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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

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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

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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

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“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.”

Gulbadin Naib’s apparent bout of cramp during Afghanistan’s Super Eight game against Bangladesh in St Vincent came under scrutiny from television commentators because it happened at a crucial stage of game.Needing a win to qualify for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 at Australia’s expense, Afghanistan had just taken Bangladesh’s sixth and seventh wicket in the 11th over with the score on 80. In the next over, after Bangladesh had fallen just behind the DLS par score, it appeared that Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott was signalling to his players to try and slow the game down with rain in the air.Between the third and fourth deliveries of the 12th over from Noor Ahmad, Naib went down clutching the back of his leg while fielding at first slip. He was not moving in the field at the time he went down. Naib appeared to need treatment and as he was helped off the field by his team-mate Naveen-ul-Haq and a member of the support staff, it began to drizzle and the pitch was covered. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan did not look pleased during the incident.The injury and rain interruption did not last long, though, and when play resumed minutes later, one over had been reduced from Bangladesh’s chase and the DLS target revised to 114. At that point, Najibullah Zadran was on the field as a substitute for Naib, who eventually came back on the field in the 13th over. Naib then bowled the 15th over in Bangladesh’s chase and took the wicket of Tanzim Hasan.When asked about the incident by Simon Doull after the game, Rashid played it down. “Rain is something that’s not in your hand. It was on and off. Mentally we were always there that we had to play 20 overs and take ten wickets. That was the only way we could get to the semi-final. There was no other way,” he said. “Gulbadin had some cramp, I think. Hopefully, he will be alright. But that wicket that he gave us was a massive one at that stage.”Rashid said the interruption did not impact the game much. “Well, he [Naib] had some cramp, I don’t know what happened to him and I don’t know what’s going on in social media but that doesn’t matter – it’s just the on-field injury which comes and then we haven’t lost any overs, the rain came and we just went off, it’s not something like brought a massive difference in the game. We came back on field after five minutes and there was no massive difference. For me, it’s just like a small injury comes in, then you have to take some time.”Time-wasting by either the batting or bowling side is a punishable offence. It did not have an impact on the result in the end, as Afghanistan went on to beat Bangladesh by eight runs to qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

Alec Stewart is to resume his role as Surrey’s director of men’s cricket with immediate effect, the club have announced.Stewart, 62, stepped back from working full-time at the Kia Oval after the 2024 season, in order to help care for his wife, Lynn, who died of cancer in April. He remained involved in a new role as high-performance advisor, with Surrey opting not to appoint a successor.However, after one season away, he is set to retake the reins in the pursuit of more success. Stewart, who returned to the club where he spent his playing career as director of cricket in 2013, oversaw a strong player development pathway alongside four County Championship triumphs, including three in a row at the end of his first stint.”Surrey has always been my home and I am now ready to return to full-time duties with the club again,” Stewart said. “My priorities have always been to support the cricket management team and the squad to be the best county in the country, to bring cricketers into our professional squad through our pathway system and help players to fulfil their dreams of representing their country.”Related

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Surrey remained the team to beat in 2025, but were pipped by Nottinghamshire in the final rounds of the season to end up second on the Division One table.Stewart will be reunited with head coach, Gareth Batty, and captain, Rory Burns, as they look to re-establish their dominance of county cricket’s oldest competition.Oli Slipper, Surrey chair, said: “Alec is a legend of Surrey and we are looking forward to having him back in his role as director of men’s cricket. Alec’s record speaks for itself and he’s been the driving force in so much of the club’s success over many, many years.”Steve Elworthy, CEO at Surrey, added: “Alec’s commitment, drive and attention to detail has built the team into the side it is today and we know he will continue to progress the team as he resumes his role at the helm on the men’s game in the county.”Alec has remained an important part of the cricket management team over the last 12 months and he continues to drive the highest of standards across the club.”

