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Syed Abid Ali, who represented India in 29 Tests from 1967 to 1974, has died in California aged 83.A medium pacer who was renowned for his high standards of fielding and lightning-fast running between the wickets, one of Abid Ali’s greatest moments on the cricket field came with the bat: he hit the winning runs for India from No. 8 at The Oval in 1971 to give India their first series triumph in England.These runs came via a “square cut that never reached the boundary as it was engulfed by jubilant supporters charging onto the ground”, as had been reported on ESPNcricinfo.Abid Ali also played five ODIs between 1974 and 1975, which also happened to be India’s first five ODIs.Related

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He finished with 47 wickets from his 29 Tests, including career-best figures of 6 for 55 in his debut innings against Australia in Adelaide. His medium pace came with enough variations to test batters. He also recorded six Test-match fifties, including twin fifties in Sydney later in that debut series.It could be argued that he was an allrounder, given that those two fifties came as an opener, and he batted at the top of the order in 21 of his 53 Test innings and scored 1018 runs at an average of 20.36 in his Test career. Those fifties in Sydney included “cavalier treatment of the new ball,” the match report said. Overall, he batted across the order for India, everywhere barring Nos. 4, 10 and 11.Then, there were his impressive fitness levels and fielding. His ESPNcricinfo profile sums it up thus: “Abid Ali had the feet of a sprinter, the energy of a marathon runner and the will of a decathlete, but his misfortune was that he was born 20 years too early. His game was made to order for one-day cricket: he bowled brisk medium-pace, fielded outstandingly, and was a busy lower-order batsman who ran between the wickets as if on invisible skates.”His focus on fitness came at a time when it was not the norm in cricket, and helped him gain a reputation both as a close-in fielder and for his spot-on flat throws from the outfield. Former ESPNcricinfo columnist V Ramnarayan, who was a young cricketer in the Hyderabad domestic circles when Abid Ali was in his prime, wrote of him: “The punishing regimen of training he followed was often the subject of anecdotes, wildly exaggerated and embellished, but perfect entertainment in the evening after a long day at the ground.”Syed Abid Ali during his stint coaching UAE•AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images

He was also quite a bit of a character. Ramnarayan wrote: “He was demonstrative in an age when most bowlers tended to hide their emotions. His appeals to God when he beat the edge, and his sardonic grins at batsmen blessed by the Lord – unfairly in Abid’s opinion – were sights to see and remember.”He was once no-balled for throwing in a Test match against New Zealand in Christchurch, but his blatant chucking apparently came in protest against Gary Bartlett having taken a six-for with an action that the Indian team felt was suspect.Abid Ali never went on to establish himself as a premier name in Indian cricket, in part because he had the misfortune of being a bowler in the era of India’s famous spin quartet. He was a mainstay for Hyderabad, though, playing 212 first-class games across 20 seasons, taking 397 wickets at 28.55 and scoring 8732 runs with 13 hundreds and 41 fifties. He played his last Test match in December 1974, his last ODI in June 1975, and his last first-class game in 1978-79.”Shri Syed Abid Ali was a true allrounder, a cricketer who embodied the spirit of the game,” BCCI president Roger Binny said in a statement. “His contributions to India’s historic victories in the 1970s will always be remembered. His dedication and versatility made him stand out. My deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”After his playing days, Abid Ali went on to coach Andhra at the Ranji Trophy, and also had stints with UAE and Maldives. At the time of his death, he was living in Tracy, California, with his family.

