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T20 Blast Final: Jordan Cox, Joe Denly help Kent win its first T20 trophy in 14 years

It was an atmosphere of joy indeed on the Finals day at the T20 Blast 2021 as Kent Spitfires went on to win their first-ever final in the last 14 years. The hard-fought win was also special, given that this was their first-ever appearance in the final in 13 years after an antagonising final loss by three runs against Middlesex in the 2008 season. 

Jordan Cox and Joe Denly turned out to be the heroes with the bat and ball respectively for the Spitfires, who had reached the final by beating Sussex in the second semi-final of the T20 Blast Finals Day. The first semi-final was won dramatically by Somerset when they defeated Hampshire, chasing down 151 after being down to 34-5 to win the game with two wickets in hand. 

In the final, though, nothing dramatic happened as Kent went about their defence of 167 in a very methodical way with Denly removing Tom Banton off the very second delivery of the Somerset innings. That set the tone for the Kent bowlers who then went on to pick wickets at regular intervals, eventually reducing the Taunton based side to 119-9 in the 18th over before some nice shots by Josh Davy took them to 142 at the end of the innings. 

Denly was the pick of the bowlers for Kent removing both the Somerset openers in Banton and Will Smead alongside Tom Lammonby. 

Earlier in the evening, after winning the toss, Somerset invited Kent to bat first and even as the team kept on losing wickets regularly, Jordan Cox with his patient approach but very fiery innings of unbeaten 58 off just 28 balls took the Spitfires to 167-7 from their 20 overs. 

With this loss, Somerset have now lost four of their five Blast finals with the lone victory coming in their first-ever final appearance in 2005. 

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Extremely disappointed that NZ chose to abandon white-ball tour against Pakistan: Wasim Akram

Earlier last week, in a dramatic turnaround ahead of their first ODI match against Pakistan, New Zealand cancelled their historic white-ball tour citing security reasons. Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has now reacted to the Blackcaps abandoning the tour and has expressed his disappointment on the same. "I think the world underestimates how powerful our security forces are. Cricket is more than a sport to us and we will do everything in our power to prevent cricket (from) being taken from us again. The world needs to give us a chance to prove that!," Akram tweeted on Sunday. The former left-handed bowler further added that the Pakistan forces have made the country one of the safest places in the world to play cricket. This tour would have been NZ's first in 18 years in the subcontinental national and could have paved away the roadmap for other countries to visit Pakistan. "Extremely disappointed in NZ choice to abandon the #PAKvNZ tour. Pakistan has proven that our security measures for international games is of the highest order, making Pakistan one of the safest places in the world to play cricket today. I feel we are not hearing the whole story," Akram said. The two sides were slated to play three ODIs and five T20Is. While the ODIs were scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi, the T20Is had to be played in Lahore. With NZ's cancellation of the trip, teams like England have put their own tour under scanner and it is expected that they will try to force a move out as well. Pakistan have been one of the busiest touring teams in the pandemic and have played several series away from home. The conversation in recent months had been about the countries extending their gratitude by touring Pakistan, but the NZ pullout would be a huge dampener on the plans.

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Less than 16 years old won't be granted access in Sharjah, PCR tests required in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has opened the entry of fans to the cricket stadiums in UAE for the second half of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However certain guidelines need to be followed when the spectators make their entry in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The regulations in place which has also been shared with all the eight franchises, states that the fans attending games at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium need not produce RT-PCR tests 48 hours before the commencement of the game. However, they need to produce a double vaccination report. The fans will also need to follow social distancing regulations and have to wear masks for the full length of the game. Children below 12 won’t require vaccination proof. The authorities have also asked the spectators to download their tickets prior to their departure for the stadium which needs to be scanned at the gates. When it comes to Sharjah, the rules are a bit different. One needs to be 16+ in order to be granted access in the stadium. In addition to the vaccination report, the spectators also need to produce RT-PCR tests 48 hours before the commencement of the game. For spectators who is keen to watch the games, a green status of the Al Hosn App is a must. For every spectator over 16 years of age watching games in Abu Dhabi needs to produce a double vaccination report along with a PCR test which will be valid no more than 48 hours before entry into the stadium. Age group between 12-15 doesnt need to produce vaccination reports but a PCR test in required. Those below the age of 12 needs to be accompanied by elders over the age of 21. Masks have to be worn all through the process of entry into the stadium and till the exit. Temperature checks will be done upon arrival. Fans won’t be allowed re-entry into the stadium. The 14th season of the IPL resumes later today with a high octane clash between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings. While CSK occupies the 2nd position with 10 points in 7 games, MI is currently at the 4th spot with 8 points in as many games.

