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Kent 228 for 3 (Denly 73*, Bell-Drummond 66) beat Middlesex 215 for 7 (Holden 121*) by 13 runsMax Holden’s magnificent century spearheaded a valiant Middlesex chase in the Vitality Blast, but it was not enough as they fell short of a record Lord’s T20 total by Kent Spitfires.Holden led his side’s assault on an improbable target of 229 with a career-best T20 knock of 121 not out from 59 balls to maintain the Seaxes’ hopes of finally breaking their duck in the tournament.But Kent held on for their second successive South Group win, having posted 228 for 3 thanks to Daniel Bell-Drummond, who struck 66 from 42 before Joe Denly savaged his former side’s ragged bowling attack with an unbeaten 73 from 37.The Spitfires remain in contention but, although Middlesex’s reply equalled their sixth best total in Blast history, they remain without a point after suffering their ninth straight defeat.The home side conceded 24 extras, with neither of their main seamers able to complete a full four overs – Tom Helm withdrawn from the fray for bowling too many above waist height and Blake Cullen limping off injured.Having won the toss and chosen to bat, the Spitfires made steady progress as opening pair Tawanda Muyeye and Bell-Drummond shared a partnership of 88 – their fourth in excess of 50 in the last five Blast games.Bell-Drummond, who called for a change of bat in the third over, immediately confirmed his new selection to be a good one by dispatching his next two deliveries from Cullen for six and four.Muyeye took longer to get into his stride, slicing Martin Andersson over gully for his first boundary, but he followed that up with a straight drive over the rope as Kent powered along at around 10 an over.Having been caught at backward point off a Cullen no-ball, Muyeye failed to capitalise and skied to deep midwicket later in the same over for 38, but his replacement Denly proceeded to find the gaps with expertise.Bell-Drummond thumped Luke Hollman to the fence to bring up his half-century, although he missed the chance to convert that into a ton when Cullen slanted one back into him and Helm took a diving catch at point.It was left to Denly, who reached his first 50 of the campaign from 28 and Sam Billings – rounding off the innings with an enormous six off Ryan Higgins – to steer the Spitfires to their fourth-best total in T20 cricket.The daunting 229 target always looked beyond Middlesex’s reach, compounded when they lost openers Joe Cracknell and Stephen Eskinazi inside the first three overs of their reply, both falling to top edges that were comfortably clasped by Billings.However, Holden displayed defiance, thrashing Fred Klaassen and Kane Richardson for sixes as the latter’s first over disappeared for 20 and he and Higgins – promoted to three – shared a spirited stand of 77 from 35.Michael Hogan seemed to have scuppered any Middlesex hopes of a successful chase, stooping to grab a return catch and dismiss Higgins for 35 from 22 before Richardson returned to pick up two wickets in four balls.But Holden kept going with a combination of timing and power, slamming Hogan for two sixes and then cutting him over slip for a four that took him to his second Blast hundred from 49 deliveries.However, the left-hander’s brave effort was ultimately in vain as Middlesex – needing 24 from the final over – could only manage 10.