South Africa have qualified for the World Test Championship (WTC) final after beating Pakistan by two wickets in a high-drama encounter at SuperSport Park. Set a modest but challenging target of 148 to win, they were 99 for 8 just before lunch and it was left to Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen to score the remaining 51 runs in a tense ninth-wicket stand against a Pakistan attack with their tails up.Mohammad Abbas, on a comeback from a three-year absence from the Test side, bowled a marathon 19.3 overs spell from the Hennops River End and took a career best 6 for 54 but could not end Pakistan’s lean run in South Africa. This is the eighth successive Test they have lost in the country, dating back to 2007.Pakistan gave themselves every chance by running through South Africa’s middle order on a morning of mayhem, where South Africa lost 5 for 37, including four wickets for three runs in 12 balls, which put the onus on the bowlers to finish the job.Related

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Jansen and Rabada are both capable with the bat but with the pressure turned up fully, every ball was an event, from the second one Rabada faced, that he hit up and over point for four, to the final one, steered delicately by Jansen through point to secure the winning runs.Those strokes are also screenshots of the way the pair approached the chase: Rabada backed himself to play his strokes while Jansen was more conservative and happy to wait for scoring opportunities.Between them, they offered only once chance, when Rabada, on 12, fished outside off and edged but the chance fell short of Mohammad Rizwan. That came post-lunch, the break South Africa went into needing 32 to win.By the time Abbas found Rabada’s edge, they needed 28. Rabada went on to score five boundaries in his 31, the third-highest score by a batter at No.10 or lower in a successful chase.A normally nervous character, Jansen, who spoke about his game plan on the third evening, was solid in defence and then struck two of the sweetest fours of his career, first when he got on top of the bounce from Abbas and then to seal a famous win.While Rabada and Jansen held their arms up in celebration on the field, South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma and coach Shukri Conrad embraced in the changeroom. The pair came together at the end of the last WTC cycle to lead South Africa through this one. Mission accomplished.Mohammad Abbas ran through South Africa in the morning session•Gallo Images

Bavuma would have also been a relieved man after he worked his way to 40 and then walked when he did not hit the ball. He was given out off what seemed to be the inside-edge and walked. Replays showed the ball had brushed a part of his clothing and, with all three reviews available, South Africa could have asked for a second opinion.Instead, Bavuma, who had received treatment on his elbow shortly before that, left the middle order to finish the job.This is the second time Bavuma has walked at SuperSport Park – in 2020 against Sri Lanka, he was on 71 when he thought he had under-edged Dasun Shanaka and left the field before the umpire had raised the finger. This time, Alex Wharf had given Bavuma out but he chose not to review to the surprise of the South African changeroom. His dismissal triggered the collapse that left the tail at the crease.Kyle Verreynne could not get behind the line of a Naseem Shah delivery and chopped it onto his stumps. In the next over David Bedingham chased an Abbas ball and was caught behind, and Corbin Bosch did almost exactly the same thing to give Abbas his sixth wicket and South Africa had crumbled from a position that felt comfortable: 96 for 4 after teetering precariously on 27 for 3 overnight.Bavuma got the first runs of the morning, and his first runs, off the fifth ball, off a Abbas half-volley that he clipped through square leg. Abbas adjusted to back of a length and in his next over, thought he had found Bavuma’s edge. Rizwan indicated the ball had brushed Bavuma’s thigh but Shah Masood reviewed anyway. Rizwan was proved right and Bavuma, on 5, could continue.Aiden Markram looked slightly more in control but got a streaky boundary off the edge before Bavuma creamed Khurram Shahzad through mid-on to leave South Africa with 100 runs to get.Off the next ball, Bavuma, on 13, was given out lbw to Shahzad but reviewed immediately. Replays showed an inside edge and Bavuma survived again.South Africa scored just three runs off the next 27 balls before Bavuma released the pressure with a hook shot off Abbas that Naseem thought he could get under. Naseem got hands under the ball but the momentum carried him over the boundary rope and not only did Bavuma get away with the shot he has fallen to several times this season but he got six for it.Temba Bavuma pulls away a short one•AFP/Getty Images

