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There was arguably not a single player in England’s batting lineup in his optimal position at Lord’s – and it showed

Andrew Miller at Lord's15-Aug-2019In case you haven’t noticed, England’s Test batting line-up is in an absolute maelstrom. You used at least to be able to rely on it for perversity – for the top half to sink without trace (not much change there then, admittedly…) before that gloriously stacked lower-middle order would come rampaging into the breach, blades whirring like vengeful ninjas as they boshed and hacked their way out of a hole to achieve something north of 300 and place their side firmly in the contest.But right now, the components of this England team don’t seem to know where to bat, let alone how to bat in the Test format. An auto-completed innings on some late-1990s cricket captaincy simulator couldn’t have generated a more random route to England’s eventual 258 in 77.1 overs – a few fits here, a few starts there, a collapse, a recovery, a fade. It might prove competitive. It probably won’t.Either way, it left an awful lot of opportunity squandered, on a day when Nathan Lyon admitted that Australia had not been at their best. For, with the honourable exception of Rory Burns at the top of the order – whose latest display of Test-calibre yakka did owe a considerable amount to a terrible drop in the gully on 16 – there was arguably not a single other member of England’s 11 who was batting in his optimal position, and it showed in the final analysis.Jason Roy – too high! Joe Root – too high! Joe Denly – Too low! Jos Buttler – Too high! Ben Stokes – too low! Jonny Bairstow – too low! And so the spiel goes on, right down to the retention at No. 11 of a man who made 92 on his last visit to Lord’s. If England’s innings had been an episode of Play Your Cards Right, then Bruce Forsyth’s catchphrase “didn’t they do well?” would have been a bare-faced lie.Take that period, in the early afternoon, when a typically even-paced (okay, flat…) Lord’s pitch had lost any suspicion of venom under gently breezy blue skies, and Burns and Denly were chugging along with suspicious ease, at a perfectly acceptable rate of 2.9 an over, in a 66-run third-wicket stand.It was the sort of passage of play that ought, by rights, to have caused Tim Paine’s brow to furrow just a touch, as he considered the possibility that his decision to bowl first might have been a little bit impetuous. But, of course, by then Roy and Root – two of the men best equipped to take advantage of such conditions – had already been chopped down before they could get going.Now, you shouldn’t be surprised to suffer a few early casualties in a Test innings, especially when Josh Hazlewood is bearing down on you like a sweaty-toothed attack hound unleashed from a summer in purgatory. But seeing as the primary virtues displayed by both Denly and Burns were caution, judgement and a straight bat at the point of impact (irrespective of where Burns may have waved it before the ball was released), it seems strange not to have deployed both when survival against the new ball was the primary aim.And moreover, if Denly really does have a future in this England Test team, then surely he needs to be that man to bite the bullet, and front up alongside Burns and revert to a role that he has played for Kent in the past (and on far more occasions that Roy has ever done). If he soaks up some new-ball overs, job done. If he gets out cheaply, then at least he’s not a more prized scalp. Either that, or England need to start to accept that their quest for a reliable opening partnership is a simple case of damage limitation, and that Leach should be handed the nightwatchman role on a permanent basis. Harsh though it sounds, the same principles apply in both cases.It is time for Joe Denly – who again flattered to deceive – to front up and prove his worth•Getty Images

