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Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
England pick Pope over Bethell for first India Test
Agencies England have retained Ollie Pope at number three for the first Test against India at Headingley on Friday, meaning Jacob Bethell misses out, reports Vice-captain Pope would have been the most vulnerable member of the top order had England wanted to include 21-year-old Bethell. Bethell has never made a professional century, but looks set for a big future in international cricket. He impressed with three half-centuries in three Tests against New Zealand last year and again in making 82 in the first one-day international against West Indies last month. England have resisted change in sticking with Pope, who made 171 in the defeat of Zimbabwe - a Test Bethell missed because he was playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League. Before that Test, captain Ben Stokes appeared to hint Bethell would make an immediate return to the England XI, only to later clarify he was referring to the squad and claimed his words were 'twisted to suit an agenda'. And Stokes has kept faith with Pope at the beginning of a defining period for his captaincy. The five Tests against India are followed by an Ashes tour of Australia. In return, Pope will need to improve on his record against Australia and India. In a combined 18 Tests against the two, he averages 22.05, compared to his career mark of 35.49. Elsewhere, the England XI is as expected, with pace bowlers Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse returning in place of Sam Cook and Gus Atkinson as the two changes from the Zimbabwe Test. England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Scotland lose to Nepal in low-scoring T20
Agencies Scotland fell short in their fightback against Nepal, as a single from the penultimate ball gave the tourists victory a low-scoring T20 Tri-Series match in Glasgow, reports After being put into bat in overcast and breezy conditions at Clydesdale, hosting its third match of the week, Scotland crumbled as Nepal wreaked havoc with the ball. Mark Watt was removed with just the fifth delivery of the afternoon by Dipendra Singh Airee and by the end of the fifth over the Scots were five down. After Michael Leask, who ended with 46, and captain Matthew Cross helped put up a brief resistance, Sandeep Lamichhane cleaned up the lower order by taking four wickets for just 11 runs to leave Nepal needing just 98 to win. However, despite looking like they would reach the winning line with plenty to spare, disciplined bowling from Scotland took another dramatic match right to the end. Safyaan Sharif had Kiran Thagunna caught in the final over as Nepal went eight down while needing just a single from the final two balls. But they composed themselves to get it with the penultimate delivery as Lamichhane added to his bowling heroics by grabbing the winning run. Scotland next face the Netherlands on Wednesday before finishing their series against Nepal on Friday as they warm up for next month's T20 World Cup qualifiers. 'It was a game of two halves,' Scotland captain Cross told BBC Scotland. 'We didn't bat very well to be honest. I think the first five or six overs being five wickets down is tough to come back from. 'Having said that, I think we put in a decent effort to make the game go as close to the wire as we could. So I'm proud of the performance in the second half. 'Losing five wickets in the powerplay, you don't win many games like that. The pitch was trickier but we expect more of ourselves to build a score when it is like that.' ScorescColor:> Nepal 98 for 8 (Bhurtel 30, Sharfi 2-13, Leask 2-21) beat Scotland 97 (Leask 46, Lamichhane 4-11, Karan KC 2-20) by two wickets.
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
England seamer Archer enters Big Bash draft with full availability
England seamer Jofra Archer is among 50 extra English names to have been nominated for Thursday's Big Bash draft, reports Archer, 30, is currently recovering from a thumb injury but plans to play red-ball cricket on his return to fitness with this winter's Ashes series in Australia in mind. However, Archer is in the draft with full availability, which differs from batters Ollie Pope and Jacob Bethell who have entered for four to six games and the finals. Archer played for Hobart Hurricanes in 2017 and 2018, taking 34 wickets at an average of 23.26. Other new names to enter the men's draft include all-rounder Liam Dawson, batters Jason Roy and Jordan Cox and bowlers Luke Wood and Reece Topley. The tournament will act as one of the last chances to impress selectors before February's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. In the women's draft, batters Sophia Dunkley and Tammy Beaumont and bowlers Sarah Glenn, Lauren Filer, Issy Wong and Kate Cross have joined the draft list.
