Jonny Bairstow batted England out of trouble after James Anderson and Stuart Broad delivered with the ball as the hosts made a strong start to the second Test against South Africa.
The Proteas posted 151 all out at Old Trafford, with Anderson and Broad taking three wickets each, as South Africa's innings victory at Lord's last time out was quickly forgotten.
England moved to 111-3 at the close in reply after an unbroken stand of 68 for the fourth wicket between Bairstow and Zak Crawley.
Bairstow's 38 not out from 45 balls was not quite a full-blown return to 'Bazball', but his positivity was refreshing as Crawley lived up to his name at the other end, trundling to 17 important runs from 77 deliveries.
At the start of the day, Anderson made a breakthrough in the fifth over after finding early movement off the pitch, having Sarel Erwee caught behind off an inside edge.
Broad soon sent South Africa captain Dean Elgar on his way as Bairstow took a sharp low catch, before the same bowler accounted for Keegan Petersen, snaffled by Joe Root at first slip.
Captain Ben Stokes snagged a fortunate fourth wicket when Aiden Markram mistimed a pull and a top edge was pouched by Ben Foakes, and the skipper had Rassie van der Dussen trapped lbw before lunch as South Africa went in on 77-5, in big trouble.
Anderson pinned Simon Harmer in front, and it was two wickets in two balls as the Lancashire paceman, on his home ground, struck in the same way to remove Keshav Maharaj.
When Broad teased an edge out of Kyle Verreynne, South Africa were 108-8, and Ollie Robinson and Jack Leach picked up a wicket apiece to end lower-order resistance, with Kagiso Rabada the last man out for a team-best 36. Petersen and Verreynne were the only other South African batters to reach 20, both out for 21.
England lost Alex Lees (4), Ollie Pope (23) and Joe Root (9) as Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Rabada made early inroads, reducing the hosts to 43-3; however, Bairstow and Crawley saw them through to the close without any further setback, building a platform for day two.
Happy hunting ground
Heading into this match, England had lost only one of their nine Tests against South Africa at Old Trafford (W4, D4), a three-wicket loss in July 1955. They defeated the Proteas by 177 runs in their most recent such meeting (August 2017).
CWI's VP Bassarath joins efforts to secure Narine's return for T20 World Cup
Cricket West Indies (CWI) vice president Azim Bassarath has declared his intentions to join the effort to possibly coerce spinner Sunil Narine to come out of international retirement for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be hosted in the Caribbean and United States.
Bassarath's declaration follows that of West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell, who has led the charge of trying to get Narine back to the regional setup ahead of the June 1-29 global showpiece.
Narine, 35, confirmed his retirement from the international game last November. However, after a stellar 56-ball 109 for Kolkota Knight Riders (KKR) against Rajasthan Royals in an IPL tie on April 16, Powell said he’s been trying to coax Narine to rejoin the squad for the past year “but he’s blocked out everyone.”
At the same time, the Jamaican revealed that he sought the assistance of Nicholas Pooran and retired international stars Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo to convince their compatriot to return. Former maroon fast bowler Tony Gray also believes Narine would be a welcomed addition to Darren Sammy's side to challenge for a third T20 World Cup title.
West Indies won the 2012 and 2016 editions of the tournament.
After KKR's IPL win against the Lucknow Super Giants on April 14, Narine when asked about the possibility of returning to the West Indies team by former West Indies teammate Samuel Badree, pointed out that “I will be watching from home, Badree.”
However, Narine in another interview on Tuesday, appeared to soften his stance about making the proverbial U-turn, when he said, “It is what it is, but we'll have to see what the future holds.”
Bassarath explained that he has tried unsuccessfully to make contact with Narine, but he intends to keep at it.
“I haven’t spoken to him [Narine], and he hasn’t spoken to me. Everybody is asking for him to change his mind and come represent West Indies, at least for this last chance. It is my intention to give him a shout, and if I have to beg him to come back and make himself available to play in this tournament. Because this is what the people need," he said in a T&T Newsday article.
