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With Nic Maddinson ruled out with a fractured thumb, Victoria may ponder promoting Pattinson up the order although recalling Cameron White is also an option

Daniel Brettig25-Mar-2019James Pattinson may get the chance to showcase his all-round skills at No. 7 as Victoria ponder five bowlers for the Sheffield Shield final against New South Wales, on what looks likely to be a docile Junction Oval pitch for the competition decider, starting Thursday.A fractured thumb, requiring surgery, has ruled out Nic Maddinson, leaving the hosts with the option of recalling the vastly experienced Cameron White or promoting Pattinson and playing him alongside Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Scott Boland and the spinner Jon Holland. Pattinson had batted at No. 6 in Victoria’s final regular-season game against South Australia after Maddinson’s injury.Changed competition rules for the final, where the team gaining the most first-innings bonus points is declared the winner in the event of a draw, places more emphasis on the need for Victoria to have an edge to their bowling attack, rather than simply playing out the full five days and collecting the trophy, as has happened at times in the past. Pattinson, who, in the eyes of many is pressing for a berth on the Ashes tour this year after litany of injuries, expected an unsympathetic surface for bowlers at Victoria’s headquarters.”It has been [batsman friendly] at the Junction,. We played the first two games there after the Big Bash [League] and there were some pretty high scores, so it’ll be interesting too with the game going five days instead of four,” Pattinson told . “So an extra day there for a result and they’ve changed the rules with the points if it’s a draw, whoever gets the most points in the first innings will win the final. That’ll change tactics a little bit as well. The wicket has been pretty flat there, so it’ll be interesting to see how they go about it with the rule changes and the points system.”The Dukes ball will be another character in the drama, offering more consistent movement through the air than its Kookaburra equivalent, and also posing challenges for bowlers commonly used to hitting the seam rather than bending the ball before it pitches. “I was saying to a few of the bowlers sometimes it’s harder work [with the Dukes] than the Kookaburra because you have to get it exactly right for it to swing,” Pattinson said.”Some balls – if you’re a bit off – it swings own the leg side, so the thing with the Dukes, throughout the 80 overs it is a ball that offers you something. You might be 60 overs in and it is still swinging. As a batter, you’ve still got to concentrate, and as a bowler you’re still in the game, where sometimes when the wicket’s flatter, you’ve just got to contain for a while and try to contain the runs until the new ball comes.”With the Dukes I just feel like you’re in the game throughout the 80 overs, but it is difficult to bowl sometimes if it’s swinging too much and a few of the bowlers have said ‘how do we stop the ball from swinging too much because I can’t get it in the spot I want?’. So that’s a challenge it throws up, but all in all the bowlers do enjoy bowling with it. A lot of the bowlers enjoy the Kookaburra too; it’s just another challenge for the batters, so it’s good for cricket.”Since his return from a side strain that interrupted a longer-term rehabilitation from a major back surgery, Pattinson admitted there had been times when he wondered whether desperate measures to prolong his career would rob him of the high pace that characterised his most striking moments for Australia in his fleeting appearances since 2011.”When you go to a decision to have such a big surgery like I did with my back, it’s one of the things where you think, ‘will that hamper my pace.’ So that was the one thing where going into it I thought ‘am I going to lose some of my pace by doing this’ and is that a big risk,” he said. “For me to still have a bit of pace and to come through with rhythm and feel pretty natural – it’s a big tick and something that when you go in and have a big decision like that, you risk losing. But for me it’s great I’ve still got that and I’ve had a lot of help along the way.”When you first come back to playing cricket or any sport it’s just about finding that rhythm first and not trying too hard. I’ve found that quicker than I probably have in the past and that’s come from a bit of experience and coming back from injuries before. I’m just pleased with how fast I’ve found my rhythm now and I’m not searching too hard for it, which is good, so I’ve come in at the right time, the boys have done all the hard work getting there, so it’s good to be back playing.”I feel like I’m bowling with good pace and it feels pretty easy at the moment. Hopefully it can stay like that. We’ve got some tremendous bowlers in the team, I’d say we’ve probably got the best bowling line-up in Sheffield Shield cricket at the moment: Trem and Boland who’ve taken so many wickets this year and everyone knows what Sidds can do, so it’s pretty great to be able to bowl with blokes like that.”Victoria squad: Travis Dean (capt), Scott Boland, Andrew Fekete, Seb Gotch, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Jon Holland, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Cameron White, Eamonn VinesNew South Wales squad: Peter Nevill (capt), Sean Abbott, Nick Bertus, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Jason Sangha, Greg West

