All posts by csb10.top

Sunrisers Hyderabad obliterated Lucknow Super Giants, first stifling them with the new ball and then sensationally chasing down 166 in just 9.4 overs – the highest 10-over score in any T20. The massive win lifted them to No. 3 on the points table with 14 points in 12 matches, and also gave them a much-needed net-run-rate boost. The chase was so brutal that LSG didn’t even bother with their Impact Player.A lot will rightly be spoken of the explosive batting of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who got to their fifties in 16 and 19 balls respectively, putting on a hundred between them inside the powerplay for the second time this IPL, both times the highest powerplay scores in all T20 cricket.Related

• 'I'm lost for words' – The Travishek show leaves LSG stunned

• Mumbai Indians knocked out after SRH demolish LSG

However, it was with the ball that SRH set up the win. Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the way with figures of 4-0-12-2, conceding only singles, completely shutting down the LSG top order, which scored just 66 in the first 11.2 overs. That the top order had not been enterprising enough was underscored by the unbroken 99-run stand off 52 balls between Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran, which eventually proved to be hopelessly inadequate.Mumbai Indians were collateral damage on the night, knocked out of contention for the playoffs by this result, the first team at IPL 2024 to be officially out.

Bhuvneshwar gets stuck in

A word about the fear surrounding the SRH batters first. It was that fear which, in part, prompted LSG to bat first. And then they ran into Bhuvneshwar, who was unerring in his length and drew movement off the pitch. Quinton de Kock – 66 off 66 off Bhuvneshwar in T20 cricket overall – managed just 1 off 4 off him, those four balls inclusive of a near-dismissal and his wicket, caught superbly by Nitish Reddy at deep-square leg.Bhuvneshwar Kumar nailed his match-up against Quinton de Kock•AFP/Getty Images

It was a sensational catch made to look easy as Reddy took it over his head, threw it back in the field of play, stepped out and came back to complete the catch, but Sanvir Singh soon outdid him with a low catch diving forward at mid-on to send back Marcus Stoinis. Bhuvneshwar ended the powerplay with 3-0-7-2. Add Shahbaz Ahmed’s 2-0-9-0 to that, and LSG had had their worst powerplay of the year: 27 for 2.IPL debutant, the Sri Lanka legspinner V Viyaskanth, kept the lid on after the powerplay only for Krunal Pandya to inject some momentum into the innings by hitting Jaydev Unadkat for successive sixes, the tournament’s 999th and 1000th. The first one was an extraordinary straight hook to a head-high slower bouncer over long-on. Little did we know the shot would become a mere footnote by the time the night was done.

Badoni, Pooran rescue LSG

KL Rahul, 29 off 33, perished trying to hit the pace of Pat Cummins, and Krunal was run out by the SRH captain and birthday boy as he tried to steal a single when the boundaries were not coming. It had taken 9.1 overs for the first four of the innings, but Badoni and Pooran found the boundary regularly. Badoni led the charge by moving around in the crease and manipulating the field, getting to a fifty in 28 balls. Pooran joined in towards the end, using the pace of T Natarajan and Cummins. Two of the quickest bowlers on display, Cummins and Natarajan, went for 97 between them.Ayush Badoni gave LSG a much-needed lift•BCCI

Head, Abhishek deliver the knockout punch

LSG tried to make use of the slow pitch by bowling K Gowtham’s offspin to the two left-hand openers, which was a sound-enough plan. With Head and Abhishek, though, plans hardly seem to matter. Head pulled Gowtham away for four in the first over, and Abhishek took down Yash Thakur in the second. Again, even Thakur seemed to be bowling to a sound plan: sweeper cover and deep-square leg, bowl into the pitch, but Abhishek pulled him in front of square. So he put two men back on the leg side, and Abhishek made room and carved him through point. By the time they had reached 25 in two overs, plans ceased to matter at all.Head and Abhishek just picked their spots and sent the ball there no matter the pace on the ball, no matter the length, no matter the fields. All told, the ball took that journey to the boundary once every second ball. You can take your pick from among Head’s kneel-down six into the sight screen, Abhishek’s languid pick-up over wide long-on off Badoni’s offspin, or his extra-cover drive for six to end the game… But try as you may, you will struggle to find a shot more incredible than Head off-driving Ravi Bishnoi off the back foot for a huge six over long-off.Head ended up with 89 off 30, and Abhishek, 75 off 28. Gowtham’s economy of 14.50 was the best among all the LSG bowlers.

