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The Gabba has been locked in for the opening Test of the 2021-22 Ashes but there has been no similar guarantee made for next year's visit by India who did not play at Australia's stronghold on their tour last season. Australia's Test team are unbeaten in Brisbane in 30 years and it has traditionally been the starting point for the Test summer, but last season the first match against India was played in Adelaide much to the frustration of the players and management. Instead, Australia played Sri Lanka in a day-night Test in late January which struggled to attract fans and was over well inside three days. Last month it was confirmed that the ground would regain the opening Test for the 2019-20 season against Pakistan with the interests of the Australia players at the forefront but, at the time, there was no confirmation of future years. The Ashes commitment to the Gabba comes on the back of Queensland Cricket getting state funding for an AUS$35 million upgrade of facil...

Tourism planners leave no stone unturned to promote a destination. The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England is no different for Kerala Tourism. Its new 12-day campaign specifically targets the citizens of the United Kingdom and cricket fans glued to television. Its recently released global campaign ‘Human by Nature’, which celebrates people and nature in a seamless fashion, will be aired on the Sky Sports, the dominant subscription television sports brand. The three-minute short film summarising the way of life, inclusiveness, peace, and harmony in Kerala will be telecast during the nine league matches, two semi-finals, and finals, says Director of Kerala Tourism P. Bala Kiran. “United Kingdom, the biggest source market for Kerala Tourism over the years, has become the first country to touch the two-lakh mark in terms of arrival of foreign tourists in 2018. We want to increase it further and the ICC World Cup is the perfect platform to promote the destination”, he adds. 40 mill...

Sanjay Manjrekar has a rather pleasant voice. It comes in handy when he occasionally sings Kishore Kumar songs and, more often, when he commentates on cricket. He is one of the three Indian voices the ICC has hired for the World Cup in England (Sourav Ganguly and Harsha Bhogle are the others). Before moving behind the microphone, Manjrekar was admired for the technical virtuosity of his batting. He finished his Test career with 2,043 runs at an average of 37.14. He was a much better player than those figures suggest. He stopped playing two decades ago, but has remained an avid observer of the game. Recently at Jaipur, he spoke to The Hindu on a variety of topics, including the World Cup, the IPL, the future of Tests and cricket commentary. Excerpts: How do you rate India’s chances at the World Cup? India is the best team at the World Cup. Whether they win is another matter. When you are playing bilateral one-day matches there isn’t as much pressure, but a World Cup semifinal o...

Andre Russell dismisses Fakhar Zaman with an 86mph bouncer that ricochets of the batmen's bat and helmet before hitting the stumps as West Indies take early wickets against Pakistan. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2HORelL via IFTTT

Mark Ramprakash granted early release from England Test batting coach deal so he can explore other career opportunities By David Charlesworth, Press Association Sport Published: 06:17 EDT, 31 May 2019 | Updated: 06:18 EDT, 31 May 2019 Mark Ramprakash is set for an early release from his England and Wales Cricket Board contract in order to explore other career opportunities, the governing body has announced. Ramprakash revealed earlier this year he had been stood down from his role as Test batting coach for this summer's Ashes series, with former England and Surrey team-mate Graham Thorpe expected to step into the breach. The 49-year-old former England batsman had held the position since November 2014 but he will bring an end to his time at the ECB in June. Mark Ramprakash is set for an early release from his England and Wales Cricket Board contract Ashley Giles, England's director of cricket, said: 'Mark has been an integral part of our coaching set-up over ...

'A great win like that massively settles the nerves': Moeen Ali happy with how England handled the pressure after opening their World Cup with victory England secured a 104-run win over South Africa in first World Cup game Moeen Ali believes the victory will help settle England down into the tournament  Captain Eoin Morgan also insisted he was happy with the state of the pitches  By Rory Dollard, Press Association Cricket Correspondent Published: 05:58 EDT, 31 May 2019 | Updated: 05:58 EDT, 31 May 2019 Moeen Ali feels England proved they can conquer the pressure that comes with being World Cup hosts with their heavy victory over South Africa . England are widely seen as the team to beat given their number one status and home soil advantage, leaving a target on their back for the remaining nine teams to shoot at. The Proteas were the first to get the chance on opening day at the Oval and were swept aside by 104 runs. Moeen Ali was happy with how England perfo...