The allrounder will play his first competitive cricket match in a year when he represents Jamaica in West Indies’ domestic 50-over competition

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Feb-20181:27

What next for Andre Russell?

West Indies allrounder Andre Russell will play his first competitive cricket match in a year when he represents Jamaica in the Regional Super50, West Indies’ domestic 50-over competition, against Leeward Islands on Friday in Antigua. Russell is free to play cricket again having served a year-long ban for violating the whereabouts clause under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code. An independent tribunal in Jamaica found Russell guilty of the charge and banned him from playing any cricket between January 31, 2017 and January 30 this year.A three-member tribunal comprising Hugh Faulkner, Dr Marjorie Vassell and Dixeth Palmer, a former Jamaica cricketer, found Russell guilty of being negligent in filing his whereabouts on three separate occasions within a 12-month period in 2015. Under the WADA rules, that amounts to a failed dope test.Russell is one of the most sought-after players in T20 leagues around the world. Recently, along with his West Indies team-mate Sunil Narine, Russell was one of the two players retained by Kolkata Knight Riders before the IPL auction. Knight Riders paid Russell INR 8.5 crore ($1.33 million approx.) for the retention.At present, Russell’s focus would be to test his physical as well as match fitness in the Super50 tournament in the West Indies. Out of the eight matches Jamaica play, Russell is expected to play most, if not all, before he departs for the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which starts in Dubai from February 22. Russell is part of Islamabad United, the inaugural title winners in 2016.As he prepared for his return, Cricket West Indies announced last week that Russell was one of the four players that had decided to skip the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers, which run parallel to the PSL. The CWI media release quoted Courtney Browne, chairman of selectors, saying Russell, along with the Trinidad & Tobago trio of Narine, Darren Bravo and Kieron Pollard had opted to play in the PSL instead of the Qualifiers.However, Johnny Grave, the CWI’s chief executive officer, clarified that he understood Russell’s position. Even before he was banned, Russell had only been playing T20 cricket for West Indies. His last ODI appearance was in 2015. When CWI reached him recently, Russell made the selectors aware that he was still keen to play for West Indies in the ODI and T20 formats. He just wanted time to regain his match fitness and confidence.According to Grave, Russell told the selectors that since he was returning after over a year, he was confident of making himself available for the Qualifiers, which has the highest significance for West Indies.After the PSL, Russell will head to India for the IPL. He is then likely to be part of the West Indies A squad to face England A for one-day matches. Based on his performances, the selectors are likely to consider him for selection for the home ODI series against Bangladesh in the coming summer.

England’s series win over West Indies has handed Australia the ICC Women’s Championship with games to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2016Australia have won the ICC Women’s Championship with their last set of matches still to go.Australia, currently on 30 points, emerged the winners after England beat West Indies by five wickets in Kingston. It was West Indies’ last match of the Championship, and they are in third place with 22 points, behind England who moved to second with 23 points after the win.The Championship, which started in June 2014, is scheduled to end on November 23 with Australia facing South Africa in the tournament’s last fixture. As things stand, England can finish with a maximum of 29 points, which won’t be enough even if Australia were to be whitewashed by South Africa in that series.Australia have won all six series on their way to the top. Among them are whitewashes of West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as a 2-1 victory over England during the Women’s Ashes in July 2015.Meg Lanning, their captain, has led the Australian batting effort in the Championship with 1000 runs, including four centuries with a highest score of 135 not out. Allrounder Ellyse Perry is the second-highest scorer with 797 runs.On the bowling front, Australia’s spinning duo of Jess Jonassen – leading with 29 wickets – and Kristen Beams have shared 50 wickets between them, while Perry has picked up 20 wickets with her medium pace.With their victory, Australia also become the first team to achieve automatic qualification for the 2017 World Cup in England and Wales.

