Ben Duckett insisted England had no regrets about taking on Australia’s short-ball challenge at Lord’s, despite being dismissed by a bouncer just two runs short of a first Ashes century.
England vastly improved their position on day two of the second Test, taking the last five wickets for 77 to dismiss their rivals for 416, then responding with 278 for four.
That represented a sizeable swing in fortunes after a lethargic first-day performance, but it might have been even better. They had Australia boxed in at 188 for one, but saw Ollie Pope, Duckett and Joe Root all lose their wickets during a sustained barrage of bumpers.
A more cautious approach might have helped them negotiate a frenetic passage of play more safely, but would have been out of character for a team who have spent a year steering into risks and taking the aggressive approach.
Duckett is a true believer of the ‘Bazball’ philosophy and was at peace after being caught at fine-leg pulling Josh Hazlewood.
“It’s a shot I play and a shot I’ve scored plenty of runs with in my career. I would have been gutted with myself if I’d gone away from it, gone into my shell and gloved one behind,” he said.
“Ten metres either side and I’ve got a hundred. Falling so close to three figures here at Lord’s, I was obviously gutted for half-an-hour after, but I’m happy with how I played. I thought it was certainly my best innings in an England shirt.
“It’s the way we play our cricket. If they have plans like that and we go into our shell, it would be totally against what we do. We lost a couple of wickets but we’re in a good position.
“I was batting with Popey and Rooty but there was not a lot of chat, it was just ‘how do you want to go about this?’. That’s the kind of fun environment we are creating. If you want to back away and hit it over cover for six or do whatever you need to do, then just commit to it.
“Popey just said ‘I’m going get inside of it and smack it into the stands’. No-one in that dressing room will be disappointed with how Popey got out, everyone will just be a bit gutted it didn’t go for six.”
Earlier in the day Australia’s Steve Smith did manage to make it to a century, scoring 110 as he celebrated his 12th Ashes ton. Only the great Donald Bradman has more in the series, well clear on 19, and Smith had a different perspective on England’s approach.
He felt vindicated that Australia’s seamers kept creating openings at a time when they could easily have retreated into defence and credited Ben Stokes, the chief architect of England’s all-out aggression, for restoring an element of calm at the end.
“Lord’s has deep pockets, so if you are going to hit it for six you’re going to have to get a fair piece of it. The fielders are there if you don’t,” he said.
“We were setting fields and they were taking it on. England are playing this really aggressive brand and they didn’t look like they were holding back. That created opportunities for us.
“It was great that we managed to create so many chances on that kind of wicket. It was just Stokesy who changed it. He was only looking to get underneath it, or ride it out. The rest were trying to take it on and we probably didn’t feel as in the game against him as we did with the others.”
IPL: Gaikwad inspires CSK to emphatic victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ruturaj Gaikwad inspired Chennai Super Kings to a 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
CSK lost by six wickets to Lucknow Super Giants in their last outing, but they bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday.
Captain Gaikwad was in rampant form, plundering 98 runs from 54 balls, a knock that included 10 fours and three sixes, while Daryl Mitchell added a useful 52.
Tushar Deshpande subsequently picked up the mantle with the ball, taking 4-27, including dismissing Hyderabad's top three - Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh.
Aiden Markram offered some resistance with a 26-ball 32, but once skipper Pat Cummins also fell to Deshpande, the game was all but up.
Jaydev Unadkat was the final one to tumble, as Hyderabad were bowled out for 134 and saw CSK move above them into third in the standings.
Data Debrief: Gaikwad on Kohli's heels
With 447 runs across nine innings, Gaikwad is now second on the list of leading run scorers in the IPL this season, behind only the great Virat Kohli (500).
Gaikward, though, has the better strike-rate at 149.49, while he is averaging 63.86.
Hayley Matthews leads from the front as West Indies Women take 2-0 lead over Pakistan Women with seven-wicket victory at Karachi
In yet another stunning performance, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews led her team to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan Women, securing a 2-0 lead in their five-match T20 series in Karachi on Sunday.
Matthews showcased her all-round prowess by first starring with the ball, taking an impressive 3 wickets for just 25 runs to restrict Pakistan Women to 121-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a resilient 55 from Muneeba Ali, the hosts struggled against the visitors’ bowling attack, with Matthews leading the charge. She received support from Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, and Afy Fletcher, each claiming a wicket to stifle Pakistan’s batting efforts. Matthews also contributed to a crucial run-out that ended Pakistan’s innings.
With a manageable target of 122 for victory, Matthews continued her dominance, opening the batting for West Indies Women. She began her innings aggressively, smashing 10 boundaries on her way to a match-high 58 runs off just 43 balls. Her attacking display laid a solid foundation for the run chase.
Supported by contributions from Shemaine Campbelle (21) and Chedean Nation (unbeaten 17), Matthews guided her team to victory in emphatic fashion, sealing the win with 10 balls to spare.
Matthews’ outstanding performance with both bat and ball underscores her invaluable role as a leader and key player for the West Indies Women’s team. Her contributions have been instrumental in securing consecutive victories against Pakistan Women, setting a strong foundation for the remainder of the series.
The West Indies Women will look to build on this momentum as they aim to maintain their winning streak and clinch the series against Pakistan Women in the upcoming matches.
Motie's heroics lead West Indies A to victory over Nepal in T20 thriller: Series level at 1-1
In a thrilling encounter at Kirtipur, Gudakesh Motie emerged as the standout performer for West Indies A, propelling his team to a crucial victory over Nepal in the second T20 International to level the five-match series at 1-1. Motie's exceptional all-round display, featuring an unbeaten 33 off just eight balls and impactful bowling, played a pivotal role in securing the win.
Batting first, West Indies A faced early setbacks but rallied behind Andre Fletcher's resilient 43 and Captain Roston Chase's 23. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the team in a precarious position at 115 for 7. When Fletcher departed, the onus fell on Motie to provide a late surge. With only 13 balls remaining, Motie unleashed a blitz, smashing two fours and four sixes to power his team to a competitive total of 160 for 7. Matthew Forde contributed with an unbeaten 11 as Sagar Dhakal and Kushal Bhurtel each picked up crucial wickets for Nepal.
In response, Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel led the charge with a magnificent 71 off 48 balls, keeping his team in contention. However, Nepal's batting struggled against the West Indies A bowling attack, with only Gulsan Jha offering notable support with 26 runs. Motie continued to make an impact with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for 244 runs alongside Obed McCoy, who showed signs of returning to form with his 2 for 24.
Despite Paudel's heroics, Nepal fell short in their chase, ultimately conceding victory to West Indies A by 10 runs. Motie's exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The third match in the series is set for Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
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