Mark Wood vindicated his England recall with the wickets of in-form India batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill on a lively opening morning of the third Test.
Left out at Visakhapatnam, Wood returned as England selected two seamers for the first time in this series in Rajkot and he took the edges of two batters who had passed three figures last time out.
Wood also sconed Rohit Sharma on the helmet with a spiteful lifter while what was expected to be the flattest pitch so far played against type as Tom Hartley found grip and turn to dismiss Rajat Patidar.
Joe Root spilled a tough chance when Rohit was on 27 while the India captain overturned an lbw verdict off James Anderson three balls later before going to lunch unbeaten on 52 in India’s 93 for three.
Ravindra Jadeja shuffled up the order on his return from injury and restored calm after India lurched from 22 for none to 33 for three after Ben Stokes had called incorrectly at the toss on his 100th Test.
There was initially little to trouble India’s openers as the series, level at 1-1, resumed after a 10-day break. But while Jaiswal made a sparkling double century in Vizag, there is a perception he struggles against express pace and he poked uncertainly to his second delivery off Wood and perished.
Wood was tantalisingly close to Gill’s off-stump in his following over after finding some inward movement. Perhaps spooked by that, India’s number three played inside the line and feathered the next ball through to Ben Foakes on his 31st birthday as Wood collected his second wicket in six balls.
Rajat Patidar was undone by the surface as Hartley’s innocuous delivery in his first over held up before turning sharply and led to a withdrawn cut shot that caught the bat and looped gently to cover.
Rather than expose debutant Sarfaraz Khan, Jadeja moved up one place to partner Rohit, who had looked unflustered at the other end but was hit flush on his grill by the excellent Wood.
He disrupted Hartley’s lengths with a counteroffensive but, seeking a third four in an over, a whip across the line took the edge and flew to Root, who was unable to react quickly enough to the chance.
The umpire’s finger went up when Anderson thudded into Rohit’s pad but the opener was saved by an inside edge on review. Rohit and Jadeja (24 not out) settled from that point on and there were few further alarms in the rest of the session.
Gurbaz, Motie inspire Amazon Warriors to six-wicket victory over Kings
Guyana Amazon Warriors, defending champions of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), put in a swaggering performance to claim three wins in three games to sit at the head of the standings after ten games of this year’s tournament.
Their opponents, Saint Lucia Kings, suffered their first loss of the 2024 tournament on what for them was a chastening night at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet. A thumping six wicket win with 10 overs to spare was a real statement of intent from the Warriors.
Imran Tahir won the toss and elected to insert the Kings. The defending champions put in another impressive performance with the ball, Tahir claiming 3-29 and Player of the Match Gudakesh Motie taking 3-13 as the Kings failed to recover from a PowerPlay that saw them reduced to 43-4.
Some lower order striking from Matthew Forde managed to haul the Kings to three figures exactly but the Warriors made extremely short work of the target.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz lit up the Saint Lucia sky with sixes as he struck 47 runs off just 19 balls that included not a single four but saw seven sixes clear the ropes.
Gurbaz eventually fell with just nine more runs needed for victory, pinned lbw by Noor Ahmad attempting a reverse-sweep that would have brought him a rapid fifty. Noor also bowled Tim Robinson but not before the Warrior’s debutant opener had got the chase off to a breezy start with 33 off 20 deliveries - including a deliciously driven lofted six down the ground.
A fired up Alzarri Joseph had Azam Khan caught at short third and was thrilled with the wicket. Joseph then greeted Shimron Hetmyer with a stare and another short delivery but Hetmyer launched the next ball high and long over mid-on for six and then scampered the winning runs off the next over to have the decisive final say.
It was a day to forget for the Kings but one to savour for the Warriors, Barbados Royals are the only other side that remain unbeaten in this year’s competition.