Sudhir Naik, the curator at Wankhede Stadium, has agreed to withdraw his complaint against India team director Ravi Shastri and bowling coach B Arun over their alleged outbursts after the fifth ODI against South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2015Sudhir Naik, the curator at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, has agreed to withdraw his complaint against India team director Ravi Shastri and bowling coach B Arun over their alleged outbursts after India were thumped by South Africa on October 25 to lose the ODI series 2-3.A Mumbai Cricket Association press release said their vice-president Dilip Vengsarkar had met with Naik and Shastri and advised both parties to “bury the matter” that had come about as a result of a “misunderstanding.”India have been asking for pitches that suited their strength, namely slow turners. But Naik’s complaint claimed he had not received any input from the team management regarding the type of surface they wanted. So a batsman-friendly track was provided and South Africa took full toll. AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis struck centuries and posted a total of 438 and dealt India their second-biggest loss in terms of runs – 214. The series was also lost 2-3.After the match, Shastri is understood to have sarcastically complimented Naik, saying “Great wicket,” and he allegedly followed that with an expletive, which led to a heated exchange. Shastri, however, denied that he used the expletive.Naik’s letter to the MCA had also mentioned that Arun had complained of the nature of the pitch and it was unnecessary for the bowling coach to have a go at Naik’s assistant Rajesh Mhamunkar, who looks after the Wankhede track for all non-international matches.

Doug Bracewell has been ruled out of the first Test against England due to the foot injury he sustained cleaning up after a party

Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin04-Mar-2013Doug Bracewell has been ruled out of the first Test against England due to the foot injury he sustained while cleaning up glass after a party at his home in Napier.Bracewell did not attend New Zealand’s final training session at University Oval on Tuesday although it is hoped he will recover in time for the second Test in Wellington. It means that Ian Butler, the Otago seamer, could be in line for his first Test appearance in more than eight years. The final place is between him and the uncapped left-arm spinner Bruce Martin.The situation, which occurred away from the New Zealand squad, has not resulted in any disciplinary action for Bracewell although he has been reminded of his responsibilities and Brendon McCullum, the captain, believes it has been over stressed.”I think the Doug situation has been blown out of proportion to be honest,” he said. “It was an accident with was unfortunate because it has ruled him out of a match he was hoping to be at his best for. He has been able to build up for it. I think he will be back for the second Test.”Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, said that there were expectations on players to ensure they were ready for international duty but did not think there were any significant problems around the culture of the team that needed to be addressed.”We’ve got really good standards in terms of the expectations we have on our players,” he said. “They are also human and spend a lot of time away from the group. There is the expectation that what they do does not affect their preparation and we are pretty strong with that.Doug Bracewell cut his foot while cleaning up glass•Getty Images

“There’s been a bit of comment about the situation but his foot just hasn’t recovered. He can’t put any weight on it. There’s not a lot we can do when he’s away from the side. What I understand he was cleaning up after having a group of people over to watch the rugby. It’s really disappointing for Doug and the team as he’s a crucial part of our seam attack.”Earlier, Bracewell apologised for the situation and its impact on his team-mates. A media release from New Zealand Cricket referred to the incident as “unfortunate” and stated that Bracewell had been “reminded of his obligations and responsibilities as a NZC contracted player”.”We’ve told Doug that he needs to take responsibility for what happens around him and that he needs to do all he can to ensure his preparation for international cricket is not compromised,” Mike Sandle, the New Zealand team manager, said. “Doug is very sorry for any inconvenience he has caused his team-mates and members of the public and he has apologised to his neighbour in Napier.”New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association chief executive Heath Mills was involved in Sandle’s discussions with Bracewell, who was dropped from the one-day squad in 2012 for breaking team protocol.”We want to ensure that incidents like this are not repeated and that we provide ongoing support for young players to ensure they are meeting all their obligations and responsibilities,” Mills said.

