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Test Match Always The Priority People Blaming The Hundred Laughable Eoin Morgan On Ashes Drubbing

Test match always the priority, people blaming The Hundred laughable: Eoin Morgan on Ashes drubbing

England limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan said that Test cricket has always been the priority for England and that people blaming the newest and most successful domestic format in the country- The Hundred are not making the correct analysis.

"Test match cricket has always been the priority: it's the format for our elite players. Obviously, times at the moment have been tough down in Australia during the Ashes [but] they always are: we've lost the last two series 5-0 [sic] and it's no surprise that Australia are very, very good at home,” Morgan said on talkSPORT's Following On podcast.

"Given the preparation, the guys have had where since they've arrived in Australia, until the first Test match, it has hammered it down with rain… it's laughable to point the finger at the Hundred. The Hundred is an unbelievable success.

Our formats in county cricket and the Hundred, in the way they're structured, it's exactly the same as Australia's,” added the man who was given the Commander of the Order of the British Empire honours on the new year’s day of 2022 by the British Empire.

Morgan, who is currently in Barbados to play the five-match T20I series against West Indies, said that people need to assess the loss purely on the merit of preparation and the game that the team has played instead of searching for the scapegoat in The Hundred.

"People need something to blame so they'll point at probably the furthest point to reality because nobody wants to say: 'you know what, we haven't had the prep we would have liked, we probably haven't played as we'd have liked, and we've lost'. That happens in all formats, but I stress: Test match cricket has always been the priority,” he said.

The Hundred’s first season was played in July 2021 and both the men’s and the women’s tournament was received well by the audiences with the women’s tournament seeing record attendance as the men’s and women’s games were played at the same venue on the same day. Morgan led London Spirit, one of the eight city-based sides in the tournament.

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Having Quinton de Kock back in the side will be good, he will have a point to prove: Temba Bavuma

South Africa’s limited-overs skipper Temba Bavuma has put his weight behind wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock and said that it’s good to have the left-handed batsman back in the side. Quinton had earlier announced his retirement from the Tests. “It is good to see Quinny again. We obviously miss him in the Test team. He has made his decision (to quit) and it is a decision that we respect. Having Quinny again within team is good. Knowing Quinny, he will have a point to prove,” Bavuma said during a virtual press conference. “I am sure he is also as excited as we are, to be in the team,” added Bavuma. India and South Africa are slated to lock horns with each other in a three-match ODI series beginning on Wednesday (January 19, 2022) in Paarl. The Proteas earlier clinched a win in the Test series 2-1. Talking about the opponents, Bavuma said that the Indian team is a tough opponent to play. “In terms of India, it is a strong white ball team. The ODI squad they put out… we will give the respect they deserve as we do to any other team. We know it is going to be tough considering the Test series,” he said.

SL vs ZIM | 2nd ODI: Captain Ervine misses out on century, but guides Chevrons past 300

The Zimbabwe skipper Craig Ervine eld from the front as the batting unit of the African side once again proved it’s worth taking the team total past 300 after a brilliant 91 from the captain and a great half-century from Sikandar Raza. This score has come on the back of 296 that Zimbabwe scored against the same opposition in the first ODI played at the same venue- Pallekele International Stadium on Sunday, January 16, 2022. Once again deciding to bat first after winning the toss, the Chevrons got off to a decent start as the opening pair of Regis Chakabva and youngster Takudzwanashe Kaitano added 59 for the first wicket before Kaitano was removed by Jeffrey Vandersay once again. Then walked in Ervine, who was lucky enough to survive a dismissal thanks to DRS. After being adjudged Leg Before Wicket off the bowling of Maheesh Theekshana, Ervine opted for DRS which clearly showed that the ball would have missed the stumps. Pouncing on to that chance, the 36-year-old played a brilliant knock. He first had a 31 run stand with Chakabva, which was broken as the latter was stumped off Vandersay for 47, narrowly missing out on a fifty. Ervine created yet another partnership as he got going with his old pal Sean Williams, adding 106 for the third wicket. Those runs came in just 104 balls, maintaining the scoring rate of the team. While Williams could not add another fifty to his tally, getting stumped off Vandersay on 48, Ervine got to his 18th fifty during that partnership. Wesley Madhevere, who joined Ervine after the fall of Williams didn’t stay long either and Zimbabwe were reduced to 205-4. Sikandar Raza walked in and then added 51 runs with Ervine before the captain was removed by Theekshana unfortunately for 91 off 98 balls. Raza wasn’t much troubled by that as he added 40 for the sixth wicket with Ryan Burl and also reached his 19th ODI fifty before being dismissed as the last Zimbabwean wicket to fall with the score at 302. Before him, Burl and Wellington Masakadza had been dismissed as well. Apart from Vadersay, who picked up three wickets, Nuwan Pradeep added two to his tally in the last over as well while Theekshana and Chamika Karunaratne got one each.