A huge, authoritative partnership followed by a clinical bowling display helped India pick up their second win in the women’s T20 tri-series. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur added an unbroken 115 for the third wicket, both hitting half-centuries in the process, to power India to 167 for 2.The Indian bowlers, led by Deepti Sharma’s 2 for 29, then restricted West Indies to 111. Shikha Pandey, playing her first T20I since October 2021, returned economical figures of 0 for 18 off her four overs. West Indies’ only resistance came via a 71-run partnership between captain Hayley Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle.

West Indies gain early control

Having been asked to bowl first, West Indies made a good first impression. Having made her international debut for Barbados at the Commonwealth Games last year, Shanika Bruce – playing her first match for West Indies – kept openers Yastika Bhatia and Mandhana quiet. She regularly beat Bhatia’s outside edge and only gave away two fours in her two overs in the powerplay.From the opposite end, Shamilia Connell, who was impressive against South Africa, barely gave away runs, bowling ten dots in her two overs. In all, West Indies bowled 21 dots in the phase and gave away only 37 – 12 of which came off a single Karishma Ramharack over in which Bhatia fell.

Mandhana, Harmanpreet change the narrative

Harmanpreet was returning after missing the opening clash due to illness and found herself in the middle with Mandhana with India devoid of much momentum. They were placed at 60 for 2 at the ten-over mark with Mandhana on 21 off 20.Harmanpreet then bookended the 11th over with fours off Matthews to signal a change of gears. The three overs after drinks saw India plunder 28. They also used the sweep against the legspin of Afy Fletcher and the delicate dabs against left-arm spinner Kaysia Schultz.This was after wicketkeeper Rashada Williams dropped a regulation catch of Harmanpreet – when on 21 – in right-arm seamer Shabika Gajnabi’s first over. Mandhana took on Gajnabi’s next over, striking her for three fours, including one to bring up a 39-ball half-century. It was the 20th time she’d passed fifty, the third most by a player in T20Is.The pair took 18 off the 18th over bowled by Connell, with Mandhana and Harmanpreet hitting a couple of fours each. Harmanpreet also completed a fifty in the final over as India managed to score 50 off the last four overs.

Campbelle, Matthews save West Indies the blushes

Deepti struck on her first ball in India’s defence of 167, trapping Britney Cooper lbw with the perfect offspin where the ball beat Cooper on the inside edge before having Williams stumped in her next over. Having injured her ankle after the first innings, Matthews slid down the order with West Indies – opening with Cooper and Williams – sending Campbelle and Gajnabi in at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively. When Gajnabi was out lbw in the seventh over, the script seemed quite familiar.But Campbelle and Matthews then steadied the innings and changed gears after the tenth over when they were 39 for 3. While Campbelle swept the first ball of the 11th off Devika Vaidya for four, Matthews hit her for three more in the over. Both Campbelle and Matthews managed to find the boundaries regularly, but the target was never really within sight. They added 71 for the fourth wicket and it ended when Amanjot Kaur took a stunning catch after running to her left at deep midwicket and diving forward to dismiss Campbelle for 47.Matthews managed to stay unbeaten but West Indies fell short by 56. They will now need to win both their remaining games to stay in contention for the final.