Instead, England have opted to expose a batsman of proven international pedigree in the one-day game, not least against Australia, against whom he averages 49.64 in 17 ODIs, including an England-record score of 180 at the MCG in 2018, but who is finding the transition to red-ball cricket as problematic as Hazlewood himself predicted on the eve of the series.According to CricViz, Roy’s false-shot percentage is 28.7 percent, the second-highest among all batsmen in the past 12 months – and though Burns is lurking fifth on that list, at 21.1 percent, his game is at least built to factor in the inevitability of new-ball hardship. Roy’s hand hands and pro-active mindset, by contrast, appear to be inviting more trouble than his talents can currently compute.As for Root, his reluctance to hunker down at No. 3 doesn’t even qualify as an open secret – he now averages less than 40 there in 43 innings, compared to 48.00 at No. 4 in 60. But he took one for the team in this series because there were no better alternatives, and his scalping against the new ball, pinned lbw by one that Hazlewood jagged back up the slope, was a classic example of why he’d prefer not to be exposed so early in a Test innings.ALSO READ: Lyon critical of Australia’s standards at Lord’sAnd the upshot was, that even at 92 for 2 half an hour after lunch, Australia knew that England were just one wicket from sinking into genuine peril, given that what remained of their counterattacking middle order was now pre-programmed to be trapped in two minds. Enter Buttler, exit Buttler – a man looking more frazzled by his role in England’s World Cup glory than perhaps any other player, and that’s saying something.
If there was a silver lining to England’s four-wicket capitulation in the third hour of the day, it was that Bairstow at the very least was reacquainted with the middle of his bat, after one of the most extraordinary collapses in Test form imaginable.Do you remember the days when Bairstow was without question England’s most accomplished Test batsman behind Root? At times in the past 12 months, you wonder if he remembers it either, but there it is – plain as day in his career record: 1470 runs at 58.80 for the calendar year in 2016, with four centuries including a career-best 167 not out on this ground against Sri Lanka.The discussion back then was whether Bairstow had it in him to become a genuine Test batsman, rather than a Gilchristian counterpunching No.7 … but as we all know, his preference has always been for the security that comes with his dual role of wicketkeeper, even it if means pinning him squarely to the lower-middle order, with all the jeopardy that that entails.His hard-earned half-century was at least the beginnings of a typical Bairstow riposte to criticism, though seeing as it began at 136 for 5 (soon 138 for 6), it never had enough road to develop into a full-blown screw-you-all performance. But either way, his form in the intervening period had been nothing less than shocking – eight single-figure scores in his previous ten on home soil, with a best of 18 and five ducks to boot.In such circumstances, allowing yourself to be typecast as a not-really batsman looks nothing like an insurance policy, more an invitation to be dropped. But that is rather the problem all the way up and down the order at present. Not really is as good as it is getting at present. And it’s not looking like being good enough to withstand an Australia team with as singular a focus as they’ve displayed on these shores in a generation.

Few would have imagined that Middlesex would come to Leicester in mid-June down in seventh, with only one win from five matches

David Hopps at Grace Road20-Jun-2018
Scorecard”In many ways, it’s been enjoyable to see grounds we don’t normally see,” said one good citizen of Middlesex as he reflected on life in Division Two of the Championship. What he politely left unspoken, though, as he gazed upon the hushed setting of Grace Road was the thought that one season would be quite enough. And, for Middlesex, an immediate return to Division One is not remotely the sure-fire thing that many pundits assumed it would be in April.Few would have imagined that Middlesex would come to Leicester in mid-June down in seventh, with only one win from five matches, to face a Leicestershire side, perennial whipping boys for longer than they care to remember, in third.Middlesex, already 28 points off a promotion place, need their spurt to begin soon. But a polished, unbeaten 150 by Colin Ackermann, once billed as the future of South African cricket, now seeking in his third season to be the future of Leicestershire, has ensured it must wait a little longer. The first day ended in the Foxes’ favour at 353 for 8.The South African was playing with a protective cast on a finger in his right hand, but he was not inhibited as he reached his hundred with a huge six over midwicket off the left-arm spinner Ravi Patel, whose inclusion ahead of Ollie Rayner did not pay immediate dividends, and collected 150 off the final ball of the day. He survived another blow, too, on 54, this time when a return drive from Neil Dexter struck the boot of Hilton Cartwright and flew up into his face. He remained down on the floor a worryingly long time before responding in redoubtable fashion.For Middlesex’s director of cricket, Angus Fraser, the phrase emblazoned on the back of his sponsor’s shirt – Perfect Smile – was hardly encouraged by the unfolding of the day. Until the league table improves he will just have to rely upon a few tips on how to fake one, such as the Tongue Touch Trick (place your tongue on the roof of your mouth), the Close and Open Eyes Trick (avoids awkward expressions brought on by dropped catches) and the Clamp and Smirk Trick (which in itself might not guarantee promotion but will apparently make him look cool and mysterious.The redoubtable county performer, Toby Roland-Jones, is out for the season, but three seamers – Tim Murtagh, James Harris and Hylton Cartwright have 53 wickets between them at a decent average and only one win has so far fallen their way. Two gun batsmen, Dawid Malan and Nick Gubbins, have been absent because of England and injury respectively and Sam Robson has barely made a run. Malan is back here with a big task ahead.Murtagh was again a great provider. To finish with 5 for 52 from 23 controlled overs and still be behind the game will have been a frustrating outcome. He made the first breakthrough of the day, producing a fine delivery which seamed back in to hit the top of Horton’s off and middle stumps.Two more wickets soon fell, but the cloud began to clear and Ackermann, in company with Neil Dexter, took advantage on a pitch which had been used the previous day for a one-day match between Leicestershire and India A.Dexter’s 50 against his former county came off 73 balls, but shortly after he was dropped by Middlesex captain Malan, a tough low chance diving to his right off James Harris, Murtagh beat an attempted drive and wicket-keeper John Simpson took an easy catch.Murtagh had Lewis Hill caught at first slip by Robson, bowled Zak Chappell and bounced out Callum Parkinson, but Ackermann found support in between times from Ben Raine and even Gavin Griffiths dug in for a career-best 18 not out.

