England and Australia produced another culture clash on the opening day of the final Ashes Test, with Harry Brook keeping the hosts afloat at the Kia Oval.
England’s ‘Bazball’ brigade lived fast and died young after being sent in to bat, bowled out for 283 inside 55 overs as Brook’s dashing 85 did much of the work.
There were 31 boundaries and five sixes as the hosts flashed hard in difficult conditions and scored their runs at a rollicking rate of 5.17 while losing wickets in costly clusters.
Australia were unusually ragged in the field, dropping five chances including Brook on just five, but showed plenty of care and attention as they reached 61 for one in response.
In place of England’s devil-may-care approach they set their sights on survival, happily sedate as they idled along at 2.44. Yet, if the tourists can go deep, win the Test and become the first Australian side to win outright on English soil since 2001, the entertainment factor will finish as a footnote next to a 3-1 away win.
Chris Woakes claimed England’s only wicket, David Warner doing the hard work then slashing to second slip for 24, but the home attack was a touch lethargic. James Anderson once again searched in vain for inspiration, tidy but unthreatening in what is fast becoming a worrying pattern as he approaches his 41st birthday.
England’s prospects were not helped by the absence of spinner Moeen Ali, who injured his thigh while batting and did not take the field.
The odds were stacked against England’s openers after Pat Cummins won his first toss of the series and sent them out under thick clouds.
Australia granted both men a life in the slips, Warner putting down Ben Duckett and Steve Smith parrying Crawley one-handed, but they asserted themselves well to add 62 in the first 12 overs.
Duckett made a run-a-ball 41, peaking when he skipped down the track and clubbed Josh Hazlewood for a straight four.
His departure was slightly unlucky, strangled down leg by Mitch Marsh off the glove, but Crawley was beaten in more authentic fashion as Cummins squared him up and took the shoulder of the bat.
Australia were suddenly up for the fight, rounding up their number one target when Joe Root dragged Hazlewood on for five.
At 73 for three, things had taken a sharp downturn for England when Brook arrived in the middle. He could easily have been the next domino to fall, edging a full delivery from Cummins through to Alex Carey.
It was a low chance, just in front of first slip, but once it hit the glove it should have stayed there. Instead, it popped out and invited Brook to enjoy his reprieve.
Two more false shots skipped through the cordon for four before he warmed to the task, pounding Marsh through the covers then denting his pride with a dismissive swat for six over midwicket.
With lunch approaching he went after Starc, threading back-to-back boundaries then stepping inside the line of a bouncer and hooking it over fine-leg for another maximum. His efforts dragged England to 131 for three at lunch, back ahead of the game after a rollercoaster session.
Moeen had been a silent partner at number three, but sparked into life when he pulled up completing a single. After eking 11 from his first 37 deliveries, he raced through the gears after treatment from the physio to clatter 23 off his next nine.
The partnership was up to 111 when Moeen swiped at Todd Murphy’s third ball, missing completely and losing his middle stump.
Brook was still looking good, reaching his fourth half-century of the series in just 44 balls and driving Cummins for back-to-back boundaries, but Australia were in the process of reclaiming the initiative.
Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow came and went without leaving a mark. Cummins pegged back his fellow captain’s off stump up with one that swung in and straightened off the pitch, while Bairstow got into a poor position as he dragged Hazlewood on.
The responsibility lay firmly on the shoulders of England’s youngest player now, but Brook was suckered in by a fuller, wider offering from Starc. Brook threw everything at it but only succeeded in spraying a thick edge to Smith.
The heavy lifting looked to be done at seven down, but Woakes (36) and Mark Wood (28) had other ideas. Between them the pair added 64 in 65 balls, with 42 of those coming in boundaries as England continued hitting the fast forward button.
Chances continued to come and Starc finished with four for 82 when Woakes holed out to end the innings, partial payback for a steepling six that had sailed over his head a few moments earlier.
Conditions were still bowler-friendly during England’s 25 overs in the field, but Australia slammed the brakes on a breakneck day of action. Usman Khawaja made 26no from 75 balls and Marnus Labuschagne blocked for stumps, leaving Warner’s error of judgement as a solitary blemish on the card.
RCB secures sixth win in a row to eliminate CSK and advance to playoffs
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru held their nerve to secure their sixth win in a row with a 27-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday to book a spot in the Indian Premier League playoffs.
The Super Kings entered Saturday’s game in fourth place on 14 points while RCB were fifth on 12 needing to win by at least 18 runs to overtake their opponents and seal the final playoff spot.
CSK won the toss and decided to put RCB in to bat and that decision looked like the wrong one after openers Virat Kohli and Captain Faf Du Plessis put on a quick 31 off three overs before a quick drop of rain brought a halt to proceedings.
Play eventually started back and the pair brought the score up to 78 in the 10th over before Kohli fell for 47.
The wicket didn’t bring much help to CSK as Du Plessis and Rajat Patidar brought the fire to the Super Kings bowlers to bring the score up to 113 in the 13th before the skipper fell for a top score of 54.
