Australia has named its 15-player squad for their upcoming T20 World Cup defence with uncapped all-rounder Tim David included as the major bolter.

The Australians will look to defend their T20 title in the tournament that runs from October 16 to November 13 in Australia and New Zealand.

Globetrotting T20 star David is the major surprise in the squad and the only change from last year's group that lifted the world title in UAE, replacing spinner Mitchell Swepson.

Australia's squad includes the usual suspects such as David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith and vice-captain Pat Cummins. Mitch Marsh is selected despite a recent ankle concern.

Skipper Aaron Finch, 35, had been under some pressure to hold his spot but is named, with the group also to travel to face India in three T20 Internationals in September in preparation. Warner will be rested for the India tour with Cameron Green taking his place.

National Selection Panel chair of selectors George Bailey said: "This is a similar squad to that which became the first Australian’s men’s team to win a T20 World Cup who are now very excited about playing the tournament at home.

"Mitchell Swepson was unlucky to miss out based on conditions in the UAE at the last World Cup where we planned for tired, spinning wickets compared to what we would expect are good batting conditions along with the larger grounds in Australia.

"Tim continues to establish himself with some quality performances in leagues around the world, earning a place in the squad. He is a highly gifted, natural ball striker who will add extra batting depth to the group which has had a lot of success in T20 cricket.

"We expect him to play a similar role to that he has been playing in the past few years."

David, who previously represented the country of his birth Singapore in 14 T20Is in 2019 and 2020, has impressed in global T20 leagues including with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, the Southern Brave in The Hundred and the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.

The 26-year-old has amassed 1,874 runs at a strike rate of 168.4 in 86 T20 games over the past two years in a late-overs batting role, with part-time off-breaks.

David's strike rate of 216.28 in eight matches with the Mumbai Indians earlier this year was the highest by any player to have faced at least 50 balls in a single IPL season.

Josh Philippe, Ben McDermott, Sean Abbott, Jhye Richardson and Swepson were among the unlucky players to miss out on selection.

Australia faces India in the first of their three T20Is on September 20 in Mohali, with their first World Cup match against New Zealand in Sydney on October 22.

Australia's T20 World Cup squad: Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (vc), Tim David, Aaron Finch (c), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner*, Adam Zampa. 

* Will be replaced by Cameron Green for three T20Is, September 20-26, in India

India cruised into the Super 4 of the Asia Cup with a routine 40-run win over Hong Kong.

Virat Kohli (59 not out) and Suryakumar Yadav (68 not out) inspired India to 192-2 after they were put into bat in Dubai. 

Their third-wicket stand of 98 in the Twenty20 match removed any realistic chance of Hong Kong producing an upset.

Suryakumar hit six fours and six maximums in a blistering 26-ball innings, which marked his sixth half-century in T20 cricket.

Hong Kong produced an admirable reply but never threatened to reach an imposing target.

Babar Hayat top scored with 41, but only two other batters scored more than 20 as Hong Kong could only manage 152-5.

India join Afghanistan in the Super 4. Hong Kong now face a winner-take-all match with Pakistan.

For Alwyn Williams from St Mary, the match that sparked his love for cricket was one he played as a boy in the streets with his friends and elder brother, Adrian Silvera.

England have named an unchanged squad for next week's third Test against South Africa at The Oval.

After losing the first Test, England hit back in style in the second to win by an innings and 85 runs at Old Trafford and level the series.

Opener Zak Crawley's place had been under threat, but an important 38 in Manchester proved enough to keep him in contention for the decider.

Ollie Robinson also retains his place after a successful return to the England squad, having not previously played for his country since the Ashes in January.

England Test squad to play South Africa (third Test): 

Ben Stokes (Durham, captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Alex Lees (Durham), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire).

Colin de Grandhomme has announced his retirement from international cricket.

The New Zealand all-rounder played 29 Tests, 45 ODIs and 41 T20Is over a 10-year career.

De Grandhomme averaged 38.7 in the longest format, including two centuries, as well as taking 49 wickets.