Sri Lanka has the seam-bowling weaponry to make a serious push for victory on Monday. So believes Angelo Mathews, their centurion from day four, who was most responsible for setting New Zealand a target of 285.In the 17 overs Sri Lanka bowled at New Zealand before stumps, the seamers were probing and disciplined. Kasun Rajitha claimed the wicket of Devon Conway, and New Zealand could not score at more than 1.64 an over, finishing at 28 for 1, with Tom Latham and Kane Williamson the overnight batters.In the first innings, Sri Lanka’s seamers had had New Zealand at 188 for 6, before an outstanding Daryl Mitchell hundred, and lower-order hitting from Matt Henry pushed the hosts into a narrow lead.”We’ve got the fast bowlers to exploit the conditions,” Mathews said after play. “We’ve got some fantastic fast bowlers in the group, and we have the belief that if the batters get the runs on the board, the fast bowlers will definitely come into play, with the conditions. They’ve done exactly that.”We’ve given ourselves a great chance to win the Test match. We have to turn up tomorrow and just go for it. The game is evenly poised. Latham and Williamson – we all know they are world class. We need to strike early to get into the game. If we can open one end, we can put a lot of pressure on the Kiwis.”Related

• Mathews says SL not getting enough Tests, especially this year

• Mathews' 115 helps SL set NZ a stiff target

The surface did not appear especially treacherous on day four – though there was still some movement off the seam for the quicks. The Hagley Oval surface has in the past tended to get lower and slower as a match goes on, though spinners have been effective at this venue late in the game as well.”You can’t predict a wicket 100%, but there was variable bounce today,” Mathews said. “But hoping he [Prabath Jayasuriya] can hit the rough spots. Especially to the left-hander there’s a big rough on either side. The spinner also might come into play – you never know.”His own 115 off 235 balls, which was his 14th Test ton and his second in successive tours of New Zealand, Mathews put down to experience. It was a vital innings, during which he forged a 105-run partnership with Dinesh Chandimal, then put on 60 alongside Dhananjaya de Silva.Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara shared five wickets between them in the first innings•AFP/Getty Images

Although in the first innings Sri Lanka rattled along at almost four an over, they were prevented from scoring freely for much of day four, by some disciplined New Zealand bowling.”The more you play the more you learn, and I’ve played a lot of cricket in New Zealand, and in Christchurch as well,” Mathews said. “I know what kinds of conditions we are getting here. Credit should go to the New Zealand bowlers as well. After Neil Wagner got injured, the other three fast bowlers gave nothing away. It was hard work out there, but they kept pegging away, and we had to work extremely hard to get those runs. We had to keep grinding all day, which we did, I thought.”Scoring was especially difficult before lunch, when New Zealand sent down 28 overs and conceded just 67 (a run rate of 2.39).”You come set to play certain shots because they aren’t giving anything away,” Mathews said. “You kind of know what you get from each bowler, so you kind of mentally plan it out. The first session they gave nothing away at all. We had to keep fighting for sngles and twos – forget about the fours. We all know [Tim] Southee is a world-class bowler, and no matter how tired he is he lands it on the spot. Matt Henry bowled extremely well, as well as [Blair] Tickner though he’s young and new to the Test arena, he bowled with a lot of gas. We knew what’s coming with each and every bowler, and we had to plan accordingly.”Sri Lanka must win this match, and the next one, to stand any chance of making the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval later this year. Mathews lauded the work of coach Chris Silverwood and captain Dimuth Karunaratne for creating a vibe through which a side that is not particularly studded with standout players, has been able to come close to making a major final.”The captain and the coach play a major part in the team’s environment. And us seniors will back it up with them. Chris Silverwood and his support staff and the captain has done a fantastic job in creating a great environment, to play cricket with a lot of freedom. That’s what you want – to put everything aside, and go out there and enjoy yourselves, which we’re absolutely doing.”

Not much could knock Steven Smith out of his batting stride at The Oval as he compiled his 31st Test century although David Warner’s unusual guard nearly did it.A segment for Channel Seven by Ricky Ponting during the lunch interval on the second day brought attention to the crater Warner had created in the batting crease as part of a plan to aid his footwork.Unlike a normal batting guard where the marks run perpendicular to whichever stump the batter asks for, Warner dug what resembled a small trench parallel to the stumps with holes at either end.Related