Tazmin Brits is having a year like no other. Her fifth hundred in 2025 – the most-ever by a woman in a calendar year – studded South Africa’s dominance as they got onto the points table with a crushing six-wicket win over New Zealand, who slumped to their second straight loss in Indore.Four nights after being bundled out for the second-lowest score in World Cups, South Africa showed authority and intent in chasing down 232 in 40.5 overs. This somewhat helped cover up for a massive net run rate dent from their embarrassing loss to England in Guwahati.That South Africa had only these many to chase was largely thanks to left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, whose 4 for 40 triggered an alarming slide after Sophie Devine and Brook Halliday threatened a jailbreak. After the pair had added a quickfire 86 for the fourth-wicket, New Zealand were coasting at 187 for 3 in 38 overs when Mlaba made big dents.Related

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Halliday contributed 45 off 37 in a terrific exhibition of sweeps and reverse-sweeps, before falling to one hit too many when she top-edged a slog-sweep off Mlaba at the start of the 39th. During her stay, she briefly gave South Africa the shivers, like she had in last year’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai.South Africa hit back quickly after Halliday’s dismissal, with Mlaba next sending back Maddy Green to an ill-advised reverse sweep as she picked out backward point. Amid the collapse, Devine held out hope for New Zealand, like she’d done in hitting a valiant 112 against Australia in their opener.Nonkululeko Mlaba opened the floodgates with Brooke Halliday’s wicket•Getty Images

Devine helped shift gears after Georgia Plimmer struggled to hit the ball off the square in a painstaking 31 off 68 balls. Devine was largely measured, taking 66 deliveries to bring up a half-century, her 17th in ODIs, before shifting gears, as she fed off Halliday’s form and enterprise.Halliday and Devine raised their half-century stand off just 41 deliveries, and New Zealand looked set for a lift-off. But Devine’s dismissal for 85, attempting to work a full delivery into the leg side, had a deflating effect. Ayabonga Khaka then cleaned up the lower order, as New Zealand lost 7 for 44 to be bowled out for 231, leaving 13 deliveries unused.All told, it was an innings of contrasting fortunes. New Zealand played themselves into a hole, consuming as many as 72 dots in the first 15 overs to leave the middle order with too much to do, after Suzie Bates fell for a second straight duck off the first ball of the match and Melie Kerr for 22. Then Devine and Halliday bailed them out, but in having a terrible back 10, New Zealand undid all the good work through the middle overs.To make a fist of the target, New Zealand needed early wickets, and they had one when Laura Wolvaardt, who plucked a stunner to end New Zealand’s innings, was out lbw playing around her front pad to Jess Kerr. But that was as much joy as they were to derive over the next two hours as Brits put on an exhibition, with Sune Luus for company.Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus left New Zealand without hope in the chase•Getty Images

Brits’ was a high-tempo innings full of stunning shots, and it included a thrilling takedown of Melie Kerr early in the innings to offset any threat South Africa had. Having begun the innings steadily, Brits went into overdrive after the 10-over mark, at one point hitting five boundaries in nine deliveries, en route to a 44-ball half-century, her fastest in ODIs.Brits equally punished Eden Carson, the offspinner, muscling a six to bring up the 100 partnership off 111 deliveries. Brits’ use of her feet to negate any turn and bludgeon spinners repeatedly down the ground made for thrilling viewing. And while she was flying, Luus was fighting for survival.Unlike Brits, Luus struggled for timing, but the reward for all that tenacity for a fight was a half-century that she raised off 76 balls. Brits’ counter-attack gave her the rare luxury of finding her feet as the ball spun and jumped, merely underlining how ridiculously easy Brits had made batting look.Brits fell soon after getting to her century, bowled attempting to pull a skiddy length ball off Lea Tahuhu to leave South Africa briefly wobbly, as they lost two more wickets in an attempt to raze down the runs. But even through that, the result was a foregone conclusion.Luus raised the winning runs with a lofted hit over extra cover, finishing unbeaten on 81 to ensure South Africa ride a wave of confidence when they meet hosts and table-toppers India come Thursday in Vizag. New Zealand will hope for a change of luck when they travel to Guwahati to play Bangladesh the following day.

