England’s bowlers need to rally on day three of the first Ashes Test after a chanceless century from Usman Khawaja and three wasted opportunities left them with a fragile lead of 82 at Edgbaston.
Having sprung a surprise declaration at 393 for eight on the first evening, England saw the tourists respond with 311 for five as Khawaja made an imperious 126 not out.
He carried his bat from first ball to last on day two, shepherding his side from 67 for three to a much sturdier position at stumps. While they look well set with Khawaja and Alex Carey (52no) at the crease, England are just two wickets from opening up the tail.
Yet they will be ruing three chances that went begging, Jonny Bairstow missing a stumping against Cameron Green and a catch from Carey, while Stuart Broad bowled Khawaja on 112 off a no-ball.
With a first-innings lead likely to go a long way on a pitch that is beginning to take spin, both sides will be desperate to own the morning session.
A step too far for Broad
Overstepping the bowling crease has become an increasingly costly habit for fast bowlers since the line has been routinely monitored by the third umpire. Australia captain Pat Cummins overstepped six times in the World Test Championship final against India earlier this month, missing out on two wickets as a result, and Broad failed to heed the warning. He overstepped six times in 16 overs, most painfully when he speared the second new ball through Khawaja’s defences only to see the wicket scrubbed off. Ben Stokes, who has also lost wickets for the same reason in the past, was also called six times. England need to tighten up their footwork.
What they said
Khawaja, joined at his post-match press conference by daughter Aisha, was pleased to answer the doubters who suggested he could not bring his form to English conditions. He had a previous best of 54 and an average of less than 20 in this country, but blew those statistics out of the water with his classy century.
Numbers game
By contrast Australia managed only to stop England scoring from two of their overs on day one. As if to exemplify the sharp contrast in styles, Australia’s batters blocked out three successive maidens to start the day and took 24 balls to open their account for the day.
England’s secret weapon
Broad dismissing David Warner early on day two for the 15th time in his career felt par for the course and there was a sense of expectancy as the old rivals faced off. But Harry Brook being brought into the attack in the 15th over came right out of leftfield. A very occasional medium pacer, he had only bowled eight overs in international cricket before Stokes threw him into the fray unexpectedly. The decision to introduce a 65pmh part-timer in the first session and with Steve Smith at the crease raised more than a few eyebrows. It only cost England a single and he was back for two more in the evening as Stokes tried everything he could to derail Australia.
Tweet of the Day
England’s Twitter harking back to the response Moeen Ali sent after Stokes’ Ashes SOS. It was a mixed bag for Moeen, who snared Travis Head and produced this beauty to see off Cameron Green but England’s off-spinning all-rounder leaked 124 runs in his 29 overs.
#BlueforBob
Actor Stephen Fry and former Australia fast bowler Jeff Thomson were on hand to lend their support as Edgbaston turned blue for Bob Willis, who died in December 2019 from prostate cancer. His wife Lauren Clark set up the Bob Willis Fund to spread awareness and raise money for prostate cancer research.
Knight Riders dispatch Super Giants to move top of IPL
Kolkata Knight Riders moved to the top of the Indian Premier League courtesy of a 98-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants.
Sunil Narine hit a sensational 81 from 39 balls, and he was ably supported by Ramandeep Singh's 25 from six deliveries, as KKR reeled off a third straight win on Sunday.
Ramandeep enjoyed a great day in the field too, as he took one of the catches of the season as LSG managed just 137 in response to KKR's 235.
Phil Salt struck 32, but it was fellow opener Narine who did the damage for KKR.
Ravi Bishnoi eventually ended his stand, but only when KKR had reached 140. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32) had to be substituted out, but Shreyas Iyer added a useful 23 before Ramandeep hammered 25 from just an overs' worth of deliveries.
KL Rahul (25) and Marcus Stoinis (36) tried to get Lucknow going either side of Ramandeep's spectacular catch to dismiss Arshin Kulkarni, but the Super Giants never set the pace to truly trouble Kolkata.
Sunil Narine's plunders 81 to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to emphatic victory over Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants
In a sensational display of power hitting, Sunil Narine spearheaded Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a commanding victory over Nicholas Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants and a place atop of the IPL table with a stunning knock of 81 runs off just 39 deliveries.
Alongside Narine, contributions from Ramandeep Singh (25 off 6 balls), Phil Salt (32), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32), and Shreyas Iyer ensured that KKR posted an imposing total of 235 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The match, held at one of the lower-scoring venues in IPL 2024, set the stage for a challenging run chase for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Despite a 50-run partnership between KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis, LSG struggled to accelerate the scoring rate, ultimately succumbing to the pressure imposed by KKR's bowlers.
Andre Russell emerged as a pivotal figure in the match, not only with his powerful batting but also with his crucial contributions with the ball. Russell's bowling spell saw him claim the crucial wickets of Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran, swinging the match heavily in KKR's favor.
As LSG's innings faltered, the required run rate soared out of control, with the last nine wickets falling for just 67 runs. Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana were instrumental in dismantling LSG's batting lineup, each claiming three wickets.
Narine's explosive batting display in the initial overs set the tone for KKR's commanding total. After Salt's aggressive start, Narine took centre stage, unleashing a barrage of boundaries and sixes. His innings featured a total of seven sixes and six fours, demonstrating his ability to accelerate the scoring rate at will.
Despite eventually being dismissed while attempting another big hit, Narine's contribution laid the foundation for KKR's comprehensive victory. The match also witnessed standout performances from Ramandeep Singh, whose quick-fire innings added crucial runs to KKR's total, putting LSG under immense pressure.
With this convincing win, Kolkata Knight Riders continue to demonstrate their formidable form in IPL 2024, buoyed by standout performances from key players like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, signaling their intent as serious contenders in the tournament.
IPL: Jadeja stars as CSK move into playoff places
Chennai Super Kings moved into the Indian Premier League playoff places after beating Punjab Kings by 28 runs in Dharamshala.
The reigning champions avenged their seven-wicket defeat by the Kings in Chennai four days earlier to climb to third place in the table with three games remaining.
After a slow start, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell's partnership brought 57 runs and settled CSK into their stride. Although MS Dhoni went for a duck, Ravindra Jadeja's late surge of 43 from 26 balls saw them close at 167-9.
Tushar Deshpande claimed Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw in the second over to stem the Kings' early momentum, while Jadeja (3-20) also took a quickfire double of Sam Curran and Ashutosh Sharma in the 13th over as the hosts finished well short of their target at 139-9.
Data debrief
In getting back to winning ways, CSK ended their five-game losing streak against the Kings, stretching back to 2021.
Despite going for a duck, Dhoni managed to make amends in the field. When he caught out Jitesh Sharma, he became the first player in IPL history to take 150 catches.
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