All posts by csb10.top

Durham 257 (Armitage 111, Windsor 55, King 3-31) beat Lancashire 168 (Fraser 3-33) by 89 runsAn excellent century from Durham captain Hollie Armitage led her side to an 89-run win in their Metro Bank One Day Cup clash with Lancashire Thunder.Durham’s total of 257 was supercharged by Armitage’s century, the first scored by a Durham player in professional women’s cricket, but three wickets from Alana King restricted the hosts in the closing period of the innings.Lancashire’s chase got off to a bad start as they found themselves 59 for four and they never really got going after that, with Durham bowling them out for 168 to continue their quarter-final pursuit.Armitage won the toss and elected to bat, but the hosts’ innings got off to a bad start as Lancashire got a moment of good fortune when Bates was run out backing up for 12.Armitage then came to the crease and played a delightful shot through the covers off the bowling of Sophie Morris, while Marlow played a tidy shot off her legs for four to keep the Durham total ticking over.The Durham pair were looking good, but a mix up between the wickets meant that Marlow had to depart as she was run out for a well-made 37.King then got her first as Mady Villiers edged a delivery straight into the hands of Eve Jones at slip for one. Armitage then passed fifty for the fourth time in the competition, with this one coming from 61 balls.Emily Windsor, making her Durham List A debut, joined Armitage and looked good as she launched a Morris ball down the ground for four.Lancashire had a chance to get the key wicket of Armitage when she mistimed a slog sweep off Tara Norris but Seren Smale failed to take a catch on the boundary with the Durham batter on 71.The attention quickly turned to a milestone at the other end as Windsor picked up her first half-century in a Durham shirt, with it coming from 47 balls.Windsor didn’t last much longer as King got her caught behind for a fluent 55, but Armitage continued to flow as she picked up back-to-back fours off Norris, but two quick wickets fell at the other end as King got Heath and Phoebe Turner was run out.However, Armitage managed to get her seventh List A century from 110 balls, but Norris got Katherine Fraser with the next ball.Gaur then got Grace Thompson, while Armitage and Sophia Turner were run out in the final over to leave Durham on 257 all out.Lancashire’s opening pair of Emma Lamb and Eve Jones guided their side through the opening overs with minimum fuss, but when Mady Villiers came into the attack that changed as she got Lamb, the top run scorer in this competition, caught behind for 12.Durham struck again to remove Tilly Kesteven for four as the Lancashire batter mistimed a cut shot off the bowling of Fraser and Thompson produced a superb diving catch at backward point.Lancashire’s poor start to their chase continued as Jones chipped one straight back to Fraser for 24 and the visitors were in trouble at 47 for three.Ellie Threlkeld relieved some pressure as she smashed Phoebe Turner’s first ball down the ground for four, but the Durham bowler struck back as she bowled the Lancashire captain with a beauty.Ailsa Lister played a glorious shot over the field on the offside for a much-needed boundary.Smale continued to tick the score along for the visitors, knowing that her partnership with Lister was key to any Lancashire victory hopes, but that partnership didn’t last much longer as Katie Levick got Lister caught at cover for 18. King failed to have the same impact with the bat as she did with the ball as she was caught behind off the bowling of Levick for four.Durham were on the brink of victory as Villiers got Smale LBW for 32 to leave Lancashire seven down.Kate Cross looked to offer some resistance as she played a pair of nice shots off the bowling of Phoebe Turner, but Fraser picked up her third as she removed Norris.Sophia Turner then got in on the act as she bowled Cross for a resolute 34 and she wrapped up the win, bowling Morris for a golden duck.

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for IPL 2025. Venkatesh Iyer has been named vice-captain.”It’s an honour to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL,” Rahane said in a team statement. “I think we have an excellent and balanced squad. I look forward to working with everyone and taking up the challenge of defending our title.”Based on KKR’s strategy at the IPL mega auction last November, Rahane may not have been part of their initial plans, going by how the bidding unfolded. He was unsold when his name came up the first time on day one of the auction, and was only bought by KKR at his base price of INR 1.5 crore when his name came up again as part of the accelerated round on the second day, just before the auction ended.Related

• 'Nothing can beat experience' – Rahane keen to learn from T20 heavyweight Bravo at KKR