Kevin Pietersen has admitted he is facing the toughest challenge of his career as he adapts his game to cope with the Decision Review System

George Dobell in Dubai17-Feb-2012Kevin Pietersen has admitted he is facing the toughest challenge of his career as he adapts his game to cope with the Decision Review System.Pietersen, 31, scored just 67 runs in six innings in the Test series and averaged only 11.16 as Pakistan defeated England 3-0. He fell lbw on three occasions. Each time the decision was sent to the third umpire for review and on two of those occasions Pietersen was given out when the ball-tracking technology showed the delivery would just have clipped the stumps. He has also made just three half-centuries in his last 36 ODI innings and, since the start of 2009, averages only 24.88 in 50-over cricket.Pietersen feels that the introduction of the DRS has made life far harder for batsmen but insists that, despite the statistics, his confidence remains high and he feels in good form.”In my career so far, this is the toughest I’ve ever found it,” Pietersen said. “Because of the new DRS, there are definitely technical issues you have to look at in order to save yourself. Batters are not getting the benefit of the doubt any more.”Umpires are giving a lot more lbws. It just has to be clipping and you’re out. Two, three, four years ago you were never, ever out. I have had to change my game, but it’s not just me. Left-arm spinners now are gold dust.”It’s been tough. But I’m not bothered, because it’s not a case of me walking out to the middle and thinking ‘where’s my next run coming from?'”Only a cricketer would understand this, but I actually feel in fantastic form. I might turn down a training session because I feel I’m playing fine. It’s just when you’re playing spin, and spin is bowled to you all day every single day, you just need to make one little mistake. You just need a little bit of luck to go your way, a dropped catch or an lbw decision that is referred. The wheel turns; in life, the wheel turns. I’ve been through this before. I’m not bothered at all.”Pietersen’s insistence that he is out of fortune rather than form might surprise some onlookers. He has seemed to lack balance at the crease and paid the price for a failure to play straight. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that there is an element of denial in his suggestion that he has been a victim of circumstance.Pietersen also justified his relatively cautious batting in the current ODI series. Pietersen was promoted to the opener’s position in the understanding that he would help the side get off to a brisk start but, in two innings, he has faced 82 balls for his 40 runs. That is a strike-rate of 48.78. Pietersen reasons that, in such conditions, it is imperative that England keep wickets in hand and adopt a more measured approach.”Whenever I’ve played for England in ODIs, we’ve always got off to a start like ten for two, 15 for one, 30 for three,” Pietersen said. “In the subcontinent, against India, we kept getting bowled out.”We were always a wicket down in the first three overs and I was always batting in the first 10 overs in that series. When you’re two down in the first ten overs, all that happens in the middle when the spinners come on you is that you lose two wickets there, then you’re four down, five down. You can easily go to six down or seven down.”But if you start off with a solid platform, as I’ve tried to do over the last week or so, if you lose those two wickets in the middle overs, you’ve still got high-class batters and skilful players – whereas they’re not as skilful down the bottom of the order.”

England begin Sri Lanka planning

On Saturday England hope to confirm that those members of the Test squad not involved in the limited-overs series in the UAE – Ian Bell, Monty Panesar, Matt Prior and Andrew Strauss – will travel to Sri Lanka early to begin their acclimatisation. The ECB have been trying to place the quartet within Sri Lankan domestic teams.
Meanwhile, Ajmal Shahzad, the Yorkshire seamer, has arrived in Dubai to provide net bowling for the England squad as he continues his rehabilitation following ankle surgery. He is not part of the squad and will not be considered for selection.