Bassarath, the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) president Bassarath also revealed that he reached out to Queen’s Park Cricket Club president Nigel Camacho – Narine’s domestic club – for help.
“I have also spoken to the QPCC president, and he indicated to me that he will also reach out to Sunil to see if he can change his mind to come on board," he shared.
West Indies are set to open their T20 World Cup campaign against Papa New Guinea in Guyana, on June 2. Afghanistan, New Zealand, and Uganda are the other teams in the group.
T&T to host 2024 Women's CPL; to be contested before men's tourney for the first time
Organizers have confirmed that Trinidad and Tobago will host the third staging of the Women's Caribbean Premier League when the tournament bowls off in August.
The inaugural tournament in 2022 was played in St Kitts and Nevis, while last year's showpiece was played in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. This year's edition scheduled for August 21-29, will see Guyana Amazon Warriors, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) and reigning champions Barbados Royals battling for top spot, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in Tarouba.
“We would like to thank Trinidad and Tobago for agreeing to host this tournament and we are excited to be having the Massy WCPL taking place before we get the men’s tournament underway,” said CPL chief executive, Pete Russell.
“The commitment that the Trinidad & Tobago government has shown to women’s sport has been phenomenal and we are looking forward to another superb exhibition of world class cricket over these seven matches from 21 to 29 August," he added.
The three teams will clash in six group games, with the top two teams featuring in the final.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago's Minister of Sport and Community Development, Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, expressed joy that the twin island republic will be host to the women's tournament, which will for the first time be contested before the men's edition.
"We are delighted to host once again the Massy Women's CPL, where the extraordinary talent of women in sport from across the region will be showcased. This tournament highlights the incredible skills of our female cricketers and underscores Trinidad and Tobago's unwavering commitment to promoting gender equality and fostering inclusivity in sport," she said.
"The Ministry of Sport and Community Development takes pride in spearheading the advancement of women's cricket and sport tourism in TT and we look forward to welcoming players and fans alike to our shores for an electrifying display of cricketing excellence," Cudjoe-Lewis noted.
Hayley Matthews' heroics lead West Indies Women to resounding win over Pakistan in first ODI in Karachi
West Indies Women's captain Hayley Matthews delivered a stellar all-round performance to lead her team to a commanding 113-run victory over Pakistan Women in the first One Day International (ODI) at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday.
Matthews played a pivotal role in setting up the win, first with the bat and then with the ball. She showcased her batting prowess by scoring an impressive unbeaten 140 runs, anchoring the West Indies' innings to a challenging total of 269-8 in their allotted 50 overs. Matthews' innings was decorated with 15 boundaries (fours) and a well-struck six.
After losing an early wicket, Matthews combined forces with Shemaine Campbell to forge a crucial partnership of 102 runs for the second wicket. Campbell contributed a valuable 45 runs to the cause before departing.
Chinelle Henry (23) and contributions from Chedean Nation and Aaliyah Henry, who scored 17 each, further solidified the West Indies' innings as Matthews led from the front, steering her team to a formidable total.
In response, Pakistan Women struggled to build partnerships against the disciplined West Indies bowling attack. Tuba Hassan top-scored with 25 runs, while Muneeba Ali and Nahida Alvi made contributions of 22 and 20 runs, respectively.
However, it was Matthews who turned the game decisively in her team's favor with the ball, claiming three crucial wickets for just 17 runs. Afy Fletcher and Zaida James also made significant contributions with the ball, picking up two wickets each to bundle out Pakistan Women for 156 runs in 35.5 overs.
Sadia Iqbal (2-38) and Tuba Hassan (2-48) were the standout bowlers for Pakistan, but they couldn't contain Matthews' brilliance.
With this commanding victory, West Indies Women have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against Pakistan Women, setting the stage for an exciting contest in the upcoming matches.
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