• Why KKR made Ajinkya Rahane, and not Venkatesh Iyer, their captain

• Rajat Patidar appointed new RCB captain for IPL 2025

• Eden Gardens to host IPL 2025 final on May 25

• Venkatesh Iyer 'definitely ready' to captain KKR at IPL 2025

“We are delighted to have someone like Ajinkya Rahane, who brings his experience and maturity as a leader,” KKR chief executive Venky Mysore said. “Also, Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for KKR and brings a lot of leadership qualities. We are confident that they will combine well as we start the defense of our title.”This will be Rahane’s second stint at KKR, having played for them in 2022, when he scored only 133 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 103.90. After that year, Rahane had a rejuvenation at Chennai Super Kings (CSK), for whom he scored 326 runs at a strike rate of 172.48 in 2023. IPL 2024 wasn’t as productive for Rahane and he was released by CSK after making 242 runs at a strike rate of 123.46 last year.Rahane’s leadership has been highly rated in the past – he was captain when India won a Test series in Australia in 2020-21 – and he is respected on the domestic circuit where he has led Mumbai to several titles, most recently the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Rahane was the highest run-scorer in that tournament – 469 runs at a strike rate of 164.56 and an average of over 58.His previous captaincy experience in the IPL spans 25 matches: one for Rising Pune Super Giant in 2017, and 24 for Rajasthan Royals across 2018 and 2019. He was replaced by Steven Smith midway through the 2019 season.KKR are the defending IPL champions•AFP/Getty Images

Iyer, after not being one of KKR’s six retained players ahead of November’s mega auction, was bought back by the franchise for INR 23.75 crore. He was the fourth-most expensive purchase in IPL auction history.KKR is Iyer’s only franchise in the IPL so far. He has been with them since 2021. He was a key player in their title-winning campaign last year, scoring 370 runs at a strike rate of 158.79. In a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, he said he was “definitely ready” to lead KKR if offered the captaincy.KKR are hosting the season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens on March 22 by virtue of having won the title in 2024. They beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in last year’s final – their third title – under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, who was not retained and is now captain of Punjab Kings (PBKS).With KKR announcing Rahane, the only team yet to name a captain is Delhi Capitals (DC). Rishabh Pant had led DC last year but was not retained and will lead his new team Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025.

Gujarat Giants were inspired by Priya Mishra’s three-wicket haul and captain Ashleigh Gardner’s breezy 52 to post a comprehensive six-wicket win over UP Warriorz in their second home game of the WPL 2025. Giants were a much-improved outfit with the ball and on the field, and followed it up with a clinical batting effort where the likes of Harleen Deol and Deandra Dottin also chipped in, to chase down a modest 144 in Vadodara with 12 balls remaining.With the injured Alyssa Healy not available and Chamari Athapaththu making way for Alana King, Warriorz lacked power up front. New captain Deepti Sharma’s 39 and Sophie Ecclestone’s excellent bowling performance went in vain as Giants bounced back from the opening-day loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru to get off the mark early in the tournament.Related

• Delhi Capitals take on RCB in a rematch of last season's final

• Run-out calls in MI-DC game turn focus on rules around LED stumps

• Sneh Rana replaces injured Shreyanka Patil at RCB

Gardner hits second fifty as Giants captain

Gardner carried on from where she left off, scoring yet another crucial fifty to lift Giants from 2 for 2. After her unbeaten 79 in the opener against RCB, Gardner came in to bat as early as the second over after Giants lost Beth Mooney and D Hemalatha early. She got going by scoring back-to-back fours off the debutant fast bowling-allrounder Kranti Goud in the third over.She was particularly brutal against Saima Thakor, who conceded 20 runs in the fifth over. Two of the three sixes of the over were hit by Gardner, one over long-on and another over deep midwicket. She used her feet well to charge down the ground when necessary and converted full tosses into fours or sixes. With Laura Wolvaardt, she stitched a crucial 55-run stand for the third wicket.She brought up her fifty off 28 balls, with a humongous six over deep square leg off Alana King after flicking away the previous ball to deep backward square leg for four. Overall, she hit five fours and three sixes.With 131 runs in two matches at an impressive strike rate of 195.52, Gardner is the leading run-scorer of the tournament as of now.