BBL 2021-22: Close win over Renegades take Hurricanes to Playoffs, Stars knocked out

In a massive turn around during the clash between Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes in Melbourne, the Hurricanes stole away a win from the jaws of defeat. The Renegades were chasing a big target of 183 runs in 20 overs and had a decent start to the proceedings as openers Names Seymour and Aaron Finch put up 37 on the board before Seymour departed for 24 off 13. Finch was then joined by Shaun Marsh and the two batters steadied the ship and stitched another brilliant stand of 101 runs for the second wicket. Marsh was eventually sent back in the hut for a 38-ball 51 while Finch went on to score 75 off 52. But Marsh’s dismissal was followed by a flurry of wickets as the middle-order failed to make any significant contributions. Debutant Unmukt Chand also failed to impress as he was undone for 6 off 8. The Renegades were eventually restricted to 176/6 in 20 overs as they suffered a defeat by 6 runs. Sandeep Lamichhane returned with figures of 2/27 in 4 overs. Earlier, in the day, Hobart Hurricanes rode on some brilliant batting from the unit to post 182/5 in 20 overs on the board. The Hurricanes lost an early wicket but Caleb Jewell and Matthew Wade stitched a solid stand of 67 runs for the second wicket. While Jewell scored 35 off 28, Wade notched up 48 off 39. Later, D Arcy Short and Tim David’s late surge helped Hurricanes to put up 182/5 in 20 overs. While David remained unbeaten at 46 off 20, Short chipped in with a 22-ball 37.

Pakistan’s Hasnain to undergo action testing after being reported for chucking in BBL

It has come as a shocker for both Mohammad Hasnain and the Pakistan cricket team as the bowler, who was signed for his first stint with the Big Bash League has now returned with a rather sore experience. The player has been reported for chucking, a term used to define more bending of the arm and or elbow than allowed in the guidelines of cricket. It was during the Sydney derby clash between Hasnanin’s side Sydney Thunder and the opposition team Sydney Sixer that Moises Henriques, skipper of the Sixers was heard saying “Nice throw” referring to the chucking by Hasnain during a heated exchange between the two players. It is now believed that the umpires from that game have reported his action and the 21-year-old would now have to undergo testing to prove that his action is legitimate. The testing would take place at the ICC-accredited biomechanics laboratory in Lahore. Hasnain who joined the BBL as a replacement for Englishman Saqib Mahmood with the Thunder played five games and picked up seven wickets in them, including a Player of the Match 3-22 in his debut match against the Brisbane Heat. However, he remained economical in all games, including the one in which he was reported for chucking. In fact, in a video posted by cricket.com.au, Henriques is clearly seen saying, "Nice Throw" to Hasnain. You can watch the video here. In that game, too, Hasnain gave away only 22 runs when all the other bowlers were being bashed by the Sixers batters. Hasnain has so far played 8 ODIs and 18 T20Is for Pakistan, picking up a total of 29 wickets in them.