Sports Bulletin

Bipin Dani World's leading women cricketers have signed to play in the FaiBreak Invitational 2022 tournament to be held in May this year, it is learnt. The latest to sign are : Bangladeshi fast bowler Jahanara Alam, Sri Lankan captain Chamari Atapattu and UAE opener Esha Oza. Jahanara, an outstanding fast bowler was the first Bangladeshi female cricketer to take a five-wicket haul in a single T20 match. Chamari has been a mainstay in Sri Lanka's batting attack for over a decade. According to the sources in Malaysia, where she is participating in the ICC's Women's Commonwealth Games Qualifiers, the organizers have recently signed her for this six-team tournament. There will be nineteen matches played for 15 days. Leading players from other foreign countries and Asian nations including India and Pakistan will also participate in the tournament, which is sanctioned by the ICC. It will take place on May 1-15 this year in Dubai in conjunction with Cricket Hong Kong. Owing to the current pandemic, Hong Kong airport is not operational for airlines from all countries and therefore the decision has been taken to play the matches in Dubai.  and the leading healthcare group Gencor has come forward to be the main sponsor. Interestingly, this is the world's first privately funded tournament in women's cricket history.

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-Bangladesh’s spinners helped their team beat Scotland by nine wickets for their third consecutive win before Malaysia recorded a memorable five-wicket victory over Kenya in the ICC Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. With Sri Lanka already having won three matches, the last match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on Monday will decide the winners of the five-team tournament, being played to decide the one remaining slot in this year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The line-up for Birmingham will be confirmed in due course, after the Commonwealth Games Federation of the winning country formally accepts the slot. Australia, Barbados, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa are the seven teams already confirmed for the Games. Bangladesh vs Scotland An unbeaten partnership of 78 runs for the second wicket between Murshida Khatun (50 off 35 balls) and Fargana Hoque (20 of 36) led Bangladesh to victory after they bowled Scotland out for 77 in 17.3 overs. After Scotland won the toss and chose to bat, Abbi Aitken-Drummon chipped a full toss back to Suraya Azmim in her follow through before the Bangladesh seamer dismissed Kathryn Bryce in her next over to leave Scotland reeling at 12 for two in the fourth over. Katie McGill then joined opener Sarah Bryce at the crease, and the two stitched together a 38-run partnership, which featured a flurry of boundaries scored in front of square on both the leg side and the off side. However, with the score on 50, Nahida Akter bowled Katie McGill with an arm ball, which sparked a collapse that saw Scotland lose their last eight wickets for 37 runs. Lorna Jack was next to go, suffering an identical fate to her predecessor before Sarah Bryce skied a catch to a gleeful Shanjida Akter in the circle. Scotland never recovered, getting bowled out for 77 with 2.3 overs to spare in their allotment of 20. In reply, Bangladesh lost a wicket off their very first delivery when Shamima Sultana poked at a Kathryn Bryce delivery, edging it through to keeper Sarah Bryce. Fargana Hoque then joined left-handed opener Murshida Khatun at the crease and the two blunted Scotland’s advances to get through to 22 for one at the end of the Powerplay. Feeling more secure at this point, Murshida Khatun started to play away from her body, picking up a boundary to third man to go with a few singles. In the eighth over, she drove Katherine through the covers for two boundaries, as Fargana Hoque held strong at the other end. As Murshida approached her first-ever T2OI fifty, Hoque let her farm the strike. The left-hander carted Kathryn Bryce for six to reach 49 before nudging a single away to register her half-century and deliver a win for Bangladesh with 4.4 overs to spare. Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana was impressed with her team’s all-round display. “After Scotland built a partnership, we didn’t panic. We were strict with our own plan. We knew we could break the partnership,” she said. Player-of-the-match Murshida revealed her simple game plan after Bangladesh lost a wicket of the first ball of their chase. “Until the end, don’t lose my wicket,” she said. Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce backed her team’s newfound aggressive approach despite the loss. “With the way we are starting to be more aggressive with the bat, days like today will happen, but we are building towards a positive future,” she said. Malaysia vs Kenya Off-spinning all-rounder Mas Elysa stole the show with figures of two for 19 and a quick-fire 37 (26) to help Malaysia chase down 89 with five wickets and 10 balls to spare against Kenya. Earlier in the day, Kenya won the toss and chose to bat. In the first over, opener Queentor Abel was dismissed for a duck by an inswinger from Malaysian skipper Winifred Duraisingam. Malaysia’s bowlers kept things tight as Kenya was unable to score any boundaries in the Powerplay. Mary Mwangi broke the shackles by whipping Nur Zulaika away for four in the seventh over before Margaret Ngoche was caught by Shasa Azmi off the bowling of Arianna Natasya to leave Kenya at 24 for two after eight overs. Mas Elysa was then introduced into the attack getting Mwangi stumped before