To add insult to injury, Markram smashed the second ball of Naseem’s next over over extra cover for four. Fourteen dot balls followed before a Markram single took South Africa to the first drinks break with no damage done and 35 runs scored in the first hour.Three balls after the interval, Markram was bowled by an Abbas delivery that kept low as he tried to jam his bat down and keep it out. That ended a 43-run fourth-wicket stand between Bavuma and Markram and brought Bedingham, who has a top score of 35 this summer, to the crease.He started with a wristy flick for four before Bavuma reeled off an exquisite cover drive but the eye-catching shots were followed by risky ones.Bavuma could not resist another hook, despite not being able to extend his elbow fully, but the chance fell safely. He went on to advance on Shahzad, brought back to replace Naseem, and hit over the covers but could never get comfortable.Two balls later, Shahzad thought he found his outside edge but Rizwan saw it was pad and Masood listened. Bavuma faced eight more balls before he required treatment on his right elbow – the left was injured before this season – but continued. In the next over, he drove expansively and loosely against Abbas and walked but his team-mates had enough in the tank to guarantee South Africa’s place at Lord’s next year and take a 1-0 series lead. South Africa will play one more Test in this cycle, against Pakistan, at Newlands next week.

Mahika Gaur and Lauren Filer have been handed full ECB central contracts for the first time, while a senior core of seven players – including captain Heather Knight and senior allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, have been given two-year deals, ahead of a busy women’s schedule that includes the Ashes in January and back-to-back 20- and 50-over World Cups in 2025 and 2026.Gaur, the promising left-arm seamer, and Filer, England’s fastest bowler, are the only new additions to the 17-player pool, having been on development contracts last year. Emma Lamb and Tash Farrant have been cut from the list from 2023-24.A further three players have been handed development deals for the next 12 months, including Ryana MacDonald-Gay, who made her ODI and T20I against Ireland in September, and is currently in South Africa ahead of the one-off Test at Bloemfontein which starts on Sunday.Clare Connor, England women’s managing director, said: “As ever, we have awarded central contracts to the players we feel will play a significant role for England in the foreseeable future.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“We are delighted that Mahika Gaur and Lauren Filer have transitioned on to full contracts, having been part of our group over the past year.”Ryana MacDonald-Gay has had an outstanding year, and the development contract affords her the opportunity to continue to push her claim for selection. We look forward to working with all three players on development contracts and their Counties to ensure they continue their development.”We have another significant period of cricket ahead and we believe this group of players have the skills to be successful in all conditions and formats which will be essential as we look forward to a two-year period that includes the Women’s Ashes in early 2025, multiple bilateral series, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in India, and a home ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the summer of 2026.”This is another landmark year in terms of increased remuneration for England Women. We have been able to make another significant increase in the value of central contracts on the back of last year’s equalisation of men’s and women’s international match fees across all formats. We continue to work positively with the England Women’s Player Partnership (EWPP) and the PCA and are grateful for both their support and challenge in these matters.”England Women’s Player Partnership Management Board Member, Emma Reid, said: “EWPP and the PCA are really encouraged at the progression of standards within the Women’s Central Contracts, achieved through strong collaboration between the ECB and player representatives.”It is positive to see multi-year agreements, showing long term commitment from the ECB and also the players who continue to prioritise representing their country.”We are pleased to have worked with the ECB and the players to achieve the priorities of being well supported in their England careers.”