South Africa 235 for 7 (Tryon 62, Kapp 56, de Klerk 37*, Nahida 2-44) beat Bangladesh 232 for 6 (Shorna 51*, Sharmin 50, Mlaba 2-42) by three wickets For the second match running, Nadine de Klerk produced the crucial winning hand – an unbeaten 37 from 29 balls, albeit with several huge slices of late luck – as South Africa outmuscled a spirited Bangladesh to seal a thriller by three wickets and with three balls to spare in Visakhapatnam.The final result mirrored their previous win over India on this same ground on Thursday, but the manner in which it was secured was significantly less assured. Against a potent attack led by Nahida Akter and Ritu Moni, Chloe Tryon produced a priceless knock of 62 from 69 balls, with Marizanne Kapp also chipping in with a hard-fought fifty. However, the final difference between the teams came down to Bangladesh’s fielding under pressure with a succession of crucial chances going down in the fraught final overs.The most crucial of those came with just ten runs needed from eight balls. De Klerk miscued a drive off Rabeya Khan to long-off where Shorna Akter, 18 years old and fresh from a breakthrough innings of her own, looked set to seal a match that she deserved to make her own. Instead, the chance slapped off her palms to the turf, and with eight still needed in the final over, de Klerk capitalized with a four and a decisive six in three balls.Bangladesh were crestfallen at the conclusion, and little wonder. After winning the toss in an overcast Visakhapatnam, their captain Nigar Sultana had chosen to stare their shortcomings in the face by batting first despite a previous tournament highest total of 178, rightly assessing that a score on the board of any description was the best means to give her bowlers “a chance”, as she had put it at the toss.And so it came to pass, though perhaps not in the manner that many would have predicted. South Africa created few out-and-out chances in their bowling display, as each of Bangladesh’s top four reached at least 25. Sharmin Akhter anchored the innings with 50 from 77 balls. But for the first 30 overs of the innings, South Africa scarcely needed to make breakthroughs, such was the safety-first attitude of a batting line-up that conceded 126 dot-balls, or more than four per over, across that period of the innings.By degrees, however, Bangladesh turned South Africa’s lack of penetration to their advantage, and when Nigar holed out to cover to bring Shorna to the crease at 150 for 3 with 9.5 overs of the innings remaining, the stage was set for a transformative onslaught.Shorna Akter and Ritu Moni shared a 37-run stand off just 18 balls•Getty Images

Shorna cracked three fours and three sixes, each of them over long-on, in her 34-ball fifty, the fastest by a Bangladeshi in women’s ODIs. It was hitting with power and purpose, unrecognizable from the defensive fare that had preceded it. She was joined in her up-tempo approach by Moni, who lashed each of her first three balls for four off a previously parsimonious Kapp, to seal a flying finish with 19 not out from eight balls, as 37 runs came from the final three overs.A target of 233 was probably 60 runs more than South Africa had been bargaining for after Bangladesh’s moribund start, and their anxieties were heightened in the second over of their chase. With five ODI centuries in 2025, Tazmin Brits is arguably the in-form batter in all of 50-over international cricket, yet now she registered back-to-back ducks – and back-to-back caught-and-bowleds – after meeting her first ball with a tentative back-foot push that Nahida grabbed in front of her face.Brits’ latest dismissal wasn’t quite as spectacular as Kranti Gaud’s one-hander in last week’s India contest, but it needed to be held all the same … as Rabeya went on to demonstrate three overs later. This time, Laura Wolvaardt – on 11 – pushed through the line off the back foot, but Rabeya couldn’t close her hands around on a near-identical chance off her fourth ball.It looked like being an innings-turning let-off. Anneke Bosch got herself up and running with a brace of boundaries before Wolvaardt punished Rabeya with back-to-back fours square of the wicket, and as the pair pushed through to a 55-run stand inside the first 15 overs, the chase seemed to be entirely under control.Then, however, calamity struck out of the blue. On 30, Wolvaardt nudged the legspinner Fahima Khatun off her pads but failed to commit fully to a potential second run. Fargana Hoque tracked the ball down at midwicket, and as the batters hesitated mid-pitch, an accurate return to the keeper left South Africa’s skipper stranded.Rabeya Khan celebrates after bowling a ripper•ICC/Getty Images