Gary Wilson marked his first-class Derbyshire debut with an impressive half century on a day of fluctuating fortunes against Northamptonshire

ECB Reporters Network14-Apr-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Gary Wilson made a handy start to his Derbyshire career•PA Photos

Gary Wilson marked his first-class Derbyshire debut with an impressive half century on a day of fluctuating fortunes against Northamptonshire in the Division Two County Championship match at Derby.Wilson, the former Surrey wicketkeeper batsman, showed excellent judgement to score 72 from 104 balls but three wickets from Nathan Buck ensured the honours were shared when rain forced an early close with Derbyshire 219 for 6.”It was important that we fought hard and I think it was a pretty even day,” Wilson said. “It will be an important first hour in the morning and if we can battle on and get as close to 300 as possible, I think we’ll be in a good position.”When I came to the wicket they had just gone ‘bang, bang’ so we had two new batters at the crease but we knew that if we absorbed some pressure and could counter a little bit we would be in a good position if we managed to come through that.”It could have been better for both teams as the initiative changed hands several times on a cool, overcast day when the County Ground floodlights were needed from the start of play.The overhead conditions probably persuaded Northants to bowl first and there was certainly enough to suggest it was the right decision as the seamers went past the bat numerous times.Ben Sanderson was the pick of the attack and was unlucky not to dismiss Luis Reece early on when the former Lancashire batsman, one of four Derbyshire debutants, edged just short of Ben Duckett at first slip.Both Reece and skipper Billy Godleman displayed good temperament to bat deep into the first session before Sanderson deservedly broke through when he got one to lift on Reece who was caught off the shoulder of the bat at fourth slip.Reece made only 19 but importantly for Derbyshire he batted for 95 minutes to take the sting out of the bowlers although Sanderson gained another reward for his morning’s work when he moved one back just enough to trap Godleman lbw for 33.The game appeared to have taken a significant shift towards Northants when two wickets in six balls early after lunch reduced Derbyshire to 114 for 4.Rory Kleinveldt had struggled for a consistent line in the morning but he found enough away movement to have Wayne Madsen caught at second slip for 12 before Buck pinned Shiv Thakor lbw with the first ball of the next over.For the next 25 overs it was about Wilson and Daryn Smit who also played soundly on his debut before he was squared up by Buck who then had Wilson lbw playing across the line before bad light and rain ended play.”I thought we bowled well as a unit and put the ball in the right area although maybe a bit too short but we’ll be happy if we bowl them out under 250,” Buck said.”It did a bit this morning but it still swung all day, we kept the ball in good condition, and we caught well again today. Four quick wickets in the morning and we should be alright.”