• India fail Boland and Co's not-so-simple inquisition

• Steven Smith adds new chapter to his Oval love affair

• Test hundreds in England: Smith catches up with Steve Waugh

• 'We've worked out ways we can challenge him' – England prepare to target Smith

• Seamers build on Steven Smith's ton to give Australia control

Smith, who came in following Warner’s dismissal shortly before lunch on the opening day, admitted it had taken him by surprise.”I nearly fell in it,” he joked. “I got used to it eventually but almost twisted my ankle a few balls to be honest then I sort of got used to it. I’ve never experienced that before on that side really, you occasionally get the edging of the footmarks at the backend of the game where you kind of fall into them where you are off balance, but when I’m moving to off stump and I’ve got this hole there it’s something I haven’t experienced before.”I’d no idea it was coming until I walked out and marked my guard and saw this big hole. Was just wondering who made this? Think I asked Marnus [Labuschagne] what was going on at the end, there’s a big hole I’m about to fall into. It was odd.”But once Smith was settled he was almost faultless until dragging Shardul Thakur into his stumps and he did not see a problem with Warner’s creative digging.”Maybe he should it more often, it worked for me,” he said. “He can keep digging that hole I suppose… whatever the batter needs I suppose to get themselves into a good position.”David Warner made 43 after employing a new method of marking his guard•Associated Press

Warner, whose position has been under scrutiny, had made a compact 43 on the opening day, becoming increasingly assured after a tricky first hour, and later said it was as good as he had felt for 24 months.Ponting, who is Warner’s coach at Delhi Capitals in the IPL, explained that the method he was using was to aid his footwork and stop him going too far to leg stump.”He’s actually got a line going across the back vertical to the stump line,” Ponting said. “And look at each end of that line there, there’s two quite deep holes. Now I know for a fact, having worked with David Warner for the last couple of years, a lot on his batting, when he’s batting his worst, his trigger movement has gone back outside leg stump.”So only two days ago he came up with this plan of digging two holes and making sure that when he moved his foot that his foot stayed within those two holes. If he moved back and across, he could feel his heel going into the hole. If you move too far across to the off stump, then his toes go into the hole.”That’s the sign of a modern player, someone that’s played over 100 Tests still trying to find a way to get better.”Although what Warner did was unusual, it did not contravene any Laws which only come into play for the protected area in front of the popping crease where bowlers are not allowed to encroach in to and batters are not allowed to enter “without reasonable cause” or take their guard in.

Match details

Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Jaipur, 1530 IST (1000 GMT)

Big picture – Where will Rahul bat?

After the 2016 season, KL Rahul has only batted as an opener in the IPL, except for one match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last year when he came out at No. 11 after picking up a quad injury while fielding. Even for India, he established himself at the top of the order. But with Lucknow Super Giants bringing opener Devdutt Padikkal into their squad, along with Quinton de Kock and Kyle Mayers as overseas options, could Rahul drop down to strengthen the middle order?There is also the additional intrigue of India’s selection for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Rahul has not played T20Is since the 2022 World Cup and wasn’t selected in India’s most recent squads for series in South Africa and at home Afghanistan. And with Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill competing for opening slots, Rahul’s only chance to make it might be to audition for a role in the middle order.Where ever Rahul bats, the Super Giants boast a power-packed batting line up comprising de Kock, Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis that has helped them qualify for the playoffs in each of their first two seasons in the IPL.Their opponents on Sunday, Rajasthan Royals, won four of their first five games last season and then lost five of their next six, a reversal in form that left them just outside the playoff spots. They will hope their two high-profile openers – Jos Buttler and Jaiswal – fire together this season. Buttler was supreme in Royals’ run to the final in 2022, scoring 863 runs, but had a poor 2023 season (392 runs with five ducks). Jaiswal showed flashes of his immense potential in 2022, and then blossomed in 2023, when he smashed 625 runs at a strike-rate of 163.61. Jaiswal comes into this IPL after a Player of the Series performance in the five home Tests against England, while Buttler found some form for Paarl Royals in the SA20, finishing fourth in the run charts.

Team news – Will Shamar Joseph make his IPL debut?

