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Andrew Balbirnie Harry Tector Guide Ireland To Big Total Against South Africa

Andrew Balbirnie, Harry Tector guide Ireland to big total against South Africa

Ireland rode on an emphatic knock from captain Andrew Balbirnie to put 290/5 in the second ODI against South Africa in Dublin. Balbirnie notched up 102 off 117 to help his side post a good total against a formidable South African bowling attack.

Batting first, Balbirnie and Stirling had a decent start to the proceedings as the two openers scored 64 for the first wicket before Stirling departed for 27. But Balbirnie continued his form and stitched a 60-run stand with Andy McBrine who chipped in with 30 off 47 before getting trapped in front of the stumps by Shamsi.

Balbirnie was then joined by Harry Tector in the middle and the two batsmen took on the Proteas bowlers to put a partnership of 70 for the third wicket.

The skipper was eventually sent back in the hut by Kagiso Rabada after being caught by Temba Bavuma. But Balbirnie’s dismissal didn’t really affect Tector’s concentration and he went on to score a half-century.

He was eventually dismissed for 79 off 68 which included four maximums and six boundaries during the course. Tector and Dockrell who had joined him at number five scored 90 runs for the fourth wicket.

For South Africa, Phelukwayo picked up a couple of wickets while Rabada, Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj got a wicket apiece.

The two teams are up against each in a three-match ODI series which will be followed by as many T20Is.

The first ODI was called off due to rain.

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Imam-ul-Haq becomes fifth fastest batsman to reach 2,000 ODI runs

Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq broke his poor streak with the bat and scored fifty to become the fifth fastest batsman in world cricket history to reach the 2,000- run mark in the ODIs. He has taken 46 innings to go past the landmark and stands just behind his captain Babar Azam, Hashim Amla, Kevin Pietersen, and Zaheer Abbas on the list of fastest to 2,000 runs. The list is topped by South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who took just 40 innings to reach the landmark while all of Babar, Pietersen and Zaheer Abbas had taken 45 innings each to reach 2,000 runs in ODIs. Imam was under enormous pressure coming into the third and final ODI of the series against England as his previous two scores were o, and 1. However, the team management persisted with him and he bounced back to form with a sublime fifty. His innings and a fifty from Babar Azam put Pakistan in a good position in the final game of the series they have already lost. He has scored seven centuries and 10 half-centuries with an average of 49.34 and strike rate of 80.31 in a 46-match long international career in ODIs after making his debut against Sri Lanka in 2017.

Sourav Ganguly files plea in High Court, seeks compensation from former management company

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly has filed a plea in Bombay High Court to claim Rs 36 crore from Percept Talent Management Ltd and Percept D Mark. The former captain filed a plea following an arbitral award and on Monday got reprieve. Percept Talent Management and Percept D Mark on Monday said that they would disclose the assets by July 20 to a single bench presided over by Justice AK Menon. The two companies are slated to pay a sum of ₹36 crore. This includes the original compensation amount of ₹14.50 crore and the interest that has been accumulated for non-payment. The arbitration between the two parties comes out of a "Player Representation Agreement”according to a HC order. The respondent companies had to act as the exclusive manager of the former left-handed batsman as per this agreement. The agreement was later terminated after the disputes came up between the parties. The respondent companies were then asked to pay Ganguly a sum of Rs. 14,49,91,000 with interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum from November 21, 2007, till the realization of the payment after the former cricketer had invoked the arbitration clause in the pact. The companies had paid an amount of just over Rs 2 Cr while a sum of over Rs 36 Cr is still pending as per Ganguly’s counsels. Therefore, Ganguly filed an execution plea before the High Court. The HC will now hear the plea on July 26.

Bangladesh prepare to bid for 2027, 2031 World Cups with Pakistan, Sri Lanka

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has shown eagerness to host two world cups in partnership with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in the next cycle of the ICC events between 2024-32, Cricbuzz reported. The world cups in their watchlist are the 2027 and 2031 editions while the BCB is bullish on hosting the 2025 Champions Trophy on its own in Bangladesh, the report suggested. The BCB decided to throw their hats in the ring for hosting ICC events in their 10th meeting of the board of directors in Dhaka. The BCB has also formed a group including the CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury and board directors Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam to prepare for participating in the host selection process for the ICC Men's Events. "We have already stated that we want to host the ICC Champions Trophy while we are ready to co-host other events with our neighbouring countries," Jalal Yunus was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. On the question of choosing to join hands with the PCB and SLC and not the BCCI, Jalal said that India is capable enough to bid and host ICC events solely due to tot their richness in infrastructure. "India is likely to bid to host events solely because they are capable as they have the infrastructure in place and in that case if we have to co-host we will have to do it with PCB and SLC," he added. Bangladesh last hosted the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2016 and before that a T20 World Cup in 2014 where Sri Lanka went on to become the champions.

Sourav Ganguly agrees to biopic, but no clarity on who will play his role

Former India captain and now the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has agreed to a biopic movie depicting his journey to the top of the world. The details of the project are not out yet but Ganguly himself has confirmed his agreement to the biopic in an interview with News 18 Bangla. “Yes, I have agreed to the biopic. It will be in Hindi but it is not possible to reveal the name of the director now. It will take some more time for everything to be finalised,” Ganguly said. If the project goes ahead, Ganguly will join the list of cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Mohammad Azharuddin who have had biopics made on their journey while the biopic on the life of India’s first world cup-winning captain Kapil Dev is in pipeline. There is a lack of clarity on who will play his role in the biopic as Ganguly’s career at the international stage was full of highs and lows. He is credited for turning things around for Indian cricket on foreign pitches while there should be a story of his exclusion from the Indian side as well in the biopic. Sourav Ganguly had led India to the final of the ICC World Cup in 2003 and Test wins in England, Australia and Pakistan.