Memorable hitting from Alex Lees, David Bedingham and Graham Clark propelled Durham to a record List A total of 427 for 9 at Hove, setting up a crushing 132-run win against shell-shocked Sussex Sharks – later bowled out for 295 – in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.A good-sized crowd of more than 2,000 saw Durham captain and former England Test opener Lees score a magnificent career-best 144, from 107 balls and featuring 19 fours.But as impressive as Lees was, the truly spectacular strokeplay came from Bedingham, who struck seven sixes and six fours in a runaway 102 from just 54 balls, and Clark, whose 58-ball 72 included three sixes and seven fours.Bedingham and Lees blitzed 194 for the second wicket in only 19 overs after Clark and Lees had opened up with 135 in the first 17 overs following Durham’s decision to bat.Only Tom Haines, with 65 from 56 balls, put up any sort of challenge to Durham’s massive score as Tom Alsop was bowled in the second over of Sussex’s reply and returning Indian Test star Cheteshwar Pujara disappointingly slapped a return catch to off-spinner George Drissell.James Coles also pulled a long hop from Liam Trevaskis to midwicket to go for 12 and Haines edged Jonathan Bushnell’s medium pace behind to leave the Sharks 113 for 4 in the 19th over. From there it was only a matter of time before Durham completed victory, although Fynn Hudson-Prentice had some lower-order fun with two sixes and eight fours of his own in a 34-ball 65 and Henry Crocombe helped himself to a career-high 47 before being last man out.Lees struck a remarkable six fours in one seven-ball Crocombe over, which included a no ball and cost the young paceman 26 runs, while off-spinner Jack Carson’s first three overs were plundered for 41. To both Sussex bowlers’ credit, they stuck to their thankless tasks on a belting batting pitch to finish with 3 for 81 and 4 for 83 respectively.Bedingham struck left-arm quick Bradley Currie for three sixes in an over, and two straight sixes off successive balls from slow left-armer Coles. His first six, perhaps the biggest hit of the lot, was hoisted off Carson, and he also swung Haines’ medium pace high over the same hospitality boxes.Clark, who took two legside sixes off Hudson-Prentice’s seam-up and a glorious extra cover four besides, began the carnage by flipping Steven Finn over the long leg ropes in the former England fast bowler’s fourth over with the new ball, which also contained three legside wides. Finn later left the field, despite some boundary-edge treatment, and also did not bat.There were 12 sixes and 37 fours in Durham’s imposing total, which comfortably eclipsed their previous List A best of 405 for 4, made against Kent at Beckenham in 2021.At one stage, when the Lees-Bedingham stand was at its height, it looked as if Durham would make 500, let alone top 400. Indeed, at the 35-over mark they were 320 for 1 but Lees fell in the next over to spark a collapse – if it could be called that – of six wickets for 19 runs in 4.3 overs.However, Bushnell and Michael Jones then added a sensibly-paced 65 in eight overs for the eighth wicket, and Durham’s score easily passed 400 in the end.Jones drove Crocombe straight for six in a 29-ball 38 before falling to a catch in the deep off the same bowler in the penultimate over. Drissell managed one neatly cut four in a brief stay and Bushnell remained unbeaten on 37, from 31 balls.Earlier, Crocombe had Clark caught at deep square leg and later added the wickets of Bedingham, taken at long off in the 37th over, while Carson sent back Lees, leg-before sweeping, Migael Pretorius, Ben McKinney and Trevaskis in quick succession.When Hudson-Prentice bowled Paul Coughlin, at the start of the 41st over, Durham were suddenly 348 for seven but the Jones-Bushnell partnership ensured a record-breaking total was reached.

A Katie George-inspired Central Sparks chased down a 164 target in 19 overs at Headingley to maintain their excellent recent form and pile more misery on defending Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy champions Northern Diamonds, winning by five wickets.A rain-ravaged fixture was completed with two balls remaining following showers all day. Former England all-rounder George starred with 2 for 46 from seven overs of left-arm seam and then 56 off 35 balls.The Diamonds were in a healthy position on 223 for 4 from 34 of 37 scheduled overs, with rain taking the players from the field at 3.20pm after a delayed start.When play resumed at 4.45pm, the Sparks were set their target, which they reached amidst an entertaining finale thanks to George’s best 50-over score this summer – her first campaign with the Midlanders.The second-placed Sparks have now won the last four matches they’ve played – they were rained off at home to Western Storm last week, while the Diamonds have lost their last three to dent their title defence and drop out of the top three qualifying places.Diamonds captain Hollie Armitage accelerated into a fine 66 off 56 balls, while Bess Heath crashed an unbeaten 49 off 31. They shared 66 inside seven overs for the fourth wicket from 131 for 3 in the 26th over.Play finally started at 12.40pm, with the game reduced to 39 overs per side. Another brief shower following the start forced a 37 -overs contest.The Diamonds got off to a fluent but not blistering start as Lauren Winfield-Hill and Sterre Kalis shared 60 inside 12 overs.Winfield-Hill made 28, while Kalis made 36 less than 24 hours after representing the Netherlands in a T20 international against Thailand in Utrecht.Such was the tight turnaround that Kalis’s kit was stuck on a flight, and she was forced to use an old bat of hers and some borrowed kit from team-mates. But she played confidently as the Sparks erred in line and length.England fast bowler Issy Wong was the main culprit, regularly bowling full tosses which were despatched to the fence.The innings slowed up after the off-spin of Georgia Davis bowled Winfield-Hill and Kalis was caught behind off George’s left-arm seam to make it 83 for 2 after 15 overs.Emma Marlow later fell to a smart diving catch by Bethan Ellis at cover off George, leaving the score at 131 for 3 in the 26th over and paving the way for Armitage and Heath to really open up. Both hit sixes over long-on.Forty four runs came in three overs from 153 for 3 after 29, though Armitage, having reached her fifty in 51 balls, fell to a stunning diving catch by Erin Burns on the run from long-on off Davis. Only two more overs were possible in the Diamonds’ innings before rain.When play resumed, the Sparks started their chase well, reaching 40 without loss in the fifth over and helped by two lots of five wides.Australian Burns, promoted to open, was first to go when caught at mid-on off Jess Woolston’s seam.Katie Levick bowled a sweeping Abbey Freeborn shortly afterwards before George hit the leg-spinner for three fours in the 10th over – two wide of long-on – to take the score to 84 for 2.Eve Jones, for 26, then scooped Grace Hall’s slingy seam to short fine-leg in the next over, leaving the score at 89 for 3.But George, helped by former Diamond Ami Campbell, maintained the momentum to ensure the Sparks won for the fifth time in nine games.George reached 50 off 30 balls and took the target to nine off the last two overs. She shared 72 with fourth-wicket partner Campbell, who added 27.Both were bowled by Levick at the start of the last over to heighten nerves, but it was too little, too late. Charis Pavely hit the winning runs.