Jos Buttler’s fourth ODI hundred was also his slowest but it nevertheless provided England with the central pillar of their total of 399 for 9 in Bloemfontein and paved the way for them to go 1-0 up in the series

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2016Perhaps it was the nerves. Jos Buttler’s fourth ODI hundred was also his slowest but it nevertheless provided England with the central pillar of their total of 399 for 9 in Bloemfontein and paved the way for them to go 1-0 up in the series.Buttler’s role in South Africa up to the start of the ODIs had been to understudy Jonny Bairstow as Test wicketkeeper. It had been two months since his previous competitive involvement, during the limited-overs leg of England’s UAE tour, although he might have taken confidence from the fact his last ODI innings was a 46-ball hundred in Dubai, the fastest ever by an Englishman.That put him on the radar of IPL franchises and, with the auction set to be held in Bangalore on Saturday, another blistering century – this time from 73 balls – will have done his chances of being picked up no harm. Perhaps the thought that he is on the verge of joining a select group of England players to be invited to the IPL party added to the sense of trepidation.”I was really nervous,” Buttler said. “Usually, I feel quite calm having played a few games with the experience. But I was really nervous when I got out there and I think that nervous energy showed in my innings. At times, I was trying to tell myself to hit the ball along the floor and take my time and then I’d play a big shot without really realising it. I think it was just the nerves that was making that happen. When your first big shots come off, I think that really settles you down and you immerse yourself in the game and the situation.”I haven’t played for a while,” he added. “I finished well in Dubai but that is a long time ago and you’re never sure if you can carry form forward. I’ve batted a lot in the nets but being in the middle is a completely different kettle of fish.”The quicker Buttler gets into the middle, the better for England, it seems. Buttler was again promoted to bat at No. 4 in Bloemfontein and having scored back-to-back hundreds in the position he now averages 115.00 at a strike rate of 172.93 there. Under Eoin Morgan’s captaincy, England have adopted a more flexible – not to mention aggressive – approach and it certainly seems to suit Buttler, who has scored three centuries in less than a year.He was ably supported by Alex Hales, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, who all scored fifties, as well as Jason Roy’s pulsating 48 from 30 balls that helped set the tempo as England racked up their second-highest total in one-day internationals, and their highest overseas.Jos Buttler muscled his way to his fourth ODI hundred•Getty Images

“We got off to such a great start,” Buttler said. “The way Jason and Alex set up the innings, that allowed for Morgs to tell me to get my pads on. As soon as I was ready, we lost a wicket without really the thought about what to do and how I was going to play. When you get the promotion, you feel the expectation. You’ve been put up the order to continue the momentum of the two guys who started it and Rooty took on as well. You feel like you want to keep that going. That’s the role I had to play after being moved up the order.”It happened in Dubai as well. We got off to a good start and I was told to be ready to go in earlier. The great thing for our side is that we have flexibility. It might be we need a left-hander and Stokesy can go in and chance his arm. I think that is another strength of the side we are developing. Everyone is flexible and we have guys who can go in and play different roles in different situations.”Although South Africa were still in contention to chase down 400 when the rain arrived on Wednesday evening, it is England who are 1-0 up and looking to continue a freewheeling run in limited-overs cricket that has seen them smashing through self-imposed barriers in the wake of their World Cup exit.”It gives us huge confidence to score nearly 400,” Buttler. “This group of players, we’ve been challenging ourselves and pushing ourselves for a number of months. At times, we’ll get it wrong and probably be all out for 280 in 40 over.”But today is another great step forward for everyone to start this way in a series overseas against a very good team. It’s brilliant, and we’ll take this confidence forward. It’s a shame the weather intervened, in what looked like it was going to be a really close match.”The IPL auction will be getting underway when England take on South Africa in the second ODI on Saturday. That might be another cause for nerves but Buttler is confident he will be able to tune out the noise until afterwards. “Obviously, I have no control over anything that is going on there. I’ll be interested to know what happens but I think it will be pretty easy being involved in a full-blooded one-day international. That needs all the attention it requires.”