Bosch thumped her next ball through the covers to hint that all was still well. But one ball later, she too was gone, caught on the edge of the ring by Sobhana Mostary for 28, as she failed to connect with an ambitious launch through the line.At 62 for 3, and with two new batters yet to face a ball, a big rebuild was required. Instead, Annerie Dercksen and Kapp managed two scrambled singles in their next 17 balls, before the former was extracted by the ball of the match, and arguably the tournament to date – an inch-perfect legbreak from Rabaya that drifted in and gripped just enough to kiss the outside edge of the off stump, and leave Dercksen utterly bamboozled as she turned to the square leg umpire to determine whether she was out.Four overs later, Sinalo Jafta also lost the top of her off stump, although there were no such doubts about her dismissal, as Fahima skidded a high-kicking topspinner through her back-foot push, like a latter-day Anil Kumble.At 78 for 5, South Africa had lost 4 for 20 in 44 balls, and their challenge was in tatters. It could have been even worse when Kapp, on 15, climbed across a short ball from Shorna and under-edged a tough half-chance that the keeper Nigar couldn’t gather.Chloe Tryon did not let the momentum slip for South Africa•Getty Images

Marufa Akter returned to the attack in the 27th over, but her extra pace was much more to South Africa’s liking, as Tryon cuffed a brace of cuts through point – the first of them being her side’s first boundary for 43 balls. Though Bangladesh quickly reverted to spin, that 12-run over had just loosened the shackles a fraction, and Kapp’s subsequent sweep for four off Fahima brought up a fifty stand for the sixth wicket from a relatively brisk 62 balls.Speaking at the toss, Wolvaardt had said she’d be happy to chase given the likelihood that dew would be a factor at the back end of the second innings, and sure enough there was a lengthy break at the final drinks break to run a rope around the outfield. Nevertheless, the spinners held their threatening full lengths, stretching the required rate past 7.5 per over until Kapp seized on a rare full-toss from Shorna to club the first six of the innings over long-on and bring up a 67-ball fifty.She was unable to push on, however. With 71 required from the final ten overs, Kapp stepped into a drive off Nahida, and picked out Shorna, who coolly made amends, ten metres in from the rope at long-off.Bangladesh celebrated wildly as South Africa’s mainstay departed for 56, but after de Klerk had announced herself with an immaculate second-ball sweep for four, Tryon set about ripping the contest back towards her team, although not without a big slice of luck. On 40, she found an under-edge off Moni that raced through the keeper’s legs for four. Then on 46, she wound into a slog-sweep to deep midwicket, but the substitute Sumaiya Akter ran through the chance without laying a hand on it.Tryon then cashed in with a huge leg-side six to make it 16 in the over, but once again, Bangladesh found a means to battle back – this time via a sharp shy from Moni at backward point, which caught Tryon inches short to send her on her way for 62 from 69.With the run-rate nudging eight an over, Masabata Klaas brought up the 200 with a streaky single to mid-off, which would also have been run-out had Fahima’s shy found its target. De Klerk then walked across her stumps to hoist a priceless boundary through backward square, and when Fahima served up an untimely front-foot no-ball, she stepped back to lift the resulting free hit over the covers.Even then the anxieties weren’t done. With 11 still required, de Klerk top-edged a full-toss into the gap at square leg – and nearly ran herself out in the confusion – but two balls later, she received the decisive let-off. A miscued slap to long-off, where Shorna was waiting to complete the heroics she had begun. The chance went begging, and so too did Bangladesh’s hopes. For South Africa, however, their wild campaign marches on, with three wins in a row, and one foot firmly planted in the semi-final standings.