However, at 36, he has decided "this is the right time to finish" and agreed a release from his central contract with the Black Caps.

"I accept that I am not getting any younger and that the training is getting harder, particularly with the injuries," De Grandhomme said in a statement.

"I also have a growing family and am trying to understand what my future looks like post-cricket. All of this has been on my mind over the past few weeks.

"I've been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to play for the Black Caps since debuting in 2012, and I'm proud of my international career – but I feel this is the right time to finish."

Dominant fast-bowling was the key to Australia's comfortable eight-wicket win in their second ODI against Zimbabwe on Wednesday, holding the visitors to just 96 runs after sending them in to bat first.

Winning the toss for the second consecutive match, the Australians stuck with their strategy of bowling first on the tricky Townsville wicket, and the results were nearly immediate.

After a couple of early wides, Starc found the first wicket in his second over, swinging one into the right-handed Innocent Kaia to clip the outside of off-stump, leaving Zimbabwe at 13-1.

With Josh Hazlewood at the other end bowling at his efficient best, Zimbabwe had not scored a run by the time Starc got the ball back and took his second wicket, this time with his in-swinger coming all the way back to collect Wesley Madhevere LBW in front of his leg-stump.

After another maiden from Hazlewood, Starc had his third straight over with a wicket, this time with an edge finding substitute fielder Marnus Labuschagne in the slips.

Sean Williams went on to top-score for Zimbabwe with 29 from 45 deliveries, before a loose shot saw him caught for a wicket to leg-spinner Adam Zampa.

Zampa went on to take three wickets of his own, finishing with figures of 3-21 from 3.5 overs, while Starc took 3-24 from eight overs. Following up his maiden ODI five-wicket haul, Cameron Green took 2-7 from three overs.

With Zimbabwe all-out for 96, there was almost no pressure on the Australian batsmen, although that might have been what led to their cheap wickets.

David Warner wanted to get the job done in a hurry, with two boundaries from the first eight deliveries he faced, before a big swing resulted in a top-edge caught by a fielder at third-man.

It was good bowling from Richard Ngarava, which resulted in a two-wicket over when Aaron Finch nicked one to first slip just three balls later on a score of one.

That would be it for Zimbabwe's bowling highlights as Steve Smith and Alex Carey made it look easy the rest of the way, with Smith finishing on 47 not-out from 41 deliveries, while Carey posted 26 not-out from 33 to reach the target in the 15th over.

The third ODI will be contested on Saturday, with Australia already having secured the three-game series.

Barbados are winners of the West Indies Rising Stars U-15 Championship after they defeated Leeward Islands in the final round of matches at the Grenada National Stadium on Friday. The Bajans won the 15-over-per-side match by 16 runs to top the table with 18.4 points. They finished the tournament unbeaten.

Barbados batted first and made 73-0 off 15 overs with solid knocks of 31 from Shem Sargeant and 29 from Kemar Dixon.

In reply, the Leewards ended on 57-8 with the top score of 22 from Tanez Francis, which came off 26 balls. Jakeem Pollard (2-7), RJai Gittens (2-9) and Akobi Crichlow-Byer (2-6) led the way with the ball for the Bajans.

Speaking after the match, Coach Rohan Nurse said he was pleased with the team-work which led to the side’s triumph.

“We are very happy with the way the team played throughout the entire tournament. Over the past two years we didn’t have any competitive cricket at this level, due to the pandemic. In that time, they (players) worked really hard to maintain their skills, and we had a very good build-up leading up to the tournament. It was the first time for all of them at the regional level, but they were able to adapt, and they did very well to come out and win. We are very proud.”

A day of tremendous momentum swings ended with Leeward Islands holding on with one wicket remaining to win the West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 championship in a roller coaster three-day final against Barbados at Arnos Vale in St. Vincent on Saturday.