Australia took firm control of the Ashes Test, reducing England to 159 for 6 on the second day, but Heather Knight kept the home side fighting and on track to avoid the follow-on

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2013
ScorecardHeather Knight held England’s floundering innings together•Getty Images

Australia took firm control of the Ashes Test, reducing England to 172 for 6 on the second day, but Heather Knight kept the home side fighting and on track to avoid the follow-on after the middle order had been removed by Erin Osborne and the 17-year-old Holly Ferling.Australia had made an bold declaration shortly before lunch on 331 for 6 – there is an incentive to win the Test with six points on offer in the new-style multi-format Ashes concept – after Sarah Elliott had reached a maiden Test hundred having been unbeaten on 95 overnight while Alex Blackwell contributed 54.Ellyse Perry clubbed 31 off 24 balls and then struck an early blow when Arran Brindle was lbw in the ninth over. However, England formed themselves a decent platform as Knight and Sarah Taylor came together, but Taylor’s dismissal for a sparkly 33 prompted a collapse.Taylor became a maiden Test wicket for Ferling, who then claimed the key scalp of Charlotte Edwards lbw although the England captain was far from impressed with the decision. Substantial damage was then caused by offspinner Osborne as she claimed three wickets in the space of four overs to leave England tottering on 113 for 6.England, though, resisted stoutly through the remainder of the day as Knight and Laura Marsh compiled a 36-over partnership worth 59. Knight hit 10 boundaries in her 225-ball innings while Marsh blocked through 114 deliveries to remain unbeaten on 13.”It’s a pretty good pitch out there and with Laura we managed to put together a partnership,” Knight said. “Our team bats really low down the order so hopefully we can go out tomorrow, score a few more runs and then come hard at them with the ball.”I decided to concentrate on what I was doing at my end and not worrying too much about the wickets we were losing other end. I feel good about my cricket at the moment. Whatever I’m doing is working so it’s just about carrying that on. I think it’s going really well.”However we still need 10 more to avoid follow-on so that is our first objective and then there’s the new ball in six overs so hopefully that will bring a few more runs.”

Ian Saxelby took two wickets as Gloucestershire booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Friends Life T20 with a rain-affected eight-wicket win over Northamptonshire.

08-Jul-2012
ScorecardIan Saxelby took two wickets as Gloucestershire booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Friends Life T20 with a rain-affected eight-wicket win over Northamptonshire.In their first match since the departure of head coach David Capel, Northamptonshire were reduced to 31 for four before rain curtailed their innings, with Saxelby taking two for six from two overs.The Gladiators were given a revised target of 23 from five overs and, unsurprisingly, this did not prove difficult as they took just 14 balls to reach it.It allowed them to overtake Warwickshire in the group standings after their defeat to Glamorgan to qualify alongside Somerset and Worcestershire.The result also means Northamptonshire finish bottom of the group with just a solitary win and they have now gone two years without a home victory in the competition.Gloucestershire won the toss and chose to field and they claimed the wicket of Northamptonshire captain Alex Wakely (two) in the second over when James Fuller took out his off stump.David Willey (five) followed by launching Saxelby to Gladiators captain Hamish Marshall at mid-on before Cameron White (four) edged the same man to wicketkeeper Jonathan Batty with the very next ball.The players were then taken off for rain at the end of the fifth over with the Steelbacks struggling on 14 for three and their hopes of a first home t20 win since July 2010 fading.Play resumed 45 minutes later with no overs lost but Rob Newton soon departed for 12 when he was caught and bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan.Rain again forced the players off, only this time it was more persistent and this meant the end of the hosts’ foundering innings.Chasing just 23 from the minimum five overs, Gloucestershire lost former New Zealand international Marshall from the first ball when he was trapped lbw by Willey.Willey then ran out Australia batsman Ed Cowan from point after an aborted single off David Burton in the second over.But the winning run came with the second ball of the third over via a leg bye from the thigh of Ian Cockbain off the bowling of Lee Daggett.

