day, prompting an umpire review for bump ball, which lasted long enough for the light to have deteriorated enough. No sooner had the players gone off that the skies opened, and a short downpour was deemed heavy enough to call stumps. With the series on the line, both teams must dig deep for one last session.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced plans to establish and spearhead (FECA), a regional body that will “act as a collaborative platform to coordinate the exponential growth of cricket” across North, Central, and South America.The move comes following CWI president Dr Kishore Shallow’s visit to Lima, Peru, highlighting the board’s commitment to expand the sport beyond the Caribbean. CWI is set to assume a parental role in FECA as the only ICC Full Member in the region.”This marks a pivotal step in advancing cricket across the Americas,” Shallow said in a statement. “Cricket West Indies embraces its responsibility not only to the Caribbean but to the wider region. We recognise the importance of structure, collaboration, and a unified vision to unlock the immense potential that exists throughout the Americas.”CWI’s chief executive officer, Chris Dehring, highlighted the importance of growing the game in countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, among others. According to the CWI release, there are currently 72,000 registered players in Brazil alone.”Our efforts to expand cricket must redound positively to each country under our remit,” he said. “This growth will not only uplift national programmes, but will also strengthen West Indies cricket by broadening our base, increasing opportunities, and deepening our regional relevance.”With the emergence and development of cricketing hubs in areas such as Brazil, with 72,000 registered players – most of them women under professional contracts – along with Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina, this region is ripe for meaningful engagement.”Currently, two youth teams from the USA are part of CWI’s Rising Stars Under-19 Tournament in St. Kitts, while USA national players such as Aaron Jones, Ali Khan and Shayan Jahangir have been part of the CPL.In addition, four senior teams from the Caribbean will travel to Lima to participate in the Bolivarian Games, which could prove to be an entry point into the South American sporting structure. Cricket is set to feature in the 2027 Pan American Games, where the Caribbean nations with Olympic accreditation will compete.

India have not yet decided which Tests in the upcoming five-match series in England Jasprit Bumrah will play, but captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir were confident the depth of their pace attack would make up for his likely absence.”We haven’t taken that call, which three games is he going to play,” Gambhir said during India’s pre-departure press conference in Mumbai. “We are going to have a discussion with him and depending on the series as well. A lot will depend on the results of the series, where the series is heading. That is something which I am sure he is very well aware of as well and that is important.”When announcing India’s Test squad last month, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said Bumrah had been advised by medical staff not to risk playing several consecutive Tests as part of his workload management. The precautionary measure came after Bumrah suffered a stress reaction in the back during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney in January and only returned to action after Mumbai Indians’ first four games in IPL 2025.India’s 18-man Test squad includes Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh as the other specialist fast bowlers, with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur the seam-bowling allrounders.Related

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• Jamie Overton recalled to England Test squad

• Jofra Archer in frame for Test comeback

“I think we have picked enough bowlers and we have enough pace battery and a lot of fast bowlers are in a great space to be able to win us Test matches from any situation or any position,” Gill said. “Obviously when you have someone like Jasprit Bumrah, depending on how many matches he would play, whenever he would come back and play the match for us, it would be a great sight for us. But I think we have a great mix of bowlers and a great set of bowlers who can get the job for the team done.Gambhir said: “I have said it before during the Champions Trophy [which Bumrah missed and India won] as well, it will give someone the opportunity to put his hand up and we have got enough talent there. I know that he is quality but we have got enough quality apart from him as well in the squad.”The series is India’s first since the retirements of Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin and Virat Kohli from Test cricket, and Mohammed Shami is also missing from the squad.The five Tests against England will be India’s first in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. They play the first Test at Headingley (from June 20), the second at Edgbaston (from July 2), the third at Lord’s (from July 10), the fourth at Old Trafford (from July 23), and the final at The Oval (from July 31).They begin the tour with a four-day match against India A at Beckenham on the outskirts of London between June 13 and 16.

New Zealand vs West Indies

Sharjah, 6pm local timeNew Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Isabella Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea TahuhuWest Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa CraftonTournament guide: New Zealand started the tournament with a big win against India. Following a loss against Australia, they went on to win the next two matches, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, to seal a semi-final spot in a Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time since 2016. West Indies started their campaign with a loss but won their next three games. They knocked out one of the tournament favourites England in their last group-stage match to qualify for the semi-final.News brief: Stafanie Taylor missed the England game with a knee injury. In her absence, Qiana Joseph opened the innings and smashed 52 off 38 balls to give West Indies a memorable win. New Zealand, meanwhile, brought in left-arm spinner Fran Jonas for offspinner Leigh Kasperek for their match against Pakistan. Jonas picked up 1 for 8 in her two overs in a winning cause.West Indies have won just five out of the 23 T20Is they have played against New Zealand. Two of those five wins came in the T20 World Cup, in 2012 and 2016. The 2016 game was also a semi-final, where West Indies defended 143 before going on to beat Australia to lift the trophy.Player to watch: Few can hit the ball as hard as Deandra Dottin, and she has shown that at this World Cup too. She has the highest strike rate (167.30) and most sixes (6) so far in this tournament. Against England, she smashed offspinner Charlie Dean for two sixes and a four in an over. Her quick knocks meant West Indies did not have to worry about their net run rate throughout the group stage.Georgia Plimmer has contributed crucial runs at the top of the order for New Zealand. The 20-year-old scored a 53 off 44 against Sri Lanka to set up the chase. In New Zealand’s opening match, it was her 34 off 23 balls that took India by surprise. With 108 runs from four innings, at a strike rate of 122.72, she is currently New Zealand’s top run-getter in the tournament. Given the average first-innings total in Sharjah in this tournament has been only 119, another quick start from her could be decisive.