(If you are viewing this on The Hindu app, click this link to open the scorecard in your browser) Pakistan will seek inspiration from its dramatic Champions Trophy win in England two years ago when it takes on a resurgent West Indies on Friday. Pakistan has lost its past 10 ODIs, including a 5-0 whitewash by Australia and 4-0 thumping by England, and its problems were further compounded when it went down to Afghanistan by three wickets in a warm-up match. But skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed hopes his side will draw inspiration from 2017, when the team was in a similar position. “We will seek inspiration from our Champions Trophy win because then too we were losing and then lifted ourselves at the right time to win the trophy,” Sarfaraz said. Pakistan had lost 4-1 in Australia before the tournament and India thumped it by 124 runs in the opening game. But it then beat South Africa, Sri Lanka and England on its way to the final, where it outclassed India again by 180 runs. “The boys are ...

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis wants to erase memory of England defeat: 'We have to put it to bed' Faf du Plessis wants South Africa to consign defeat by England to history Proteas collapsed to 104-run loss against host nation in Thursday's opener  He said: 'As disappointed as we are in our game we have to put it to bed' By Press Association Reporter Published: 17:31 EDT, 30 May 2019 | Updated: 17:33 EDT, 30 May 2019 South Africa captain Faf du Plessis intends to move on quickly from his side's opening-day World Cup defeat to England. The Proteas were given the stiff challenge of facing the top-ranked side and tournament hosts in front of a sold-out Oval crowd and came out of the experience with a 104-run defeat. Things had started brightly, as Du Plessis' gamble of opening the bowling with leg-spinner Imran Tahir brought the wicket of Jonny Bairstow with the second delivery of the day. Faf du Plessis wants his South Africa side to p...

From Australia and South Africa choking at home to India’s 2007 shock and England’s woes, half a dozen CWC nightmares The year 2007 changed cricket, a transformation that pivoted on India’s performance in its two international tournaments – their early exit from the 50-over shindig and their triumph in the inaugural Twenty20 one. In a Caribbean World Cup that opened with four groups of four from which only two teams progressed, the competition’s defining day was not its concluding one – when Australia emphatically beat Sri Lanka to secure a third successive crown – but its fifth, on which Pakistan and India crashed to cataclysmic defeats, against Ireland and Bangladesh respectively. Pakistan’s tournament was then engulfed by tragedy with the death of their coach, Bob Woolmer, while India’s was a strictly cricketing calamity – but one that reverberated throughout the game. Related: The Spin | A brief history of the Cricket World Cup Related: The Spin | A brief history of the Cricke...

South Africa will have to move on quickly from the drubbing it received in the World Cup opener against England and regroup before its next game against Bangladesh, said captain Faf du Plessis. South Africa were thrashed by 104 runs by favourites England in the opening match of the ICC World Cup, which began at The Oval on Thursday. Asked to bat, England made 311 for eight and then bundled out South Africa for 207. Du Plessis admitted they were outplayed in all facets of the game by England. “You are going to play games and come up against opposition that are better than you. England beat us in all three facets of the game,” Du Plessis said after the defeat. “As much as we are disappointed, we will want to learn from it quickly and put it to bed. We want to move on from it quickly.” South Africa will face Bangladesh in its second match, at The Oval on Sunday. South Africa witnessed a bad start to its chase when veteran opener Hashim Amla was forced to retire hurt after being ...

A lean patch of three consecutive single-digit scores, against South Africa, came at the wrong time for Niroshan Dickwella. It was just a month before the World Cup squad was announced, leading the selectors to drop the wicketkeeper-batsman. Dickwella, however, has taken the setback in his stride. “I didn’t get runs in South Africa, and I got dropped. That was my fault,” Dickwella said here on Thursday. “The World Cup is a big event, but at the end of the day, it is just another tournament. Will make a comeback “I look at this as a learning experience. I’m confident that I’ll make a comeback and become a match-winner for Sri Lanka,” he said. The 25-year-old, now part of the touring Sri Lanka-A team, showed his class with a fluent 113-ball 103 in the first unofficial ‘Test’ at Belagavi. “Now I’m back in the runs, and hope to get a big score again in the second match here,” Dickwella said. Asked about the senior team’s chances at the World Cup, Dickwella replied, “We’re on a l...

