West Indies settle for tame high-scoring draw in practice game

Twitter Reactions: Bizzare hitting from Maxwell overshadows Smith’s hundred

There are days when the bowlers are made to look like mere spectators and today was that for the Indian bowlers when the Australian batters led by former captain Steve Smith and the Big Show Glenn Maxwell went on a carnage as they feasted on the hapless bowling from Jasprit Bumrah and Co. Smith and Marnus Labuschgane were left at the crease by the two openers at a time when Indian could have tightened the noose as two of the set batsmen in captain Aaron Finch and David Warner had been dislodged and two new men were in. The Sydney man though, instead of taking the pressure, counter-attacked as he and Labuschagne added 136 for the third wicket in just 89 balls. On the way, Smith, a centurion from the last match completed yet another hundred, this one coming off once again of just 62 balls. His inning was laced with those signature lofted cover drives which go for six. But added to that this time was the slog sweeps, the cheeky shorts on the third man and fine leg, and of course the square cuts. In short, he was a treat to watch. The Twitteratis agreed to it. But another failure from the IPL, Glenn Maxwell too had decided that he isn’t going to be a spectator either as he started from where he had left in the last game and this time around, went one step ahead to complete his fifty, that too in just 25 balls. In the end, he went not out for 63 in just 23 balls. The innings of course was always filled with his bizarre shots which he mostly plays off the middle stump, combined along with his usual slog hits. In all this madness, one must not forget the calm composed innings of the prodigy Labuschagne who once again showed what is he actually made, of silently weaving his way to fifty and only got out trying to accelerate at the end. Apart from these three the openers Warner and Finch too were instrumental in taking Aussies to 389 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway power New Zealand to series win over West Indies

New Zealand won the second T20 of the series and have secured an unassailable lead of the touring West Indies side in Mount Maunganui. Chasing a mountainous target of 239 runs, West Indies batsman failed to go big and none of them could produce individual brilliant performances that could have won them the game as the Kieron Pollard -led side fell well short of the target. The win by 66 runs was achieved on the back of some outrageous hitting of the cricket ball, especially by the young duo of Devo Conway and Glenn Phillips who stitched a marathon partnership of 184 runs that powered New Zealand to a score the Windies needed some magic to chase. Earlier in the day, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat first. The Opening pair of Martin Guptill and Tim Seifert provided Kiwis a strong start before they were separated in the last over of the power play. Seifert was the first one to go and was quickly followed by Guptill in the very next over that brought the pair of Conway and Phillips together at the crease. None of the Windies bowlers could leave any positive impact on the match as all of them conceded runs in excess of 9 runs per over as the Kiwis took them to cleaners. In their effort to chase down 239, Windies were off to a horrible start as Kyle Jamieson nipped one through to beat Brendon Kings to shatter his stumps. The matter turned bad to worse as Shimron Hetmyer was caught short of the crease by Glenn Phillips who could do no wrong on the day when he notched the fastest T20 century by a New Zealander in the International T20S. Kiwi bowlers kept chipping away with the wickets and when Nicholas Pooran and the captain Kieron Pollard were dismissed in the 1oth and 13th over, it was curtains for the tourist in Mount Maunganui. New Zealand captain Tim Southee spoke highly of Glen Phillips and said that he has always been a player with X-factor and has done well in the Caribbean Premier League against many of the players in the West Indies lineup. Southee will now not take part in theT20 series and will prepare for the Test series that will follow while Mitchell Santner will take the mettle of leadership from him in the final T20 of the series. New Zealand won the second T20 of the series and have secured an unassailable lead of the touring West Indies side in Mount Maunganui. Chasing a mountainous target of 239 runs, West Indies batsman failed to go big and none of them could produce individual brilliant performances that could have won them the game as the Kieron Pollard -led side fell well short of the target. The win by 66 runs was achieved on the back of some outrageous hitting of the cricket ball, especially by the young duo of Devo Conway and Glenn Phillips who stitched a marathon partnership of 184 runs that powered New Zealand to a score the Windies needed some magic to chase. Earlier in the day, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat first. The Opening pair of Martin Guptill and Tim Seifert provided Kiwis a strong start before they were separated in the last over of the power play. Seifert was the first one to go and was quickly followed by Guptill in the very next over that brought the pair of Conway and Phillips together at the crease. None of the Windies bowlers could leave any positive impact on the match as all of them conceded runs in excess of 9 runs per over as the Kiwis took them to cleaners. In their effort to chase down 239, Windies were off to a horrible start as Kyle Jamieson nipped one through to beat Brendon Kings to shatter his stumps. The matter turned bad to worse as Shimron Hetmyer was caught short of the crease by Glenn Phillips who could do no wrong on the day when he notched the fastest T20 century by a New Zealander in the International T20S. Kiwi bowlers kept chipping away with the wickets and when Nicholas Pooran and the captain Kieron Pollard were dismissed in the 1oth and 13th over, it was curtains for the tourist in Mount Maunganui. New Zealand captain Tim Southee spoke highly of Glen Phillips and said that he has always been a player with X-factor and has done well in the Caribbean Premier League against many of the players in the West Indies lineup. Southee will now not take part in theT20 series and will prepare for the Test series that will follow while Mitchell Santner will take the mettle of leadership from him in the final T20 of the series.