Kurtis Patterson made his highest first-class score in two years on his return to the New South Wales side as he and Jack Edwards engineered a recovery against Queensland after the visiting quicks had caused early problems.NSW slumped to 59 for 5 during the morning session as the new ball nibbled around with 19-year Tom Straker, in his second first-class match, taking three early wickets. But Patterson, who had returned to a line-up missing a host of players on Australia duty after being dropped last season, and Edwards, himself making a comeback from injury, added 135 in 35 overs for the sixth wicket.”I probably haven’t said it publicly but I think I needed to be dropped when I was last year because frankly, I wasn’t batting well enough,” Patterson said. “I’d be lying if I said that thought never crossed my mind, whether I’d get another go back here. But thankfully I’ve kind of ticked all the boxes with [grade club] St George and got my opportunity.”However, NSW then lost 4 for 3 at the end of their innings and Queensland’s openers, Usman Khawaja and Matt Renshaw, were able to get through some testing new ball spells, including Josh Hazlewood’s first of the season to finishing unbeaten.Patterson played two Tests back in 2019 against Sri Lanka, scoring a century in the second and finishing with an average of 144, but fell out of contention shortly after and last season lost his place in the NSW side after being dumped as captain.He fought hard against the moving ball in the opening session before taking advantage of easier conditions in the afternoon and was in sight of his first century since 2022 when he was given caught behind off Angus Lovell although he seemed upset with the decision.Edwards, who missed the last round with a hamstring injury, played positively from the outset to wrestle back some initiative for NSW. Like Patterson, he did not appeared pleased with the caught-behind decision which ended his innings short of what would have been a third first-class century.That heralded a late collapse for NSW as Lovell and captain Mitchell Swepson cleaned up the lower order.The day had started in similar style for the home side with Blake Nikitaras falling in the opening over when he jabbed a full delivery from Liam Guthrie to third slip. Nic Maddinson tried to take the positive route but dragged on against Straker for 10 off six deliveries with Ollie Davies then falling to an excellent delivery which nipped off the seam to take off stump.Moises Henriques drove a wide delivery to point and Matthew Gilkes got a top edge to a short ball.Queensland’s attack did an excellent job in the absence of senior figures Michael Neser (Australia A) and Mark Steketee (injury).

South Africa vs West Indies

Dubai, 2pm local timeSouth Africa squad: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe TryonWest Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (vice-capt, wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa CraftonRelated

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Tournament form guide: South Africa and West Indies lost both their warm-up games in the lead-up to the tournament, although South Africa’s losses were more surprising. They were bowled out for 92 against New Zealand to lose by eight wickets and then couldn’t get close to their target of 145 against India. West Indies’ losses came against teams ranked much higher than them. They first lost to India by 20 runs and then to Australia by 35 runs, on both occasions struggling to chase down totals in the 140s.News brief: South Africa finished as the runners-up in the 2023 T20 World Cup and will be looking to carry their form into this tournament after a 2-1 away series win against Pakistan. Despite a poor 7-14 win-loss record against West Indies, South Africa have won three of their last four T20Is against them. West Indies, too, come on the back of a 2-1 series win in Sri Lanka, although that was back in June. South Africa could go spin heavy by picking 18-year-old legspinner Seshnie Naidu along with allrounders Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus. It’s expected to be a hot afternoon in Dubai, with the temperature around 37°C at the time of the toss. It won’t be much cooler even when the game ends.Player to watch: She last played a T20I in August 2022. Since then, she has played franchise cricket around the world, retired from international cricket, and returned. Deandra Dottin is a powerhouse of a figure, not just a batter. Her presence in the West Indies line-up will be a massive boost who need to start on a winning note if they are to make the semi-finals.0:57

Shafali Verma: Dubai is so hot that we couldn’t even breathe during first practice

India vs New Zealand

Dubai, 6pm local timeIndia squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajeevan SajanaNew Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Isabella Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea TahuhuTournament form guide: India won their two warm-up games with fairly convincing margins, by 20 runs against West Indies and 28 runs against South Africa. New Zealand, meanwhile, had a 50% success in the warm-ups. They beat South Africa by eight wickets and went down to England by five wickets.News brief: Two players were named in the India squad subject to fitness: allrounder Shreyanka Patil and wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia. Both played both warm-ups, which bodes well for India. Head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed on match eve that captain Harmanpreet Kaur would bat at No. 3, as was the case in the two warm-ups. She has batted there only five times since the start of 2019. The last time was against Ireland in the 2023 T20 World Cup when India’s opening stand lasted 9.3 overs. New Zealand come into the tournament after a streak of ten straight losses in T20Is, most recently being blanked 3-0 by Australia, against whom they play their second game. Therefore, they would be desperate for a win on Friday to push for a semi-final spot. If India have made a late call about their No. 3, New Zealand have decided to move their power-hitting captain Sophie Devine to the middle order recently, with Georgia Plimmer and Suzie Bates to open. Both teams are expecting plenty of dew in this evening game, so toss could play a massive role.Player to watch: Shafali Verma has worked on her mental game, she has worked on her consistency, and she is trying to mature into a more complete batter. If she can strike a balance between her early ball-bashing mentality with consistent performances from the first game itself, she could play a vital role in giving India a start similar to her nickname in the dressing room for her batting style: (dashing).