Sarah Bhakita hit one back to Elysa, which ricocheted off her fingers an into the hands of Duraisingam at mid-off. Kenya, to their credit, did not collapse and continued to rotate the strike, scoring 27 runs in their final five overs to post a score of 87 for six. In reply, Queentor Abel had Duraisingam stumped for a duck in the first over. Wan Julia was run out in the next over when Mas Elysa called her through for a run that wasn’t there. Despite Malaysia struggling at nine for two, Mas Elysa was undeterred. She punished Kenya’s bowlers whenever they bowled too straight or drifted down leg and was equally viscous with her off side game. Needing a wicket, Kenyan skipper Margaret Ngoche turned Mercyline Ochieng. The seamer responded by nipping a ball back into Mas Elysa, which the right-hander could only chop onto her stumps to leave Malaysia at 53 for three in 9.2 overs. The runs dried up in the next few overs before Ainna Hamizah was bowled around her legs by Sarah Bhakita. With 30 runs required in the last seven overs, Kenya had a glimmer of hope. However, Intan Jaafar had other ideas. She swept Queentor Abel down to fine leg for four before a late cut beat a diving short third man to race away for another boundary. Malaysia lost Jaafar when she hit Flavia Odhiambo to Ngoche at backward point. However, this would only prove to be a minor speed bump for Malaysia as Arianna Natasya and Nur Zulaika knocked off the remaining runs to deliver a historic win for Malaysia. Malaysia’s fielders ran onto the field once they got the winning runs. Captain Winifred Duraisingam explained the significance of this victory to her and her team. “After this great win, I feel a lot is going to happen and cricket in Malaysia is going to go to another level,” she said. Player-of-the-match Elysa spoke about her aggressive despite Malaysia losing early wickets in their chase. “Still wanted to play in an aggressive and attacking mode and I wanted to rotate the strike. Brief Scores: Bangladesh beat Scotland by nine wickets. Bangladesh 78/1 in 15.2 Overs; Scotland 77 All Out in 17.3 Overs. Player of the Match: Murshida Khatun Malaysia beat Kenya by five wickets. Malaysia 89/5 in 18.2 Overs; Kenya 88/6 in 20 Overs. Player of the Match: Mas Elysa

Sports Bulletin DUBAHI:-As part of the 2021 edition of the ICC Awards, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced today the first set of the individual awards with the associate cricketers of the year category in men’s and women’s international cricket.  The captain of Oman’s men’s cricket team Zeeshan Maqsood was voted as the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year for his fantastic performance in 2021, including leading his team at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year. The left-arm spinner was consistent with his performance across both ODI and T20I and aided his team to several victories throughout the year.  Leading his side with aplomb, Maqsood also flourished in both batting and bowling roles for Oman in 2021. He played a crucial role as a middle order batter and picked up wickets consistently. Maqsood made fifties against the USA and Namibia, and was at his consistent best as a bowler, controlling the flow of runs in the middle overs and picking up vital wickets. Maqsood particularly thrived against PNG, registering four wickets against them twice this year, one in an ODI and the other one in at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. His most memorable performance in the year was against PNG at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup where he was also named as the Player of the Match for his performance. Commenting on receiving the honour Zeeshan Maqsood said: “I am very delighted to be presented as the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year. This award surely is one of the biggest achievements in my career and gives me immense pleasure that my efforts have been recognized by the ICC. I would like to thank the Oman Cricket Management, my teammates, support staff, my family, and my organization to have backed me in all stances to express myself on the field. 2021 has truly been god's blessing to me in terms of my accolades and leading Oman to flourish to the highest level”. In the women’s category, Austrian all-rounder Andrea-Mae Zepeda was voted as the ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year for her stellar performance in 2021. Zepeda was consistent at the top of the order for Austria while scoring her runs at a brisk rate. Out of the eight T20Is she played in 2021, three were against Belgium, while the other five came against Italy. Zepeda was impressive in the series against the Belgians in particular, as she scored over fifty runs, including a century, in all three matches against them. Commenting on her award Andrea-Mae Zepeda said: “It is a great honour and a pleasant surprise for me to receive the ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year award. Thank you, ICC, for this. I would also like to thank my teammates, my coaches, the Austrian Cricket Association, my home club Austrian Cricket Club Vienna, to my family and friends for always supporting me and encouraging me to play such a wonderful game. “I really enjoyed playing cricket last season despite being surrounded by COVID 19 and working full-time as a medical doctor. Nevertheless, we played some very good cricket, and I was able to perform well. My best innings was probably against Belgium in our home ground when I scored my first century ever. Looking forward, I will try my best to continue my journey and to contribute to my team as much as I can.”