With David Willey unavailable to the Super Giants for the first few games for personal reasons, West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph could get his first outing in the IPL, having been signed as a replacement for Mark Wood. Shamar has limited T20 experience, but is a good hit-the-deck option and operates at high pace, as he showed in his Test heroics in Australia. Afghanistan’s Navneen-ul-Haq is the other pace option for LSG, and could offer more variations than Joseph.Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer and Trent Boult are shoo-ins for the Royals, and their new signing Rovman Powell could the frontrunner for the fourth overseas slot. Riyan Parag will also be in focus, after finishing as the highest scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy.Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler is perhaps the most exciting opening combination this season•BCCI

Toss and Impact Player strategy

Rajasthan Royals
With two wicketkeepers already in the XI, Sanju Samson and Buttler, Royals will likely use Dhruv Jurel as their impact batter, while one of Avesh Khan and Kuldeep Sen plays the impact role when they are bowling.Probable XII: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Riyan Parag, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Dhruv Jurel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Kuldeep SenLucknow Super Giants
Ayush Badoni will most likely be the impact sub for LSG if they are batting second, while Mohsin Khan or Shivam Mavi could come off the bench should they be batting first.Probable XII: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Deepak Hooda, 4 KL Rahul (capt), 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Ayush Badoni, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Shamar Joseph/Naveen-ul-Haq, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Mohsin Khan, 12 Shivam Mavi

Stats that matter

• Royals lost four of the five matches they played in Jaipur in IPL 2023
• Royals were the fastest scorers in the batting powerplay last season, while LSG were the second slowest
• Since the start of IPL 2022, Royals have hit more sixes (249) than any other team in the tournament.

Pitch and conditions

The average first-innings score in Jaipur in IPL 2023 was 172, and it’s not a venue where the toss has played a massive role, with the team batting first winning on three occasions and the chasing team winning twice. The pitch is likely to assist spinners more than the fast bowlers.

Derbyshire 123 for 3 (Donald 68) beat Northamptonshire 193 for 8 (Breetzke 94, Dupavillon 3-43) by 24 runs (DLS method) A brilliant innings from Aneurin Donald gave Derbyshire Falcons a 24 run win over Northants Steelbacks under Duckworth Lewis Stern in the North Group match at Derby.Donald smashed eight sixes in a 26-ball 68, equalling his own record for Derbyshire’s fastest T20 fifty, to put Falcons ahead of the run rate on 123 for 3 after 11 overs when a violent thunderstorm ended the game.Matthew Breetzke batted superbly to score a T20 best 94 from 54 balls, sharing a stand of 81 with Sikandar Raza, as Steelbacks reached 193 for 8.Rain left Falcons with a revised target of 187 from 19 overs but Donald’s demolition shredded the bowling before David Lloyd (33), and Cam Fletcher kept the home side ahead of the game before the heavens opened.Steelbacks scored only six from the first two overs which included a maiden from Daryn Dupavillon before Breetzke took three fours from Pat Brown.Ricardo Vasconcelos was dropped at cover by Samit Patel off Brown but it did not prove costly as the opener was comprehensively yorked in the fourth over by DuPavillion.Breetzke was finding his range and pulled Zak Chappell into the car park before David Willey dished out the same treatment to Dupavillon. But Dupavillon had the last word by getting Willey to miscue a drive low to mid-off as Steelbacks ended the powerplay on 55 for 2.After a brief stoppage for a sharp shower, Breetzke and Ravi Bopara worked the ball around without taking risks and had put on 48 from 36 balls when Falcons made a big breakthrough.Bopara tried to launch Mitch Wagstaff over the midwicket boundary only for Ross Whiteley to take a well judged catch just inside the ropes.But Breetzke and Raza trod on the accelerator to plunder 79 in five overs as the ball disappeared to all parts. After Breetzke reached 50 from 36 balls, he pulled Brown for six and dispatched Ross Whiteley for another maximum before Raza launched Chappell over the ropes.Breetzke passed his previous highest T20 score of 80 by taking three consecutive fours off Dupavillon before a yorker ended a thrilling innings.Brown and Chappell dragged it back by conceding only 11 from the last two overs in which Steelbacks lost four wickets trying to push towards 200.Falcons needed a fast start and Donald delivered, driving Willey straight for six and pulling and driving Ben Sanderson for two more as they raced to 50 in the fifth over.Donald pulled Raphy Weatherall into the home dugout and smashed a Saif Zaib full toss for six before he launched a no-ball over deep midwicket to reach 50 from 19 balls.He hammered two more off Freddie Heldreich before holing out to long-off in the seventh over but he had done exactly what the situation demanded.Bopara had Wayne Madsen caught behind and Patel was caught at deep square but the Falcons had done enough by the time torrential rain ended the contest.