Qatar Tribune
6 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Australia's Smith set to miss West Indies Test opener due to injured finger
Agencies Australia batter Steve Smith is set to miss the opening Test of their tour of West Indies with the finger injury he sustained in the World Test Championship final, reports Smith, 36, sustained a compound dislocation to the little finger of his right hand while fielding in the slips on day three of the match at Lord's, having dropped an edge from Temba Bavuma off the bowling of left-arm quick Mitchell Starc. The first of the three-match Test series between Australia and West Indies starts in Barbados on 25 June. Australia captain Pat Cummins said Smith's mood was 'positive' after the injury but his prospects of playing at the the Kensington Oval are slim. 'I think it's somewhere around 10 days to two weeks, and then maybe you try and bat with a splint and see how that looks. 'So I think it's a bit of a wait and see. I'd say first Test maybe unlikely and then kind of go from there, but it's a bit early just to tell.' Smith got his hands to the ball but shelled the catch, then immediately left the field in noticeable discomfort before he was taken to hospital for treatment. Smith made his Test debut for Australia in 2010 and has scored 10,350 runs in 208 innings at an average of 56.55.
Qatar Tribune
6 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Markram delivers World Test C'ship final glory for South Africa at Lord's
Agencies London South Africa beat Australia by five wickets in the World Test Championship final to end their long wait for a major global title, reports The Proteas had resumed their second innings on 213-2 and needed 69 runs to wrap up victory on day four at Lord's on Saturday. Australia captain Pat Cummins struck in the third over of the day to dismiss opposite number Temba Bavuma, caught behind for 66, to inject a semblance of belief. Then with 41 runs required, Mitchell Starc bowled Tristan Stubbs through the gate to cause a little more anxiety in the South Africa dressing room. However, centurion Aiden Markram continued where he left off from the previous day as he put South Africa on the brink of victory with a superb 136. Markram, the only player to make a hundred in the match, missed out on the chance to hit the winning runs when he flicked Josh Hazlewood into the hands of Travis Head at mid-wicket with the winning post in sight. That left David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne to see South Africa over the line - Verreynne stroking a drive through the covers off Starc for a single to seal it before raising his arms in joyous celebration. South Africa's run chase was the joint second-highest in Test cricket at the ground - bettered only by West Indies' pursuit of 342 in 1984. They are the third team to be crowned World Test champions after New Zealand (2021) and Australia (2023). Well-oiled South African fans had filtered out of Lord's yesterday evening buoyantly going through their repertoire of songs after a blissful day of batting. They shuffled through the gates on the fourth day decidedly more sombre, with the sobering reality there was still 69 runs to get. Ashwell Prince, South Africa's batting coach, acknowledged getting some sleep before Saturday's date with destiny might prove difficult for their players. So, almost inevitably, there were some sweaty palms and a few jitters. At least until the runs required trickled down to single figures when consternation turned to celebration. There were audible gasps when Cummins' eighth ball of the morning skidded through low, completely deceiving Markram. Then four deliveries later Bavuma dabbled at one which Cummins got to seam away and edged into the gloves of wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Australia couldn't do this, could they? Bavuma, who played the majority of his innings limping with a hamstring twang, hobbled off. It was an appropriate metaphor for the rest of the chase. Markram did provide flashes of aggression - cutting and pulling Cummins for four to raucous encouragement - before another Starc reality check. Stubbs' footwork had looked suspect to the Aussie left-arm quick round the wicket and he was bowled by one which nipped back through his defensive prod and pad to hit the top of off. Next ball Bedingham played and missed at a peach of a delivery from Starc which nipped away and narrowly avoided the edge of his bat. For a few moments, the tension was palpable. Having burned both their remaining reviews - a potential caught behind off Stubbs' glove and a flimsy lbw appeal against Bedingham - Cummins left himself no wriggle room in the event of some late drama. But when the dependable Bedingham - South Africa's top scorer in the first innings - settled in his rhythm alongside the ice-cool Markram the game was up for the Aussies. Markram whipped Josh Hazlewood for four then did the same next ball for three to bring the amount needed down to single figures. The opener missed his opportunity to provide the champagne moment when he whipped one off his pads to Head, who barely celebrated. Australia's players, practically to a man, came to shake his hand and Markram departed to a standing ovation. It would have annoyed Makram for a fleeting moment but soon South Africa's players were erupting in celebration on the balcony in the home dressing room. Verreynne fluffed a ramp - UltraEdge showing he had in fact got some bat on it - before he delivered the winning moment in a more orthodox fashion on the drive. They are chokers no more. ScorescColor:> South Africa 138 (Bedingham 45, Cummins 6-28) & 282 for 5 (Markram 136, Bavuma 66, Starc 3-66) beat Australia 212 (Webster 72, Smith 66, Rabada 5-51) & 207 (Starc 58, Carey 43, Rabada 4-59, Ngidi 3-38) by five wickets.