Allrounder Aamer Jamal returns to a Pakistan Test line-up for the first time since his breakout tour of Australia. His all-round ability has allowed Pakistan to go with one fewer specialist bowler, with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed making up the rest of the bowling attack.All four bowlers were unavailable to varying degrees during Pakistan’s recent series against Bangladesh, making this the first time in over a year that their full first-choice contingent is available. The batting remains unchanged; Abdullah Shafique keeps his place despite his recent struggles with the bat, after Shan Masood’s public backing on Thursday.”Multan is new territory for us,” Shan said at the captain’s press conference. “When we played Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, we had played a lot of cricket there so we knew how the pitch would play if you left grass on it. It was a bit tricky against Bangladesh for batsmen. Here we are leaving it to the groundsman. We would like one final look tomorrow, hence why we have tried to cover bases and have three seamers and two spinners like England. We have a bit of depth in batting as well.”Pakistan’s batting is a point of concern with several batters struggling, and the match-up between a home batting line-up short of runs and an away bowling unit short of experience in these conditions provides a point of intrigue. Though England’s decision to go with a bowling combination of Brydon Carse, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir may appear risky, that has become an integral part of this England side’s brand.Related

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“It [Bazball] has had an effect on the world,” Masood said. “Sometimes we get too caught up in set ways of doing things. So the best thing England has done is realise there are other perspectives and things that might suit you. The key is to find new ways of doing things. That is how the world has always progressed and cricket is no different. It is like life. You try and evolve and create new ways and England have been pioneers in that.”In the build-up to this Test, Pakistan have been careful to emphasise they will not get sucked into England’s style of playing, with head coach Jason Gillespie and vice-captain Saud Shakeel each making the point. Masood echoed that, saying there would be times Pakistan would need to “absorb pressure” instead of just “reacting to situations, and spoke of the drive to make amends after a difficult year.”There is a lot of hurt within the players. 2024 has not been a good year for Pakistan cricket all over and we like to see our fans happy. After religion cricket comes next, everyone is clued up on how the cricket team is doing so we are hurt. The answer is to be positive. We let the past go. We have tried to maintain consistency in selection. We haven’t had any chopping and changing because we have lost a few games. We believe in this set of players and with Jason Gillespie we wanted to create a squad mentality. The players are being backed to turn things around.”Pakistan squad for 1st Test: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.