Pietersen said he was relishing the challenge of opening the batting and expressed the hope that it was a permanent move.”It’s brilliant,” he said. I’d like it to be permanent; Andy Flower wants it to be permanent; Alastair Cook wants it to be permanent. It’s something that we’re definitely looking to.”You look at it and just think ‘why can’t I do it?’ I’ve batted four in England; I’ve played in swinging conditions all around the world; I’ve been successful in Test match cricket against swinging balls. Why can’t I do it in the one-day format at the top of the order? It’s something that I’m looking forward to. It’s a lovely little challenge; a nice one.”Before the World Cup there were suggestions in some quarters that Pietersen was thinking of retiring from ODI cricket. He reiterated that was not the case and stated that the ECB was happy to allow him to appear in the IPL. He did specify, however, that his motivation for playing in the IPL was not gaining experience ahead of the World T20 to be contested in Sri Lanka in September.”I’m here playing for England,” Pietersen said. “I love playing for England. England gives me the opportunities to sign with Delhi. Why would I give anything up? I’m totally committed to England. I’m not looking at the IPL as preparation for the World T20.”A fierce sand storm blew in Dubai throughout Friday, causing the Physical Disability game between Pakistan and England to be abandoned. While there are some concerns that a continuation of such weather could cause problems in Saturday’s ODI, the enclosed nature of the stadium in Dubai Sports City should minimise any disruption. England reported no injury concerns, with Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler and Tim Bresnan all now fit and available for selection.

Tom Maynard, who left Glamorgan in December, will continue his career with Surrey after signing a three-year contract with them

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2011Tom Maynard, who walked away from Glamorgan – citing the treatment of his father, Matthew, as the reason – in December, will continue his career with Surrey after signing a three-year contract with them.Maynard has made clear his anger at events at the county last year, and though new captain and South Africa batsman Alviro Petersen contacted him and the two held “a positive discussion” about his future, he has moved ahead with his decision to pursue a new employer.Maynard had feared that Glamorgan would attempt to fight his decision to leave in the courts – he signed a three-year contract with them in September last year before the county’s troubles came to a head – and in December told the : “I have to follow due process in all these events and do things by the book. I have to make sure I am clear with Glamorgan before I can move on and weigh up options from other counties but time is against me with only two months to go until pre-season.”It now appears his “continual” requests to be released and allowed to talk to other counties have been heeded, and his presence at Surrey will undoubtedly strengthen a youthful batting line-up – particularly in limited-overs cricket. Aside from the costs associated to his three year deal, Maynard’s signing comes at no extra expense to Surrey.”Once we received permission from Glamorgan to speak to Tom, it became clear that Surrey was his preferred destination,” said Surrey’s Professional Cricket Manager, Chris Adams. “He has been attracted here by a number of factors including the wicket at the Kia Oval and the fantastic history of the Club but most of all he had a sense of wanting to be at Surrey through what will be a very exciting time here.”We were painfully on the receiving end of what he is capable of last season and although this was not a signing we had planned for, it was an opportunity that was too good not to take and I am delighted that Tom is adding further depth to what is looking like a very strong squad.””I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Surrey County Cricket Club at such an exciting time and am looking forward to playing with some highly regarded young talent as well as soaking up as much as I can from the richly experienced and successful coaching staff,” added Maynard.”Tom is one of the best One Day cricketers going around and exactly the sort of player we have been hoping to attract to the Club,” said Surrey captain Rory Hamilton-Brown. “It’s hugely exciting to have him at the Kia Oval and I know he will make an impact both on the field and in the dressing room.”