A reserve day has been added to the India vs Pakistan Super Four game of the Asia Cup on September 10. It is the only match apart from the final to have a reserve day. The change to the playing conditions was announced by PCB, advising spectators to hold on to their tickets should a reserve day be required.For both the matches with the provision for a reserve day, efforts will be made to complete the match on the original day even if it means shortening the contest. If the reserve day is triggered, the duration of the contest will remain the same as on the last ball of day one.Related

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Rain had forced a washout in Pallekele when the two teams first faced each other in this Asia Cup. Rain then returned in India’s first international match against Nepal, at the same venue, but it wasn’t as persistent on the day, allowing India a 23-over chase, which they aced to qualify for the Super Four.The late decision to add a reserve day for only the India-Pakistan match in the Super Four round didn’t go down too well with Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe”I haven’t seen this kind of thing in another tournament, this changing rules in the middle of the tournament,” he said at a press conference. “I am sure there is a technical committee that has representations from every participating countries. They must have decided for some other reason. Yes, it is not ideal. We would love to have an extra day also. Other than that, I don’t have much to comment because they have made a decision.

Western Australia sniffed a remarkable Sheffield Shield victory on a sedate WACA pitch, but Tasmania hung on to force a draw.After only 18 wickets fell in the first 10 sessions, the match unexpectedly came alive late on day four when WA’s attack tore through Tasmania’s stuttering batting order.Tasmania wobbled at 70 for 5 early in the final session before Beau Webster and Brad Hope guided them to safety.Related