Keshav Maharaj bowled 28 overs unchanged from the Media Centre End, albeit with weather-related interruptions, as South Africa frustrated West Indies on the third day of a rain-affected Test. The squeeze only brought four wickets, and with 90 minutes lost in the day and more rain on the way, the chances of victory for either side seems slim, but South Africa will consider themselves as having the upper hand.West Indies are 212 runs behind on a slow, dry pitch, and runs continue to be hard to come by. South Africa only added 13 runs to their overnight score but managed their highest first innings total in nine away Tests since Christchurch 2022 but needed quick wickets to make it count. They were blunted by the West Indies’ line-up and committed a few lapses in the field on a surface unsuited to urgency.Batting has been laboured so far and the early signs on the third morning were that it would become even more difficult. The second ball, from Jayden Seales, kept low and Wiaan Mulder was fortunate that it did not seam back in enough to take out off stump.Still, South Africa seemed to have a clear directive to score quickly and Kagiso Rabada led the charge. He flicked Seales through backward square leg and then attempted a drive but edged wide of second slip in a productive over. His intent did not last long. Rabada faced five more balls before Jomel Warrican found the edge and Joshua Da Silva did the rest. Seales finished off when he bowled Lungi Ngidi six balls later to end South Africa’s innings 20 minutes into the session. They added just 13 runs to their overnight score.West Indies were in the field for 117.4 overs and would have had enough time to know that batting would be tough especially against South Africa’s best. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi shared the new ball and had different but equally testing questions for the openers. Rabada kept it full, Ngidi was more back of a length, and West Indies managed only 23 runs in their first ten overs. Mulder, playing as the third seamer, replaced Ngidi but when Rabada’s spell ended, South Africa were forced to turn to spin early.Maharaj was given the ball in the 13th over and came close to an early breakthrough. In his second over, Maharaj drew Kraigg Brathwaite forward and induced the edge, which lobbed low but carried to Aiden Markram at slip. However, he could not hold on. Brathwaite was on 7 off 43 balls at the time. Brathwaite went on to cut Maharaj through point for his first four but, much like South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma on day two, was content to spend time at the crease and let the runs come from the other end.Mikyle Louis was more proactive, particularly through the covers, with four of his five boundaries coming in that region. He hit the single that took West Indies to fifty which was also the fourth half-century opening stand between him and Brathwaite in three Tests and helped West Indies nearly get through the session unscathed. But, the ball before lunch, Louis played for turn to a Maharaj arm ball and was bowled.Kraigg Brathwaite and Keacy Carty put on 60 for the second wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Play was delayed for 55 minutes after the scheduled second-session restart, but one over later, rain forced another 20-minute break. The interruptions had no effect on Brathwaite’s concentration as he hit Maharaj for six three overs into the second session, but left it to Keacy Carty to do most of the attacking. On debut, Carty impressed with his assuredness and played the shot of the day when he got up on his toes to punch Rabada behind point for four.With their options limited to four frontline bowlers, South Africa had to keep Maharaj at one end – and he kept Brathwaite quiet for a period in which the West Indian captain scored just 6 runs off 37 balls from him – and rotate through the three seamers and matters became pedestrian. None of them looked like taking a wicket but a chance came in the field when Carty, on 28, defended a Mulder ball to point and took off a run but had Ryan Rickelton to contend with. Carty turned back and if Rickelton’s throw was accurate he would have been caught short of his ground but the ball went wide and Carty batted on. Three overs later, Carty was on 32 and hit Maharaj aerially to cover. Tristan Stubbs ran back to take the catch over his shoulder but misjudged and spilled it.Just when South Africa may have become disheartened, a sedate Brathwaite hit Ngidi to Mulder at mid-on and ran for the single but a direct hit found him on the line and out on the stroke of tea. Brathwaite’s 35 runs took 131 balls, and he maintains the lowest strike rate among batters who have scored 5,000 Test runs since 2001. With the interval, came the rain and there was a further 35 minute delay before the start of the last session.Seven balls into the evening, a Maharaj ball ended Carty’s debut innings as it skidded and struck him on the front pad. Aiden Markam, operating as South Africa’s second spinner, could have had another five overs later when Kavem Hodge, on 3, edged but Kyle Verreynne did not react quickly enough to hold on. Instead, Markram was the fielder when Maharaj struck again in the next over. Alick Athanaze edged an arm ball to Markam at slip. Markram and Maharaj bowled out most of the rest of the session, apart from a final late burst by Rabada, who could not remove either Hodge or Jason Holder.

