BPL 2022: Comilla Victorians, Chattogram Challengers register wins

The bowlers had a good time at the office during the clash between Comilla Victorians and Sylhet Sunrisers in Dhaka. Batting first, Sylhet Sunrisers were bundled out for 96 in just over 19 overs with only three batsmen making it to the double-figure mark.

Nahidul Islam, Mustafizur and Shohidul Islam scalped a couple of wickets each. Later, Comilla Victorians had a dismal start to the chase as they lost wickets at regular intervals to get reduced to 55/5.

But it was Karim Janat and Nahidul Islam who stitched a 27-run stand to provide resistance to the side. But the Victorians lost a few more wickets and 88/8 when Ankon and Tanvir Islam made sure that they take the team over the line. Nazmul Islam returned with figures of 3/17 in 4 overs for his side.

Chattogram Challengers vs Minister Group Dhaka

Chattogram Challengers registered a 30-run win after defending a target of 162 runs against Minister Group Dhaka. The Dhaka team didn't really have a great start to the proceedings and lost wickets at regular intervals.

Tamim Iqbal was the pick of the batters as he notched up a fifty but the side was bundled out for 131. Shoriful Islam picked up four wickets for 34 runs in 4 overs while Nasum Ahmed returned with figures of 3/9 in his 4 overs.

Earlier, the Challengers scored 161/8 in 20 overs, courtesy a 24-ball 41 from Will Jacks and 37 in 19 deliveries from Howell.

Discover more

Delighted to confirm that IPL 2022 will start in last week of March: Jay Shah

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that the Indian Premier League will commence in the final week of March. “I am delighted to confirm that the 15th season of the IPL will start in the last week of March and will run until May end. A majority of the team owners expressed their wish that the tournament be held in India. The BCCI was always keen on staging the 2022 edition that will see two new teams – Ahmedabad and Lucknow – in India. I can tell you that we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that IPL stays in India,” BCCI Secretary Jay Shah told ANI. “BCCI has not compromised on the health & safety of its stakeholders in the past & will concurrently work on Plan B since #COVID19 situation with new variants remains fluid. Mega IPL Auction will take place on Feb 12-13th & we'll lock in venues before that,” he added.

AFG vs NED | The Dutch look to bounce back after failing to chase 223 in first ODI

The Netherlands, who had won two out of the four completed games of their Cricket World Cup 2023 Super League campaign, had yet another chance to add to that tally and show to the cricket world that they deserve to play the big guns regularly, when they faced Afghanistan in the first of the three-match ODI series at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha, Qatar. However, the men in orange failed to do so as they were not able to chase down even as modest a target as 223, getting all out at 186 only. It was the first time that an ODI game was played at that venue which Afghanistan is using as its home ground. Rashid Khan was the wrecker in chief with the ball for the team from the Hindukush valley. In batting, it was the knocks by skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (73) and Rahmat Shah (70) that powered the afghan side to reach the total of 22 in its 50 overs. The Dutch started well, with the first wicket adding 32 in eight overs. The team would hope that Scott Edwards, who was going well having reached his second ODI fifty and career-best 68 before falling to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, shows his class in the second game as well. No other Netherlands batter was able to provide as much resistance to the spin of Afghanistan and hence the entire team fell for 186 even as skipper Pieter Seelaar tried the build up a rescue act with his lone hand of 32. The Dutch team is without its usual firepower of Max O’Dowd, Tom Cooper, Roelof van der Merwe and Logan van Beek and hence it would have to hope that the likes of Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Philippe Boissevain and Musa Ahmed, who are the up and coming stars, would take much more responsibility in the next game.

It was good to bat with Quinton de Kock, he is one of the best batters in world cricket: Janneman Malan

South Africa batter Janneman Malan has lavished praise on Quinton de Kock and said that the left-handed batsman made it pretty easy for him to score runs during the second ODI against India in Paarl. "Quinton made it easy for me at the start. I just tried to give him as much strike as possible because I just wanted to let him go do his thing. He played a couple of ridiculous shots, which are good signs," said Malan. The two batsmen struck a first-wicket stand of 132 runs with De Kock scoring 78 off 66 and Malan missing out on a hundred by just 9 run. "He is one of the best batters in the world when he gets going, so it was good to bat with him," the right-handed opener added. South Africa took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series after winning the second game by 7 wickets while chasing down a target of 288 in just over 48 overs.

BBL | Qualifier: Perth make easy work of Sixers, march to summit clash second year in a row

Led by a brilliant bowling attack and a blistering knock from opener Josh Inglis, Pert Scorchers reached the summit clash of Big Bash League 2021-22. They defeated Sydney Sixers in a repeat of the last season’s Qualifier where they were defeated by the Sixers. However, they were still able to make it to the final. Hence it would be interesting to see if it becomes a repeat even in the final as Sixers would now face the winner of the Knockout in the Challenger on January 26 in a bid to qualify for the final. In the Qualifier though, the Sixers were almost no match to the Scorchers who got off to a flyer with the bat after winning the toss and deciding to bat first at the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne. The opening pair of Kurtis Patterson and Inglis added 120 for the first wicket in the first 12 overs only. From there on 200 was looking like a sure shot possibility, but the Sixers pulled back a bit. While Patterson got out for 64, Inglis went on to make 79 and was helped by Mitchell Marsh’s 28 to propel the team to 189-3 at the end of the 20 overs. With the ball in the hand, the Scorchers bowlers became lethal and remove the first seven batters of the Sixers for a paltry score of 51 runs. The Sixers in fact might have become a matter of ridicule if not for the brilliant face-saving knock of 66 which came in only 29 balls by bowler Ben Dwarshuis. The left hardener partnered with fellow pace bowler Hayden Kerr and added 41 for the eight-wicket before going on to add another 42 with last man Steve O'Keefe. The Sixers innings eventually ended with the team score at 140 in the 20th over. Apart from Dwarshuis, Kerr and skipper Moises Henriques, no other batter from the team in pink was able to get into double figures. For Scorchers, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye picked two wickets each while one wicket ent to leg spinner Peter Hatzoglou and Sean Abbott got run out. Sixers will now wait for the winner of the Knockout between Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers to face in the Challenger. The winner of the Challenger will face Scorchers in the final on January 28.