Aamir Ali Janjua DUBHI:-As part of the 2021 edition of the ICC Awards, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced today the T20I cricketers of the year in men’s and women’s international cricket.  Pakistan’s ace wicketkeeper-batter, Mohammad Rizwan was voted the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2021, whilst England’s Tammy Beaumont was voted the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2021. Aggregating a staggering 1326 runs in only 29 matches, Rizwan averaged at 73.66 and had a strike-rate of 134.89. Apart from his exploits with the bat, he was as solid as ever behind the stumps, playing a key role in Pakistan's run to the semi-finals during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021, where he ended up as the third-highest run-scorer. Earlier in the year, Rizwan also scored his maiden T20I century against South Africa in Lahore and ended it continuing his form with a brilliant knock of 87 against West Indies in Karachi. Commenting on receiving the honour Mohammad Rizwan, said: “I had an exceptional year in the shortest format of the game, and I am thankful to all my colleagues and peers for voting me as the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year. This award gives me further motivation and incentive to do even better in 2022 and beyond for Pakistan so that we can collectively achieve our objective of being the top T20I playing side and in the process enhancing our fan-base. “I want to thank all my team-mates and coaching staff who helped me throughout the year by preparing and training me well enough to contribute to Pakistan’s successes. As cricket is a team sport, I would like to dedicate this award to my teammates and fans.” In the women’s category, England’s all-rounder Tammy Beaumont was voted as the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for her stellar performance in 2021. Beaumont was England's highest run scorer, and third-highest overall in the world in 2021. Earlier in the year, in a low-scoring series against New Zealand away from home, Beaumont was the top scorer and was awarded the Player of the Series for a total of 102 runs in three matches. Her 63 in 53 balls in the second match put England in a winning position after they had lost two wickets in the powerplay. Beaumont continued her form against New Zealand when they visited England for a limited-overs tour. She once again finished as the highest run scorer in the series with 113, which included a stunning 97 in the opening game of the series. Commenting on her award Tammy Beaumont said: “It’s a huge privilege to win the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year Award. I’ve worked incredibly hard on my T20 game in the last few years. My T20I career has had its ups and downs and I don’t think I’ve always been known for my T20 abilities, so this award gives me a huge amount of confidence.” “As a team we had a great year in terms of T20I results and it feels great to have contributed to team wins. We’ve got a big year ahead in all formats - with the Ashes, the ICC Women’s World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, and I look forward to continuing to work hard alongside my teammates to help us win as many games as possible.”

Sports Bulletin KUALA LUMPUR:-Scotland and Sri Lanka completed impressive victories on Saturday in the ICC Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 being played at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur to decide the one remaining slot in this year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Scotland vs Kenya Quick cameos from Abbi Aitken-Drummond and Kathryn Bryce propelled Scotland to 70 in a rain-reduced eight-over-a-side fixture before their bowlers restricted Kenya at the death to deliver a 16-run win. Winning the toss, Kenya elected to bowl. Sarah Bryce scored back-to-back boundaries kicking things off but got out scoring eight off three balls. A fine partnership of 38 between Abbi Aitken (21) and Kathryn Bryce (27) helped Scotland put up a challenging target. Scotland scored 15 in the final over and ended with 70 for three. Kenya’s opening batter, Q. Abel had a blazing start with consecutive boundaries. She, however, surrendered to Fraser in the second over. Fraser wasted no time in sending Veronica Abuga back to the pavilion on the very next ball. Sarah Wetoto then scored 24 not out and Sharon Juma got 10. Coming out to bat in a rain reduced game, captain and Player of the Match Kathryn Bryce said: “It is always difficult knowing what a good target is in a reduced game, so our plan was just to go out there play positively and assess as we went on. I think our bowling performance today was much more consistent and we bowled more to our fields.” Margaret Banja attributed Kenya’s loss to a slow start: “We did not take full advantage of the power-play and lost two quick wickets. We did not build partnerships in the initial stages and we gave out too many boundaries.” Malaysia vs Sri Lanka Malaysian captain won the toss and elected to field.  The experienced Sri Lankan team put up an imposing 175, and as expected, skipper Chamari Athapaththu handed a great start to Sri Lanka by scoring 30 off 17 balls. After Athapaththu’s departure, Harshita took control and scored a commendable 65 of f42. She was ably supported by Nilakshi De Silva, who scored 49 off 31.  Chasing a mammoth 175, Malaysia lost opener Wan Julia with no runs scored. Captain Winifred was the only batter who managed to play well, compiling 42. Sri Lanka’s Sugandika Dasanayaka and Oshadhi Ranasinghe went on to deliver top notch bowling by taking two wickets each, giving away 12 and 14 runs, respectively. Malaysia could only manage 82, losing by 93 runs. Athapaththu said she was disappointed not to get a big score this time. “But I had complete confidence in my batters and knew they would get us a respectable score.” Player of the Match, Harshitha Madhavi said: “We have been doing a lot hard work in the nets for the past six months. We also underwent several training camps. (And), we can get runs under any conditions. This was on full display today.” When asked about her thoughts on the match, Winifred explained: “the team had two changes and the juniors were given the opportunity to play against a very experienced team. We want to play good cricket and considered this a good opportunity for the team, especially the younger players.” Brief Scores: Scotland beat Kenya by 16 runs. Scotland 70 for 3 in 8 overs. Kenya 54 for 3 in 8 overs. Player of the Match: Kathryn Bryce Sri Lanka beat Malaysia by 93 runs. Sri Lanka 175 in 20 overs. Malaysia 82 in 20 overs. Player of the Match:  Harshitha Madhavi