Mahika Gaur, England’s highly-rated left-arm seamer, has withdrawn from this year’s Women’s Hundred, to continue her recovery from a side strainGaur, 18, had been retained by Manchester Originals after impressing in her debut season last year, but will instead use the competition’s month-long window to continue her rehabilitation, under the supervision of the medical teams at both the ECB and her regional side, Thunder.Gaur was not available for England’s early-season white-ball series against Pakistan, as she was completing her A-levels, but was then ruled out of the T20I squad to face New Zealand this month after picking up her injury.Her absence from the Hundred could impact her hopes of breaking into England’s squad for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, with that competition set to form a key part of the players’ preparation in the absence of any other bilateral cricket prior to their departure in October.Gaur, who represented UAE from the age of 12, made a strong impression in her first England appearances against Sri Lanka last summer, including with figures of 3 for 26 on her ODI debut at Chester-le-Street in September.

Devon Conway and Finn Allen have become the latest New Zealand players to turn down central contracts, but Conway has signed a casual agreement similar to Kane Williamson and has made himself available for all internationals except for the Sri Lanka white-ball matches in January when he will take up an SA20 deal.ESPNcricinfo understands that Conway is set to play for Joburg Super Kings in what will be his first appearance in South Africa since leaving the country and moving to New Zealand in 2017.Allen, the hard-hitting white-ball opener, will pursue franchise opportunities and has not been offered the same agreement by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) although remains eligible for selection on a case-by-case basis. ESPNcricinfo understands that Allen is expected to sign for the BBL. Both Conway and Allen had been included in the contract list last month and will now be replaced.Related

• Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson awarded New Zealand central contracts

• Southee asks for boards and T20 leagues to come together to solve club vs country debate

• Finn Allen set for two-year Perth Scorchers deal

• Captain Southee may not play all upcoming subcontinent Tests

• Latham says New Zealand need to be 'fluid' with player contracts

Conway, who has been named in the Test squad to face Afghanistan and Sri Lanka next month, is available for all of New Zealand’s nine upcoming Tests and has also committed to warm-up matches ahead of the Champions Trophy in February which include an ODI tri-series in Pakistan.”Firstly, I’d like to thank New Zealand Cricket for their support through this process,” Conway said. “The decision to move away from a central playing contract isn’t one I’ve taken lightly, but I believe it is the best for me and my family at this present time.”Playing for the Blackcaps is still the pinnacle for me and I’m hugely passionate about representing New Zealand and winning games of international cricket.”I’m excited to be part of the upcoming Test squads for an important period in the ICC World Test Championship cycle and am looking forward to being involved in the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan next February if selected.”NZC chief executive Scott Weenink reiterated that casual contracts were only an option for a select number of the leading players but believed it was a prudent way to manage the evolving landscape of franchise cricket.”We’re delighted with Devon’s decision to commit to the Blackcaps – he’s a quality player who’s made a strong contribution to the team over the past few years,” he said. “In the current environment it’s important to have flexibility in our system to navigate some of the challenges posed by franchise cricket – and this is another example of how we’re working hard to retain our best players.”Speaking last month, Test vice-captain Tom Latham said that New Zealand had to be flexible with their contracting system.Conway and Allen join Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne in moving away from central contracts although Williamson, who will also play the SA20 in January, has not ruled out taking one in the future.Under the NZC system, to be eligible for a central contracts players need to make themselves available for the domestic Super Smash tournament when they aren’t playing international cricket.