Raqibul Hasan’s decision to retire from international cricket has left both his team-mates and the national selectors bewildered

Andrew Miller in Chittagong11-Mar-2010The decision of Raqibul Hasan, Bangladesh’s 22-year-old middle-order batsman, to retire from international cricket on the eve of the Test series against England has left both his team-mates and the national selectors bewildered, as the squad sets about refocusing for the first Test in Chittagong in 24 hours’ time.Raqibul informed his team-mates of his decision on the team bus after practice on Wednesday, having sent a letter announcing his retirement to the Bangladesh board that morning. According to Jalal Yunus, the board director, his resignation has not yet been accepted, although neither his coaches, team-mates, nor his parents have appeared able to talk him out of the shock move.Mushfiqur Rahim, Raqibul’s closest friend in the squad, and a former Under-19 team-mate, told reporters at the Bangladesh training session that he had had no inkling of the decision that Raqibul was about to make. While the squad was shocked, they were doing their best to make light of the situation, with the Rajshahi batsman Jahurul Islam, drafted into the squad ahead of Mohammad Ashraful.”This came as a big surprise for us,” Akram Khan, a member of the Bangladesh selection committee, told Cricinfo. “I talked to him two days ago, and he had just been batting well against the England team. I never thought he’d do a thing like this, but this is not good. He is a young chap and this is a big decision. He should have thought more about it, both for himself and for our country. This is bad for Bangladesh cricket.”Despite cementing his place in the Test squad with a century and a fifty for Bangladesh A in the three-day warm-up against England in Chittagong earlier this week, Raqibul is understood to be angered at his omission from Bangladesh’s one-day plans. He was left out of the home ODI series against England that concluded last week, and perhaps more significantly the 30-man preliminary squad for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean next month, a tournament regarded as a shop window for the riches on offer in the shortest and most lucrative form of the game.He was omitted from the team during the recent tour of New Zealand, and Cricinfo understands that there was a disagreement between the board and the selectors over his recall for the England Test series. The recommendation from above had been that Raqibul should be dropped along with Mohammad Ashraful, whose form has deserted him in recent months. Regardless of the apparent political manoeuvrings, however, his decision is being widely regarded as rash.”This sort of thing happens to everybody, it’s not only for him,” said Akram. “The most important thing is he has to perform. He didn’t get a chance in New Zealand, and he wasn’t in the one-day squad for this series, but he was in the Test squad. A lot of good players don’t get a chance every time. The England captain [Alastair Cook] is also not in the squad for Twenty20 cricket, but he’s still a very good player. I can’t understand why he’s done this.”

Fast bowler’s hopes of T20 World Cup selection appear to be over

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2024 • Updated on 23-May-2024Hasan Ali’s chances of making Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad appear to be over, after he was released from their squad for their four-match series against England in order to resume his stint with Warwickshire in county cricket.”The team management has decided to let Hasan Ali continue his commitments in county cricket,” the PCB said in a press release on Wednesday, the morning of their first T20I against England in Leeds. “Initially, Hasan was selected as an injury cover for Haris Rauf.”Hasan won a surprise recall to Pakistan’s T20I set-up ahead of their recent series against Ireland, having played only three times in the format since the 2021 T20 World Cup. But he recorded figures of 0 for 42 in three overs in the series decider in Clontarf, and has now been released from the squad.Pakistan have not announced their provisional squad for the T20 World Cup but must submit a final list of 15 names to the ICC before Saturday’s deadline.Warwickshire were blindsided by Hasan’s international recall but he will return to their squad ahead of their County Championship fixture against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford, which starts on Friday. He is also due to feature in the T20 Blast, which starts next week, and will stay with the club until the end of July.Aamer Jamal, Hasan’s compatriot, has also been at Warwickshire but took one wicket in his first two appearances. “[Jamal] is struggling for rhythm and not reaching the sort of pace we’d like him to,” Mark Robinson, Warwickshire’s coach, said after their defeat to Surrey. He has since been absent with a back injury.Last week, the club brought in Canterbury seamer Michael Rae on a short-term contract, who took five wickets against Essex. With Chris Rushworth, Liam Norwell, Michael Booth and Craig Miles all absent through injury, Barbados-born Che Simmons also made his first-class debut at Chelmsford, and recorded match figures of 5 for 71.May 23, 1545 GMT – This piece was updated to mention Jamal’s back injury.