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-The group stages of the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 came to an end with qualification shootouts, superb centuries and a five-wicket haul. India go through as group winners to the Super League with a mammoth 326–run victory over Uganda thanks in part to the highest score of the tournament by Raj Bawa. Pakistan eased to a nine-wicket win over Papua New Guinea to set up a Super League clash with Australia. Afghanistan came out on top in a straight shootout for the Super League in Group C, securing a 109–run win over Zimbabwe to progress. Bangladesh triumphed in another winner-takes-all game, beating the UAE by nine wickets (D/L method) in a rain-interrupted Group A match. Records tumble in India’s victory over Uganda Raj Bawa and Angkrish Raghuvanshi powered India past several batting records as they set Uganda an insurmountable total of 405.  After captain Nishant Sindu fell for 15 in the 16th over, Raghuvanshi and Bawa worked together to add 206 runs in 22.4 overs. Opener Raghuvanshi was eventually dismissed for 144 runs from 120 balls, Bawa would then continue to pile on the runs as Kaushal Tambe and Dinesh Bana made useful cameos. By the time left-hander Bawa reached 150, 66 per cent of his runs had come from boundaries and at the close of the innings, he held the highest score of the tournament, surpassing the 154 not out from England’s Tom Prest, to end with 162 from 108 balls including 14 fours and eight sixes. The overall total of 405 for five marks India’s second-highest score behind their 425 for three against Scotland in 2004, in that match Shikhar Dhawan hit 155 not out, the previous highest individual score for India at an ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup. Uganda’s challenge got even tougher as opener Isaac Ategeka was forced to retire having been struck on the forearm by a Rajvardhan Hangargekar delivery.  The right-arm seamer then dismissed his replacement Cyrus Kakuru for a first-ball duck off the final ball of an eventful first over. Captain Pascal Murungi, who earlier took Uganda’s best figures of 3-72, batted bravely for 34 but could not stop the inevitable victory as Uganda ended on 79 for nine from 19.4 overs with Ategeka unable to retake the field. The 326-run victory is India’s largest at an ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, and the second-highest ever, and sets them up for a replay of the 2020 final against Bangladesh, while Uganda will face the UAE in the plate quarter finals. Shehzad on target with the ball as Pakistan dominate Papua New Guinea Opening batter Mohammad Shehzad shined with ball rather than bat as Pakistan earned a nine-wicket win over Papua New Guinea to set up a knock-out meeting with Australia. Papua New Guinea started positively as Christopher Kilapat and Boio Ray put on 24 for the first wicket. However, once the wicket of Kilapat, who top-scored with 11 fell Papua New Guinea lost the next nine wickets for 26 runs. Pakistan’s bowling was impactful as well as wayward, the bowlers contributing 19 extras to Papua New Guinea’s total of 50.  Ahmed Khan claimed the wickets of the two openers on his way to three for 10 before captain Barnabas Maha was run out having added only two to the total. Aue Oru then provided some resistance as he made seven from 25 balls but he was to be the second of Shehzad’s victims. The final four batters to get out failed to score as right-arm seamer Shehzad claimed five for seven, the most economical fivefer of the tournament so far. Chasing the modest total of 51, Shehzad was out for a duck from six balls before Abbas Ali and wicketkeeper-batter Haseebullah Khan combined to put on the runs needed for a comfortable victory. Pakistan top Group C having won all three of their matches to set up a repeat of the 1988 and 2010 finals with Australia, while Papua New Guinea will meet the hosts the West Indies in the Plate League. Afghanistan edge out Zimbabwe to progress Suliman Safi’s century helped Afghanistan to victory over Zimbabwe in the final game of Group C to earn a quarterfinal tie with Sri Lanka in the Super League. The Afghanistan captain put on 111 from 118 balls, including 14 fours and three sixes, to move Afghanistan to 261 for six as he was dismissed on the final ball of the innings. Four other batters posted scores of over 20, with opener Nageyalia Kharote contributing an important half-century from 45 balls. Alex Falao was the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe as he took three for 54 from his ten overs to move on to eight wickets for the tournament so far. In reply in Diego Martin, Zimbabwe opener Matthew Welch led the charge with Steven Saul contributing nine to the score before being given out leg before wicket to leave his side on one for 49. Welch’s next two partners could add only one run to the total before it was Welch’s turn to fall having made 53 from 61 balls. No one else was able to continue the run-scoring going as the required run-rate climbed above a run and ball and wickets kept tumbling as Nangeyalia Kharote took four for 30. Rogan Wolhuter frustrated the Afghanistan bowlers putting on a gritty 28 from 52 balls and did well to keep the strike and deny Afghanistan the chance to bowl at tailender Mcgini Dube.  However, Dube eventually fell for four and Falao followed soon after as Zimbabwe slipped to a 109–run defeat and will now face Scotland in the plate quarterfinals. Defending champions Bangladesh qualify for knockout stages Bangladesh’s bowlers worked in tandem to restrict the United Arab Emirates to 148 on their way to a nine-wicket victory. The UAE slipped to eight for two inside three overs as Ashiqur Zaman dismissed the two openers to earn himself figures of two for 14 from eight overs. Dhruv Parashar and captain Alishan Sharafu then combined to steady the ship for the UAE putting on 44 runs for the third wicket. Punya Mehra then top-scored with 43 off 64 balls but could not find a partner to stay with him as the final seven wickets fell for 98 runs. Ripon Mondol returned Bangladesh’s best figures taking 3-31, with three other bowlers also coming away with dismissals. Chasing 148, Bangladesh made a commanding start reaching 86 before losing their first wicket as Iftakher Hossain was caught by Soorya Sathish off the bowling of Jash Giyanani.  Hossain had added 37 runs from 70 balls, with fellow opener Mahfijul Islam putting on 45 runs before the players were taken off the field due to rain in Basseterre. Mahfijul was able to reach his half-century as the teams emerged with a new target of 107, the opener eventually reaching 64 not out from 6 balls, as Prantik Nawrose Nabil joined him in the middle as they sealed the victory and safe passage to the knockout stages. Bangladesh will be hoping for a repeat of the final last time out when they face India while the UAE will face Uganda in the opening Plate quarterfinal. Meanwhile, three Australia players have received positive PCR test results for COVID-19 through the official event testing programme. The players are currently self-isolating and are being monitored and cared for by the medical team. ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League Fixtures 26 January – Quarter-Final 1 England v South Africa; Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground 27 January – Quarter-Final 4 Sri Lanka v Afghanistan; Coolidge Cricket Ground 28 January – Quarter-Final 3 Pakistan v Australia; Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground 29 January – Quarter-Final 2 India v Bangladesh ; Coolidge Cricket Ground 30 January – Play-off Semi-Final 2 Loser QF 1 v Loser QF 4; Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground 31 January-  Play-off Semi-Final 1 Loser QF 2 v Loser QF 3; Coolidge Cricket Ground 1 February - Semi-Final 1 Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4; Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground 2 February - Semi-Final 2 Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3; Coolidge Cricket Ground 3 February - 5th / 6th Play-off Winners of Play-off Semi-Final 1 and 2; Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground 3 February - 7th / 8th Play-off Losers of Play-off Semi-Final 1 and 2; Coolidge Cricket Ground 4 February- 3rd / 4th Play-off Losers of Semi-Finals 1 and 2; Coolidge Cricket Ground 5 February – U19 Men’s CWC Final Winners of Semi-Finals 1 and 2; Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Plate Fixtures 25 January – Quarter-Final 1 UAE v Uganda; Queens Park Oval 25 January -Quarter-Final 2 Ireland v Canada; Brian Lara Cricket Academy 26 January -Quarter-Final 3 Zimbabwe v Scotland; Queens Park Oval 26 January -Quarter-Final 4 West Indies v PNG; Diego Martin Sporting Complex 28 January - Semi-Final 1 Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4; Queens Park Oval 28 January -Play-off Semi-Final 1 Loser QF1 v Loser QF4; Diego Martin Sporting Complex 29 January - Semi-Final 2 Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3; Queens Park Oval 29 January - Play-off Semi-Final 2 Loser QF 2 v Loser QF 3; Brian Lara Cricket Academy 30 January - 15th / 16th Play-off Losers of Play-off Semi-Finals 1 and 2; Brian Lara Cricket Academy 30 January - 13th / 14th Play-off Winners of Play-off Semi-Finals 1 and 2 ; Diego Martin Sporting Complex 31 January - 11th / 12th Play-off Losers of Semi-Finals 1 and 2; Diego Martin Sporting Complex 31 January - Plate Final Winners of Semi-Finals 1 and 2; Queens Park Oval

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-Sri Lanka sealed their qualification for the Super League stage with a dramatic victory over West Indies while South Africa defeated Ireland to also book their place in the quarter-finals. Dunith Wellalage and Matheesha Pathirana both took three wickets apiece as Sri Lanka restricted the hosts to 250 before Sadisha Rajapaksa (76), Anjala Bandara (40) and Ranuda Somarathna’s unbeaten 28 guided the Group D winners to a three-wicket success. Sri Lanka remain perfect with tense win Sri Lanka maintained their perfect record in the 2022 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup with a thrilling three-wicket victory over West Indies at Conaree Sports Club in Basseterre. The hosts went into the contest knowing they needed a big win to stand a chance of qualifying for the Super League quarter-finals, with their opponents and Australia ahead of them in Group D. Openers Shaqkere Parris and Matthew Nandu ensured they made a steady start, reaching the end of the fifth over for 20 without loss before Treveen Mathew removed the latter for seven. Parris was then bowled by Dunith Wellalage for 16 before Teddy Bishop and Kevin Wickham combined for a fruitful partnership, taking the West Indies to 102 for two after 26 overs. Bishop was eventually removed on 45 by Wellalage, caught by Mathew, but Jordan Johnson picked up where his teammate left off as he raced to 26 from 30 balls. Wickham reached his half-century before falling for 56 to Matheesha Pathirana in the 38th over, although Johnson and Rivaldo Clarke kept West Indies ticking along nicely. Two wickets in three balls in the 45th over stunted the hosts’ momentum, though, with Wellalage accounting for Johnson as he fell three runs short of his fifty before Giovonte Depeiza was run out moments later by Anjala Bandara without scoring. A late cameo from McKenny Clarke of 21 from 13 balls saw West Indies finish all out for 250, with Wellalage (3-39) and Pathirana (3-67) both taking three wickets. In response, Sri Lanka lost opener Chamindu Wickramasinghe in the first opener as Nathan Edward enticed him into a flick outside off stump that went straight to Rivaldo Clarke. Sadisha Rajapaksa and Shevon Daniel got their side back on track as they reached the end of the 11th over on 56 for one before Daniel was removed by McKenny Clarke for 34. Rajapaksa powered on regardless and despite losing Sakuna Liyanage (9), he reached his fifty in the 25th over with support from new partner Anjala Bandara at the crease. Bandara contributed 40 from 52 balls before his wicket was taken by Isai Thorne, with Rajapaksa (76) also falling the same bowler in the 40th over as Sri Lanka reached 200 for five. With 51 still needed off 60 balls for victory, Shiva Sankar removed Wellalage (15) to set up a tense finale as Ranuda Somarathna and Raveen de Silva came together in the middle. Mckenny Clarke bowled De Silva (13) but a nerveless 28 from 27 balls from Somarathna saw Sri Lanka home as they secured a three-wicket victory with 10 balls to spare. Skipper Van Heerden leads from the front A blockbuster century from South Africa captain George Van Heerden propelled his side towards the Super League quarter-finals as they defeated Ireland by 153 runs in Tarouba. The two sides started their all-important final Group B game level on points, with South Africa possessing a narrow advantage in the table thanks to their better net run-rate. With India all but assured of their place in the Super League last eight ahead of their final game against winless Uganda, South Africa and Ireland faced a shootout for second place. And Ireland made a dream start when Reuben Wilson removed South African opener Valentine Kitime in the first over for a duck before Liam Doherty bowled Ethan-John Cunningham (11). At 18 for two after four overs, South Africa were wobbling but Dewald Brevis soon restored order and moved to 27 from 29 balls with two fours to take his side to 53 for two after 10 overs. Ireland