Dottin’s all-round performanceAfter Tahlia McGrath dismissed Gardner in the 12th over, Giants needed 58 off 49 balls. But Dottin came in and swung her bat straightaway over midwicket to collect her first six, off King. Putting her power game to use, she punished McGrath for two more fours in the next over and released pressure off Giants.The dew factor and a few dropped catches didn’t help Warriorz either as Deol also played the role of anchor to keep the chase at a healthy run-rate. Deol made an unbeaten 34 off 30 balls while Dottin hit a quickfire 33 that included three fours and two sixes.Earlier, with the ball, Dottin struck in the second over, dismissing Kiran Navgire with an inswinger and then knocked off Uma Chetry with a short ball in the tenth over when Warriorz were just trying to steady the ship after a few early wickets.Ashleigh Gardner smacked a fifty off 28 balls•WPL

Mishra’s momentum-changing over

Warriorz were 73 for 3 after 10 overs, and with McGrath and Grace Harris yet to come, they would have hoped for a lift-off. But Mishra landed a big blow by removing both the Australians in the span of three deliveries. For McGrath, she bowled a googly that skidded on in line of middle and off and scrapped past the batter’s inside edge and hit the pad first, and then off the bat and onto the pads. McGrath reviewed the lbw decision but it was struck down.A ball later, Mishra bowled another googly, a flighted delivery on off, and Harris went for a big slog across the line only to be beaten on the inside edge as the ball crashed onto the stumps. Mishra let out a loud roar after producing a statement performance.

Warriorz struggle with the bat

After being asked to bat, Warriorz decided to open with Kiran Navgire and Vrinda Dinesh, who had suffered a shoulder injury last season after playing four matches. But neither of them made an impact with Dottin and Gardner striking inside the powerplay.Uma Chetry, at No.3, also toiled to middle a lot of deliveries but utilised her strong bottom hand to smash four boundaries in her 27-ball 24. With Deepti at the other end, the duo produced a 51-run partnership to rescue Warriorz from early jitters. Deepti, who had hit an unbeaten 88 against Giants last year while batting at No.4 the only other time before Sunday, was the positive of the lot and smashed 39 off 27. She used her trademark sweep shots to good effect and also kept the scorecard ticking in the middle overs with pull shots and punches off the backfoot. Eventually, Deepti was also dismissed by Mishra in the 15th over.Despite the late flourish at the end of the innings thanks to Thakor and King, Warriorz finished with an under-par total.

The Ecclestone vs Wolvaardt battle

Wolvaardt was keen to charge down the track and disrupt the bowlers early into the chase but was challenged by Ecclestone. Though the scorecard might not offer a glimpse into the battle, Warriorz were briefly in the game, thanks to Ecclestone. After the England left-arm spinner picked up her first wicket off the second over, she was given another over in the powerplay.Wolvaardt shimmied down and smashed one down the ground for four after missing Ecclestone’s first ball of the fourth over. Four dot balls followed. Eventually, Wolvaardt fell to Ecclestone for 22 off 24 balls. In a moment of indecision that left her neither playing forward nor back, she was beaten on pace in the ninth over. Overall, Wolvaardt scored six runs off Ecclestone’s ten balls with only three scoring shots in it.Ecclestone finished with figures of 2 for 16 but that wasn’t enough for Warriorz.

Australia have dropped allrounder Mitchell Marsh for the final Test against India in Sydney with captain Pat Cummins confirming that Tasmanian Beau Webster will make his Test debut.Cummins confirmed on the eve of the Sydney Test that Australia would make just one change, with Mitchell Starc declared fit to play despite carrying an issue with his rib/back.Marsh’s place in the side was under the microscope after a lean series with both bat and ball. He had scored just 73 runs at 10.42 across the first four Tests, with 47 of those coming in the second innings in Perth when the game was long gone. With the ball he had bowled just 33 overs across seven innings in the series (discounting the brief second innings in Brisbane), and since claiming 2 for 12 in the first innings of the series he had figures of 1 for 127 from his last 28 overs.Related

• Inglis to miss rest of BBL but Scorchers hope Marsh is made available

• SCG axe leaves Mitchell Marsh's Test career at crossroads

• Beau Webster, Tasmania's talisman: 'I'm absolutely ready for the next level'

• 'He'll push through' – Carey confident Starc won't let back issue keep him out of SCG Test

