Cricket Today

West Indies cricket icon Brian Lara was on Wednesday discharged from a hospital in Mumbai, declared “fit and fine” a day after he complained of chest pain . The 50-year old from Trinidad, considered one of the greatest batsmen to have played the game, was admitted to the Global Hospital in Parel after complaining of chest pain during a gym workout session. “He (Lara) has been discharged at 12:20 from the hospital,” a source told PTI. “He is fit and fine,” he added without divulging any further details. In a late evening message on Tuesday, Lara had allayed concerns over his health. “I may have just extended myself in the gym this morning. I was getting a pain in my chest and I just thought that it was best to see a doctor,” he had said. “Just letting everyone know that I am fine, recovering and I will be back in my hotel room tomorrow,” he added. Lara played 131 Tests for the West Indies and averaged 52.89 for his 11,953 runs, while his 299 ODI appearances yielded 10,405 runs...

Morning drizzle in Birmingham delayed the toss for the match between New Zealand and Pakistan. (If you are viewing this on The Hindu app, click this link to open the scorecard in your browser) Preview Riding high on confidence after a much-needed win against South Africa, a buoyant Pakistan takes on New Zealand in a World Cup fixture at Edgbaston on Wednesday. Placed seventh, with two wins and three losses, Pakistan has five points in six games. It needs to win all the remaining three fixtures to keep its semifinals hopes alive. But the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led side will have a mountain to climb against a rampaging New Zealand — which remains unbeaten in the tournament and needs just one more win to confirm its place in the semifinals. from The Hindu - Cricket https://ift.tt/2X8MpwS via IFTTT

Jason Roy is making 'good progress' from his hamstring injury with England set to make last-minute decision on his inclusion against India as hosts look to get their World Cup back on track England will give Jason Roy every chance to prove his fitness for India game His replacement James Vince was removed second ball against Australia Roy's on his way back from hamstring tear which has seen him miss three games England's semi-final hopes are in the balance and need to win one of last two ties By Press Association Sport Staff Published: 04:40 EDT, 26 June 2019 | Updated: 04:40 EDT, 26 June 2019 England opener Jason Roy will be given until the last moment to prove his fitness for Sunday's crucial World Cup showdown with India. Roy is working his way back from a hamstring tear which has forced him to miss the games against Afghanistan , Sri Lanka and Australia, but is being assessed on a daily basis ahead of the Edgbaston encounter. An ECB spokesman s...

Injured England opener missed Sri Lanka and Australia defeats Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer are further injury concerns Jason Roy will be given until the last moment to prove his fitness for Sunday’s crucial World Cup match against India. The England opener is working his way back from a hamstring tear which has forced him to miss the games against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Australia , but is being assessed on a daily basis before the Edgbaston encounter. Related: England’s forward-thinking dies in stages when faced by Australian fire | Barney Ronay Continue reading... from Cricket | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2LiMNlo via IFTTT

England all-rounder Ben Stokes insists that back-to-back losses have not hampered their hopes of winning a maiden World Cup trophy. After a relatively promising start to their World Cup campaign, England suffered consecutive losses to Sri Lanka (by 20 runs) and Australia (64 runs) to find themselves in a precarious position. It was once again an unsuccessful chase that proved their undoing as Australia’s 285/7 was more than enough when left-arm seamers Jason Behrendorff and Mitchell Starc took nine wickets between them. England have slid to the fourth position in the 10-team standings with eight points from seven games. The hosts now have two tough games remaining against India on June 30 and New Zealand on July 3. “This is our World Cup. We’ve had great support over the last four years and we know how much the World Cup means to fans and we know that as players as well. It’s one of the biggest times and greatest times to be a cricketer, which is to represent your country at a Wo...

