'Excited, honoured & thrilled': Wanindu Hasaranga expresses delight after joining RCB

WI vs PAK | 2nd Test: Day 2 abandoned due to rain, wet outfield in Jamaica

The second day of the second Test match between Pakistan and the West Indies got washed away due to rain in Jamaica. The visitors had a dismal start to the proceedings on Day 1 after they were reduced to 2/3 before captain Babar Azam and Fawad Alam resisted against the West Indies bowling and stitched a stand of 158 runs. But the Pakistan side then suffered a blow when Fawad had to walk back to the pavilion after getting retired hurt as he had fallen to humidity while he was batting on a personal score of 76. Later, Babar departed for 75 when the team score read 168 and the visitors had two new batsmen at the crease in Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf. The two batsmen made sure that Pakistan didn’t lose any further wickets in the middle. While Rizwan was at 22, Ashraf had scored 23 before the stumps were called on Day 1. For West Indies, it was Kemar Roach who returned with a three-for at the end of the day’s play. The second day of the play was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain and wet outfield but in the latest update, Fawad Alam is fit and would bat again. The home side is leading the two-match series 1-0 after they clinched a victory by 1 wicket in a nail-biting finish.

The Hundred Men | Final: Southern Brave crowned inaugural champions courtesy Sterling and Whiteley show

Paul Stirling's menace with the bat and then a super throw from Tim David to get Liam Livingstone of Birmingham Phoenix run out meant that Southern Brave was crowned the inaugural champions of the Men’s Hundred. They thrashed Phoenix by 32 runs in the finale at Lord’s. Riding on two exceptional knocks from Paul Stirling and Ross Whiteley, the Southern Brave managed to post a commendable 168 on the board in their allotted hundred deliveries and in the end, their bowlers were up to the mark and managed to restrict the Phoenix to 136 runs, thus winning the Final by a convincing 32 runs. After being put in to bat by the Phoenix skipper Moeen Ali, the Southern Brave were under early pressure, losing South African Quinton de Kock early on in the game. After the southpaw smashed a maximum, it was Kiwi speedster Adam Milne who brought about his dismissal as de Kock tried to help one over the short fine leg fielder. Skipper James Vince couldn’t do much to a googly from Imran Tahir which castled him to put Brave under all sorts of pressure. From there on it was Paul Stirling who ensured that Brave's were well and truly in the game smashing the Phoenix bowlers all around Lord’s en route to his 36 balls 61. His innings was studded with a couple of fours and six humungous sixes. Some of his shots over the midwicket and square leg region were a sheer personification of brute force. It was Benny Howell who finally dismissed Stirling at a very crucial juncture of the game. Tim David, who was roped in by Brave for the Knockouts in place of Colin de Grandhomme after his great showing during the Royal London Cup, hit 15 runs off just six balls. However, the real impetus to push the score over the 160 mark was done by Ross Whiteley who blazed his way to a 19 balls unbeaten 44 which was laced with four fours and as many sixes. Right from the word go it was a dream spell from Milne who finished his 20 deliveries by conceding just 8 runs and scalping out two crucial wickets. A target of 169 was always going to be a challenging ask for the Phoenix. Phoenix needed big knocks from Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali to get near the target. Both the batsmen kept their team in the game but in the end, it was too little too late. David Bedingham and Will Smeed were dismissed early on to reduce the Pheonix to 14/2. However, Livingstone who has been in a stupendous form off late had other ideas. He started belting the Southern Brave’s bowler all around the park and in no time was near his half-century mark. After surviving a close shave at deep cover, he was eventually dismissed on the same delivery as Tim David inflicted an exceptional direct throw from the deep. From there on it was a matter of whether or not Moeen Ali can take the rest along with him. But Jake Lintott, the highest wicket-taker for the Brave this season got him out. After his dismissal, it was always going to be an uphill task for the Pheonix. Some tight bowling in the death ensured that the target remained well away from their grasp. Three boundaries came in the final set of five of the tournament, but that wasn’t enough to get the Pheonix score to the victory target.

The Hundred Women | Oval Invincibles Women trounce Southern Brave Women to become first champions

On the back of a magnificent all-round performance from Marizanne Kapp and disastrous batting peroformances at the top of the order by the Southern Brave Women, the Oval Invincibles Women went on to become the first champions of The Hundred at the Oval. Chasing a tricky target of 122 from 100 balls, the Southern Brave Women were off to a horrific start with all the three top order batters Danny Wyatt, Gaby Lewis, and Sophia Dunkley scoring ducks against Kapp, who was whooping roud the corners in the first phase of the game. After their chase was derailed, all were lying on the shoulders of Stafanie Taylor if the Brave Women were to chase the target and ace the game on the night of the final. However, she too could not get going and was found short of the crease while getting despearte to hit the leg spin of Invincibles’ skipper Dane van Niekerk. The Brave capitulated inside 100 balls for a mere 73 and handed the Invincibles were proven invincible indeed by Kapp, who as deservingly adjuged Player of the Match. Earlier, the Brave skipper Anya Shrubsole sent the Invincibles in to bat first on a rainy day in London. The Invincibles too did not get off to a great start as Georgia Adam was sent back straightway by the skipper. However, the skipper van Niekerk and Fran Wilson got the women in green back on the track with a muted but substantial innings. Their hard-earned momentum was carried on by Kapp, who could do no wrong on the big night for the Invincibles along with Alice Capsey and Mady Villiers. During the innings break, the Brave Women could have backed themselves to get to the finding end and lift the trophy to become the first champion of the competition that is certain to ignite many debates and discussions around the evolution of the game over the next many years.

Jos Buttler pulls out of remainder of IPL 2021, Rajasthan sign Glenn Phillips as replacement

In a massive development that would come as a setback for the Rajasthan Royals, Jos Buttler has pulled himself out of the second part of the IPL 2021 due to family commitments. The Royals revealed that Buttler and his wife are expecting their second child and hence he will be unavailable for the marquee event. The Royals were already reeling under the absence of Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, and Jofra Archer in the first half of the tournament that was postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis in multiple teams. Now, Buttler’s absence will strip them off from a reliable match-winner with the bat. The franchise has suggested that New Zealander Glenn Phillips will be his replacement for the remainder of the event starting on September 19 in the UAE. Phillips has been a force to reckon with in the shortest format for the Blackcaps and the Royals will be hoping he will carry his form from his country to the UAE. The Royals have managed to win only three games out of the seven games they played before the tournament was halted and Buttler’s absence will only hurt their prospect of making it into the playoff.