• 'Unfair' to question Marsh's fitness as pressure grows on Test spot

Webster has been the form allrounder in the Sheffield Shield in recent seasons. He was the highest scorer in the Shield last season with 938 runs at 58.62 and took 30 wickets at 29.30. Sir Garfield Sobers, in 1963-64, is the only other player in Shield history to score more than 900 runs and take more than 30 wickets in the same season.In four games this season he has scored 303 runs at 50.50, including a century and a half-century, and has taken nine wickets at 37.88 in 96.5 overs across four matches. He has also taken 6 for 17 in a Dean Jones Trophy 50-over match for Tasmania and made an unbeaten half-century for Australia A against India A in the first four-day Mackay and took two three-wicket hauls in the second in Melbourne.”Mitchy, obviously hasn’t quite got the runs, or perhaps the wickets that he would have liked this series,” Cummins said on Thursday at his pre-Test press conference. “So we felt like it was time for a freshening up, and Beau’s been with the squad. He’s been great. So it’s a shame for Mitchy, because we know how much he brings to the team, but feel like now it’s a good week for Beau to get a chance.”Marsh’s popularity within the team, and his close personal friendship with Cummins would not have made the decision easy for the captain or the selectors. But Cummins said Marsh was not surprised by the decision and was very accepting of it.”He was totally understanding,” Cummins said. “I think his words were, yeah, not necessarily blindsided. He knows he hasn’t scored the runs or taken the wickets that he would have liked. So that makes you vulnerable. Really excited for Beau. The first thing he said, I can’t wait to see Beau go out there and give it a crack.”Particularly here in Australia, I think when a batter misses out or gets dropped it’s always seen as a big thing, but it’s not the case. The way that Ronnie [Andrew McDonald] and the selectors and myself look at it is, we love pulling a squad of players together who we think we can call on at different times. And we thought the time was right for Mitchy to have a freshen up and miss this one. But it doesn’t mean that he won’t be back in that team at some point.”Cummins was asked whether Marsh needed to contribute more with the ball if he was to earn a recall but the skipper said that his batting is the main priority.”Not necessarily,” he said. “We’ve spoken about it a lot. He was in the side this summer for being a top six batter. So that’s generally a guiding principle when you pick the top order, [although] not always. I think when he’s at his best, he gets in the side on his batting alone and his bowling is a bonus. Obviously, we’ve got guys like Cam Green who will be back in the mix at some point as well, who provide some other bowling options.”Beau Webster bowls at the nets•AFP via Getty Images

At the same time, Cummins said Webster’s superior bowling, and ability to handle bigger loads than Marsh was a factor in the decision-making. That comes just a few days after coach Andrew McDonald suggested Marsh was fully fit and stated it was unfair to question Marsh’s lack of bowling given that he had not bowled for tactical reasons rather than any physical issues.”That was definitely a factor,” Cummins said. “Short turnaround. I think it’s always nice to have kind of a fifth bowler. He bowls quite a lot for Tasmania. So if we need to call on that we can. I think firstly, if you’re going to bat six, you’re picked for your batting, which I think he’s shown in the Shield over the last couple years, when he takes the game on he’s really changed some games for Tasmania. But I’ll sit down and work that out today. But I think particularly that pace bowling, Beau is going to be handy, and we’ve got obviously Nath [Lyon], but also Trav [Head] with some handy offies when needed.”Cummins said he hadn’t had a lot to do with Webster prior to him joining the squad after the first Test of this series. But he has been impressed with his performances for Tasmania and Australia A where he made scores of 33, 61*, 5 and 46* and took figures of 0 for 18, 1 for 51, 3 for 19 and 3 for 49 in the two wins over India A in Mackay and Melbourne ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”He’s just been a one of those star performance for Tasmania with the bat or ball, or in the field,” Cummins said. “He always seems to have a big impact. Quite aggressive. Can change the game, like we’ve seen Mitch Marsh or Trav Head, or Alex Carey do in that middle order. And he’s been a great personality around the squad. Even day five there in Melbourne he was itching to get on the field. It’s going to be awesome to see him debut. Really love what he brought to the squad so far.”Australia XI for the fifth Test: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