Patidar and new batsman Cameron Green then put on 71 for the forth wicket to further put the Super Kings bowlers to the sword.
In the end, RCB reached 218-5 from their 20 overs. Patidar was eventually dismissed for 41 off 23 balls including two fours and four sixes while Green finished 38* off 17 balls including three fours and three sixes.
CSK, needing at least 200 to advance to the playoffs, fell agonizingly short at 191-7 from their 20 overs.
Rachin Ravindra led the way with 61 while Ravindra Jadeja made 42* against 2-42 from Yash Dayal.
CSK entered the final over, bowled by Dayal, needing 17 to qualify to the playoffs. Captain MS Dhoni smashed the first ball out the ground before he was dismissed off the second ball.
Dayal then held his nerve to concede only one run off the next four balls and seal RCB’s spot in the last four.
Full scores:
Royal Challengers Bangalore 218-5 off 20 overs (Faf Du Plessis 54, Virat Kohli 47, Rajat Patidar 41, Cameron Green 38*, Shardul Thakur 2-61)
Chennai Super Kings 191-7 off 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 61, Ravindra Jadeja 42*, Ajinkya Rahane 33, Ms Dhoni 25, Yash Dayal 2-42)
CWI President congratulates Hayley Matthews on ICC Women’s Player of the Month Award
Cricket West Indies (CWI) President, Dr. Kishore Shallow, has extended congratulations to West Indies captain Hayley Matthews for being named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April 2024.
Matthews’ exceptional all-round performances against Pakistan earned her this prestigious accolade for the third time, a testament to her consistent excellence on the international stage.
She amassed 325 runs in the ODI series at a remarkable average of 162.5 and took six wickets. In the T20I series, she continued her stellar form, scoring 126 runs at an average of 42 and securing six wickets. Her outstanding contributions earned her four Player of the Match awards and the Player of the Series title in the ODIs.
President Shallow praised Matthews' achievements, stating, “Hayley continues to be an inspiration and a beacon of excellence for West Indies cricket. Her dedication, skills, and leadership are evident in her performances, and we are incredibly proud of her accomplishments.”
Matthews edged out strong competition from South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu to claim the award. Her latest triumph adds to her previous wins in November 2021 and October 2023, making her one of the most decorated players in this category. Only Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner has won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award more times than Matthews.
Reflecting on CWI’s commitment to women's cricket, Dr. Shallow remarked, “CWI’s continuous efforts to support and develop women’s cricket are yielding remarkable results. Hayley’s success is a clear indicator of the growth and potential of women’s cricket in the West Indies. We remain steadfast in our mission to provide our female cricketers with the best opportunities to excel.”
President Shallow also emphasized the broader impact of Matthews' success: “Hayley’s achievements not only bring pride to West Indies cricket but also inspire young girls across the Caribbean to pursue their dreams in the sport. Her journey is a powerful narrative of what can be achieved when desire meets hard work and determination.”
CWI remains committed to fostering the development of women’s cricket through robust programs, dedicated support, and investment in talent. The success of players like Hayley Matthews showcases the progress being made and the bright future of women’s cricket in the region.
Ambrose bullish on West Indies’ chances at T20 World Cup
West Indies great and ICC Hall of Famer Curtly Ambrose believes his former team have enough talent to win an unprecedented third ICC Men's T20 World Cup title next month.
While the West Indies are just one of the two sides to have won multiple men’s T20 World Cup titles, the Caribbean team will need to overturn some poor form at recent ICC tournaments, if they are to become the only three-time winner of the event.
The West Indies didn't make it out of the first round of the most recent T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022 and failed to even qualify for last year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India.
But Ambrose thinks the West Indies' fortunes are turning under skipper Rovman Powell and pointed to T20I series successes over powerhouses South Africa, India, and England in the last 14 months as evidence of this.
These returns have the legendary fast bowler confident of a strong showing from the West Indies in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, an event they will co-host with the USA.
"We have a very, very good team. As we speak they (West Indies players) are in Antigua at a camp preparing themselves for the start of the T20 World Cup which is a couple of weeks away," Ambrose said while speaking at the launch of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York earlier this week.
"I believe once the guys start playing consistent cricket and smart cricket, I believe we can take the trophy. It is not going to be easy, but we are one of only two nations to have won it twice so we are going to try and make it three. And no other nation has ever won it on home soil, so all that is motivation for the guys to do well and I am hoping they can do it,” he added.
The West Indies are drawn in Group C at the T20 World Cup and face the champions of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier Papua New Guinea first up in Guyana on June 2, before their remaining opening round fixtures against Uganda, New Zealand and Afghanistan.
Ambrose expects to see some upsets at this year's edition of the T20 World Cup as he knows every side has plenty of talented players at their disposal.
"I admire a lot of cricketers (at the T20 World Cup) and I am looking forward to them doing well. As a proud Antiguan and being from the West Indies, I want the West Indies to win,” he said.
"It is not going to be easy because in T20 cricket every team has an equal chance of beating any other team and that is just the nature of T20 cricket. It is going to be exciting, but I am going to be rooting for the West Indies,” Ambrose ended.
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