Nathan Edwards, the left-handed allrounder ended unbeaten on 11, which came off 55 balls in over 90 minutes at the crease, played a defensive masterclass for to help Leewards hold on in their second innings on 51-9 (28 overs) to avoid being bowled out, to deny Barbados the title in dramatic fashion.

The day’s play began with Leeward Islands batting in their first innings on 172-4, 107 runs behind Barbados's first innings total of 279-8 declared.

 Overnight batsman Carl Bowen-Tuckett showed his experience during a crucial composed knock of 68 off 200 balls with two boundaries to anchor the Leewards before he was dismissed in the 98th over, ahead of the team tactical declaration on exactly 250-8 (110 overs), to receive key batting points for scoring 250 and facing that number of overs.

Although Barbados held a 29-run lead, Leewards had closed the points gap due to the fast bowling and batting points accumulated. So, when Edwards, bowling his left-arm medium, trapped Barbados opener Achilles Browne without scoring with the second delivery, that lead quickly became insignificant. Right-hand medium pacer Chamiqueko Landerfort took 4-16 as Barbados collapsed to 76-9.

The final equation to win the final meant Leewards either could chase down the 106 to win or just bat out the final session. While Barbados had to get all 10 wickets. When pacer Johan Layne struck in the first over of Leewards run chase, they started to wobble. Left-arm spinner Nathan Sealy with an inspired spell (14-8-10-6) was seemingly bowling Barbados to victory, but one final twist would occur.

Sealy unfortunately dropped Edwards at first slip with off fellow left-arm spinner Devon Stevenson which would have won Barbados the title. In the end Edwards and last man Onaje Armoy survived the final stages to win the championship for the Leeward Islands.

Fabian Allen has made himself available for international selection again ahead of the T20 World Cup, six months since his last appearance in a West Indies shirt.

Allen, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, declined a retainer contract with Cricket West Indies earlier this year and has been absent for "personal reasons" throughout West Indies' home season.

He revealed in a statement that he had lost his father to cancer earlier this year, thanking CWI for their support throughout "a very difficult time for me and my family", and confirmed that he is available for international selection.

"I'd like to thank my family, friends and fans for their support over the past four months," Allen said.

"As some of you may know, I recently lost my father to cancer this year and it has been a very difficult time for me and my family. He was my biggest fan and I'm happy he got [to] see me live my dream as a professional cricketer. I will continue to make him proud,” he added.

Allen also thanked Cricket West Indies for their support while reiterating his desire for an international return.

"Cricket West Indies has been supportive throughout the entire process and I really want to thank Johnny Grave [chief executive] and Jimmy Adams [director of cricket] for their consideration. I want to use this opportunity to make it clear, I'll always want to represent my country and the West Indies,” he said.

"Even though I did not necessarily make it clear why I made myself unavailable for selection during the recent summer schedule, it was important for me to finish my grieving process and spend some time with my family. Most importantly, I've been getting myself physically and mentally ready for the CPL and hopefully the T20 World Cup (if selected) later this year. The best of Fabian Allen is yet to come. I know I have the ability to be one of the best batting allrounders in the world and I look forward to showcasing it for all to see," he added.

Allen was the leading run-scorer in the inaugural season of the 6ixty last week and he will represent Jamaica Tallawahs at the CPL, where he will hope to push for a place in West Indies' T20 World Cup squad.

The semi-finalists in the 2022 Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket Competitions will begin vying for spots in the final on Tuesday.

Kingston Cricket Club will take on St. Elizabeth Cricket Association at Sabina Park in Kingston while Kensington Cricket Club do battle with the St. Mary Cricket Association at Kensington Cricket Ground, also in Kingston.

St. Mary is the only unbeaten team left in the competition having won three of its preliminary round matches with the other being rained out. 

Kingston's quarter-final match against Boys Town last Thursday at Sabina Park was a low-scoring affair.

Boys Town was bowled out for just 52 in 20.2 overs. Rajae McGeachy, who scored 10, was the only batter in double figures as the Boys Town lineup wilted before the Kingston attack led by Quewayne Anglin had remarkable figures of 5-5 from 5.2 overs.