Sam Hain’s stunning 98 off 48 balls set Birmingham Bears on their way to a fifth straight win in the Vitality Blast as they beat Yorkshire in a high-scoring thriller by four runs to take a significant step towards the quarter-finals.Hain crashed eight sixes in an innings more power than poise on an excellent Headingley surface as the Bears amassed 214 for 7.The North Group leaders then wrapped up a seventh win in nine matches, but not without drama. Dawid Malan opened with an excellent 54 and Donovan Ferreira blasted 66 off 32 balls with seven sixes. But George Garton brilliantly defended 11 off the last over and six off the last ball, the Vikings finishing on 210 for 5.Yorkshire lost their fifth match in nine and will see this as a missed opportunity given they needed 18 off the last two overs.Meanwhile, Hain’s fourth fifty of the ongoing campaign took him to the top of the Blast runs chart on 395.Bears captain and opener Alex Davies, who elected to bat, also contributed a brisk 43, though he later left the field with a finger injury sustained whilst keeping wicket.Hain was more powerful than he is known for and hit the majority of his sixes to the leg-side, though not exclusively to the short side over towards the Western Terrace. He left Yorkshire faced with what would have been a club record chase in this format.Vikings, who now have significant work to do for a top-four finish, made the perfect start as left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty bowled Ed Barnard with the fixture’s first ball.Birmingham’s innings kicked into life in the fourth over as Davies took the lion’s share of 24 off Matthew Revis. And after Davies was trapped lbw by a Jordan Thompson yorker – 79 for 3 in the eighth over – Hain, having come in at No. 4, took on the lead role in stunning fashion.Hain hit three leg-side sixes off seam in reaching his fifty off 34 balls on a true pitch with a fast outfield. By that stage, Bears were 141 for 4 in the 15th over.Hain looked nailed on for a second career T20 century as he went into the final over on 98. But he didn’t face another ball.In fact, he watched New Zealander Zak Foulkes whip his first ball as a Bear for six off Conor McKerr over fine leg and over the imposing Howard Stand into the neighbouring rugby ground.Seam bowling allrounder Foulkes continued his excellent start to his short-term overseas spell with the Bears when he had Adam Lyth caught behind with his third ball – 18 for 1 in the second. Davies took the catch but immediately left the field having taken a blow moments before.But, despite the wicket, Yorkshire started nicely thanks to classy Malan and inventive James Wharton. They shared 62 in six overs for the second wicket, the latter reverse sweeping a six off Dan Mousley’s spin in a rapid 29.Like Birmingham had been, Yorkshire were 98 for 3 after 10 overs, with left-arm spinner Danny Briggs having removed Wharton caught at deep midwicket and George Hill bowled.With those dismissals, Vikings’ task was getting tougher. Not that Malan agreed. He lofted Briggs over long-on for six and reached his second fifty of 2024 off 38 balls.He found a partner in ferocious South African Ferreira, and they shared 57 inside six overs for the third wicket before Malan slapped a Briggs full toss to deep midwicket – 155 for 4 in the 16th.But Yorkshire had plenty of batting left, not least Ferreira, who hit four sixes in a five-ball period off Jake Lintott’s spin and Foulkes’ seam. He reached his maiden county fifty off 26 balls.Yorkshire needed 18 off the last two overs, but Ferreira was caught at long-off against Mousley at the start of the penultimate – ultimately the key moment, leaving Vikings 197 for 5. Left-arm quick Garton then expertly closed things out, with Shan Masood failing to hit the final ball for six.