Fresh from bringing up 200 ODI wickets at Headingley on Saturday, Adil Rashid says he has the hunger to continue playing international cricket, dismissing talk that retirement may be on the horizon.Rashid broke new ground as the first English spinner to reach the milestone, albeit one brought up in a second consecutive defeat to Australia. It was England’s 10th loss in their last 14 ODIs. Another at Chester-le-Street would consign the hosts to a series defeat with two matches still to play. Poor weather, which forced training indoors on Monday, may end up saving their blushes, even if it does remove a series win from the equation.That this is a transitional squad, shorn of a handful of senior players, including captain Jos Buttler, has already been offered as mitigation for the missteps so far. Nevertheless, a new era – initially under interim coach Marcus Trescothick before Brendon McCullum assumes the limited-overs job in the new year alongside his Test commitments – has had an ignominious start.Yet, even with the onus on refreshing tactics and personnel, Rashid remains an integral part of the future of England’s limited-overs teams. February’s Champions Trophy, the 2026 T20 World Cup and 2027’s 50-over World Cup signpost the next three years, and the 36-year-old, currently in possession of an ECB central contract that takes him through to the end of the 2025 summer, has designs on being around for all of them.”I have not thought about it [retirement] yet,” said Rashid, speaking before Tuesday’s third ODI at Chester-le-Street. “Keep playing, enjoy it, stay fit, bowl well, contribute to wins, hopefully World Cups and Champions Trophies – that is my ultimate aim.”I’m playing each game and each series as it comes and if I’m still enjoying it and performing well, I’ll keep carrying on.”To play for this long and take the wickets I have, I’d never, ever dreamt of that, so hopefully I can carry it on. It’s been an enjoyable ride with ups and downs, and hopefully I can stay on the up for the remainder of my career.”I’ve got no eye yet on retiring or anything like that – that’s not even crossed my mind. It’s about enjoying the game and still giving it everything I’ve got.”Related

• Brendon McCullum to combine Test and white-ball coaching roles in new England deal

• Moeen Ali was cool the way cool is meant to be

• Carey takes his chance to silence hostile Headingley

• Could more crushing ODI failure be just what England need?

It is a vital statement from Rashid given the lay of the land. Though the likes of Joe Root (rested) and Ben Stokes (undecided) are expected to return to the limited-overs set-up in some capacity – the Champions Trophy works for both given England’s first Test in 2025 comes at the end of May against Zimbabwe at Lord’s – the set-up has lost a lot of experience and knowledge in the last six months.Of those moved on, Moeen Ali is the one Rashid will feel the most. The former vice-captain announced his retirement earlier this month after missing out on both T20 and 50-over assignments against Australia. And as a long-time friend, inseparable at home and aboard, the fear was that Rashid may soon follow suit. Those fears, for now, have been allayed. On Tuesday, the Yorkshireman will earn his 138th ODI cap – the figure Moeen finished on.Of course, the team environment is a little different for Rashid. Not only will he not have his usual confidant for company, but he also now has more responsibility to assume as the go-to wise head in the dressing room, particularly for young spinners as England prepare for life after Rashid. The former will take getting used to, but the latter role is something he is keen to embrace.”He’s a big miss for the team and a big miss for me because we’re really good friends on and off the pitch,” Rashid said. “He’s made that decision and got another chapter of his life with the remainder of his career and I’m sure he’ll do wonders.”With Mo not being there my input will obviously be a little bit more, speaking to the youngsters and them coming to me,” he added.”That’s the ultimate aim. Whatever I’ve got in terms of experience, form, ups and downs, the knowledge I have, I can pass that on. It could be in terms of mindset or technical things. I’m trying to do that now as well, with the youngsters I’m working with.”I’ve worked with Rehan Ahmed, I’ve worked with Jafer (Chohan) at Yorkshire. There’s a few around the circuit, they’re in competition, which is healthy, and they can compete to become that No. 1 spinner.”Easier said than done, of course. Rashid’s evolution into a world-class operator was aligned with a consistency of selection and schedule. Between the 2015 and 2019 50-over World Cups, he played 76 out of a possible 81 ODIs under Eoin Morgan. In turn, England emerged during that period as a ground-breaking white-ball outfit. The demands and opportunities of the modern game mean the next generation does not have the benefit of that level of continuity.As such, England’s route back to the top of the pile after botched defences of the ODI and T20I titles in 2023 and 2024 will require a different path on less certain terrain. But in Rashid, they can still call upon someone who knows, and – crucially – still has, what it takes to push them on.