Ben Stokes starred in all departments as England began its quest with a 104-run thrashing of South Africa in the tournament opener at the Oval on Thursday. The all-rounder top-scored with 89 in England’s 311 for eight, held a brilliant catch in the outfield and took two for 12 as England won with 61 balls left. Jofra Archer did the early damage, the fast bowler taking three for 27 in seven overs. Amla injured Barbados-born Archer made his presence felt, even before he had taken a wicket, with a bouncer that beat Hashim Amla for pace and crashed into the grille of the helmet to make the veteran opener retire hurt on five. Archer then reduced the Proteas to 44 for two as Aiden Markram edged to Joe Root at slip and South Africa captain Faf du Plessis fell for just five when he top-edged a hook. But Quinton de Kock kept the Proteas in the hunt, although he was lucky when on 25 he played a ball from leg-spinner Adil Rashid onto his stumps only for the bails to stay put. The left-han...

Also featuring a singing bowler, all-English Champions League battles and ice hockey heroes 1) Cricket’s coming home? The World Cup starts at The Oval , the tournament back in England for the first time in 20 years. So here’s some choice moments from previous World Cups on English soil: “It was almost as if they were having batting practice.” Richie Benaud expresses his bemusement with Sunil Gavaskar’s famous go-slow against England at Lord’s in 1975 , where West Indies won the inaugural World Cup final thanks in part to Clive Lloyd’s blistering hundred against Australia . In 1979 the standout bewildering go-slow came from England in the final as West Indies retained their crown, helped by superb exhibitions of hitting from Viv Richards and Collis King. The 1983 tournament was all about India toppling West Indies and changing cricket, its iconic moment Kapil Dev catching Richards . Sixteen years later Australia were the champions, after winning perhaps the greatest World Cup game of...

The all-rounder came in when England were wobbling but his calm assurance set up a big total and then he took a wonder catch and the last two South Africa wickets According to the ICC the average age of people who have bought tickets for this World Cup is 40, but one would never have known it on Thursday morning. It felt as ife there were 25,000 children spilling out of the tube stations and pouring up Harleyford Road towards the Oval. Everyone who cares feels a bit like a little kid again on days such as this, especially now England have a team worth getting childishly excited about. So the stands rang with that very particular sound, unique to a cricket ground, the happy chitter‑chatter of people who have escaped adult life for the day and are waiting for the start of play. Related: Stokes and Archer star as England beat South Africa in Cricket World Cup Ben Stokes’s feat joins a long list of contenders for the title. Among English cricket’s other finest recent catches: Paul Co...

Welcome to ESPNcricinfo's coverage of the World Cup 2019 opener between England and South Africa, being played at The Oval. Please refresh the page in case the blog doesn't automatically load for you. from Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com https://es.pn/2W49r2q via IFTTT

• England begin World Cup with easy victory over South Africa • Eoin Morgan’s side face Pakistan at Trent Bridge on Monday Ben Stokes soaked up a phenomenal feeling after his one-handed wonder catch got England’s World Cup campaign under way with a crushing victory and a sprinkling of stardust. The all-rounder was back to his dominant best in the 104-run win against South Africa, top-scoring with 89 as England posted 311 for eight. A run-out and two wickets in two balls then helped to skittle the visitors for 207 in 39.5 overs. Related: Stokes and Archer star as England beat South Africa in Cricket World Cup Ben Stokes’s feat joins a long list of contenders for the title. Among English cricket’s other finest recent catches: Paul Collingwood   England v Australia,  third ODI, Jun 2005 As Matthew Hayden produces a powerful cut, Collingwood soars high, arched back, and holds the ball tight. Hailed as one of the best catches of all time.  Related: High-five machines,...

On the pitch Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes took centre stage. Off it, the fans’ joy suggest cricket is doing just fine as it is Welcome to the World Cup. Thirteen years, seven England captains, assorted white‑ball revolutions and one frankly alarming opening ceremony in the making: England and Wales 2019 is finally up and running. Related: Stokes and Archer star as England beat South Africa in Cricket World Cup Ben Stokes’s feat joins a long list of contenders for the title. Among English cricket’s other finest recent catches: Paul Collingwood   England v Australia,  third ODI, Jun 2005 As Matthew Hayden produces a powerful cut, Collingwood soars high, arched back, and holds the ball tight. Hailed as one of the best catches of all time.  Related: Cricket World Cup 2019: latest standings Trophy safely delivered ✅ #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/NYZ5zLOfIp Continue reading... from Cricket | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2I4SLD2 via IFTTT

