Warwickshire bowler Chris Rushworth took seven wickets for 38 runs to help his side to an impressive LV= Insurance County Championship victory over Hampshire by an innings and 84 runs at the Ageas Bowl.
The fast bowler helped skittle Hampshire out for just 97 in their second innings and finished with match figures of 10 for 76.
Hampshire totalled 229 in their first innings and Sam Hain (85), Ed Barnard (95) and Michael Burgess (88) all came close to centuries to help them clock up 410, but Rushworth’s high-quality movement helped Warwickshire to a first victory at the venue since 2010.
Azhar Ali hit an unbeaten century to guide Worcestershire to a draw with Sussex at New Road despite another stunning performance from England pace bowler Ollie Robinson which saw him pick up career-best match figures.
Robinson’s first-innings seven for 59 was matched with another incredible effort of seven for 58 in the second as he took 14 for 117.
Azhar batted throughout the day to finish on 103 not out and earned Worcestershire a draw, despite them being 109 behind after the first innings.
Sam Whiteman hit his first century for Northamptonshire to earn a draw with Somerset at Taunton.
Visitors Northamptonshire extended their overnight score from 66 for one to 311 for eight, with Whiteman leading from the front with an unbeaten 130 off 269 balls – including 14 fours and a six.
The Yorkshire-born Aussie left-hander batted throughout the day, anchored excellently by Tom Taylor, who contributed 53 to their eighth-wicket partnership of 79 that tamed a Somerset attack in the end, as both sides shook hands on a draw.
Nottinghamshire’s lower order stood strong to deny Lancashire victory on a dramatic final day at Trent Bridge.
The hosts lost their first six wickets for 55 in pursuit of 295 for victory, but a stubborn rearguard action meant they finished nine down for 136, with Lancashire falling just short of the finish line.
Lancashire declared on 329 for eight at lunch, giving the hosts 67 overs to defend for a draw.
Nottinghamshire looked to be heading for a third defeat in four when George Balderson took three wickets in 11 balls to have them six down but Joe Clarke (42) and seam bowler Brett Hutton blocked for 34 overs to offer a glimmer of a result, and they only lost two more wickets in the remaining 13 overs – the ninth with just four balls remaining – Stuart Broad also seeing out 50 balls.
Jamie Smith stood at the crease for around two-and-a-half hours to help Surrey rescue an unlikely draw at Chelmsford.
After Surrey were reduced to 103 for six with 25 overs still to hold out, Smith turned into defensive mode and helped to retain their unbeaten start to the season.
Surrey had been set a target of 273 to chase down in 54 overs. But, Surrey’s hopes of victory went up in smoke when Ollie Pope departed on 47, and they played to the close on 153 for seven, Smith finishing the day unbeaten on 39 from 126 balls.
Adam Lyth’s mammoth 174 made sure Yorkshire held on for a draw with Glamorgan after Jonny Bairstow’s promotion up the order backfired with a nine-ball duck.
Bairstow was making his senior return this week after eight months out injured when Lyth and Finlay Bean’s 99-run opening stand was broken on the stroke of lunch.
Yorkshire’s 492-run target was soon dismissed when the England batter edged to second slip off Timm van der Gugten.
Lyth was twice dropped on 48 and 69 and showed intent with his 138-run partnership with George Hill and in the end, Yorkshire were left reeling when they lost seven wickets in the final session.
Jordan Thompson (55 not out) blocked out Michael Neser’s final over to salvage a draw.
DJ Bravo reiterates call for love, togetherness in T&T; to host peace walk on May 18
Former West Indies cricket captain Dwayne Bravo is again hoping to use his status and influence to shape a safer Trinidad and Tobago, as he is set to host a peace walk to raise awareness about crime in the twin island republic.
The event, Unity Walk 2024 – A Mother’s Cry, is scheduled to start at Memorial Park in Port of Spain, on May 18, at 10:00 am.
“Come out and let’s re-inject love, peace, unity and togetherness in our beautiful twin island,” Bravo said in a short video.
“Don’t miss out, get your crew, come out in your numbers. Walk for unity, walk for peace,” he added.
The walk is being held to raise awareness of domestic violence, drug abuse, gang warfare and murder.
This is another attempt by Bravo to not only encourage the youth of Trinidad and Tobago, in particular, to follow their dreams, but more importantly, to stay away from a life of crime.