Liam Dawson has become the first domestic cricketer since 2018 to land the coveted PCA Men’s Player of the Year award, after a stellar allround season for Hampshire in which he claimed 71 wickets across all formats and scored 1,280 runs, to top the Overall MVP table by a considerable distance.Dawson succeeds last year’s winner, Harry Brook, with Jonny Bairstow (2022), Joe Root (2021), Chris Woakes (2020) and Ben Stokes (2019) also all securing the honour on the strength of their performances for England. Joe Denly was the last county player to land the award, after starring across formats for Kent in 2018.The Player of the Year award, sponsored by cinch, was one of four that Dawson scooped during the PCA’s gala dinner in London on Tuesday, as he also won the PCA Men’s Domestic Overall MVP and the Vitality County Championship Player of the Year, in addition to being named as captain in the IG PCA Men’s Team of the Year.Dawson, who topped a shortlist that included Root, Gus Atkinson and Colin Ingram, said: “It’s a huge honour, the other nominees are all brilliant players and I didn’t expect this, so to win the award is a very proud moment. It’s a real highlight of my career. I had a strong season last year but to have an even better season this year, really tops it off.”It feels great knowing that the award is voted for by fellow players that you play against week in, week out, so when I finish my career I will look back very fondly on this achievement because it’s something I never thought would happen.”Kathryn Bryce was named PCA Women’s Player of the Year•Getty Images

Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce, who is currently in the UAE preparing for the Women’s T20 World Cup, was named as the women’s Player of the Year after leading The Blaze to the Charlotte Edwards Cup earlier this summer. She also made it a quadruple of awards, claiming the PCA Women’s Domestic Overall MVP and Charlotte Edwards Cup Player of the Year, while captaining the Metro Bank PCA Women’s Team of the Year.”It’s been a brilliant year, starting with qualifying for the World Cup and then winning the Charlotte Edwards Cup with The Blaze that was a really fantastic part of the season,” Bryce said, after finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 478 runs, and becoming the first non-English winner of the top award.”This is a year I will remember for a long time and I want to say a huge thank you to the PCA and cinch as well as everyone who voted for me. I want to keep playing as much cricket as I can in different places around the world, if I can play half as well as this for the years to come, hopefully I’ll have a good career.”Jamie Smith, England’s wicketkeeper, was named as the PCA Men’s Young Player of the Year while the women’s award went to Ryana MacDonald-Gay, the 20-year-old South East Stars all-rounder who made her England debut against Ireland last month.Smith, 24, made an instant impression across formats after making his Test debut against West Indies at Lord’s in June, and also scored 677 runs in Surrey’s latest County Championship triumph.”It’s been a special summer,” Smith said. “There’s been a lot of achievements to look back on, with Surrey winning three Championships in a row and to play in the Test team and then ending the summer playing against Australia was a great experience.Jamie Smith receives the PCA Men’s Young Player of the Year award•PCA

“The England dressing-room is a great environment to be involved in, I play my best cricket when I’ve got a smile on my face and can go out and be confident and aggressive.”MacDonald-Gay, meanwhile, said she was “ecstatic” about her award, coming so soon after her England breakthrough.”Nailing down my skills and performing on the pitch is where my game has grown,” she said. “I’m showing more consistency which is hard when the game has become so much more attacking from the batter’s perspective.”The PCA Outstanding Contribution Award was presented to the former England and Glamorgan batter and coach, Matthew Maynard, for his work with the Tom Maynard Trust, named in memory of his son who died in 2012, while James Anderson was handed the Special Merit award, following his international retirement earlier this year.Neil Bainton and Anna Harris were named as the PCA’s Umpires of the Year, as voted for by the players, while the Rado Recognition award was given to England players Brook and Lauren Bell.PCA Interim Chief Executive, Daryl Mitchell, said: “It has been another incredible year across men’s and women’s international and domestic cricket. It is always a privilege to celebrate all our winners at the most prestigious awards ceremony in cricket.”I want to say a huge congratulations to our four main winners at this year’s cinch PCA Awards, all of them have been incredible and deserve their accolades.”As always, I would like to thank cinch for making the PCA Awards possible and for their support of our game.”