England's James Vince is bowled on the second ball of the innings by Australia's Jason Behrendorff in their World Cup match at Lord's. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2Ne9oSx via IFTTT

The New Zealanders are doing it again. Often the quiet achiever at cricket World Cups, New Zealand can secure its eighth semifinal spot with a win against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Wednesday. The unbeaten New Zealand have 11 points from six games; seventh-place Pakistan has five points with an outside chance of advancing. The two teams have a history at the World Cup. Pakistan is hoping for a repeat of 1992 when it endured a poor start, before going on to win the title after beating New Zealand in the semifinal with its future prime minister, Imran Khan, hitting 44. Reaching the last four has become commonplace for the Kiwis with other semifinal appearances in 1975, ‘79, ‘99 (against Pakistan), 2007, ‘11 and ‘15. It finally broke a hoodoo last time around to advance for the first time to the final, but then lost to co-host Australia. Pakistan’s lineup knows any realistic hopes of making the last four would end with a defeat. A key challenge for them will be claiming No. 3 Kane W...

Australia's Marcus Stoinsis is run out after a mix-up with teammate Steve Smith, leaving both batsmen at the same end in their World Cup match against England. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2Fxlfoo via IFTTT

Injured and with a batting average of four, Eddie Hemmings found a gap to win the B&H Cup and end Essex’s dominance Everybody remembers the ending. With one ball remaining Nottinghamshire had to score three to win, and steal the Benson & Hedges Cup away from Essex. “To bowl the last ball was John Lever, 40 years old, 40 years wise,” wrote Mike Selvey in the Guardian. “Facing was Eddie Hemmings, four days older than Lever and no less wise or yeoman-hearted. It was a shoot-out of the old brigade. A game now of bluff, double bluff and raw nerve. Gooch and Lever took an eternity to set the field. Lever breathed deep and set off.” It was 1989; Essex were the most successful side of the decade and apparently on their way to winning everything again. Three times in the 1980s they had won the County Championship, and three times the Sunday league. This year they led them both, topping the county table after 12 of 22 games with a handy 33-point lead over Worcestershire (to put that in ...

Australia's Steve Smith is booed by the crowd at Lord's as he takes to the crease against England in their Cricket World Cup match. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2NeYhsy via IFTTT

Andrew McDonald is set to be named as the head coach of the Birmingham-based team in The Hundred, Birmingham Phoenix. While earlier reports had suggested that Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, was frontrunner for the job, ESPNcricinfo understands that McDonald has been given the role after eight candidates were shortlisted for the position. Daniel Vettori , the former New Zealand allrounder, will be his assistant. McDonald, a seam-bowling allrounder who was good enough to play four Tests for Australia, is only 38 but has quickly made a name for himself as a coach. As well as leading Victoria to two Sheffield Shield titles, he has coached them to victory in the one-day domestic title and Melbourne Renegades to their first BBL title in the 2018-19 season. He has also held coaching roles in the IPL (he has been bowling coach at Royal Challengers Bangalore) and in county cricket, where he led a revival of Leicestershire from a low base. The appointment of Vettori as his deputy is, ...

Why didn't she just stump her? Bizarre scenes during England's T20 victory over West Indies as bowler Kate Cross misses simple run-out chance Bowler Kate Cross left fans perplexed during England women's T20 victory The England bowler missed an easy run-out opportunity at the non-striker's end She instead threw the ball to the striker's end where the batswoman was safe The mishap did not matter as England went on to win by 42 runs in Northampton  By Peter Rutzler For Mailonline Published: 07:46 EDT, 25 June 2019 | Updated: 07:46 EDT, 25 June 2019 Kate Cross left fans scratching their heads after suffering a hilarious brain-fade during England Women's T20 victory over West Indies on Friday. The England bowler missed an easy run-out opportunity at the non-striker's end while the hosts attempted to defend a run total of 181 in Northampton. After receiving the ball from cover, Cross was presented with the chance to dismiss the non-striking batsw...

David Warner hits a thick edge straight into the hands of England captain Joe Root for the first wicket in their match against Australia at Lord's in the Cricket World Cup. FOLLOW LIVE: England v Australia - in-play clips, radio and text Available to UK users only. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2YbE08r via IFTTT

Former international cricketer Brian Lara was taken to the Global Hospital in Parel on Tuesday. While hospital authorities refused to divulge any information, sources said that he had complained of chest pain. He was brought to the hospital at around 12.30 p.m. and medical investigations were started immediately. Sources said that he was at an event in a nearby hotel when he complained of discomfort. (This is a developing story) from The Hindu - Cricket http://bit.ly/2KDA8tq via IFTTT