Nottinghamshire Outlaws continued their relentless run towards the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals with their fifth win in five home matches as Northamptonshire Steelbacks were beaten by 23 runs

18-Jun-2011
Scorecard
Nottinghamshire Outlaws continued their relentless run towards the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals with their fifth win in five home matches as Northamptonshire Steelbacks were beaten by 23 runs. Overseas batsman Adam Voges was again the star, as the competition’s leading
scorer hit 49 from 32 balls to help the hosts reach 183 for 6. Fellow Australian international David Hussey contributed 33 while David Willey took 3 for 31 for the visitors.In reply, the Steelbacks never got to grips with the Notts bowling attack and although Alex Wakely struck an enterprising 61 from 36 balls with three fours and two sixes, they eventually finished on 160 for 6, with former Notts batsman Bilal Shafayat making 37. Samit Patel kept things tight to claim 2 for 29 with his left-arm spin and fast bowler Darren Pattinson, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, took 2 for 32.Notts have hit upon a winning formula at Trent Bridge in the past two seasons of batting first and defending a big target, and skipper Hussey had no hesitation in continuing the trend after winning the toss. Opening batsmen Alex Hales and Riki Wessels put on 46 in the first six overs
before Wessels was bowled by Willey for 29, having hit six fours from 19 balls.Willey also removed Hales four balls later for 17 but Voges and Hussey kept up the momentum with a partnership of 50 off 35 balls. Hussey launched James Middlebrook for six and two fours before he was adjudged lbw to Johan Botha, with Willey returning to bowl Patel, while Voges and Steven Mullaney were victims of Andrew Hall in the closing overs.Pattinson has made a habit of picking up a wicket with the new ball and his offcutter was too good for Rob Newton, who lost his off-stump. Shafayat and Niall O’Brien could not find the boundary in the early stages and although Northamptonshire reached the 10th over before losing another wicket, they were well behind the run-rate.The visiting batsmen were forced to hit out but only Wakely managed to reach the boundary, with O’Brien pulling to midwicket for 26, Shafayat caught at deep midwicket off Patel and the middle order subsiding under the pressure.

Steve Waugh, the former Australian captain, has said a victory for England in the final ODI at Lord’s on Saturday will give them a definite advantage leading into the Ashes later this year

Cricinfo staff03-Jul-2010Steve Waugh, the former Australia captain, has said a victory for England in the final ODI at Lord’s on Saturday will give them a definite advantage leading into the Ashes later this year.”Australia would certainly like to be 3-2 rather than 4-1,” Waugh said during a press conference for the MCC World Cricket Committee. “At 3-2 neither side can say they had a big advantage, but 4-1 and England will walk away thinking we have got it over Australia.”They will think: ‘We won the Twenty20, we won the one-day games 4-1,’ and although Test cricket is a different game, momentum plays a big part in sport so this game coming up is important for Australia.”Waugh admitted England had grown more determined over the last year and will not be intimidated when they defend the Ashes this year. “I have noticed a bit of a change in the England side,” he said. “In the last 12 months they have escaped three Test matches. At Cardiff last year they were nine down and then the same happened in two Test matches in South Africa. That tells me they are a tough side to beat and fight all the way. They will go to Australia and will not be intimidated.”England had regained the Ashes in 2005, after a gap of 18 years, before being thrashed 0-5 when they toured Australia next year. However, they beat Australia 2-1 in 2009 under Andrew Strauss. The lessons learnt from the defeat in Australia on their previous visit, Waugh said, will stand England in good stead in their trophy defence.”I think they will learn from the last series, where they prepared poorly and were still thinking about the previous win in England [2005]. They got carried away but they won’t have the same complacency this time around. Eoin Morgan has brought a new element to the English side as well with the way he plays.”He has not lost in Australia, and it is really important whenever a side goes to Australia they have a lot of cricketers in there who have not been there before and experienced defeat. They go with fresh eyes and are not too worried about what has happened in the past and play on the present, so he [Morgan] will be an important part of the team.”