Mekanel Palmer and Keanu Henry each took two wickets.

 Kingston achieved their target for the loss of three wickets, reaching 57-3 from 16 overs. Thirty-three of those runs came from extras.

McGheachy took two for 19 and Samuel Burgher got the other for seven runs.

Meanwhile, Kensington walloped St Catherine by 174 runs in their match played at Chedwin Park in St Catherine.

Led by Joziah Neil, who made 99 and David Dewar, 77, Kensington racked up 286-8 from their 50 overs.

Vitel Lawes took 3-36 and Danza Hyatt 2-53.

The score proved too steep a hill to climb for St Catherine Cricket Club as they slumped to 102 all out from 25.5 overs. Lawes 34 and Antwon Robinson 19 were the main scorers in the losing effort.

Bowling for Kensington Jevon Golding took 3-9, Dewar 2-13 and Joziah Neil 2-18.

Over at Manley Horne Park in St Elizabeth, the St Elizabeth Cricket Association side beat St Catherine Cricket Association by 103 runs.

St Elizabeth CA made 155-7 seven in the match that was reduced to 28 overs because of rain. Davian Mason got 41 and Jalil Smith, 23.

Oneil Bonner took 4-14 and Lamar Savage 2-36 for St Catherine CA.

In reply, St. Catherine CA crumbled to 52 all out in 19 overs. Smith was the standout bowler with 5-9 and Kevaughn Brown took 2-10 in the rout.

 Westmoreland lost by 18 runs to St Mary in the match played at Boscobel.

Batting first, St. Mary made 113 in 22.2 overs.

Jaquain Jackson scored 21 and Jevaughny Shim, 18, of the paltry score as Delante Scott took 3-25 and E-Jay Spence 3-30.

Despite the relatively easy target, Westmoreland was bowled out for 97.

Rasheed Palmer, 30, and E-Jay Spence, 19, were the main scorers in the losing cause.

Rushawn Bell took 5-27 and was supported by Devonte Miller who snagged 2-19.

The final is set to be played on Thursday, September 1.

Barbados Royals women and Saint Kitts & Nevis Patriots men were crowned champions in the inaugural SKYEXCH 6IXTY after two thrilling matches at Warner Park.

 The Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, lifted his own trophy as the Patriots won the inaugural men’s SKYEXCH 6IXTY. In the poetry of cricket, Gayle was dropped twice in one over before he hit the winning runs to see his team over the line. You couldn’t have scripted it better. It was written in the stars.

When put in to bat in the men’s final the Trinbago Knight Riders had a tricky start to their innings losing two early wickets and finding themselves 6/2 after just nine balls. Sunil Narine, who had batted so brilliantly in the semi-final, was dismissed without scoring before some incredible wicket-keeping from Da Silva saw the back of Tion Webster.

Andre Russell looked to be the difference and was striking the ball well, but a stunning piece of fielding put an end to his efforts before Terrance Hinds and Seekkuge Prasanna were both sent packing. Resistance in the form of an unbeaten 37 from Tim Seifert meant the Patriots needed 85 to win.

The chase started with gusto from the Patriots who unlocked the extra Powerplay for the first time in the tournament and they raced to 43/0 after just 20 balls. Russell made the initial breakthrough bowling Lewis for 21 and Narine made light work of Dewald Brevis who went without scoring. But the excitement really started when the Universe Boss strolled out to bat.

With a trophy named after him and eternal bragging rights on the line, he came out with his usual intent and went aerial. This always has its dangers and with just 13 needed from 12 the ball found Jayden Seales, who dropped him before just two balls later he was also dropped by Anderson Phillip.

With seven needed off the final over, Gayle and Fletcher rotated strike until, with four required, it was the man after whom the trophy was named to face. In his usual style, he swung hard and found the boundary on the onside. As the ball raced away for four, the Patriots were already celebrating, and Gayle’s wry smile was just an indication of what it meant to win the inaugural title and lift a trophy named after him.