Are England just a bunch of “flat-track bullies”? That's the uncomfortable question facing Eoin Morgan's side as they look to get their World Cup campaign back on track against arch-rivals Australia. Tuesday's match at Lord's was always going to be a showpiece occasion, but it has been given added spice by England's 20-run loss to Sri Lanka. (If you are viewing this on The Hindu app, click this link to open the scorecard in your browser) Faced with a relatively modest target of 233 on a tricky Headingley pitch, England slumped to 212 all out. Despite their second defeat of the pool phase following an earlier loss to Pakistan, the tournament hosts remained in the top four and on course for a semi-final spot. Read the full preview from The Hindu - Cricket http://bit.ly/2X3EX0U via IFTTT

England vs Australia - Cricket World Cup LIVE: Follow all the action from Lord's as Eoin Morgan's side face the old enemy in crucial match England face Australia in crucial Cricket World Cup encounter at Lord's Shock defeat to Sri Lanka on Friday has left hosts under pressure to qualify It was their second loss in six matches in group stage where top four go through Captain Eoin Morgan insisted it wasn't quite a must-win encounter in London But with India and New Zealand to come, England have little margin for error  By Glen Williams For Mailonline Published: 04:57 EDT, 25 June 2019 | Updated: 04:57 EDT, 25 June 2019 England take on old enemy Australia in a crucial Cricket World Cup encounter at Lord's as they try and get their tournament back on track. Eoin Morgan's side suffered a shock defeat to Sri Lanka at Headingley in their last fixture on Friday, their second loss of the group stage. It means they need to win at least one of their fin...

The England captain, Eoin Morgan, has said it his not his role to ask supporters not to boo Australia's Steve Smith and David Warner, who served bans from cricket for last year’s ball-tampering scandal. Fifteen months have passed since the  Cape Town incident  that led to the Australian batsmen being stood down from leadership roles, suspended from international cricket for a year and the subject of widespread public criticism. However, Morgan believes that rebuilding public trust takes longer Eoin Morgan declines to ask England fans not to boo Smith and Warner Continue reading... from Cricket | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Xv4jt6 via IFTTT

England faces Australia on Tuesday in one of the most eagerly anticipated matches at the World Cup so far. Hosts England have lost twice, against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, while Australia are riding high after five wins out of six, with their only defeat coming against India. AFP Sport looks at three key battles in the match at Lord's: Warner v Archer — top-order tussle Jofra Archer has given England's attack a new dimension with his raw pace, taking 15 wickets so far to top the charts at the World Cup alongside Australia's Mitchell Starc and Pakistan's Mohammad Amir. The Barbados-born bowler has linked up well with Chris Woakes and Mark Wood to give Eoin Morgan's side impressive firepower and the ability to decapitate the top order. Warner is right back at the top of the international game after returning from a year-long ban for ball-tampering with something to prove. He scored a relatively sedate 89 not out off 114 balls in Australia's first match aga...

Botham came off the stage at Bournemouth’s Pavilion Theatre and inspired England to victory over Australia at the World Cup By Steven Pye for the Guardian Sport Network Things were rarely dull where Ian Botham was concerned. After all, anyone who is an inspiration to David Brent is going to be an entertainer. Botham wrote his own script for England one last time at the Cricket World Cup in 1992. Yet, as his teammates jetted off for a tour of New Zealand in January 1992, a very different set of scripts were causing a stir among the British press. Botham joined the tour late after being given permission to appear on A Question of Sport and a pantomime in Bournemouth, where he was playing the part of the king in Jack and the Beanstalk. Most journalists were delighted by his absence; oh no they weren’t. Botham’s decision to put King before country did not go down well with the press. “I’ll settle for the grim conclusion that in terms of basic morality, of what is plainly right or wron...