Fifties from Qasim Akram and Sahibzada Farhan led Dolphins’ spirited attempt in the chase but it wasn’t enough

Danyal Rasool14-Sep-2024A century for Usman Khan and five wickets by Mohammad Hasnain inspired Panthers to their first win of the Champions One-Day Cup, beating Dolphins by 50 runs. A team batting effort that also saw quickfire half-centuries from Haider Ali and Shadab Khan helped them to 328, the third consecutive time in this competition the first innings saw a score in excess of 325. Qasim Akram’s 65 and a half-century from Sahibzada Farhan led Dolphins to the most spirited attempt at a chase in this competition, but Hasnain ripping through the middle order meant they always looked a bit shy of the target.Batting conditions have been easier in the first innings in Faisalabad thus far, and after being stung looking to chase in the opening game, Shadab had no hesitation batting first this time. His side wobbled in the early stages when Mir Hamza prised out both openers for single figures, but Usman and Haider’s 103-run fifth-wicket partnership steered the ship back on course towards the huge first-innings total that has become characteristic of this season. Once again, the bowlers were unable to stem the flow of runs in the death overs, and though legspinner Usman Qadir did take three wickets in the final over, much of the damage had already been done.Dolphins started brightly with a 68-run stand between openers Mohammad Hurraira and Farhan, but the legspin of Usama Mir and Shadab found a way of breaking through. Mir coaxed edges out of Farhan and Mohammad Akhlaq, and Shadab removed Hurraira, who had sped along with three fours and as many sixes in a 30-ball 39.It was the Hasnain show thereafter. With his trademark high pace, he kept chipping away at the middle order, a couple of sixes off the final two balls of his spell souring figures that were far more impressive than the 5 for 74 may register on the scorecard. It wasn’t until he cleaned up Qasim and Faheem Ashraf in the 42nd and 44th overs that the game irrevocably swung his side’s way, with the five-for he registered just reward for his efforts.

He got there in 54 balls after Sean Williams cracked 91 off 58 deliveries, as Zimbabwe made it two in a row

Madushka Balasuriya20-Jun-2023Zimbabwe 319 for 4 (Raza 102*, Williams 91, Shariz 2-62) beat Netherlands 315 for 6 (Vikramjit 88, Edwards 83, Raza 4-55) by six wicketsYet another imperious hand from Sean Williams and an all-round masterclass from Sikandar Raza ensured that a potentially tricky chase was handled with relative ease, as Zimbabwe made it two wins from two with a six-wicket victory over Netherlands.Raza’s impact on the game was absolute, having started with a four-wicket haul to help keep the opposition down to what he deemed a “par” total of 315 – such was the nature of the track. That culminated with a truly belligerent display of power-hitting that climaxed incredibly in him reaching the fastest ever ODI century by a Zimbabwe batter, finishing unbeaten on 102 off 54 deliveries.But while Raza will rightly take all the headlines, Williams’ role cannot be understated. His was a knock that was an exhibition in game management. Having come in to bat in the 14th over, he took a few overs to get in before cutting loose and looting 48 runs from overs 17-21. And he kept plugging away at a steady rate before Raza joined him in the 25th over.At that point, Raza immediately made his intentions clear, as Williams took on a more reserved role. While Netherlands would no doubt rue some dropped chances over the course of the innings, once Williams – and then Raza – started going, there was no stopping the Zimbabwe juggernaut.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Raza would end the game having struck six fours and eight sixes – three of which came in three consecutive deliveries in a brutal assault on Shariz Ahmad in the 39th over – and such was his authority at Harare Sports Club that you wondered if any score Netherlands would have put up would have been enough. If it was any consolation, then 315 was their joint-highest score in ODIs.Having been put into bat on a belter of a batting track, Netherlands weathered some early movement, and proceeded to motor along in their innings. A 120-run opening stand between Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit Singh was followed by a 96-run partnership between Vikramjit and captain Scott Edwards, who hit 83.But despite their best efforts, they were never allowed to get out of hand, as Raza – utilising his vast experience and array of variations – consistently struck with the ball. Having broken the first-wicket union with a quicker one outside off that was chopped on by O’Dowd, Raza struck in his next over too, cleaning Wesley Barresi up with another one that was quicker and full.And just as Edwards and Vikramjit would have been eyeing a big finish, Raza returned in the 39th over to have the latter miscue a sweep when on 88, and thus broke a threatening stand. That wicket, of the set batter, potentially took the momentum out of Netherlands’ innings; they did go on to score 81 off the final ten overs, which was a good effort, yet not good enough in terms of what the surface offered.And so it would prove, as Raza returned with the bat to land the finishing blow on an otherwise respectable Netherlands performance.