Southern Vipers 146 for 5 (Dean 64) beat Northern Diamonds 145 for 4 (Armitage 69*) by five wicketsCharlie Dean produced a fine smash-and-grab to put Southern Vipers in prime position to qualify for the Charlotte Edwards Cup finals day next week – while ending Northern Diamond’s hopes.Dean strode to the wicket with Vipers struggling on 29 for four, chasing 146 to win, but showcased a masterclass of attacking batting to score 64 off 38 – her Vipers best.Birthday girl Hollie Armitage’s classy 69 had provided the glue for a solid Diamonds total, before the early burst of wickets put the visitors on course for a second win of the competition.But Dean’s Vipers best saw her side over the line to win by five wickets and make it five victories this season for the defending champions.Armitage, on her 27th birthday, underpinned Diamonds’ innings as she scored an unbeaten 69, with help with half-century stands with Sterre Kalis and Bess Heath.Having chosen to bat first, Lauren Winfield-Hill’s opening replacement Emma Marlow was bowled by Lauren Bell in the first over.Armitage and Kalis then set the platform with a mixture of power and cricket-smarts in the first half of the innings – with the duo adding 66 together.Kalis and Erin Burns fell within 13 deliveries of each other as Georgia Adams caught and bowled the former before the latter was stunning caught behind by Rhianna Southby.But it proved a minor blip as Bess Heath showed off her inventive shot-making with a switch-hit and a powerful six over midwicket as she provided the momentum in the 58-run alliance with Armitage.Armitage had never seemed to get out of first gear at any point of her innings and reached her second half-century of the competition in 46 balls.Double-run overs off the final three overs, despite Heath departing, got Diamonds up to around par.Vipers were garnished with eight players who have played for England, plus possibly the best domestic player not to in Georgia Adams, and potential future internationals in Rhianna Southby and Charli Knott.But they struggled in the response.Maia Bouchier was bowled third ball by Rachel Slater before the Scotland international repeated the trick by ripping through Knott. Seamer Slater would end up with two for 23 after bowling her four overs straight through.Australian Erin Burns was also causing Vipers problems with her spin as she cast her spell over Adams and Freya Kemp.Danni Wyatt had been smoothly guiding the chase in her first appearance of the cup but fell for 28 as Armitage’s golden arm struck fourth ball.But Dean put things back on track, with Elwiss playing the support.The Portsmouth-raised star struck nine boundaries, including three in a row off Katherine Fraser in an innings-defining spell, to reach her maiden Charlotte Edwards Cup fifty in 29 balls.It was inevitable that she would take the curtain call by hitting the winning runs with seven balls to spare – as she overtook her previous best of 60 for the region.

Bangladesh sealed an innings-and-47-run win over Ireland inside four days in Sylhet, a victory built on Hasan Murad’s four-wicket haul and commanding centuries from Mahmudul Hasan Joy and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. It was a team effort with almost everyone contributing to the win.Ireland’s only solace, perhaps, was keeping the home side waiting until 45 minutes after the lunch break on the fourth day, particularly after having lost half their side on the third evening. Andy McBrine struck a patient half-century, adding 66 runs for the seventh wicket with Andy Balbirnie, who came in at No. 8 due to a finger injury.Nahid Rana gave Bangladesh the breakthrough they wanted with the second ball after lunch. He banged one in slightly short, which McBrine went to pull, only to find Murad at midwicket. The left-hander fell for 52, having struck five fours in his 106-ball stay.Barry McCarthy and Jordan Neill kept the visitors alive briefly with a 54-run ninth-wicket stand. Neill made 36 with seven fours, while McCarthy, the last man out, struck a six and two fours in his 25.Earlier, the first session revolved around reviews that ultimately went Ireland’s way. It began with Matthew Humphreys in the day’s first over, overturning a decision through DRS. Taijul Islam removed him soon after, caught off a top edge at backward square-leg.McBrine survived twice in the same over against Mehidy Hasan Miraz, both by slim margins. Balbirnie enjoyed similar luck, though Murad eventually trapped him lbw for 38, the dismissal upheld on umpire’s call as the ball was projected to partially hit leg stump.McBrine reached his fifty just before lunch, capping off a fine session for the visitors.Ireland began their second innings facing a deficit of 301 runs. They lost five wickets on the third afternoon, although Paul Stirling fought hard for his 43, which included seven boundaries. But when the experienced right-hander was run out following a moment of hesitation, Ireland slipped further in the final hour. Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker were trapped lbw by Taijul and Murad respectively, while Shadman Islam’s excellent catch at cover ended Curtis Campher’s stay. It left Ireland with a mountain to climb on the fourth day.