The BCB is confident that Shakib Al Hasan won’t have any problems returning to Bangladesh – for the first time since the fall of the Awami League government, of which he was a part – for the Test series against South Africa next month.Shakib, Bangladesh’s most celebrated cricketer, was among 147 people named in a murder case in Dhaka last month. He had become a member of parliament in January this year. When Sheikh Hasina resigned as the prime minister on August 5 following massive anti-government protests in Bangladesh and fled the country, Shakib was playing in the Global T20 League in Canada. After that, he has travelled to Pakistan for a Test series, then played a county match for Surrey, and is now in India for another Test series. He was not in Bangladesh at any point during the protests or since. The case in question relates to the death of Mohammed Rubel, who was wounded in the firing during the protests on August 5 and died two days later.Shahriar Nafees, in charge of the BCB’s cricket operations, said on Monday that the country’s caretaker government had clarified that Shakib would not be “harassed”.Related

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“I think the honourable chief adviser, law adviser and sports adviser have spoken very clearly regarding Shakib Al Hasan,” Nafees said. “There is a clear message from the Bangladesh government that no one will be harassed unfairly in the cases that have been filed. We believe the interim government has made its position very clear on Shakib. Unless there is an injury problem or a selection-related issue, I personally don’t see any reason as of now why Shakib Al Hasan should not play in Bangladesh in the home series.”Last month, Bangladesh’s law adviser, Asif Nazrul, had also said that he hoped Shakib would not be arrested in connection with the case. “There’s only a case filed against Shakib. I hope he will not be arrested. I have come to know that the police forces have been asked to show as much restraint as possible in case something incredible happens.”Soon after the news about him being named in the case surfaced, Shakib had received support from his Bangladesh team-mates, who had posted messages on their respective social-media accounts. But his silence during the student-led mass protests in July and August has also led to criticism. Many of his national team-mates have, at various points, spoken about the protests and the loss of lives, especially of students, but Shakib hasn’t.Bangladesh, who are currently in India to play Tests and T20Is, are scheduled to play two home Tests against South Africa in October. CSA’s security team completed its evaluation of Dhaka and Chattogram, where the Tests will be played, on Monday and is expected to inform the BCB about its decision later this week.

Andre Fletcher, the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots captain, didn’t mince words after his side ended their CPL 2024 campaign with a ninth successive defeat, at the hands of Trinbago Knight Riders in Tarouba.On Sunday alone, they dropped Pooran at least four times after which the TKR batter aced a chase of 194 with an unbeaten 93 off 43 balls. Overall in the tournament, they had dropped at least 23 catches, according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, which cost them a number of a games, Fletcher has said.”The guys [bowlers] executed well and dropping five catches in a crucial game, especially a world-class player as Pooran…I know, but not many people know, we dropped 28 catches in the tournament,” Fletcher said. “As a fielding team, it’s poor, way below poor. It actually cost us a lot of games, which we lost.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Though the Patriots lurched from one defeat to another after narrowly winning their first game of the season, Fletcher praised his team-mates for having each other’s back through the tournament. Across the last two seasons, Patriots have just two wins to show for in 20 games.”Knowing that it was a bit hard and tough for us losing, but tried to keep the team together as much as possible,” Fletcher said. “We had a lot of team-bonding activities. Yes, as much as we weren’t showing it on the field, but sometimes when teams lose, you tend to have a lot of bickering in the team, but we never had that. We stuck together and we gelled as a team and it’s just sad that the result didn’t show. But I must say that we stick as a family.”Just want to apologise to the St Kitts and Nevis fans. I know you guys are hurt, so am I. Unfortunately we didn’t get it well this year, hopefully, next year it will be better.”Related

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In isolation, Fletcher had a productive tournament with the bat, scoring 318 runs in ten innings at an average of 31.80 and strike rate of just under 150. Along the way, Fletcher became the highest run-getter in the history of the CPL, but Johnson Charles, whose team has made the playoffs, has a chance to surpass him.”I’m very pleased, to be honest, [with my batting],” Fletcher said. “People tend to remember the last thing you do. I really wanted to come out here and show what I’m worth. I’m happy to put on a great total for the team but unfortunately we didn’t get over the line. But that’s how cricket goes at times.”

Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of South Africa’s upcoming Test series against West Indies because of a side strain, which he picked up during the USA’s T20 franchise league, Major League Cricket (MLC). Migael Pretorius, uncapped at Test level but with the experience of 64 first-class games to his credit, comes in as Coetzee’s replacement.Coetzee, playing for Texas Super Kings, returned home to undergo assessments on his injured left side by South Africa’s medical team. Cricket South Africa confirmed on Thursday that he was not passed fit to play the Test series, which begins on August 7.Pretorius was last named in a South Africa squad in March 2021, for a T20I series against Pakistan, but he didn’t get a cap. He also got a national call-up in December 2020 for a Test series in Sri Lanka, but then injured his shoulder and could not debut.In 64 first-class games, Pretorius, 29, has 188 wickets at 27.50. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for Somerset in this season’s English County Championship, with 23 wickets, albeit at an average of 39.43.South Africa kick off the Test series in Port-of-Spain, before moving to Providence for the second Test. Three T20Is follow, from August 24 to 28.

Updated South Africa Test squad

Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne, Migael Pretorius.