December 10, 2024

Zaman Akhtar Shines in England Lions’ Tour Match

Gloucestershire’s fast bowler Zaman Akhtar was the standout performer on the opening day of the England Lions’ four-day match against the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Invitational XI in Cape Town, claiming three crucial wickets. Akhtar’s pace and bounce were key as he made significant inroads after Tom Lawes had earlier struck twice with the new ball, including the first delivery of the day.

Akhtar’s most important breakthrough came when he ended a century partnership for the third wicket by finding extra bounce off a good length, dismissing Jean du Plessis, who edged to James Coles at second slip. Nottinghamshire’s teenage spinner Farhan Ahmed also played a role, removing Lesego Senokwane, the current leading run-scorer in the CSA 4-Day Series, after he miscued a shot to Akhtar at mid-on. The hosts finished the day at 285 for eight.

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Akhtar’s Late Burst Powers Lions to Key Breakthroughs

Skipper Dan Mousley and James Coles both took a wicket each in the afternoon session, but the Lions were forced to work hard for breakthroughs. The reintroduction of Zaman Akhtar in the final hour of the day proved crucial, as the 25-year-old quickly made an impact. He bowled a brutal short ball that Sinethemba Qeshile, who had played a solid knock of 73, could only feather behind as he attempted to take evasive action.

Akhtar followed this up with another key wicket as Matthew Boast popped a simple catch to backward point from the next delivery. This four-day match is the England Lions’ only fixture during their three-week tour, which has mainly focused on providing the 19-player squad with individualised, high-quality training.

Seales’ Searing Spell Secures Series Win for Windies

Brandon King played a pivotal role in West Indies’ seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Basseterre, guiding his team to a comfortable 228-run chase. This win secured the three-match ODI series for the West Indies, marking their first series win over Bangladesh in ten years. The victory followed a strong performance in the first ODI, where the West Indies broke Bangladesh’s 11-match winning streak against them. With this series win, the West Indies have shown a turnaround in their ODI fortunes, having also defeated England recently.

Bangladesh was bowled out for 227 in 45.5 overs, thanks to a standout bowling performance from Jayden Seales, who took career-best figures of 4 for 22. Seales dealt early blows, dismissing three Bangladesh top-order batsmen, including Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, all in the first powerplay. Gudakesh Motie supported well with 2 for 36, keeping the pressure on Bangladesh throughout the middle overs. Bangladesh’s total was largely built on a 92-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Mahmudullah and Tanzim Hasan, with Mahmudullah contributing 62 runs.

In reply, West Indies wasted no time, with Brandon King leading the charge. King’s quick-fire 82 set the tone for the chase, and his efforts ensured that the target was reached comfortably in 36.5 overs. Captain Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford, who had scored 113 in the first game, remained unbeaten as they saw the team home. The chase was never in doubt, with King’s explosive knock making the task much easier for the West Indies.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, has now won just one of their last six ODI series. Despite a promising start in the first few overs, where Tanzid struck debutant Marquino Mindley for two fours and two sixes, they struggled to build partnerships. Seales’ early breakthroughs, followed by Motie’s disciplined spell, meant Bangladesh never gained any real momentum. While Mahmudullah’s consistent form continued with his third consecutive fifty in ODIs, the Bangladesh batting line-up couldn’t recover from the early setbacks, leading to their defeat.

Bangladesh’s Fight Falls Short as West Indies Seal Series Win

Afif Hossain began brightly for Bangladesh, hitting four boundaries off Romario Shepherd, including two lofted shots over his head and one through cover. However, his aggressive approach backfired when he attempted a similar shot off Gudakesh Motie, only to be caught at long-off for 24. Jaker Ali and Rishad Hossain Motie followed soon after, with Motie trapping Jaker lbw for three, and Rishad falling for a duck, caught by debutant Marquino Mindley. At this point, Bangladesh were struggling at 115 for seven, with West Indies firmly in control.

Mahmudullah, who had hit a six earlier, was left to rebuild with Tanzim Hasan, who had a reputation from his first-class days. Tanzim responded with resilience, striking two fours and launching Motie for his first six over long-on. Mahmudullah joined the charge, hitting two more sixes. The pair began to accelerate, hammering Justin Greaves for a six and a four in consecutive overs, before repeating the feat a few overs later. Roston Chase eventually broke the partnership in the 44th over when he caught Tanzim off his own bowling, after a solid 62-ball 36. Mahmudullah followed soon after, hitting a wide delivery from Seales straight to deep point. His 62 came off 92 balls, including two fours and four sixes, marking his third consecutive fifty in ODIs.

Chasing 227, West Indies got off to a strong start, with Brandon King hitting five boundaries in the first seven overs. While King was scoring freely, Evin Lewis struggled initially, sitting on just six off 23 balls. However, he came alive in the ninth over, striking Tanzim for three boundaries, including a flat six over long-leg. Lewis continued to play aggressively, hitting Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a huge shot down the ground in the 14th over, before being dropped by Soumya Sarkar off the very next ball. King reached his half-century off 52 balls in the 16th over, while Lewis slammed Mehidy for a third six shortly after. The pair soon added another century partnership to their tally, making it two for the year.

Lewis fell for 49 in the 20th over, caught and bowled by Rishad Hossain after a difficult spell against Rana. Bangladesh’s frustration mounted as they conceded five runs in overthrows, followed by four byes from Litton Das. Keacy Carty took full advantage, hitting five boundaries, while King continued his dominance, smashing three sixes, including two off Rishad and another down the ground off Tanzim, sending the ball onto the roof of the pavilion. King eventually fell to a Rana yorker in the 29th over, having made 66 off 76 balls. Carty followed soon after, caught by Rana off Afif Hossain for 45. Sherfane Rutherford and Shai Hope then finished the chase with ease, with Rutherford blasting two sixes in the 37th over to seal the win, securing the series for West Indies.

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