responded by taking the wicket of Gerhardus Maree (14) as Wilson struck again, yet that brought Van Heerden to the crease to form a formidable partnership with Brevis. Brevis reached his half-century with a four off the final ball of the 22nd over and continued to find the boundary at regular intervals as Van Heerden provided support from the other end. But just four runs short of his century, Brevis was punished for a loose cut shot off Scott MacBeth as a diving full length catch by Matthew Humphreys at gully sent him packing on 96. While that wicket briefly halted South Africa’s momentum, Van Heerden soon took up the baton and brought up his fifty before stepping on the gas with Andile Simelane. An explosive 25 from 12 balls from Simelane, which included three sixes and four off MacBeth in the 38th over, only added to Ireland’s troubles as South Africa moved to 207 for four. Simelane was dismissed in the next over but Mickey Copeland chipped in with a high-octane 43 from 18 balls before Van Heerden brought up his century with a four in the 46th over. Van Heerden eventually lost his wicket in the final ball of the innings, which was shortened to 47 overs due to an earlier rain delay, with South Africa finishing on 315 for seven. Ireland’s response could not have got off to a worse possible start as Liam Doherty was caught by Maree off the bowling of Matthew Boast for a golden duck in the first ball of the innings. Nathan McGuire steadied the ship with 42 from 33 balls before Simelane took his wicket, with Joshua Cox and Ireland captain Tim Tector both falling cheaply to Boast. Philippus Roux (33) provided some resistance along with Humphreys (38) but a lack of support meant Ireland were always fighting an uphill battle and they were eventually all out for 158. Boast was the star of the bowlers for the young Proteas with three for 26 while Liam Alder also took three for 20, with Asakhe Tsaka and Simelane contributing two each. Meanwhile, five West Indies players and four further India players have received positive PCR test results for COVID-19 through the official event testing programme. The players are currently self-isolating and are being monitored and cared for by the medical team.

Aamir Ali Janjua DUBAI (UAE):-Excitement is building for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, following the announcement of the fixtures for the October 16 – November 13 event. The world's best cricketers from 16 international teams will clash in 45 matches as the pinnacle global event in men’s T20 cricket comes to Australia for the first time. In the First Round, 2014 champions Sri Lanka and Namibia will play the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 at Kardinia Park, Geelong on Sunday 16 October. They’ll be joined by two qualifiers in Group A. Two-time champions West Indies will also start in the First Round, joined in Group B by Scotland and two qualifiers in Hobart. In the Super 12, hosts Australia are in Group 1 with world number one England, New Zealand, Afghanistan plus the winner of Group A and the runner-up in Group B from the First Round. Group 2 features India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, plus the winner of Group B and runner-up in Group A from the First Round. Hosts and defending champions, Australia will play New Zealand in the opening match of the Super 12 at the SCG on Saturday 22 October in a re-match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 Final. The Black Caps will also face England at The Gabba on 1 November in a re-match of their epic semi-final encounter at the 2021 event. Two of world cricket’s biggest rivals will go head-to-head at the MCG, with India taking on Pakistan on Sunday 23 October. It will be the first World Cup clash between the two nations at the MCG and comes before two more fierce rivals, Australia and England, meet at the same venue on Friday 28 October. The state-of-the-art Perth Stadium will host a huge Sunday double-header on Sunday 30 October with South Africa taking on India in the evening match. Earlier in the day, Pakistan will be in action against the runners-up from Group A. The semi-finals will be played at the SCG and Adelaide Oval on 9 and 10 November, respectively. It will be the first time the Adelaide Oval will host a World Cup semi-final. The MCG will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Final, which will be contested under lights on 13 November 2022. International Cricket Council CEO Geoff Allardice said: ““T20 is the global growth format for cricket and the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 will play a huge role in inspiring our next generation of players and fans as the world’s best players descend on Australia and showcase the very best of our sport. The release of fixtures is always a great moment in the delivery of a World Cup as fans start to get excited about opening games, head to heads and knock-out stages. “This schedule offers so much, from the 2014 Champions Sri Lanka opening the event, to our defending champions Australia starting with a rematch of the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup Final against New Zealand and of course India taking on Pakistan at the MCG. We know that hundreds of thousands of passionate cricket fans will turn out to support every single one of the 16 teams across all seven of our host cities which is what makes it so special for the players. You only need to cast your mind back to the brilliant ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia to know that this is going to be a wonderful event for players and fans alike.” ICC T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO, Michelle Enright said; “The release of the fixtures gives fans the opportunity to start planning their T20 World Cup experience, which is now just 268 days away.” “By having matches spread across the nation in seven host cities and making tickets accessibly priced, we are hoping as many people as possible will be able to experience the incredible atmosphere that international fans bring to global sporting events, as well as the unique, fast-paced and unpredictable nature of T20 cricket.” “World Cups are about bringing people from all backgrounds and cultures together and we hope to safely host over 800,000 fans at Australia’s iconic cricket venues later this year.” FIXTURES HIGHLIGHTS Adelaide will see 10 different teams play Super 12 matches in a festival of cricket with India to feature on the first night at Adelaide Oval against Bangladesh on 2 November. Australia will be in action on a Friday night against local Adelaide favourite Rashid Khan and Afghanistan on 4 November. Brisbane will host four Super 12 matches with Australia, England and New Zealand to feature on consecutive nights on October 31 and November 1 respectively. 2014 champions Sri Lanka will feature in the opening match of the event against Namibia at Kardinia Park, Geelong on 16 October 2022 in the First Round. Hobart will see the power-hitters of West Indies play three First Round matches at Bellerive Oval, starting on 17 October 2022.  Hobart will also host three Super 12 fixtures The state-of-the-art Perth Stadium will host five Super 12 matches with defending champions Australia to play a night match against the winners of Group A on 25 October. Perth Stadium will also be lit up on the opening night of the Super 12 with world number one England taking on Afghanistan Sydney will host a massive double-header on 5 November with England to take on the winners of Group A, before Pakistan take on South Africa in the evening match,

