Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

England crush West Indies at T20 World Cup, Aussies edge South Africa

England crush West Indies at T20 World Cup, Aussies edge South Africa

ENGLAND thrashed defending champions West Indies by six wickets in their opening match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday (23), while Australia beat South Africa in a tense, low-scoring match.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid took career-best T20 figures of 4-2 as favourites England began the Super 12 stage by skittling West Indies for just 55 in a rematch of the 2016 final.


Chris Gayle (13) was the only West Indies batter to reach double digits as Moeen Ali and Tymal Mills both struck twice before Rashid wrapped up the innings by picking up the last four wickets.

England made hard work of chasing a meagre target but Jos Buttler (24) and skipper Eoin Morgan (7) led the team across the line in 8.2 overs in Dubai.

West Indies avoided their worst T20 total of 45 scored against the same opposition in 2019.

"It was unacceptable, we accept that. These sorts of games sometimes, we just need to bin it," said West Indies captain Kieron Pollard.

"For us, it's just a matter of finding our straps. Obviously, we play a lot of cricket around the world, and this is not the first time something like this has happened."

The two sides met five years after their clash in the 2016 final in Kolkata when Carlos Brathwaite hit Ben Stokes for four straight sixes in the last over.

But with Saturday's crushing performance, England have fired a warning to their rivals in the seventh edition of T20's showpiece event.

They top Group 1 alongside Australia, who defeated South Africa by five wickets thanks to an unbeaten 40-run stand from Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood took 2-19 to help limit South Africa to 118-9 after the Aussies elected to bowl first in Abu Dhabi.

Number four Aiden Markram played a lone hand with his 40 off 36 deliveries before falling to Mitchell Starc.

Australia found themselves in trouble at 81-5 after Steve Smith, who scored 35, and Glenn Maxwell, who made 18, departed.

But Stoinis hit 24 off 16 balls, ably supported by the left-handed Wade, who made 15. Stoinis hit the winning boundary to secure victory for Australia with two balls to spare.

"The main thing for me there was trying to stay as calm as I can and for a Greek Australian that's pretty hard," Stoinis said.

"You saw a bit of emotion come out towards the end, but the main thing is Wadey and I were just communicating, trying to sort out who was going to bowl each over and making a plan and then staying calm from there."

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said his team should have been looking at at least 150 to defend.

"It was definitely not a par score - we really didn't bat well barring Aiden," he said.

"From a batting point of view, we know that there was a lot we could have done differently and we will be looking to correct our wrongs in the next game."

(AFP)

More For You

Rohit-Gambhir-Getty

The pitch is predicted to favour fast bowlers, according to the curator earlier this week, but Rohit hinted at the possibility of a change in strategy. (Photo: Getty Images)

Rohit Sharma considers playing second spinner in Melbourne

INDIA captain Rohit Sharma remained non-committal about his team’s lineup for the Boxing Day Test against Australia, indicating that a second spinner could be included.

The match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is expected to see temperatures soar to 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday. The pitch is predicted to favour fast bowlers, according to the curator earlier this week, but Rohit hinted at the possibility of a change in strategy.

Keep ReadingShow less
India-openers-Getty

India managed to escape defeat in the third Test at the Gabba, which was affected by rain, despite being in trouble at 74-5 in reply to Australia’s 445. (Photo: Getty Images)

India's top order under scrutiny ahead of Boxing Day Test

A HARD-FOUGHT draw in Brisbane has provided the Indian team with some relief and renewed hope that their underperforming top order will improve in the remaining two Tests of the series against Australia.

India managed to escape defeat in the third Test at the Gabba, which was affected by rain, despite being in trouble at 74-5 in reply to Australia’s 445. Ravindra Jadeja’s crucial performance and a 47-run last-wicket partnership between Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah helped India avoid the follow-on.

Keep ReadingShow less
Champions Trophy

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had earlier stated that all matches involving India in the eight-team event would be played outside Pakistan. (Photo: Getty Images)

India to play Champions Trophy matches in Dubai

PAKISTAN has selected Dubai as the neutral venue for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy after India declined to travel to Pakistan for the tournament.

The decision was announced on Sunday by officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Keep ReadingShow less
Usyk-vs-Fury-Getty

The fight was a continuation of their rivalry, with Usyk previously defeating Fury in May during a four-belt unification bout. (Photo: Getty Images)

Usyk defeats Fury in heavyweight championship rematch

OLEKSANDR USYK retained his heavyweight titles by defeating Tyson Fury in their much-anticipated championship rematch on Saturday night.

The Ukrainian boxer was awarded a unanimous decision victory, with all three judges scoring the fight 116-112 in his favour.

Keep ReadingShow less
Champions Trophy

The Champions Trophy will include teams from Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. (Photo: Getty Images)

India to play Champions Trophy matches on neutral ground

INDIA will play their matches in next year’s Champions Trophy on neutral ground, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Thursday. This decision follows India’s refusal to travel to tournament host Pakistan, citing security concerns and political tensions.

The ICC’s announcement resolves a month-long standoff after India informed the council that it would not send its team to Pakistan. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which initially rejected a hybrid hosting model, agreed to the use of neutral venues. The specific locations for these matches have not yet been announced.

Keep ReadingShow less