 Shakera Selman produced a magical spell to stun the Trinbago Knight Riders women and help her team become the first to lift the women’s Universe Boss SKYEXCH 6IXTY trophy. With the Knight Riders already on the ropes, Selman claimed three wickets in the penultimate over to clean up the Knight Riders’ batters and ensure a 15-run victory.

 Batting first, Royals’ openers captain Hayley Matthews and Aaliyah Alleyne set the foundations before Matthews fell for 15. Their troubles continued when the in-form Chloe Tryon was stumped without adding to the score and Alleyne not long after, both thanks to the bowling brilliance from Anisa Mohammed in the middle overs.

 Chinelle Henry put up resistance with her 15 and the batting side reached 64 before Cooper was stumped for 6 and the Royals were all out 65 off 56 balls. It had been an all-round effort in the field by the Knight Riders and with the Deandra Dottin opening the batting and in fine form, they looked confident as they came out to chase the runs in pursuit of the title.

 When Lee-Ann Kirby fell in the first over it was clear the chase would not be easy. Then in a shock twist, Dottin chopped onto her own stumps in the same over and suddenly the Knight Riders were 13/2 at the end of the second. The Royals continued to keep a lid on the run chase and remained disciplined in their bowling.

 The boundaries dried up and there was a spell of 37 balls before the ball found the rope. The game was in the balance with the batting side needing 19 from 12 and it looked like a nailbiter was brewing. However, it was here that Selman produced her incredible over claiming Jensen caught by Matthews for 7 before Luus was caught at mid-off and Kycia Knight was caught by Joseph to seal the victory.

 The Barbados Royals has secured the title in the inaugural women's SKYEXCH 6IXTY and the party could begin.

Earlier in the day, four men’s teams had taken to the field across the two semi-finals. The first of the day saw St Kitts & Nevis Patriots get the better of the Jamaica Tallawahs as they made history with the highest successful run chase of the tournament. The game also saw the Universe Boss Chris Gayle launch his first SKYEXCH maximum of the tournament to raucous cheers from the partying crowd.

In semi-final two the Barbados Royals came flying out of the traps much due to the rockets being launched off the bat of Rakheem Cornwall. But when he was dismissed the run-rate slowed and the Royals could only manage 101/5 from their 60 balls. TKR raced to 43/1 after Sunil Narine was dismissed for 31 but Tion Webster batted well for his 27 which helped put a dent in the chase. In the end, it was a huge six from the bat of Hinds that saw them into the final winning by three wickets with eight balls remaining. 

It truly was a ground-breaking tournament full of all the thrills and spills and everything in between and what better way for it to finish than with the image of the Universe Boss lifting the Universe Boss Trophy.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots will face the Trinbago Knight Riders in the final of the inaugural 6IXTY Men’s competition following victories over the Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Royals, respectively at Warner Park in St Kitts on Sunday.

Australia was too good for Zimbabwe in the first of their three-match ODI series on Saturday, riding some dominant bowling from Cameron Green to a five-wicket victory.

Winning the toss and opting to bowl first, the Australians clearly felt their bowling attack could restrict Zimbabwe to a manageable total, but the visiting side started well in Townsville.

Zimbabwe's openers safely navigated the opening 10 overs, before Innocent Kala was caught-and-bowled by Mitchell Marsh to make it 42-1, but the partnership of Tadiwanashe Marumani and Wessly Madhevere looked resolute.

Australian quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood would have felt they were unlucky to not take any wickets in their opening spell, but despite some loose shots and near-catches, Zimbabwe built a healthy platform of 87-1.

Marumani ended up playing all around a straight one from Adam Zampa to be dismissed on 45 from 61 deliveries, and once he was gone, Madhevere starting losing running-mates quickly.

Six of the last seven batsmen to come to the middle were dismissed for no more than seven runs, with Regis Chakabva's 31 from 33 deliveries the last piece of resistance before Madhevere was caught-and-bowled by Zampa on 72 from 91.