Afghanistan's Hashmatullah Shahidi takes a brilliant catch to remove Bangladesh's Liton Das for 16 in the Cricket World Cup. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/31Qmdpt via IFTTT

Are England just a bunch of “flat-track bullies”? That's the uncomfortable question facing Eoin Morgan's side as they look to get their World Cup campaign back on track against arch-rivals Australia. Tuesday's match at Lord's was always going to be a showpiece occasion, but it has been given added spice by England's 20-run loss to Sri Lanka. Faced with a relatively modest target of 233 on a tricky Headingley pitch, England slumped to 212 all out. Despite their second defeat of the pool phase following an earlier loss to Pakistan, the tournament hosts remained in the top four and on course for a semi-final spot. But England, bidding to win the World Cup for the first time, cannot afford many more slip-ups in their remaining pool fixtures against fellow title contenders Australia, India and New Zealand — teams they have not defeated at a World Cup since 1992. England's rise to the top of the one-day international rankings since their woeful first-round exi...

• Opener has not recovered from hamstring injury • Roy hopes to be fit for India match on Sunday Jason Roy has been ruled out of Tuesday’s World Cup match against Australia at Lord’s. Related: Bangladesh v Afghanistan: Cricket World Cup 2019 – live! Continue reading... from Cricket | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2xcmEfw via IFTTT

Eager to keep the semi-final hopes alive, a desperate Bangladesh will have their work cut out when they take on a spirited Afghanistan in a do-or-die World Cup encounter in Southampton on Monday. England’s defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka on Friday breathed air into Bangladesh’s hopes of securing a semifinal berth and the ‘Tigers’ will be keen on making the most of the situation starting with a win over the bottom-placed Afghanistan. The Mashrafe Mortaza-led side, which is currently placed at sixth spot with five points, has batted pretty well so far in the tournament. (If you are viewing this on The Hindu app, click this link to open the scorecard in your browser) Read full preview from The Hindu - Cricket http://bit.ly/2X0TDD9 via IFTTT

In another extract from his new book, Vic Marks explains how his time with TMS started in India and why his favourite commentator was Tony Cozier Working on Test Match Special has never been my main job and on most days it does not feel like a job at all. I first appeared on the programme in Delhi on 17 December 1984 as an emergency replacement. England were playing the second Test against India and, as ever, I was in the touring party but not in the team. On the fifth day the match was bubbling up nicely. India collapsed dramatically in their second innings, leaving England with a modest victory target of 125 and an unexpected chance to level the series on the final afternoon. It was at this point that Peter Baxter, the producer of TMS, popped his head into the England dressing room. In those days – and on that tour in particular – it was still possible for a member of the media to be welcomed into the dressing room during a match. I was there alongside our assistant manager, Norman ...

The question is whether Australia now have a team that will match-up effectively against an England team who, for all their former success, need to keep it together in the here and now from Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com https://es.pn/2N7H8Rr via IFTTT

South Africa must learn from England if they are to rebuild from World Cup disaster, claims Jacques Kallis South Africa were beaten by Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup on Sunday The Proteas have won only one of their seven matches at the tournament so far It comes four years after England failed to qualify for the quarter-finals in 2015 Jacques Kallis says South Africa must take inspiration from England's rebuild  By Reuters Reporter Published: 02:37 EDT, 24 June 2019 | Updated: 02:37 EDT, 24 June 2019 South Africa must look to emulate England as they look to rebuild their squad and change their one-day international (ODI) mentality following a premature exit from the World Cup, former all-rounder Jacques Kallis has said. The Proteas lost by 49 runs to Pakistan on Sunday, ruling themselves out of contention for the semi-finals in the process having won only one of their seven matches at the tournament - a win over minnows Afghanistan . England had similarly fai...

The Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Police on Saturday arrested two people from Grant Road for accepting bets on the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. The two accused, Vishwas Takalkar (51) from Mumbai and Ajay Kantraj (24) from Bengaluru, were picked up from Hotel Balwas at Grant Road. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Anti Narcotics Cell), Shivdeep Lande said, “We received preliminary information about the betting from our sources. We caught the accused red-handed while they were betting on the New Zealand vs West Indies match.” A case has been registered with the D. B. Marg police station. Mr. Lande said they recovered a register from Mr. Takalkar and Mr. Kantraj, which included day-to-day bet entries of the various punters for different matches, totalling up to approximately ₹14 crore. Authorities are now on the lookout for the kingpin of the racket. “We are investigating to identify the mastermind behind this multi-crore racket, who was providing ball by ball information a...