England bowler Jofra Archer takes 3-27 in his first World Cup game and inspires the hosts to a 104-run victory over South Africa. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2W424Ii via IFTTT

England captain Eoin Morgan lauds Ben Stokes after all-rounder's 'full day out' inspires win against South Africa Eoin Morgan said: 'Ben Stokes had a full day out, it’s extremely entertaining' England all-rounder hit crucial 89 in first innings to help England to 311  He took two wickets and brilliant catch to bring the Oval crowd to their feet   Faf du Plessis conceded: '‘The catch was brilliant. As good as it gets' By Lawrence Booth for MailOnline Published: 14:30 EDT, 30 May 2019 | Updated: 14:30 EDT, 30 May 2019 Ben Stokes enjoyed a ‘full day out’ as England got their World Cup campaign off to the perfect start with a 104-run demolition of South Africa at The Oval. Stokes pulled off an early contender for the catch of the tournament, a one-handed stunner at deep midwicket to send back Andile Phehlukwayo – and later admitted he was cursing himself after going in too far from the ropes. He also hit a crucial 89 in England’s total of 311 ...

England proved they are not a one-trick pony against South Africa and Jason Roy can be a World Cup star - TALKING POINTS England impressively adjusted to the second-ball loss of Jonny Bairstow   Jason Roy proved he can be one of the stars of the World Cup with quick 54  But there are concerns about Moeen Ali's form and he now averages 25 with bat  We already knew this, but Jofra Archer is going to be a gem for England By Lawrence Booth for MailOnline Published: 14:18 EDT, 30 May 2019 | Updated: 14:19 EDT, 30 May 2019 England crushed South Africa by 104 runs to ignite their World Cup campaign at the Oval.  Ben Stokes produced a stunning catch to back up his 89 runs in the first innings and there were plenty of positives for Eoin Morgan's side.  Now that they're up and running, here are Lawrence Booth's eight talking points from the first game.   England are not a one-trick pony After the second-ball loss of Jonny Bairstow, the...

Ben Stokes starred in all departments as England began its quest with a 104-run thrashing of South Africa in the tournament opener at the Oval on Thursday. The all-rounder top-scored with 89 in England’s 311 for eight, held a brilliant catch in the outfield and took two for 12 as England won with 61 balls left. Jofra Archer did the early damage, the fast bowler taking three for 27 in seven overs. Amla injured Barbados-born Archer made his presence felt, even before he had taken a wicket, with a bouncer that beat Hashim Amla for pace and crashed into the grille of the helmet to make the veteran opener retire hurt on five. Archer then reduced the Proteas to 44 for two as Aiden Markram edged to Joe Root at slip and South Africa captain Faf du Plessis fell for just five when he top-edged a hook. But Quinton de Kock kept the Proteas in the hunt, although he was lucky when on 25 he played a ball from leg-spinner Adil Rashid onto his stumps only for the bails to stay put. The left-han...

• England 311-8, South Africa 207 • Home side open campaign with 104-win at the Oval Prompted by a potent opening spell from Jofra Archer and some moments of magic in the field, England began their World Cup campaign with a comfortable 104‑run win against South Africa. No team can be guaranteed to defend 311 in this era but Archer’s opening spell of five overs set England on course. His first intervention was to deliver a bouncer, which struck the head of Hashim Amla – who was compelled to retire and undergo extensive examinations – though he was fit enough to come back later. Related: England beat South Africa by 104 runs to win Cricket World Cup opener – live reaction! Continue reading... from Cricket | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2QCH1LN via IFTTT

Watch highlights as England beat South Africa by 104 runs in the opening game of the 2019 Men's World Cup. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2JNEb6i via IFTTT

South Africa’s Imran Tahir on Thursday became the first spinner to bowl the first over in a World Cup. South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis handed the ball to Tahir after winning the toss and the leg-spinner dismissed England opener Jonny Bairstow (0) off the second ball. In the 1992 World Cup, New Zealand off-spinner Dipak Patel had bowled the second over in the match against Australia. Tahir (40 years and 64 days) also became the oldest South African to play in a World Cup match. The previous record was held by his compatriot Omar Henry (40 years and 39 days). from The Hindu - Cricket http://bit.ly/2HJG7KF via IFTTT