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan edged out Afghanistan to join England in the Super League quarter-finals as defending champions Bangladesh bounced back from defeat against the Young Lions with victory over Canada. England captain Tom Prest continued his wonderful form with the bat, making an unbeaten 154 to help his side defeat the UAE, who now face a crunch game against Bangladesh to decide who will join Prest’s men in the quarter-finals from Group A. Afghanistan are in a similar position after leaving themselves too much to do in pursuit of 240 to beat Pakistan and must beat Zimbabwe on Saturday to progress in the top two from Group C.  Prest goes big as England win again England captain Tom Prest’s magnificent 154 not out helped propel his side to a comfortable 189-run win over the UAE. Prest won the toss and chose to bat at Warner Park and after coming in at No.3 the Hampshire batter blasted 13 fours and four sixes in just 119 balls as his side posted an imposing 362 for six. Only Dan Lawrence has made a higher individual total for the England Under-19s but Prest had to wait until the 12th over to get out to the middle as George Thomas (42) and Jacob Bethell (62) shared an opening stand of 69. Prest had shown his form with 93 in the win over Canada last time out but he was not to be denied another century as he dominated the UAE’s attack from the off and shared half-century partnerships with Bethell and then James Rew (24). When William Luxton, 47 off 45 balls, joined him at the crease, England were 182 for three in the 31st over but together they added 117 runs in just 92 balls. England climbed well past the 300-mark for the second game in succession despite the best efforts of Jash Giyanani who was the pick of the bowlers with two for 60 from his ten overs. The Young Lions’ total always looked like it would be a big ask to overhaul and the UAE were reeling when they were reduced to 61 for five in the 15th over, seamer Josh Boyden taking two wickets to take his tournament tally to ten. Ali Naseer’s counter-attacking 54 off 44 balls helped reverse some of the momentum as he put on 59 with Nilansh Keswani for the sixth wicket. But when Nilansh departed, the last four wickets fell for 53 runs as leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed excelled on his first outing in the West Indies with four for 30 from his allotted ten overs. England dismissed the UAE for 173 to confirm their place as Group A winners as they progress to the Super League quarter-finals with their 100 per cent record intact. Reigning champions Bangladesh bounce back against Canada The 2020 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup winners Bangladesh bounced back from defeat to England in their opener with a dominant eight-wicket triumph over Canada. The holders were skittled for 97 against the Young Lions in their opener but were put into the field by Canada at Conaree Sports Club in St Kitts and Nevis. They fared better with the ball, however, as Canadian opener and wicket-keeper Anoop Chima made a patient 63 off 117 balls but found precious little support from his teammates. The other nine batters contributed just 58 runs between them as they were bowled out for only 136, despite Bangladesh bowling 15 wides in 44.3 overs. Ripon Mondol starred with the ball taking four for 24 in 8.3 overs, including the prize scalp of Chima who he had caught behind. Ripon’s seam was complemented brilliantly by SM Meherob’s off-breaks as he took four for 38 in ten overs with medium pacer Ashiqur Zaman also chipping in with two wickets. In reply, Canada struck early as Parmveer Kharoud trapped Mahfijul Islam lbw for just 12 but Iftakher Hossain anchored the chase with a well-made 61 off 89 balls. Prantik Nawrose Nabil chipped in with 33 while Aich Mollah, 20 not out from 26 balls, sealed victory in style with a six off Gurnek Johal Singh as Bangladesh won with 119 balls to spare. The reigning champions will now face a straight shoot-out against the UAE on Saturday to see who will join England in the Super League quarter-finals. Pakistan qualify for quarter-finals as Afghanistan leave it too late Pakistan booked their place in the Super League quarter-finals after making it two wins from two with a 24-run victory over Afghanistan. At the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, Pakistan skipper Qasim Akram elected to bat first and his side built a solid platform. Opener Mohammad Shehzad lost his partner Haseebullah Khan for just two but kicked on to make 43 off 51 balls. Shehzad shared a 60 partnership with No.3 Abdul Faseeh who made 68 off 95 balls with the skipper Qasim adding 38 from No.5. But when Izharulhaq Naveed, three for 41, removed Faseeh, Pakistan lost three for 11 and were in danger of not having enough runs to defend at 184 for seven. But Maaz Sadaqat played a gem of an innings with 42 not out off just 37 balls, including seven fours, to drag his side up to 239 for nine from their 50 overs. Afghanistan got the pace of their innings all wrong in reply, as the top three soaked up far too many balls in pursuit of the target. It took them 170 balls to bring up 100 runs with Bilal Sayedi, 42 off 81, Nangeyalia Kharote, 12 off 32, and Allah Noor, 28 off 49, all with strike rates under 58. Despite the slow start, Afghanistan took the contest deep although their innings was characterised by some wild running between the wickets, with three run outs as well as a number of near misses. Noor Ahmad blasted three sixes to leave his side in with a chance of a shock victory, needing 28 off the last two overs with two wickets in hand. But when he fell for 29 off just 18 balls to Awais Ali, the pick of the bowlers with three for 36, there was only going to be one winner and after finishing short on 215 for nine, Afghanistan now must prepare for a winner-takes-all clash against Zimbabwe on Saturday.