The city-based ‘Blades of Glory’, touted as a one-of-a-kind museum in India, dedicated only to the sport of cricket, has been added to the online ‘Google Art and Culture’ platform. With this recognition on Thursday, cricket enthusiasts all over the world can now access a 360-degree view of the museum, the brainchild of Rohan Pate, a former U-19 Maharashtra cricket player. It features 30,000 items of cricket memorabilia in its collection. Mr. Pate’s cricket museum now joins the ranks of elite museums like London’s Tate Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the Uffizi in Florence. Google Arts and Culture is an online platform providing high resolution images of artworks housed in their partner museums. ‘Huge accolade’ “I feel extremely honoured and grateful that ‘Blades of Glory’ has been accredited by Google. This is a huge accolade and it will help fans around the world get acquainted with the museum,” Mr. Pate said. The museum, set up in 2012, was inaugur...

Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed won the toss and elected to bat against South Africa in their crucial World Cup match at Lord’s, here Sunday. Placed at number eight and nine in the points table, South Africa and Pakistan have just three points in their kitty. Pakistan, the 1992 champions, need to win all remaining four matches to remain in hunt for the semifinals. If South Africa lose today, they will be knocked out of the tournament. (If you are viewing this on The Hindu app, click this link to open the scorecard in your browser) Pakistan have brought back Haris Sohail and Shaheen Afridi in place of Hasan Ali and Shoaib Malik while South Africa are unchanged. Teams: Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (C), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir. South Africa: Faf du Plessis (C), Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Chris...

India skipper Virat Kohli has been fined 25% of his match fee for appealing in an aggressive manner during their tense World Cup win over Afghanistan, in Southampton on June 22. “Kohli was found to have breached Article 2.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘Excessive appealing during an International Match’,” an ICC release said. June 22 incident occurred in the 29th over of the Afghanistan innings, when Kohli advanced towards umpire Aleem Dar after pacer Jasprit Bumrah struck Rahmat Shah on his pads and appealed for an lbw decision. It was a breach of Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which carries a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points. Kohli admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by the match referee Chris Broad of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, and as such, there was no need for a formal hearing. In add...

India captain Virat Kohli fined 25 per cent of his match fee for 'excessive appealing' during Afghanistan win By Press Association Published: 05:43 EDT, 23 June 2019 | Updated: 05:45 EDT, 23 June 2019 India captain Virat Kohli has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for 'excessive appealing' in the narrow World Cup victory over Afghanistan at Southampton . Kohli has also had one demerit point added to his disciplinary record after he was found to have approached umpire Aleem Dar in an aggressive manner when appealing an lbw decision during the 29th over of the 11-run win. Kohli was found to have breached Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct. Article 2.1 of the code relates to 'excessive appealing during an international match'. India captain Virat Kohli has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for 'excessive appealing' Kohli speaks to umpire Richard Illingworth during Saturday's victory over Afghanistan There was no need for ...

In an exclusive extract from his new book Original Spin, Vic Marks talks about the tensions that tore his county team apart in 1986 Shockwaves were felt across Somerset at the end of the 1986 season when the club announced that their overseas players, Viv Richards and Joel Garner, would be replaced by Martin Crowe, with the inevitable consequence of Ian Botham’s departure. Somerset had finished 16th in the championship and there was a critical loss to Lancashire in the second round of the NatWest Trophy in July. Defeat in that competition at that stage of the season condemned a county side, which was struggling in the other competitions, to another trophy-less season. That was always when the mumbling started in the committee rooms. Related: Trevor Bayliss avows to heed wake-up call as Australia lie in wait Whenever I found myself batting with Viv Richards he was, of course, a reassuring presence. He did not say much out in the middle but he always engaged with his partner. He did...

Gareth Southgate has led a revolution that has produced better results and entertainment while England’s cricketers have also benefited from a more aggressive attitude Among the myriad skills that are employed in different sports one that is shared by all is risk assessment. Though it sounds like some dark art practised by insurance agents, it is the basic cost-benefit analysis that most competitors make intuitively and upon which all coaches are fixated. Namely, does a given action increase the likelihood of gaining an advantage more than it increases the likelihood of suffering a setback? That is the question a full-back has to ask each time he sprints down the wing. Or a tennis player when she rushes the net. And overall it is this matter that governs how a sport is played: the style, attitude, tactics and strategy. You can see this most clearly with football and cricket, two sports that, aside from team size, have little in common. Yet both have been transformed in recent years, p...