A beleaguered Sri Lanka-A will hope to put up a fight against confident India-A in the second and final ‘Test’, which commences at the KSCA Stadium here on Friday. The Sri Lankans need a quick turnaround from a shoddy show in the first outing at Belagavi, which resulted in a massive innings-and-205-run defeat. Niroshan Dickwella’s attacking century in the first essay was the lone bright spot for the outmatched visitors. The lack of inspiration came as a surprise, given that the unit consists of several players with international experience like skipper Ashan Priyanjan, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan and Lahiru Kumara. Much was expected from Dananjaya, but the spinner barely made an impact. Danajaya went for 136 runs for one wicket, and found little support from his slow partner Sandakan (one for 145). India-A, on the other hand, fired on all cylinders. Priyank Panchal (160), Abhimanyu Easwaran (233), Anmolpreet Singh (116 n.o.) and Siddhesh Lad (76) po...

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza is expected to play his side’s World Cup opener against South Africa on Sunday despite picking up a hamstring strain during the practice match against India. “A lot of times in such cases, I face trouble bowling the first one or two overs. Once I get through that, I don’t face any more problems. I also wasn’t facing any problem today (on Tuesday),” Mashrafe told the Dhaka based bdnews24 as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. “But I pulled a hamstring during the sixth over. I could have stopped after four or five overs but Rohit and Kohli were looking to score runs quickly during that period. I felt that I needed to practice bowling in such a situation.” Mashrafe finished with economical figures of 0 for 23 in six overs but could not deliver in full flow because of the injury. Mashrafe did not field for the most part of India’s innings and also did not come out to bat. Besides, Mashrafe, Shakib is also not fully fit, the skipper said after the game as the...

On the eve of the Cricket World Cup, Prince Harry stoked the rivalry between England and Australia with a cheeky sledge at Aaron Finch during a captains’ reception at Buckingham Palace. “You’re getting on a bit now, aren’t you? How long have you been playing?” the Duke of Sussex asked the 32-year-old Australia skipper, making him laugh. Queen Elizabeth also met the captains ahead of a garden party at the palace on Wednesday. from The Hindu - Cricket http://bit.ly/2QCNhmP via IFTTT

Glamorgan 186 (Selman 76) and 466 (Labuschagne 182, Selman 99, Wells 5-63) drew with Sussex 420 (Brown 131, Salt 103) and 47 for 1 Marnus Labuschagne made a career-best 182 to help Glamorgan maintain their unbeaten record in the Specsavers County Championship as they drew with Sussex at Hove. The Australian reeled off his third Championship century since joining the county at the start of the season as he posted a new county record of 291 for the second wicket with Nick Selman , who was out for 99. After their departures, wickets fell regularly with leg-spinner Luke Wells finishing with a career-best 5 for 63 as Glamorgan were eventually bowled out for 466 just after tea. That left Sussex 27 overs to score 233 at 8.03 runs an over. Sussex had nothing to lose but Phil Salt, the one batsman who could have given them hope of chasing their unlikely target, was caught off the splice when Marchant de Lange dropped short. Wells and Harry Finch took their score to 47 for 1 when the ...

A lean patch of three consecutive single-digit scores, against South Africa, came at the wrong time for Niroshan Dickwella. It was just a month before the World Cup squad was announced, leading the selectors to drop the wicketkeeper-batsman. Dickwella, however, has taken the setback in his stride. “I didn’t get runs in South Africa, and I got dropped. That was my fault,” Dickwella said here on Thursday. “The World Cup is a big event, but at the end of the day, it is just another tournament. Will make a comeback “I look at this as a learning experience. I’m confident that I’ll make a comeback and become a match-winner for Sri Lanka,” he said. The 25-year-old, now part of the touring Sri Lanka-A team, showed his class with a fluent 113-ball 103 in the first unofficial ‘Test’ at Belagavi. “Now I’m back in the runs, and hope to get a big score again in the second match here,” Dickwella said. Asked about the senior team’s chances at the World Cup, Dickwella replied, “We’re on a l...