H Shah MANCHESTER:-The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed the 2022 fixtures for men’s county and women’s regional domestic competitions. The men’s domestic summer will begin on 7 April with the opening round of the LV= Insurance County Championship. The Vitality Blast, this year marking the 20th edition of the T20 competition, will run over a seven-week period (25 May – 16 July) before the Royal London Cup (2 August – 17 September). The 20-over Charlotte Edwards Cup will open the women’s regional summer from 14 May and will offer the first piece of domestic silverware, with Finals Day at The County Ground, Northampton on 11 June. The 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy starts on 2 July and will conclude with a showpiece final at Lord’s on Sunday, 25 September. With domestic fixtures released, supporters looking to plan their summer of cricket are encouraged to consider the following opportunities: Vitality Blast season tickets – secure your seats at the 20th edition of T20 cricket in England & Wales by purchasing a season ticket for every home group-stage match in the Vitality Blast. Visit ecb.co.uk/blast-tickets for links to every team’s season ticket pass and take advantage of multi-match savings Royal London Cup Final tickets – get access to a priority window to buy tickets before they go on general sale by registering your interest here Membership – visit county websites for details of the different membership packages available and benefits on offer E-calendar – synchronise your team’s fixtures to you r desktop or mobile calendar and don’t miss a match with reminders ahead of every matchday. Download your team’s schedule here LV= Insurance County Championship The LV= Insurance County Championship returns to a two-division structure – for the first time since 2019 – with defending champions Warwickshire to host Surrey in the opening round. The opening seven rounds of the LV= County Championship will be played from Thursday to Sunday on successive weeks. There will be five rounds played during June and July – an increase from the three rounds during the same period last summer. The Division One and Division Two titles are set to be decided in September, with the final round of fixtures to be staged from 26-29 September. Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Lord’s is set to stage the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy on Sunday 25 September to close what promises to be a memorable summer of women’s cricket. Heyhoe Flint was a pioneer of the game leading England to the first-ever Women’s World Cup title in 1973 and challenging convention and fighting for progress as a player, administrator and campaigner throughout her life. MCC announced last year that the North Gate at Lord’s would be named in Heyhoe Flint’s honour and the final bearing her name will conclude a bumper summer for women’s cricket that will also include the Charlotte Edwards Cup, Commonwealth Games, The Hundred in addition to the England Women’s schedule. Southern Vipers will bid to claim a hat-trick of Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy titles when the 50-over competition begins on 2 July. The play-off is to be played four days before the Lord’s final. Royal London Cup The Royal London Cup final will return to a Saturday with Trent Bridge to host the decider on 17 September. The 18 First-Class Counties will each play one warm-up match against a National County – with Somerset and Middlesex to play two games – ahead of the competition, which begins on 2 August. Defending champions Glamorgan are away to Derbyshire on the opening day and the group stage will conclude on 23 August. The competition will visit at least nine outgrounds, from Scarborough to Neath, before the knockout stages will be held on 26 August and 30 August. Charlotte Edwards Cup South East Stars won the first-ever Charlotte Edwards Cup title last summer and open their defence away to Sunrisers at the Cloud County Ground in Chelmsford on Saturday 14 May. The month-long Twenty20 competition will see the eight women’s regional teams split into two groups, and play six group-stage matches, before Finals Day on Saturday, 11 June. There will be 10 double-headers when Charlotte Edwards Cup and Vitality Blast T20 matches are played back-to-back at the same venue. Vitality Blast The 20th edition of domestic T20 cricket will begin on 25 May with champions Kent Spitfires to host Somerset in a re-match of last season’s final. The Vitality Blast group stage will take place over a 40-day period with 99 of the 126 matches to be played on a Thursday, Friday and at the weekend. The quarter-finals will be staged from 6-9 July before the sold-out Finals Day will be staged at Edgbaston a week later.