Sachin Tendulkar was left disappointed by India’s slow batting display against Afghanistan and said the middle-order batsmen, including Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav, lacked positive intent during their tense World Cup clash in Southampton. India’s famed middle-order failed to counter the Afghanistan spinners as the Gulbadin Naib-led side restricted the two-time champions to a below-par 224 for eight. With 16 runs to get in the last over, Mohammad Nabi (52 off 55) came excruciatingly close to leading his side to their maiden victory in the tournament before Afghanistan were bowled out for 213. A last over hat-trick by Mohammad Shami along with excellent death over bowling by Jasprit Bumrah saved the day for India. “I felt slightly disappointed, it could have been much better. I was also not happy with the partnership between Kedar and Dhoni, it was very slow. We batted 34 overs of spin bowling and scored 119 runs. This was one area where we didn’t look comfortable at all...

India skipper Virat Kohli said the hard-fought win over Afghanistan in the Word Cup was much-needed as it helped the two-time champions to show their character and clinch a victory from the jaws of defeat. Mohammed Shami’s last-over hat-trick on June 22 saved India from a mighty scare after they managed to pip Afghanistan by 11 runs to inch closer towards World Cup semi-finals. Shami (9.5-1-40-4), playing his first match, not only successfully defended 16 runs off the last over but also dismissed the dangerous Mohammed Nabi (52 off 55 balls), Aftab Alam (0) and Mujeeb ur Rahman (0) off successive deliveries to complete the rare feat. Afghanistan were bowled out for 213 in pursuit of a manageable 225-run target which at one stage looked gettable after the Indian middle-order flopped in their first World Cup test. “This game was way more important for us, because things didn’t go as planned. That’s when you need to show character and bounce back,” Kohli said at the post-match pres...

Carlos Brathwaite nearly pulled off a World Cup heist to remember with a stunning maiden ODI hundred. Tough to know how this guy @TridentSportsX must feel right now. Mixed feelings he said. What a great effort by him to almost clinch one of the great comebacks. Well played Carlos. pic.twitter.com/HbeZx6OkoI — ian bishop (@irbishi) June 22, 2019 Hard luck @windiescricket great display of fight by @TridentSportsX keep your head up son. #meninmaroon — DS88 (@darensammy88) June 22, 2019 Inches away from being "Colossus Brathwaite" at Old Trafford! What drama! #WIvNZ @cricketworldcup #CricketWorldCup @BLACKCAPS — Alan Wilkins (@alanwilkins22) June 22, 2019 Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely devastated for @TridentSportsX incredible knock @cricketworldcup #CWC19 — Isa Guha (@isaguha) June 22, 2019 Carlos Brathwaite! What a 100, so near yet so far but an innings to remember for a long long time . World Cup is truly alive now #WIvNZ — Virender Sehwag ...

'The hundred doesn't matter if you don't win': Carlos Brathwaite admits first international century was 'bittersweet' as West Indies lose World Cup thriller to New Zealand By David Charlesworth, Press Association Sport Published: 02:29 EDT, 23 June 2019 | Updated: 02:29 EDT, 23 June 2019 Carlos Brathwaite admitted his maiden international hundred was a 'bittersweet' feeling after falling agonisingly short of leading the West Indies to an against-all-odds World Cup victory. The Windies slumped to 164 for seven against New Zealand in pursuit of a target of 292 at Old Trafford, but that merely set the stage for Brathwaite, who bludgeoned nine fours and five sixes in a staggering 80-ball hundred. However, with six needed for victory, Brathwaite swung mightily again, only to hole out to long-on, where Trent Boult held on to the catch and avoided stepping over the boundary as the Kiwis escaped with a five-run win. Carlos Brathwaite is consoled b...