Pakistan batter smashes 41 off 13 balls to give Sixers a late scare

Tristan Lavalette22-Dec-2022
Sydney Sixers survived a late onslaught from Asif Ali to thwart Hobart Hurricanes on a slow SCG surface and register their first victory of this BBL season.Rain delayed the start by an hour and reduced the match to 14 overs per side. There were some eyebrows raised when Sixers captain Moises Henriques elected to bat but it proved a masterstroke.Defending 138, Sixers’ bowlers relished returning to their favoured SCG as they stymied Hurricanes, who were never really in the hunt until Asif’s astonishing 41 off 13 balls almost snatched a remarkable late victory.Asif nearly conjures a miracle
Hurricanes were dead and buried, needing 45 off 10 deliveries until Asif had other ideas. He proceeded to smash 22 runs off Hayden Kerr’s next four deliveries, with the last being a six off a full toss around waist height that should have been called a no-ball.Needing 23 off the final over, Hurricanes’ chances increased considerably when quick Naveen-ul-Haq bowled a wide on the first delivery and then he was smashed for a boundary by a red-hot Asif.Sixers’ players looked ashen-faced as their stunned fans sensed a massive meltdown. But Asif holed out on the next delivery to finally snuff out Hurricanes’ chances.O’Keefe relishes slow surface
Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe turned 38 earlier in the month, but he hasn’t lost his ability to frustrate batters. On an increasingly slow surface, O’Keefe proved a vital inclusion, having been omitted against Scorchers at the pace-friendly Optus Stadium.With canny bowling, O’Keefe put the brakes on Hurricanes’ high-octane top-order batters. He snared the key wicket of Ben McDermott in the fourth over and then returned in the eighth over at a crucial juncture.Hurricanes’ run rate had lifted to 12 an over as captain Matthew Wade eyed putting the foot down. But he was unable to break the shackles from O’Keefe, who bowled nine dot balls in his first 11 deliveries.A frustrated Wade holed out in the next over to spinner Todd Murphy and then kicked his bat as he trudged off in disgust.Mixed bag for Sixers’ batting line-up
Sixers were keen to make amends after sloppy batting displays in losses to Strikers and Scorchers.After a topsy-turvy batting effort against Hurricanes, Sixers still have not had a batter score a half-century this season although they reached a competitive total due to strong bookends.Openers Josh Philippe and Kurtis Patterson finally fired with a 68-run opening partnership to get Sixers off to a flier. Patterson, who holds a Test average of 144 from two matches, was a revelation last season as an aggressive opener for champions Scorchers.After returning home to Sydney, Patterson made his first impact this season with a 25-ball 38 to lay a strong platform with Philippe. But their good work was undone after a collapse of 5 for 16 before Kerr hit an invaluable 32 from 20 balls at the death.Kerr, who made 42 against Scorchers, continues to make a compelling case to move up the order.Shadab makes amends after dropping a sitter
Hurricanes were thrashed early with Wade using five different bowlers in as many overs in a desperate bid for a breakthrough.Their early woes were symbolised when spinner Shadab Khan dropped the simplest of return catches in the fifth over to reprieve Philippe.The wet ball may have given him an excuse for fumbling the skier but Shadab was keen to make amends.Shadab did exactly that when he came back in the eighth over and removed Philippe with a slow and wide delivery that was hit straight to long-off. It was gutsy bowling from Shadab, who was suddenly on a roll when he dismissed Henriques first ball with a spectacular diving return catch.It was reminiscent of his brilliant caught and bowled dismissal of Scorchers allrounder Aaron Hardie earlier in the week.Shadab’s efforts sparked a Sixers collapse with left-arm spinner Paddy Dooley, whose unorthodox bowling action has turned heads, continuing his breakout season with the wickets of Jordan Silk and Dan Christian.