NZ vs WI: Glenn Phillips smashes fastest T20I century for New Zealand

Glenn Phillips smashed the record of fastest T20 hundred by a New Zealander by achieving the feat in only 45 balls. He came to bat at the number four position in the second T20I between New Zealand and West Indies and blasted a 51-ball-108 as his debut century and bettered the previous record of the fastest century by Colin Munro against the same opposition two years back. Another rookie, Devon Conway was at the top of the game as the duo put on a show of blistering strokes and an extended period onslaught that powered the Kiwis to a mammoth total of 238/3 at the end of 20 overs. Phillips had walked out to bat just after the completion of the mandatory power play after the fall of Martin Guptill and was dismissed after taking the life out of the West Indies bowling attack on the penultimate ball of the New Zealand innings. In the end, the West Indies could not match the firepower of the New Zealand team and were defeated by a big margin of 72 runs. Windies could manage only 166 runs at the end of their innings and none of their batsmen could make a big score to even come closer to the target set by the Kiwis. With this win, the hosts have won the 3-match long T20 series with a match remaining to be played on November 30 at the same venue in Mount Maunganui.

South Africa vs England | 2nd T20I: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream11 Fantasy Picks

After England's impressive victory over South Africa in the first T20I of the series, the second game of the three-match series between the two teams, set to take place at Paarl, becomes a do-or-die affair for the hosts. While the two teams didn't have a vast difference in terms of their performance, England managed to get past the line thanks to Bairstow's fireworks. England captain Eoin Morgan candidly accepted in the post-match presentation ceremony that his team is far from their best. He credited the victory to individual brilliance of a few players. South African skipper Quinton de Kock, on the other hand, remained optimistic and felt it would just take a little bit of improvement to turn the tables. Positives for South Africa The Proteas have been looking for a replacement for Imran Tahir since his retirement. George Linde, the left-arm spinner, gave South Africa some hope in this department. His good bowling performance suprised England and benefitted the hosts. But now, England may try to target him in the next game. His performance would be worth seeing. Faf du Plessis' innings was a big boost for South Africa. Him and de Kock are the two most important batsmen in the line-up due to their proven quality and experience. Both showed good form, an ominous sign for England. Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen showed a glimpse of their ability. With many spots in the middle order up for grabs, these two will be watched closely. England's Approach Sam Curran once again showed his uncanny ability to make an impact in the game. He can be a perfect foil for the sheer pace of Jofra Archer. Adil Rashid again showed what a key player for his the English side. The decision to shift Bairstow down the order was a gamble. His success at the top of the order makes him a prime contender for opening. However, his shift to and success at no. 4 adds strength to the middle order. England's line-up looked powerful anyway and has depth due to the presence of two capable seam-bowling all-rounders. With Archer and Rashid in good form, even the bowling is pretty solid. South Africa vs England 2nd T20I: Match Details Venue: Boland Park, Paarl Live Coverage: Star Sports network, Hotstar Date and Timing: November 29, 18:00 IST, 14:30 Local, 12:30 GMT Pitch Report Pitch at this venue tends to be flat and high-scoring. However, the hot conditions also mean that the track could dry up and assist spinners. The likes of Rashid and Linde may play a key role in the match. Pacers may have another tough contest. Weather and Toss Temperature is set to be around 30 degree celsius in the day time. While batting first is the conventional wisdom on generally flat pitches, this ground has a history of favouring chasing teams. It is likely that the team winning the toss chooses to chase. England did the same thing in the first T20I. They may continue with this formula. Team News South Africa South Africa went into first game with two spinners in their ranks. Linde's performance makes him a certainty for the second game. However, the spot of Tabraiz Shamsi may be in danger due to his under-par performance in the last game. His good record in domestic T20 league on this ground may just earn him another go. The pasting that Beuran Hendricks got may get him replaced by Anrich Nortje. Possible XI: Quinton de Kock (C, wk), Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, Pite van Biljon, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi England Despite the failure of the Jos Buttler-Jason Roy combination in the first game, England would like to give another go to it. The interesting position is of Dawid Malan. He couldn't make use of his opportunity in the last match but deserves another go. Tom Curran and Chris Jordan will have to watch their backs. Mark Wood might come in to provide more pace while Moeen Ali could be a good option on a flat and dry wicket. Possible XI: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan (C), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood South Africa vs England 2nd T20I: Dream11 Fantasy Team Suggestions Quinton de Kock, Jonny Bairstow, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Kagiso Rabada