West Indies allrounder Jason Holder will miss the upcoming two home Tests against Bangladesh starting at the end of the month to continue his shoulder rehabilitation. Offspinner Kevin Sinclair, meanwhile, returns to the side after recovering from an injury that made him miss West Indies’ last Test series, against South Africa at home in August.Right-arm quick Anderson Phillip also returned to the side, having last played a Test in December 2022 in Australia. Phillip is coming fresh on the back of a few wickets for Trinidad & Tobago in the domestic 50-over competition, which followed his county stint for Lancashire that he ended with a match haul of nine wickets against Worcestershire in September end.Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph also returned to the Test fold after he was rested for the South Africa games because of his “considerable workload” at the time. He is currently playing the T20I series against England after featuring in the ODIs against them, although he was suspended for the first two T20Is.Joseph was the vice-captain before he missed the South Africa series and the selectors had named Joshua Da Silva as Kraigg Brathwaite’s deputy in the interim. But even after Joseph’s return for the upcoming series, Da Silva has been retained as vice-captain in the latest 15-man squad.Making way for the returnees are the spinning duo of Gudakesh Motie and the uncapped Bryan Charles. Motie, too, is playing the white-ball games against England, but is not part of the Test side after two unimpressive outings against South Africa. He picked just three wickets in the two matches, including his wicketless showing in Port of Spain. Charlies, the offspinner, has been left out after he didn’t get a Test debut in the South Africa series.The two Tests will start on November 22 in Antigua and on November 30 in Jamaica. Before that, Brathwaite will also lead a CWI Select XI, from a squad of 13, for the two-day warm-up against Bangladesh for November 17 and 18 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.

West Indies Test squad

Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Joshua Da Silva (vice-capt), Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair, Jomel Warrican

CWI Select XI squad

Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Justin Greaves (vice-capt), Ryan Bandoo, Daniel Beckford, Navian Bidaisee, Joshua Dorne, Nathan Edward, Chaim Holder, Tevin Imlach, Jordan Johnson, Jair McAllister, Shaaron Lewis, Kimani Melius

England are bracing to play on “result wickets” for the remaining two Tests of their tour to Pakistan after winning by an innings on a lifeless pitch. The groundstaff in Multan, which will also stage the second Test of the series, were watering a fresh strip barely an hour after England completed their win on Friday, which will be prepared over the next three days.Shan Masood has spoken repeatedly about wanting to play on pitches that bring his fast bowlers into play since his appointment as captain, but there was nothing for them to work with as England racked up 823 for 7 in Multan. Pakistan need to win both Tests to secure a first home series win since February 2021 and England believe they may gamble on a green pitch.”There was talk about green surfaces,” Chris Woakes said. “I suppose it did have a tinge of green on day one, but it just got better and better. The ball is firmly in their court. When it’s a home series and it’s only three matches, and you lose the first, you’d like to think that the next two are going to be result wickets, whether that be green or turners. We’ll see.”Related

• Pakistan, a graveyard for Test bowlers – in numbers

• Masood scathing in criticism of bowlers but not batters after Multan humiliation

• Leach four-for consigns Pakistan to historic innings defeat

• Stats – Rare England innings win in Asia, Pakistan losing streak continues

• PCB restructures selection committee by picking Aleem Dar, Aaqib, Azhar

Tony Hemming, the PCB’s Australian head curator, is due to meet with a revamped selection panel on Saturday in Multan, along with Masood and coach Jason Gillespie. Pakistan’s squad for the second Test will be finalised after that meeting.Masood played down the role of the pitch, instead blaming his bowlers. “We take discussion of the pitch too seriously,” he said. “You play a pitch for your squad and your strategy, but you can’t control every aspect of the pitch… What England showed us is you can find a way: they took 20 wickets on this pitch, so you can’t say it’s impossible to take 20 wickets on this pitch.”England hope to welcome Ben Stokes back into their side for the second Test after he missed the first due to his hamstring injury. He stepped up his rehabilitation this week, doing fitness work on every day of the Test, starting to bowl off a full run-up during intervals, and having several long batting sessions in the nets behind the media centre.Ollie Pope, who stood in as captain for a fourth successive Test, was optimistic about Stokes’ chances of playing next week. “I know he’s been training really well this week, and he’s as keen as ever to get playing again, so fingers crossed for everyone that he’s all good… He has had a good week training, but I will be ready if not.”If Stokes does return, England could face a selection dilemma depending on his availability to bowl – and the nature of the surface. The most likely change would involve him replacing one of their three seamers, but they could feasibly leave out one of their two spinners – most likely Shoaib Bashir – and instead give Joe Root a greater role with the ball.Chris Woakes took two wickets in his first overseas Test since 2022•Getty Images