That Virat Kohli’s imprint on Indian cricket is immense is signalled by the fact that he has ushered in a cultural change. The change has broadly come about in two aspects, his first coach, Rajkumar Sharma, points out — fitness and self-belief. “Now, all our players are very fit. There’s nobody whom we have to hide. Earlier, we would have two or three players we used to hide. It’s the culture that everybody wants to work hard [and be fit]. That is the best thing,” Rajkumar said. Urge to throw Throwing the ball with full strength to the wicketkeeper while fielding may be standard among aspiring cricketers, but the enthusiastic Kohli would ensure he did it every time at the West Delhi Cricket Academy, his cricketing alma mater, regardless of whether anyone was backing up. It didn’t matter whether the throw was needed or not. “Till today, if you watch any of his matches, if he picks up the ball he will throw it hard. So I would have to shout from the boundary line: ‘Virat, mat maar...

Pakistan will seek inspiration from its dramatic Champions Trophy win in England two years ago when it takes on a resurgent West Indies on Friday. Pakistan has lost its past 10 ODIs, including a 5-0 whitewash by Australia and 4-0 thumping by England, and its problems were further compounded when it went down to Afghanistan by three wickets in a warm-up match. But skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed hopes his side will draw inspiration from 2017, when the team was in a similar position. “We will seek inspiration from our Champions Trophy win because then too we were losing and then lifted ourselves at the right time to win the trophy,” Sarfaraz said. Pakistan had lost 4-1 in Australia before the tournament and India thumped it by 124 runs in the opening game. But it then beat South Africa, Sri Lanka and England on its way to the final, where it outclassed India again by 180 runs. “The boys are motivated and by playing in England for a month, we are well prepared and you will hopefully see us...

The BCCI handed a three-month suspension to Uttar Pradesh left-hander Rinku Singh for playing in an unsanctioned T20 league in Abu Dhabi, which has now led to his withdrawal from the India ‘A’ team. While Rinku’s suspension starts on June 1, the BCCI had let go Irfan Pathan with a warning for putting his name in Caribbean Premier League (CPL) draft without the parent body’s prior permission before withdrawal. Similarly, no action was taken against Anuj Rawat for playing unsanctioned T20 league in Mauritius with Pakistan cricketers of dubious credibility. Rinku has also been a part of Kolkata Knight Riders for the past two seasons and it was learnt that he played in the unsanctioned league after the IPL got over. “It has been brought to the notice of the BCCI that First Class cricketer from Uttar Pradesh and India ‘A’ player Rinku Singh participated in an unauthorised T20 tournament in Abu Dhabi,” the BCCI said in a statement. “Singh did not seek permission from the BCCI before ...

Check out the full table for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, updated after each game throughout the tournament Continue reading... from Cricket | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2YXjacE via IFTTT

The Indian team has always been considered as a safe “catching unit” but fielding coach R. Sridhar now wants improvement in the conversion rate for direct throws in the upcoming World Cup. Except Ravindra Jadeja, some of the younger players in the current squad, despite their supreme fitness and agility, are not able to get their direct throws on target, a crucial aspect during close games. Trying to beat the monotony, fielding coach Sridhar introduced a new drill ‘Round The Clock’, wherein fielders at six different positions will take a shy at the non-striker’s end. While the drill seemed to be like ‘old wine in a new bottle’, the players seemed to be enjoying the session, which is the key during a big tournament. The theme “We had an interesting fielding session today. The theme of the session was direct hit. The focus was on the boys getting it right from different angles at the non-striker’s end. “Initially, we started with a drill called ‘Round the Clock’, where there wer...

'That is one of the greatest catches of all time': Ben Stokes takes spectacular one-handed grab to spark wild celebrations at the Oval Andile Phehlukwayo smashed shot that looked destined for the boundary  But Ben Stokes ran back and managed to pluck the ball out of the air  England all-rounder sparked wild celebrations in stands and with the team  By Will Griffee For Mailonline Published: 12:33 EDT, 30 May 2019 | Updated: 12:33 EDT, 30 May 2019 Ben Stokes took an unbelievable catch that will live long in the memory against South Africa in England's opening World Cup clash.  The all-rounder sparked wild celebrations at the Oval with a one-handed grab over his head.  Andile Phehlukwayo smashed shot that looked destined for the boundary but Stokes plucked it out of the air before receiving the crowd's acclaim.  More to follow...  Ben Stokes took a spectacular catch one-handed over his head to dismiss Andile Phehlukwayo "One ...

