The Indian Premier League auction for the 2023 season is done and dusted, with some of the world's biggest players front and centre on Friday.
England's Sam Curran, the Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, fetched a new record price when he was bought by Punjab Kings for 18.5 crore (£1.85million).
International team-mate Ben Stokes also brought in an impressive fee of 16.25 crore (£1.65m) from Chennai Super Kings, while Mumbai Indians landed Australia's Cameron Green for 17.5 crore (£1.75m).
Stats Perform runs through the standout deals of the day...
Sam Curran (Punjab Kings)
Having started his IPL career with Punjab in 2019, Curran is headed back after a stint with Chennai Super Kings and returns on the back of the best year of his career.
With 13 wickets at the T20 World Cup and huge batting potential, Curran is one of the most exciting purchases ahead of next year's tournament – as the price suggests.
Ben Stokes (Chennai Super Kings)
England's Test captain once again dug into his bag of tricks with a superb batting performance at the T20 World Cup to help his team beat Pakistan in the final.
Stokes heads to Chennai for a fee that matches the previous record set by Australia's Chris Morris last year, while his career IPL strike rate of 134.50 is indicative of a batsman who always goes big.
Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians)
The second-most expensive buy in the auction, it is little surprise Green commanded such an impressive figure given his huge 173.75 strike rate across eight T20I matches.
The Australia all-rounder was expected to figure near the top of the bidding, and he will hope to live up to his billing with Mumbai next year.
Kane Williamson (Gujarat Titans)
Williamson was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad, allowing him to enter the auction and be picked up at his base price of 2 crore.
Despite playing a role in Sunrisers' title success in 2016, that fee illustrates Williamson's diminishing returns since then, although Gujarat will hope this is a bargain deal.
Harry Brook (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
This has been a breakout year for Brook, who followed T20 World Cup glory with an impressive impact on the Test stage, dominating for England against Pakistan.
Back in the white-ball arena, Brook was briefly the most expensive specialist batsman in IPL history when signed for 13.25 crore (£1.325m).
Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants)
Brook's record was short-lived as Pooran went under the hammer and sparked a bidding war.
Lucknow came out on top, paying out 16 crore (£1.6m) for his services and acquiring one of the most fearsome white-ball players around.
Josh Little (Gujarat Titans)
Ireland bowler Little saw his stock rise following a T20 World Cup where he took a hat-trick against New Zealand and helped inspire a shock triumph over England.
Little will become the first Irishman to play in the IPL after fetching 4.4 crore (£440,000).
Joe Root (Rajasthan Royals)
At last, one of the defining batsmen of his generation is headed to the IPL, with the former England Test captain finally selected to play in the world's premier T20 domestic competition after going unsold back in 2018.
Root, who did not play at the T20 World Cup, looked set for the same fate again, but a late one crore (£100,000) base price bid in an accelerated auction will take him to India next year.
McCaskie scores 92 to guide Pride to first-innings lead over Red Force at Queen’s Park Oval
Opener Zachary McCaskie fell eight runs shy of a maiden first-class hundred as the Barbados Pride hold a 37-run lead over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force after day two of their fourth-round fixture at the Queen’s Park Oval
At lunch, the Pride were 108-3 off 40 overs. Zachary McCaskie and Shane Dowrich were the batsmen at the crease on 71 and two, respectively.
McCaskie carried on after lunch and looked set for his maiden first-class ton before he fell for 92.
At tea, the Pride were 222-6 off 72 overs. Roshon Primus and Akeem Jordan were the batsmen at the crease on 38 and 22, respectively.
Shortly after tea, Primus brought up his fifty before being dismissed for a 71-ball 53.
Eventually, the Pride were bowled out for 271 in 85 overs, a first innings lead of 68 runs.
The Red Force were 31-2 in their second innings at stumps, trailing by 37 runs with Darren Bravo (20) and Brian Charles (5) at the crease.
Chanderpaul, Imlach score late fifties as Harpy Eagles build 301-run lead over Scorpions
Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul and wicket-keeper/batsman Tevin Imlach notched late half-centuries as the Guyana Harpy Eagles ended day two of their fourth-round fixture against the Jamaica Scorpions with a 301-run second innings lead at Providence.
The hosts began the day 268-9 off 86.3 overs.
Harpy Eagles captain Leon Johnson carried on from his overnight 142 to finish 150* as Guyana were bowled out for 278 off 88.1 overs.
Marquino Mindley ended with 3-34 while Ojay Shields and Derval Green both ended with two wickets.
The Scorpions endured a horrendous start to their reply losing half of the team for just 24 runs inside six overs and three balls.
Eventually, they found themselves 64-9 in the 18th over before a39-run 10th wicket partnership between Derval Green and Nicholson Gordon meant they entered the lunch break 103-9 off 27 overs.
The pair added 12 more runs after lunch before Green fell for a top score 42 as the Scorpions were dismissed for 115 in 35.5 overs.
Nial Smith ended with 5-39 while Veerasammy Permaul and Ronsford Beaton took 3-22 and 2-22, respectively.
Mindley then led a Scorpions fightback before tea as he grabbed four quick wickets, including that of Leon Johnson, within the first 12 overs of the Harpy Eagles second innings.
The score at tea was 37-4 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 14 and Tevin Imlach yet to get off the mark.
After tea, Chanderpaul and Imlach continued on to leave the Harpy Eagles 138-4 at stumps, a lead of 301 runs with Chanderpaul on 60 and Imlach on 50.
Athanaze, Hodge lead Volcanoes comeback after James’ 107 at Brian Lara Stadium
Windward Islands Volcanoes captain Alick Athanaze and Leeward Islands Hurricanes all-rounder Kofi James both got centuries on day two of their fourth-round fixture at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Thursday.
The Hurricanes began the day 271-6 off 90 overs with Karima Gore on 87 and James on 61.
Gore went on to make 93 off 198 balls including 13 fours and a six.
At lunch, they reached 338-7 off 116 overs with James on 96 and Jeremiah Louis on 18.
After the break, James carried on to bring up his maiden first-class ton before he was the second-to-last man to be dismissed, falling for 107 off 248 balls. Jeremiah Louis also made a valuable contribution with 45 as the Leewards declared their innings on 382-9 off 121.5 overs.
Shermon Lewis took 3-76 for the Volcanoes while new ball partner Preston McSween provided good support with 2-68.
At tea, the Windwards were 65-2 off 15 overs with in-form batsmen Kavem Hodge and captain Alick Athanaze at the crease on 33 and 21, respectively.
Athanaze and Hodge continued after tea, with the former bringing up his second hundred of the season, bringing his overall tally past 500 for the season. Hodge also brought up his third fifty of the season.
At Stumps, the Volcanoes were 206-2, trailing the Hurricanes by 176 runs with Athanaze and Hodge on 105 and 85, respectively.
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