A late onslaught from the Aussie attack turned 185-4 into all-out for 200, as Cameron Green rattled off five quick wickets to clean up the tail, finishing with personal figures of 5-33 from nine overs. Zampa was Australia's only other multiple wicket-taker, collecting 3-57.

With such a low target required, the Australians knew they could take their time, as evidenced by their top-three batsmen all going at a pace slower than a run-per-ball.

David Warner controlled proceedings early, surviving a close third-umpire referral when the Zimbabwe wicketkeeper was convinced he heard a feathery touch, going on to score 57 from 66 deliveries before being bowled.

Steve Smith came in at three and was far from in a hurry, methodically playing his way to 48 from 80 deliveries, before Glenn Maxwell came in at number-seven to race towards the finish.

Maxwell only saw nine deliveries, but he sent three to the rope along the ground, and three over the rope on the full on his way to a rapid-fire 32 runs – finishing the game with a big six.

Ryan Burl was expensive for Zimbabwe with the ball, giving up 60 runs in seven overs, but he was also their only multiple wicket-taker, collecting memorable scalps of Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey and Marsh.

The second match of the series will take place on Wednesday, with the third scheduled for Saturday.

All-rounder Andre Russell put on a six-hitting clinic to help the Trinbago Knight Riders beat the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots by just three runs in the SKYEXCH 6IXTY in St. Kitts on Saturday.

Russell smashed 72 off just 24 balls including five fours and eight sixes, even hitting six in a row at one point, to help the Knight Riders post 155-5 from their 10 overs after the Patriots won the toss and elected to field first.

Openers Tim Seifert and Tion Webster also contributed 22 each off 13 and 10 balls, respectively. Pacer Jeremiah Louis took 1-21 from his two overs.

The Patriots were equally destructive in their turn at the crease, finishing 152-4 off their 10 overs, narrowly missing out on victory.

Sherfane Rutherford was in fine form, smashing a 15-ball 50 including one four and seven sixes. Dominic Drakes also produced some late-order hitting with 33 not out off just 10 balls including two fours and four sixes.

Anderson Phillip was brilliant with the ball with 3-17 from his two overs.

Between them, the teams scored 306 runs and hit 30 sixes, the most ever in a 10 overs per side fixture.

Both teams advanced to Sunday’s semi-finals alongside the Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Royals. In the semis, the Tallawahs will play the Patriots while the Knight Riders will oppose the Royals. The final will also take place on Sunday.

In the Women’s edition, The Barbados Royals booked a spot in Sunday’s final against the Trinbago Knight Riders by defeating the Guyana Amazon Warriors by five wickets.

The Amazon Warriors were held to just 58 all out in 9.5 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Captain Stafanie Taylor top scored with 28 while Royals captain Hayley Matthews took 1-11 from her two overs.

Matthews (25 not out) and South African Chloe Tryon (27 not out) then combined to steer the Royals to a successful chase, reaching 59-1 off 7.3 overs.

The Barbados Royals secured a spot in the semi-finals of the SKYEXCH 6IXTY on Saturday with a two-wicket win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors at Warner Park in St. Kitts.

The Royals won the toss and elected to field first and that decision looked genius after they restricted the Amazon Warriors to 36-3 in the fourth over.

The Amazon Warriors overcame that slow start, however, to post 108 all out off their 10 overs thanks to a crucial 32 off 18 balls including two fours and two sixes from skipper Shimron Hetmyer.

South African Heinrich Klaasen also provided good support with 24 against a commendable 2-9 off two overs from left-arm pacer Ramon Simmonds.

In the chase, captain Kyle Mayers smashed 30 from 16 balls including four sixes while his opening partner Rakheem Cornwall smashed an eight-ball 21 including two fours and two sixes to set the tone for the Royals.

All-rounder Corbin Bosch then continued his good form with the bat with 26 not out to lead a successful chase with the Royals finishing 111-4 off 8.2 overs.

Veerasammy Permaul was excellent with the ball for the Amazon Warriors with 2-12 from his two overs.