Westmoreland crowned Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket champions after dominant campaign
Westmoreland has claimed the title of champion in the 33rd Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket Competition after overpowering Kensington in the final at the Ultimate Cricket Ground in Discovery Bay, St. Ann. This victory marks Westmoreland's first time as sole champion, having previously shared the title twice. They went undefeated throughout the tournament, winning all matches in the preliminary round, quarterfinals and semifinals.
In a thrilling final match, Westmoreland’s 115 all out in 28.4 overs looked vulnerable, as Kensington posed a real threat during their chase and a lengthy rain delay added further uncertainty. However, Westmoreland’s bowling unit held firm, restricting Kensington to 77 all out in 34.4 overs, securing a 38-run victory.
The star of the final was Westmoreland's Humario Reid, who carried the team with an impressive 80 runs from 81 deliveries. He was the only Westmoreland batsman to reach double figures, with Kensington’s Zachary Buchanan wreaking havoc on the batting lineup by taking seven wickets for just 33 runs. Andrew Lloyd also chipped in with two wickets for 32.
Kensington's chase began positively, but they quickly lost their first wicket at 15 and never fully recovered. A steady flow of wickets left them reeling at seven for 27. After a rain delay, they briefly steadied their innings, but once their eighth wicket fell on 73, Westmoreland sensed victory. Kensington's captain Andrew Lloyd fought valiantly with a top score of 45, while Abraham Waugh contributed 14 runs, the only other batsman to reach double digits. Westmoreland’s bowling attack was led by Jemar Morgan (3 for 12), captain Ryan Littleton (3 for 23), and Davere Buchanan (2 for 17).
Coach Grantley Reid was elated with his team’s triumph, reflecting on the journey it took to finally win the competition outright. “I am happy because we have been here before but we had to share. For the work that was put in, because the journey did not begin with this competition. Most of the boys have been to quarterfinals but we never made it through, but I knew we had the depth to win this competition and they delivered,” Reid said. He also praised Kensington's resilience, saying, “They played well to come back from where they were... They had heart. They have a young team.”
Following the final, an awards ceremony recognized individual and team achievements. Humario Reid was named the MVP of the final, while Westmoreland captain Ryan Littleton was named his team’s MVP with 13 wickets and 236 runs during the competition. Kensington’s MVP, Abraham Waugh, bagged 21 wickets and scored 156 runs throughout the tournament.
This year's Kingston Wharves U15 competition recorded several highlights, including four centuries, 15 five-wicket hauls by 12 different bowlers, and four batsmen scoring over 200 runs each.
Simone Murdock, corporate services and client experience manager at Kingston Wharves, expressed her satisfaction with the competition’s return to pre-Covid standards. “We are glad to see a successful year come to an end. As said in the ceremony, we are finally returning to scores similar to the years before Covid so we are glad to see that we are on the right track and to celebrate with Westmoreland,” she said.
Jamaica Cricket Association president Dr. Donovan Bennett, who watched most of the final, promised an even better competition in the future as the association increases its investment in junior cricket. “We are working hard to ensure that where we were pre-Covid, that we get back there as soon as we possibly can,” Bennett remarked.
Westmoreland’s win has solidified their dominance in the 2023 Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket competition, a tournament that continues to provide a platform for the next generation of cricketers.
'The time is right to move on' – England's Moeen retires from internationals
England's Moeen Ali has confirmed his international retirement.
Moeen played across all formats for England over the past decade, and was part of the squads that won the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and T20 World Cup two years ago.
Having come out of Test retirement to feature for England against Australia in 2023, Mooen has now confirmed his retirement from international cricket altogether.
"I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won't," Moeen said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
"Even retiring, I don't feel it's because I'm not good enough – I still feel I can play.
"But I get how things are, and the team needs to evolve into another cycle. It's about being real to myself.
"I've played a lot of cricket for England. It's time for the next generation.
"It felt [like] the time was right to move on. I've done my part."
He bows out having played 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is.
Moeen made five Test centuries, taking 204 wickets in the longest format.
The off-spinner made three tons and took 111 wickets in ODIs, while clinching 51 wickets in T20Is.
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