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IPL 2021: Brian Lara backs Mumbai Indians as the favourites for the Classico

The wait is finally over and the second half of the 14th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kick off later today with arch-rivals Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings locking horns against each other at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Despite CSK’s dominance in the first half of the season, former West Indies great Brian Lara feels that MI will start the 2nd half of the tournament as favourites given their excellent form in UAE. MI won their 2nd successive title in UAE back in 2020. While CSK is currently at the 2nd position in the points table with 5 wins from 7 games, MI occupy the 4th spot with 4 wins from 7 games. After a below-par performance in the 2020 edition, CSK bounced back strongly in the first leg of the 14th season until the tournament was abrupted owing to covid-19. “The fact that Mumbai Indians left Chepauk with a little bit of success, I think that will give them the confidence they need. They are going back to the UAE where they won the IPL 2020. For me, they are going to start favourites. Their confidence is going to be high just from the fact that they have got good memories of playing in the UAE. I think they can get the better of CSK,” Lara was quoted as saying in cricket.com’s show Man vs Machine. Kiwi speedster Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack and will continue to their two frontline pacers but Lara feels that Aussie quick Nathan Coulter-Nile will be the third pacer. “You want a third seamer in the UAE. It’s very hot. You expect the pitches to be dry and turn a bit. Nathan Coulter-Nile for me is always a good choice with the ball and he also fills the gap with the bat. Their dilemma is whether to go with a double spin or go in with a third seamer. I’ll have to see the conditions in the UAE to make that decision, but Coulter-Nile will be my choice,” Lara said. While Lara feels that CSK won’t have the same dominance which they had in Indian conditions, he does feel that good all-round attributes in the team could bring them glory in the tournament. “They might have been the unhappiest team when it was curtailed in May. They have changed up a few players and I feel they have a more all-round team, especially getting Moeen Ali in,” the former West Indies captain said. “I don’t think they’ll have the same dominance but definitely (will be) one of the qualifiers when the tournament gets to that stage. They will have to work hard in the UAE to get the same success. I believe the team is well gelled, the success they have had in the first half of the tournament is going to serve them well moving forward,” he added.

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We got to keep lifting our standards against MI - Stephen Fleming ahead of Classico

The 14th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is back and nothing could get better than a restart with arch-rivals Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings locking horns against each other. Chennai Super Kings chief coach Stephen Fleming feels that it will be a fresh start and playing in UAE will sport a unique challenge to them after an impressive start to the season. CSK are currently occupying the 2nd spot in the points table with 10 points in 7 games. “We just want to start well again but also remembering the work that it took to get a bit of form and to get those wins. It’s all about the mindset, people coming together and almost treating it like a fresh start for another tournament. “There are guys coming in from the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) and international cricket and that’s the beauty of the IPL, they come with great experience and tie them all together. I’m really happy with the work that is being done here. I’m looking forward to it," Fleming was quoted as saying by the CSK TV ahead of the el-Classico of IPL. Chennai Super Kings struggled in the 2020 edition failing to qualify for the very first time in the history of IPL. However, they came back strongly in the 14th season until the tournament was halted abruptly due to some of the players from respective camps testing positive for covid-19. When asked how the new players have adjusted to the needs of the side, the former New Zealand skipper said, “The style of play, the way the new players adjusted into the side and then getting a game plan that suits the players and the balance that we had. So, that was by design… which is always nice when it comes off. The way we batted and the aggressive nature in which we batted and took the opposition on and that was something that was lacking in the first half in Dubai last time. The confidence through that was good and the all-round balance was good to see,” Fleming said. Just before the 14th season was suspended indefinitely, both teams met in a cliffhanger and it was a stunning knock from the blade of Kieron Pollard which led MI to a record run-chase of 219. He smashed 87 of 35 deliveries to help MI script a historic win. Over the years, these two teams have been involved in several intense battles. However, when it comes to head to head battle, MI have a significant advantage over CSK, especially in recent years. While Mumbai have won 5 of their last 6 encounters against CSK, they have a 19-13 advantage overall. Speaking on the MI vs CSK battle, Fleming said, “We finished the first half of phase 1 with a loss where Pollard played one of the great IPL innings. Mumbai does play well against us, so we got to keep lifting our standards. From a coaching point of view, you want that game underway so that you know what to work on and just exactly where the team’s at. So, we’re looking forward to it as always and it’s a good encounter."