For Woakes, this was a successful return to playing away from home after two successive winters without going on a Test tour. He finished with match figures of 2 for 110 but took one important wicket in each innings: Babar Azam in the first, whom he trapped lbw with the second new ball, and Abdullah Shafique, who lost his off stump to the first ball of the second.”I probably didn’t think I was going to get another opportunity to do this,” Woakes said. “In a way, I’d probably given up on it. But when you get the backing of the dressing room, of Ben and Baz [McCullum], you feel 10 feet tall and like you can go out there and win games of cricket for England. I’m never going to average 25 in these conditions but I don’t think many would.”Thankfully in this Test match, I’ve been able to make a couple of breakthroughs with the new ball on a wicket which was offering pretty much bugger all, so I’m pretty pleased I contributed. There are going to be periods in these conditions where you do have to hold and you’re working for the guys at the other end.”

Tammy Beaumont’s 150 not out delivered a massive 275-run victory for England Women – their biggest winning margin in ODIs – and an unassailable 2-0 lead in their series with Ireland.Beaumont faced just 139 balls for her innings, which included 16 fours and a six as the visitors romped home with 33.1 overs to spare at Stormont.Captain Kate Cross, who returned career-best figures with ball and bat in the first game as England won by four wickets, took 3 for 8 from just four overs as Ireland were skittled for 45 in Monday’s game, their lowest-ever total in ODIs.Related

• Kemp, Heath in England's T20 World Cup squad but Filer misses out

• Kate Cross vows to lead England her way

• Kate Cross stars with bat and ball in four-wicket England win

Both players have for some time faced the writing on the wall that England have moved on from them in T20Is and that was confirmed when they were left out of the squad for next month’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. As a result, they are the spearheads of a second-string England Women’s side touring Ireland for three ODIs in Belfast followed by two T20Is in Dublin as the World Cup squad prepares to depart for a pre-tournament training camp in Abu Dhabi.Beaumont’s 10th ODI century moved her clear of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Charlotte Edwards at the top of England’s list for most hundreds in the format and she is now third on the overall list, behind Meg Lanning (15) and Suzie Bates (13).Since losing her grip on a spot in England’s T20 side – she has played just three T20Is since January 2022, bolstering a team missing its WPL stars in New Zealand earlier this year – Beaumont has scored a competition-best 118 in the Hundred and a double-century in last year’s Ashes Test.She revealed her latest performance came despite suffering mid-innings back spasms but, despite another defiant display, it wasn’t about proving anyone wrong.”That’s probably something about my character,” Beaumont said. “Since I was about four I got told I couldn’t do a lot of things and I’ve proved a lot of people wrong so I think it’s always been the way.”But I think for me now, I’ve got nothing left to prove in my game. I’m playing for me and playing for England and playing for my team-mates. I’ve broken a few records and whatever. I don’t have to keep proving myself. I just have to keep playing and enjoying it.”Nor did she harbour any bad feelings about being overlooked for the captaincy on this tour.”Kate and I are both real experienced payers and she’s done a great job so far,” Beaumont said. “It was nice to be included in this squad and hopefully mentor some younger players and welcome them into the England club as such. For me it was just about having a real honour of representing the shirt and coming over here and making sure we won the series.”Meanwhile Freya Kemp, who is part of the World Cup squad but was sent to Ireland to find some form after a disappointing Hundred campaign with Southern Brave, did just that, contributing 65 to a century stand with Beaumont for the fourth wicket.The 19-year-old Kemp struck two sixes in her 47-ball knock, her highest score in 23 appearances across white-ball formats for England. Then, having only recently returned to bowling from a lengthy back problem, took 2 for 7 from her three overs.Quick Lauren Filer, who was overlooked for the T20 World Cup, took 3 for 10 while debutant Georgia Davis closed out Ireland’s hapless innings with her second wicket as she returned figures of 2 for 19 off 3.5 overs with her offspin.

South Africa reeled off an effortless opening win against West Indies, as the left-arm spin of Nonkululeko Mlaba devastated West Indies’ top order, before Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits produced fuss-free unbeaten fifties. The openers walked South Africa home with 13 balls to spare, in the Dubai curtain-raiser for this women’s T20 World Cup.West Indies couldn’t really get out of the blocks, with bat or ball. Stafanie Taylor was their top scorer, with 44 not out off 41. But they never seemed like putting up a huge total, and South Africa never seemed at risk of failing to chase it down.