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“It was nice to hang on,” Webster said. “It was a different WACA wicket…it was a different sort of challenge than we are used to coming out west.”Emerging offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli continued his strong start to the Shield season as he targeted the rough to particularly trouble the left-handed batters. He finished with five wickets for the match and looms as a bowler of interest for the national selectors.Speedster Lance Morris impressed in his comeback having not played first-class cricket since March as he works his way back from a back injury that ruled him out of the Ashes.Morris, whose workload was managed, bowled with trademark hostility and hit speeds regularly around 140kph. He took three wickets from 32 overs for the match, but will be rested for WA’s next Shield match against South Australia in Adelaide starting on October 26.The late fireworks almost overshadowed a lifeless WACA surface where batting unusually dominated almost throughout. Captains Sam Whiteman and Jordan Silk came close to making double centuries in high-scoring first innings from both teams.It was a different pitch used to the sluggish surface of the Shield opener when WA easily beat Victoria. The ground is still feeling the effects of Australian rules football being played on it during the off-season.”With the footy taking its toll there was no grass on the wicket,” Whiteman said. “Knew it was going to be flatter, but I thought we did really well there to put Tasmania under pressure to nearly get a result.”WA should feel buoyed with their stirring late efforts with the prospect of an outright result appearing forlorn when the final day started.Trailing by two runs, there was no sign of an early WA declaration as the normally aggressive Ashton Turner – Perth Scorchers captain – was content with a conservative approach.But Turner and Charles Stobo, who hit a maiden first-class half-century, put the foot down before lunch as Tasmania resorted to nine fielders on the boundary.After WA declared at lunch with a lead of 135 runs, all eyes turned to Tasmania opener Caleb Jewell who fell to Morris for a golden duck in the first innings.Jewell’s nerves eased when he elegantly drove Morris on his second ball as it appeared the match was about to merely go through the motions. But any thoughts of a breezy net session was put to bed when opener Tim Ward was trapped lbw by Rocchiccioli.Towering left-armer Liam Haskett menaced with his bounce and he quickly accounted for Charlie Wakim and Silk, who was displeased after being caught at short-leg off his hip.It was left to Jewell and Matthew Wade to steady Tasmania as they batted through to tea. But the twists continued when Jewell was spectacularly bowled by a searing Morris yorker then Wade was trapped lbw by Rocchiccioli in a decision he clearly disagreed with.Jewell has scored just 27 runs in his last three innings after starting the Shield season with an 87 against South Australia. He is deemed a contender to replace opener David Warner, who is set to retire from Test cricket this summer.WA were on a roll before Webster, Hope and, ultimately, the pitch thwarted their bid for a memorable victory.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, the Pakistan fast bowler, has soared seven spots to become the No. 1 ranked ODI bowler in the format, according to the latest ICC rankings.The 23-year-old speedster has had an impressive start to his ODI World Cup where he is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker alongside Adam Zampa, with 16 wickets in seven innings at 19.93.Afridi displaced Australia quick Josh Hazlewood, who now moves to second, from the top spot. Mohammed Siraj and Keshav Maharaj have also lost one place moving to third and fourth position on the table respectively. This is the first time that Afridi has held the No. 1 ranking in any format.

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Afridi’s move to the top comes on the back of a three-wicket haul against Bangladesh, where he finished with 3 for 21 in nine overs. During the course of the game, he also reached 100 wickets in ODIs in just his 51st innings, making him the third-quickest to the landmark and the quickest fast bowler just ahead of Mitchell Starc.With Babar Azam holding on to the top spot on the batting front, Pakistan now have two players occupying the No. 1 position in the batting and bowling format.Babar’s lead is only a slender one – by two rating points – with Shubman Gill close on his heels. Babar has only managed 216 runs in seven innings, averaging 30.85 with three half-centuries. Gill also hasn’t set the tournament alight, managing 104 runs in four innings at 26.00 with a solitary half-century.Rohit Sharma, meanwhile rose three spots to enter the top five of the rankings following a stellar start to his ODI World Cup, while David Warner, who is currently second on the run-getters list with 413 in six innings at 68.83 rose one position to fourth.On the bowling front, there were gains for Kuldeep Yadav and Mujeeb Ur Rahman as they slotted into the seventh and eighth positions in the rankings chart. Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan continues to lead the allrounders list.

Pakistan’s bowling allrounder Fatima Sana is set to join the New Zealand domestic side Canterbury for the Women’s Super Smash. Sana will be part of the team for the first six rounds of the competition, which begins on Tuesday with Canterbury facing Auckland.”Joining the Canterbury Magicians is a fantastic opportunity, and I am eager to contribute my best to the team’s success,” Sana said as per a release. “The Super Smash is known for its competitive nature, and I am looking forward to the challenges while learning from and sharing my experiences with my new team-mates.”Sana, 22, was already in New Zealand, where she played in all three T20Is and ODIs. She grabbed 3 for 18 and 3 for 22 in the first two T20Is respectively, giving Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and scripting their first T20I series win outside Asia and Ireland. Although they lost the third T20I, Sana was named the Player of the Series for taking six wickets in the series.Later in the ODIs, she scored an unbeaten 90 in the second game, although Pakistan lost the match by one wicket – and with it, the series – before going on to win the third ODI via the Super Over.Canterbury head coach Rhys Morgan said he was “delighted” to welcome Sana to the team.”Her international experience and record make her a valuable addition to our squad,” he said. “We believe her presence will not only enhance the team’s performance but also contribute to the interest in this year’s Super Smash.”Sana, who has played 29 T20Is for Pakistan, had also represented Barbados Royals in the Women’s CPL in the West Indies last year. She had picked up three wickets in the two matches she played.Last month, Sri Lanka batter Chamari Athapaththu signed up for Northern Brave in the Super Smash. She is expected to be available for selection for the game against Wellington on January 2.