Media attention, pressure, depression - Barty went through it all, and it took a stint with cricket to set things right The satellite city emerges from a forest of eucalyptus. Large brick houses sit on well-tended blocks of land, where boats and motor homes loiter in the driveways. The shrieks of small children flying down the footpaths on bikes are the only sound in this quiet, comfortable suburban setting. Springfield, south-west of Brisbane, is Australia’s first privately built city, and the country’s largest master-planned community. This carefully organised, middle-class world of family homes is where Ashleigh Barty grew up in warm winter sun, surrounded by straggly Australian bush. And it’s where tennis’s golden girl – now just one win away from becoming world No 1 – still lives, five minutes from her parents. We didn’t realise how much she didn’t like the attention and the limelight Related: Ashleigh Barty: a humble and hugely popular grand slam champion | Simon Cambers ...

With both teams virtually out of the semifinal race, South Africa and Pakistan will be battling it out for a consolation win in their World Cup match at the Lord’s here on Sunday. Having mustered just three points from six games, South Africa are all but out of the tournament while Pakistan might still sneak into the semifinals, provided they win their remaining four games and other results go in their favour. When Pakistan were pummelled by West Indies in their tournament opener, many of their loyal fans drew parallel to their triumphant campaign in 1992 when they scripted a sensational turnaround to win the title. However, following Pakistan’s heavy loss against India on June 16, not many of their supporters have any hopes left from their struggling side. It is not a surprise that the fans have shown little restraint in their criticism of the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led side and stories of factionalism have surfaced from nowhere. “It (severe criticism) is usual in Pakistan cricket afte...

Their campaign deflated after early promise, the West Indies face a do-or-die battle against a confident-looking New Zealand in a crucial World Cup tie in Manchester on Saturday. The Windies started their World Cup campaign with a bang, demolishing Pakistan by seven wickets. (If you are viewing this on The Hindu app, click this link to open the scorecard in your browser) But since then, things have gone from bad to worse for the Caribbeans and they have suffered three defeats (against Australia, England and Bangladesh) while the game against South Africa was washed out. The West Indies are currently lying seventh in the 10-team standings with just three points in their kitty and they can’t afford any further loss to stay in the mix for a semifinal spot. Read the full preview from The Hindu - Cricket http://bit.ly/2WZWC9M via IFTTT

Martin Guptill is trapped lbw for a golden duck on the first ball of New Zealand's match against West Indies at the Cricket World Cup. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2Kx8gqY via IFTTT

India's MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav survive a run out opportunity due to "a terrible mishap" by the Afghanistan fielders in their World Cup group game. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2N4LlFI via IFTTT

India captain Virat Kohli falls for 67, to leave India 135-4, in the World Cup group game against Afghanistan at the Hampshire Bowl. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2N4Ps4F via IFTTT

India opener Rohit Sharma is bowled by Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman for one in the World Cup group game at the Hampshire Bowl. from BBC Sport - Cricket https://bbc.in/2WU6n9r via IFTTT

India’s star-studded line-up could well break a few batting records when they face the tournament’s favourite whipping boys Afghanistan in what threatens to be another lopsided contest at the ICC World Cup, on Saturday. One of the title contenders, India’s match against Afghanistan could well be a glorified net session in which they would like to put up a resounding performance that not only eases their passage to the semi-final but also ensures a good net run-rate. (If you are viewing this on The Hindu app, click this link to open the scorecard in your browser) Afghanistan’s controversial campaign, marred by poor on and off-field decisions, has gone from bad to worse. And they now face the onerous task of squaring off against a galaxy of world class players, whose performance graph is on the upswing. India is one team that endured tougher matches right at the beginning and Virat Kohli’s men have looked quite invincible in their one-sided wins against South Africa, Australia and...

Zimbabwe Cricket has been suspended with immediate effect by the Sports and Recreation Commission, the governing organisation of all registered sporting associations in Zimbabwe. ZC acting Managing Director Givemore Makoni has also been suspended from his position, according to a press release issued on Friday. The move from the SRC came a week after it issued a directive that ZC’s electoral process be suspended following alleged complaints about the nomination process and the violation of ZC’s constitution. But the cricket board ignored the directive, and Mr. Makoni was re-elected for another four-year term following the meeting. The SRC said that it was forced to act after several complaints of violations of the constitution and other controversies. “It cannot be in national interest that a national sporting association continues to conduct itself in a manner that it suggests that it and its officials are a law unto themselves. Certain of its office bearers, past and present,...