Last year, Bravo, known for his electrifying all-round performances for West Indies and in franchise cricket, took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the crime situation.
"To the youths out there, please find your passion and follow your dreams! Drugs and guns (are) not the way forward,” he said then.
The two-time T20 World Cup winner made the plea under an excerpt of his song "Sad Place".
While the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) reported a five percent decrease in homicides — 577 in 2023 as compared to 605 in 2022 — citizens remain concerned about a high level of violent crime in and around the city centre of Port of Spain.
IPL: Capitals sneak past Titans after Pant heroics in free-scoring clash
Rishabh Pant stole the show with an unbeaten 88 as Delhi Capitals leapfrogged Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League table with Wednesday's nervous four-run victory.
Delhi looked in some trouble after Sandeep Warrier dismissed openers Prithvi Shaw for 11 and Jake Fraser-McGurk on 23 but Pant blitzed a remarkable 43-ball knock that contained eight maximums to help the Capitals to 224-4.
That onslaught from the India wicketkeeper came after Axar Patel – promoted up the order to number three – blasted 66 off 43 balls, though Wriddhiman Saha (39) and Sai Sudharsan (69) led the Gujarat fightback.
David Miller's quickfire 55 offered further hope yet impact player Rasikh Salam's 3-44 stunted that response.
With the Titans needing 19 from the final over, Mukesh Kumar (1-41) held on in a showdown with Rashid Khan (21 not out) to edge the Capitals over the finish line.
Data Debrief: Sharma sets unwanted IPL record
Though much of the credit went to Pant for his late-innings destruction, questions may be asked of Mohit Sharma, whose 0-73 from four overs marked the most expensive figures for a bowler in IPL history.
Mohit cannot shoulder too much blame, though, as this entertaining IPL clash saw only two bowlers concede less than eight runs an over – Warrier's 3-15 in the first innings before Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Saha and Rahul Tewatia (4) in his 2-29 Delhi spell.
Usain Bolt named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced Olympic legend Usain Bolt as an ambassador for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be played in the West Indies and USA from 1-29 June 2024.
The announcement comes a few weeks ahead of the start of the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever that will inspire a new generation of fans. Bolt’s global appeal alongside his out of this world athletic achievements and ability to transcend boundaries makes him a perfect fit for the biggest T20 World Cup ever.
Bolt created history at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio when he achieved the ‘Triple-Triple’, three gold medals at three consecutive Olympic Games. His journey to worldwide stardom started at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing where he won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, all in world record times.
Bolt currently holds world records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m with times of 9.58 secs, 19.19 secs and 36.84 secs. His first world record was in the 100m in 2008 when he posted a time of 9.72 secs in New York. He lowered it to 9.69 secs at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and then to 9.58 secs at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. He holds the three fastest times ever run: 9.58, 9.64 and 9.69 seconds.
As an ambassador, Bolt will play a key role in promoting the event, starting with a cameo appearance in next week’s release of the event’s official anthem music video alongside iconic artists Sean Paul and Kes. The eight-time Olympic Gold Medallist will also attend T20 World Cup matches in the West Indies and be part of fan engagement events promoting the sport within the United States.
Usain Bolt expressed his excitement about his new role, saying: "I am thrilled to be an ambassador for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Coming from the Caribbean where cricket is a part of life, the sport has always held a special place in my heart, and I look forward to attending West Indies matches at the World Cup and making a contribution to the growth of cricket globally.
“While I will of course be supporting West Indies at the World Cup, getting the sport into the US is big for cricket. It’s the biggest sports market in the world and the energy that we will bring for the T20 World Cup is a huge opportunity leading towards cricket’s inclusion in the LA Olympics in 2028.”
ICC Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Allardice said: "Usain Bolt is a global icon, we are thrilled to have him on board as an Ambassador for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 to engage with a new generation of fans. His passion for cricket is well known, making him the perfect fit for this role. Alongside his world record breaking achievements and energetic personality, he will add another exciting element to the World Cup.”
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is set to be action packed with Bolt's presence adding a new level of excitement for fans globally. Fans can look forward to seeing the world's best teams battle it out for glory, with the World Cup opening match seeing co-host USA taking on Canada at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, Texas on Saturday 1 June. For full match fixtures and tickets, including hospitality packages in both the West Indies and USA, visit tickets.t20worldcup.com
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