England's Ben Stokes takes an "incredible" one-handed catch to remove South Africa's Andile Phehlukwayo in the opening Cricket World Cup game. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2KaGM9L via IFTTT

Gloucestershire 205 (Hammond 82) and 68 for 2 drew with Lancashire 244 (Jones 53, Jennings 52, Taylor 5-57) Matt Taylor claimed career-best figures of 5 for 57 as Gloucestershire's County Championship Division Two match against Lancashire at Cheltenham ended in a draw, after days two and three were lost to a wet outfield. Gloucestershire had reached 68 for 2 by 4.50pm local time, when the sides shook hands after an eventful match which will be remembered for the freak storm on the first night. Gloucestershire's opening pair - Miles Hammond and Chris Dent , who reached 8,000 first-class runs during his innings - had put on 55 in 25 overs on the first day as the home side reached 205 in their first innings. Dent and Jack Taylor added 83 for the fifth wicket. England Lions seamer Saqib Mahmood was the stand-out bowler on day one, picking up 4 for 48, with Hammond scoring 82. Lancashire had lost Haseeb Hameed and Jake Lehmann, with David Payne conceding just four runs ...

Watch Quinton de Kock's amazing escape as Adil Rashid's delivery hits the stumps but does not remove the bails during the opening game of the Cricket World Cup. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2WxGaRZ via IFTTT

England's Jofra Archer takes his first World Cup wicket, removing South Africa's Aiden Markram for 11 in the opening game of the competition. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2W3EmvU via IFTTT

South Africa batsman Hashim Amla forced off in World Cup opener after being struck in the head by a 90mph ball from England's Jofra Archer By Max Winters For Mailonline Published: 10:15 EDT, 30 May 2019 | Updated: 10:15 EDT, 30 May 2019 South Africa batsman Hashim Amla was forced off in the opening game of the 2019 World Cup after being struck in the head by a 90mph ball. Jofra Archer's ball inside the first five overs of South Africa's run chase sat up and hit the experienced Amla in the head. It looked as though Amla was okay to continue but it seems concussion tests have shown something up and he has had to retire hurt. New laws allow teams to replace a player who has a concussion or a suspected concussion while tests are carried out.  A player who has been struck on the head will undergo a five-minute on-field assessment and, if there are concerns, they will leave the pitch. South Africa's Hashim Amla was forced off after being struck in the head by...

England open World Cup with sub-par display as they set South Africa 312 target to win despite Ben Stokes hitting 89 runs at The Kia Oval England got off to a uninspiring start in their World Cup opener with South Africa Jonny Bairstow was caught behind for nothing in an awful start for the hosts Jason Roy and Joe Root got things back on track as the pair hit half-centuries Captain Eoin Morgan then contributed 57 runs from 60 balls on Thursday Ben Stokes was the standout performer after hitting 89 to set a target of 312 By James Sharpe For Mailonline Published: 09:15 EDT, 30 May 2019 | Updated: 09:21 EDT, 30 May 2019 England got their World Cup campaign off to an uninspiring start as they set South Africa a target of 312 in the first innings at The Kia Oval.  Jonny Bairstow was bowled out for nothing in an awful start for the hosts before Jason Roy, Joe Root and Eoin Morgan all hit half-centuries.  Ben Stokes spared England's blushes on the opening day...

ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 Dates: 30 May - 14 July Live coverage: Ball-by-ball commentary on Test Match Special, plus text commentary, clips and highlights on the BBC Sport website The Cricket World Cup is under way and we want to know who you think will reach the semi-finals after the initial round-robin stage. Predict here and share with your friends, using #bbccricket. Who will the reach the semi-finals? Choose your semi-finalists and share it with friends. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2Z2qQut via IFTTT

England's Ben Stokes brings up his fifty with an inventive scoop in the opening game of the 2019 Men's World Cup against South Africa. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2Kc6BWY via IFTTT

Derbyshire 139 and 214 (Madsen 51) beat Leicestershire 120 (Palladino 5-29) and 168 by 65 runs Derbyshire's seamers needed less than a session to take the six wickets needed to wrap up a 65-run win in their Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground. Leicestershire resumed their second innings on 110 for 4, needing another 124 runs to win. Hassan Azad and Harry Dearden played solidly enough in the first half hour to give the home dressing room hope, although Azad did not add to his overnight score of 44 before he was dismissed. With the score on 123, Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman asked for the ball to be changed. It was a risk, given it was his second, and therefore under the new rules this season, final such request, but the ball was changed and Luis Reece immediately obtained a little more swing, the left-armer finding the edge of Azad's bat and Wayne Madsen taking the catch. Reece then picked up the wicket of Dearden,...