England captain Jos Buttler struck a fine half-century to help Lancashire beat Vitality Blast North Group leaders Worcestershire by four wickets in Blackpool.
Opener Buttler hit 58 off 42 balls to record only his second fifty in 14 T20 innings as the hosts successfully chased down 178 at Stanley Park.
Steven Croft had been run out for 40 after he and Buttler fell in the space of three balls during the 15th over, but New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell hit a rapid 33 to end Lancashire’s four-game losing streak.
Worcestershire – who lost for the just the second time – had posted 177 for nine, with Adam Hose making 42 and Mitchell Santner a swift 57 as Mitchell took three for nine from his two overs.
In the South Group, leaders Somerset suffered a first defeat as Hampshire secured a five-run win at the Ageas Bowl.
Nathan Ellis produced two stunning death overs as Hampshire made it four wins on the bounce after James Vince hit 50 and an unbeaten 59 from Joe Weatherley helped the hosts post 178 for four.
In reply, Will Smeed cracked an exciting 52, with seven boundaries, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore made 43 to seemingly keep Somerset on track.
But Australian quick Ellis helped close out victory with some fine tight bowling in the 17th and 19th overs as Hampshire moved up to third.
A hat-trick from Sam Cook helped Essex beat Kent by four wickets in Canterbury.
Cook – who claimed four wickets in Tuesday’s home win over Sussex – struck in the fifth over, removing Tawanda Muyeye (10) swiftly followed by having Sam Billings caught behind and then trapping Jordan Cox lbw.
Kent recovered from 35 for four to post 150 for eight, with Joe Denly (39) a fourth wicket for Cook and Grant Stewart hitting four sixes in his 37 off 16.
After Essex openers Feroze Khushi and Dan Lawrence both fell for ducks in reply, Matt Critchley’s unbeaten 63 saw them home as Kent suffered a fifth consecutive Blast defeat.
An unbeaten half-century from Derbyshire captain Leus Du Plooy pushed the Falcons on to a six-wicket win over Birmingham at Edgbaston.
The hosts had posted 203 for seven, built on 79 not out from Sam Hain as Mattie McKiernan took three for 39 from his four overs.
Derbyshire – who had won just two Blast games so far – set about what was a club-record run chase through openers Luis Reece (57) and Haider Ali (48).
Du Plooy then came in to plunder an unbeaten 66 from just 25 balls – with five sixes and four boundaries – to see the Falcons home.
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At Sophia Gardens, Laurie Evans struck a magnificent 118 off 60 balls – including 12 boundaries and half-a-dozen sixes – as Surrey closed out a 65-run win over Glamorgan.
Sam Curran (66) and Will Jacks (46) were also among the runs as Surrey set their hosts a victory target of 237.
Glamorgan, though, could only reach 171 for eight, with opener Sam Northeast having made 76 while all-rounder Dan Douthwaite was unable to bat because of injury.
Brandon King named captain as West Indies squad named for three-match T20I series against South Africa
Brandon King has been appointed captain of the West Indies squad named to face South Africa in the upcoming three T20 International series at Sabina Park in Kingston starting Thursday, May 23. The squad has been gearing up for this exciting and highly anticipated series with a training camp held at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. The selection panel has confirmed that Brandon King will have Roston Chase as his vice captain. Both appointments are on an interim basis.
King was set to lead the West Indies A-Team on the recently concluded T20 tour to Nepal before he was withdrawn due to injury. Chase, appointed instead, went on to lead the A-Team to a series win against Nepal.
The West Indies Men’s squad for the series is as follows: Brandon King (Captain), Roston Chase (Vice-Captain), Fabian Allen, Alick Athanaze, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd and Hayden Walsh Jr.
Alzarri Joseph and Sherfane Rutherford will be added to the squad if their respective franchises do not reach the Indian Premier League (IPL) Final. Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran are both rested for the series and will join the squad in Trinidad on Monday, 27 May.
“These are among the last competitive T20 International matches before the start of the World Cup,” said lead selector Desmond Haynes. “Players have the opportunity to fine-tune their skills and ensure they are as prepared as they can be for the World Cup, whether they are in the final squad or reserve pool.”
White Ball Head Coach Daren Sammy also commented on his objectives for this series stating, “We have not played together as a team since the Australia series, but we just completed a very high-intensity training camp in Antigua. Now we have the chance to integrate some of our players returning from the IPL and build some momentum as a group going into the World Cup.”
Tickets for the T20I Series against South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica are available now to buy online from the Windies Tickets service, at WINDIES TICKET PORTAL. Fans who purchase online will benefit from a 20 per cent discount compared to the box office prices, with tickets ranging from the most premium seats with the best-shaded views in the stadium through to affordable standard seats or mounds/grounds entry.
Match schedule:
- 23 May 1st T20I West Indies v South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica 2:00 pm JT/3:00 pm ECT
- 25 May 2nd T20I West Indies v South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica 2:00 pm JT/3:00 pm ECT
- 26 May 3rd T20I West Indies v South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica 2:00 pm JT/3:00 pm ECT
West Indies won the last T20 International played at Sabina Park against New Zealand in August 2022, which was the last time international cricket was played at this historic venue.
IPL: Royals miss top-two chance after washout against leaders KKR
Rajasthan Royals were denied their shot at a top-two Indian Premier League finish after rain saw a clash with Kolkata Knight Riders abandoned without a ball bowled on Sunday.
The Royals finished third in the group stage of this year's IPL after four straight losses preceded the washout in Guwahati.
In-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru awaits in the Eliminator for Rajasthan on May 22, with the former on a six-match winning streak to reach the playoffs.
Pat Cummins' Sunrisers Hyderabad will face leaders Kolkata, whose last two games have been abandoned, in the first qualifier in Ahmedabad the day before.
IPL: Sunrisers cruise to victory to boost second-place hopes
Sunrisers Hyderabad eased to a four-wicket win over Punjab Kings on Sunday to boost their chances of finishing second in the Indian Premier League.
Prabhsimran Singh helped Punjab set a target of 215, but Hyderabad chased that down with relative ease to go second, a position they will finish in should Rajasthan Royals lose to the table-topping Kolkata Knight Riders later on Sunday.
After the Sunrisers won the toss and put Punjab in to bat, Prabhsimran top scored with 71 runs from 45 deliveries, while Atharva Taide (46 off 27) and Rilee Roussouw (49 from 24) also impressed as the Kings, already out of playoff contention, finished on 214/5.
Hyderabad's chase got off to a terrible start as Travis Head was bowled with the first ball of the innings, but the Sunrisers' other opener Abhishek Sharma helped to steady the ship alongside Rahul Tripathi.
Abhishek smashed his way to 66 off 28 deliveries before he was dismissed, while an important innings from Heinrich Klaasen (42 from 26) set the Sunrisers up for victory.
Abdul Samad and Sanvir Singh finished the job as the Sunrisers reached their target with five balls to spare, and they can now look ahead to their playoff campaign.
Data debrief: Abhishek wastes no time
The Sunrisers overcame Head's second IPL golden duck thanks to a brilliant innings from Abhishek, who reached his half-century in just 21 balls and finished with a strike rate of 235.71.
Tripathi and Klaasen achieved strike rates of 183.33 and 161.53 respectively, while Nitish Kumar Reddy also finished with 37 from 25 deliveries as Hyderabad made light work of a daunting target.
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