Mlaba takes out the middle

Mlaba struck once in the powerplay, firing a flatter delivery into Qiana Joseph’s off stump to end a pained innings (4 off 14 balls). But she did the majority of her damage through the middle, by which stage West Indies were already battling to put up a decent score.She was tight with her lines, and that quicker ball was dangerous. She bowled Shemaine Campbelle off her thigh pad in the 12th over, before slowing it down and getting Chinelle Henry caught behind next ball.Nonkululeko Mlaba struck twice in two balls in the 12th over•ICC/Getty Images

In her final over – the 16th of the innings – she had Aaliyah Alleyne failing to keep an off-side slash down, before Brits took a spectacular diving catch at cover. Mlaba finished with 4 for 29 from her four overs, having only conceded two boundaries – a four to Deandra Dottin and a six to Taylor – though she did also bowl five wides down the leg side off her hat-trick ball.

South Africa’s openers boss it

Both Wolvaardt and Brits struck authoritative boundaries in the first over, bowled by Henry. Brits was quieter through the rest of the powerplay, but Wolvaardt was on the charge, hitting especially memorable boundaries through the leg side to move to 29 off 20 by the time the fielding restrictions ended. Brits, in the same period, collected 12 off 16.With the required rate whittled down to about 5.5 an over, the pair set about accumulating through the middle overs, playing largely risk-free cricket. Wolvaardt was dropped on 33 by Karishma Ramharack, who couldn’t hold on to a difficult return chance. But otherwise, South Africa’s progress was smooth.Laura Wolvaardt struck some memorable boundaries through the leg side•ICC/Getty Images

They got to 100 off the first ball of the 15th over, as Wovaardt reached her half-century off the 45th ball she faced. Brits got there next over, also off her 45th ball, having struck four further boundaries since that powerplay. West Indies were never able to put either batter under serious pressure for long.

Taylor plays valiantly

With Hayley Matthews out in the third over, Joseph bowled soon after, and Dottin out for 13 in the seventh over, Taylor’s innings always needed to be a battling one. Aside from smashing one Annerie Dercksen half-volley down the ground in the ninth over, Taylor was largely unambitious through the first half of West Indies’ innings, as she attempted to rebuild.She tried some bigger shots through the back end of the innings, but didn’t find a lot of timing. Still, without her, West Indies could have collapsed to a double-digit score.

Kapp’s vital strikes

Marizanne Kapp was not needed for her foremost suit today, but she still had plenty of impact on the game, removing two of West Indies’ most dangerous top-order batters. She first had Matthews caught behind, the batter scarcely believing that she had edged that ball. Then Kapp had Dottin holing out to extra cover, attempting a big shot over the off side.She bowled three of the first seven overs, taking 2 for 11 in the process, before coming back at the death where she gave away just three runs.

Left-arm quick Spencer Johnson has been ruled out of the T20I series against Scotland and England next month after picking up a side strain in the Hundred with Oval Invincibles.He will be replaced by New South Wales allrounder Sean Abbott who had initially only been due to be part of the ODI squad for the five matches against England.Related

• Bartlett suffers side strain, Dwarshuis called in as cover for ODIs

• Hazlewood out of Scotland T20Is with calf strain

• Smith: Would be cool to be part of LA 2028 Olympics

• Gus Atkinson pulled out of Hundred final by ECB

• Connolly earns Australia call-up; Fraser-McGurk included for Scotland, England tour

It had been a lean Hundred campaign for Johnson who claimed just two wickets in six matches although he did produce an impressive display against Northern Superchargers with 1 for 10 from his 20 deliveries.Johnson, who emerged quickly through the BBL with Brisbane Heat, has played five T20Is and one ODI since making his debut against South Africa last year. He is viewed as a likely replacement for Mitchell Starc in the T20 side when that opening becomes permanently available.Starc has been rested from the T20Is against Scotland and England but will feature in the ODIs. Pat Cummins will miss the entire tour but Josh Hazlewood is part of both squads.Spencer Johnson has so far had a handful of opportunities with Australia•Getty Images

Abbott, who has appeared in 15 T20Is, has been unfortunate not to play more for Australia. He is the leading wicket-taker in BBL history with 165. Abbott has also featured in the Hundred where he has taken nine wickets in seven matches for Birmingham Phoenix.Xavier Bartlett, who burst into international cricket last season, and Nathan Ellis are the other frontline seamers in the T20I squad alongside allrounders Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie and Marcus Stoinis.Australia’s selectors have one eye on the next T20 World Cup in 18 months’ time although have not drawn a line through either Starc or Cummins in the format.Johnson’s aim will now be to recover in time for the start of the Australia domestic season where he plays for South Australia. After the UK tour, Australia’s next T20Is are a three-match series against Pakistan in mid-November which could be another opportunity for Johnson as the Test quicks won’t feature due to the proximity of the first Test in Perth.After the Pakistan series, Australia are not scheduled to play T20Is until next July in West Indies.