Essex 325 for 5 (Allison 98, Pepper 54*) vs WarwickshireCharlie Allison fell two runs shy of a century in an effective batting display by Essex on the second day of their Rothesay County Championship match with Warwickshire at Edgbaston.Advancing towards the draw that would secure their Division One status, Essex closed on 325 for 5 with Allison’s 98 off 175 balls heading an impressive collective effort. No batter scored fewer than 25 while Michael Pepper made 54 not out (94), Dean Elgar 48 (111) and Matt Critchley 47 (64).After a washout on the first day and, judging by the weather forecast, very little play likely on the third, this match appears nailed on for a draw which would send both teams into next week’s final games safely clear of the bottom two.In their last home match of the season, Warwickshire chose to bowl and were unlucky not to take more than one wicket in the morning session. Olly Hannon-Dalby in particular maintained high pressure, conceding just three runs from his first seven overs, but the ball frequently beat the bat rather than taking the edge.Elgar and Paul Walter added 41 in 14 overs before the latter was lured into driving at a wide ball from Nathan Gilchrist and edged to wicketkeeper Alex Davies.Elgar moved diligently to 48 in 144 minutes then perished in similar fashion to his opening partner. The left-hander edged Gilchrist to second slip where Rob Yates accepted his 15th Championship catch of the season.When Tom Westley drove around an Ethan Bamber yorker, Essex were 111 for 3 but Allison and Critchley ensured there was no collapse with a measured partnership of 98 in 25 overs. Critchley was closing in on his 33rd first-class half-century when he nicked an excellent ball from Michael Booth to Davies.Allison found another resolute partner in Pepper. Both scored Championship centuries against Warwickshire at Chelmsford in July and this time they added 77 in 20 overs.Allison, having spent quite some time in the 90s, then attacked the wrong ball from Bamber and Rob Yates accepted his 16th championship catch of the season. That proved to be the only wicket with the new ball.Again, Warwickshire’s seamers bowled well without much luck but Pepper completed his half-century in the day’s penultimate over and Essex can be well-satisfied with a strong day’s work by their batters.Without Shane Snater (calf injury) and Sam Cook, who sustained a broken thumb during the Hundred, Essex are giving a first class debut to seamer Charlie Bennett.

A sudden downpour in London forced India and England back into the changerooms early after 23 overs of play at The Oval. Shubman Gill, having lost the toss yet again, was in the middle dealing with challenging batting conditions but profiting thanks to a drop in the quality of bowling among the opposition. The visitors went to the break at 72 for 2.Gus Atkinson, one of four changes for England, acquitted himself very well, playing his first Test two months. He provided the first breakthrough, trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw in the fourth over of the day. The on-field decision was not-out prompting stand-in captain Ollie Pope to review and finally get one right. He had not had any luck with his previous 14 calls but this one was perfect. Atkinson finished the session with figures of 6-1-7-1.KL Rahul was solid again but fell for 14 off 40. With 8mm of grass left on the pitch and most of the session taking place under overcast skies, the batters were very careful when the ball was pitched up in the 4-6m area but anything either side they knew they had to attack. Chris Woakes bowled short but not wide enough for the cut. Rahul went for the shot because of the pressure that had been built – England had given only five runs in the previous six overs – and was bowled off the inside edge.That brought Gill to the middle and he ticked past 732 runs, which means he has the most runs by an India captain over a Test series. Sai Sudharsan was at the other end, looking solid as well and exposing the drop offs between Archer and Stokes, who couldn’t play this game, and Josh Tongue (11 runs in wides in his first over) and Jamie Overton (3-0-16-0) who replaced them. A portion of the bowlers’ struggle was also because the landing area didn’t seem sturdy enough after the overnight rain.