Australia T20I squad vs Scotland and England

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

England’s upcoming T20I series against New Zealand could give the strongest indication yet of how England plan to line up at the World Cup in Bangladesh.Speaking from a soggy Southampton before the first of five fixtures on Saturday, England captain Heather Knight said that while conditions were virtually impossible to replicate at home, her side would look to play combinations and scenarios as though they were there.”All we can do as players is be as prepared as we can,” Knight said. “In terms of prepping the team, just little things like playing teams that we think we’re going to play in Bangladesh, that are definitely an option.”Regardless of conditions here, we’re going to have that mantra to try and prepare us as if we’re playing in Bangladesh and try things out regardless of what the conditions are here.”So we will see potential things that we’ll do in Bangladesh rather than necessarily, ‘right, it looks a bit green here, we probably would play a seamer, usually an extra seamer,’ we probably won’t do that in these conditions.Related

• Bell stars with five wickets as Nat Sciver-Brunt puts seal on 3-0 sweep

• Plenty left on Ecclestone's to-do list

• Tears, drama and disagreements all worth it for Bell

• Tahuhu raring to play after arrival of baby No. 2

“Obviously the aim is to try and win, but we’ve got a bigger picture with the World Cup coming up in the back of the mind as well.”It’s always a fine balance between prepping individuals but also trying to get your team balance and try a few things potentially that might not be conducive to the conditions here, but might actually fit the conditions in Bangladesh. That’s going to be the forefront of our decision-making as a leadership group.”If their recent sweep of three ODIs against the White Ferns is any indication, England may have the luxury of keeping an experimental mindset no matter what the pitch, weather or opposition throws at them.Having romped to victory by nine and eight wickets in the first two games, even chasing a target of 212 in 42 overs at a rain-hit Bristol on Wednesday looked comfortable as England eased to a five-wicket win off the back of Lauren Bell’s five-for and a 90-run stand between Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones, who both scored fifties.Knight said England were “pretty close” to knowing the make-up of their squad for the T20 World Cup.”There’s just a couple of spots that we want to get finalised and sorted,” she said. “In terms of what we want to see, it’s the way we want to play in Bangladesh, the skills that we’re going to need as batters and bowlers to be successful in Bangladesh.”Picking fifteens and picking elevens in particular is really tough at the moment. The girls are putting in performances, which is making it a lot trickier for us, which is a really good place to be. It shows the competition that we’ve got and the players that are performing.”We’re going to need that whole squad in Bangladesh. Someone can get ill on the morning of a game, so we’re going to need a squad where we’ve got enough back-up and enough players that can fill different places in different conditions. We’re close and hopefully we’ll be pretty set at the back end of the series.”Heather Knight says England are close to knowing their T20 World Cup squad•PA Images via Getty Images

Freya Kemp is available as an allrounder against New Zealand after a long spell playing as a batter only while returning from a back injury.Sophia Dunkley is also part of the squad after being dropped following a disappointing tour of New Zealand earlier this year. She scored 15 off 24 balls batting a No. 5 in her comeback match during the third ODI earlier this week.Seamer Bell enjoyed a breakthrough moment in Bristol with her maiden five-wicket haul, having endured a difficult period in which she was working on changing her bowling while facing New Zealand and Pakistan before that.”It was huge for her,” Knight said of Bell’s performance. “We had a little bit of a catch-up that morning and she was pretty nervous to see how it would go and she was brilliant. I think it’ll be huge for her confidence.”Sometimes when you’re working through those things I on an international stage, and on a domestic stage as well, it can be really tricky because a lot of people are outcome-focused. But ultimately we knew she would come good eventually, it was just a question of when and those things bedding in.”Going through that tricky period and having to work through it to come up with a few processes that are going to help her as well, a few mental routines that she’s now got, to be able to do that, I think that’ll be a huge learning for her going forward.”