Pooran's 81 off 39 fires Tridents to victory

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBarbados Tridents’ 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran smashed a career-best 81 off 39 balls to propel his side to 173 and set up a comfortable 25-run win over St Lucia Zouks in Bridgetown.The hosts needed impetus at 51 for 2 in the ninth over, after openers Kyle Hope and Shoaib Malik were dismissed within seven balls of each other. Pooran provided that during a third-wicket partnership of 68 off 40 with AB de Villiers.After de Villiers departed in the 16th over – miscuing a Jerome Taylor slower ball to deep midwicket – Pooran took complete charge of the innings. He hit a four and a six off Kyle Mayers in the 17th over, and followed that with three fours and a six off Shane Watson’s 18th.Zouks never got going in the run chase. Ravi Rampaul knocked over Shane Watson for a duck and kept Andre Fletcher to 20, which ended up the top score of the innings along with the extras. When captain Darren Sammy played onto his stumps off left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer in the first ball of the 14th over, Zouks were reduced to 84 for 6. A double-strike from Wayne Parnell, the South African left-arm quick, in the 17th over left Zouks in danger of being bowled out but they just about managed to prevent that.Tridents registered their third win of the season, out of six matches, while Zouks languish at the bottom of the points table with one win out of four.

Stoneman departs for Surrey, Collingwood signs on

Mark Stoneman, Durham’s highly rated opening batsman, will join Surrey at the end of the season after turning down the offer of a new contract. The decision is a blow to Durham, with Stoneman having come through the club’s academy to captain the side in limited-overs cricket.Stoneman will link up with former Durham team-mate Mark Di Venuto, who is now Surrey’s head coach. He could be followed by more high-profile departures due to the straitened financial circumstances at Durham, with Scott Borthwick, Mark Wood and Keaton Jennings among the most high-profile players out of contract at the end of the season.Both Stoneman and Borthwick have featured in recent discussions for England selection and the county would benefit from ECB payments for their development even if they were to be called up after switching clubs.Despite traditionally tough batting surfaces at Chester-le-Street, Stoneman has flourished over the last few years, passing 1000 first-class runs in each season since 2013. His first-class average is just 32.11 but he has been mentioned as a possible Test opening partner for Alastair Cook. In List A cricket, Stoneman averages 40.17 and led Durham to victory in the Royal London Cup two years ago.The 29-year-old indicated that a desire to win over the England selectors contributed to his decision to move south, despite being offered a two-year deal by Durham.”Joining Surrey under the guidance of long-time mentor Michael Di Venuto and Alec Stewart will provide the platform to reach new levels with my batting,” Stoneman said. “It is a fantastic opportunity to join a young and exciting squad. I am very excited for the years ahead at the Kia Oval which is a great Test match venue and I hope my experience can contribute to a period of success for Surrey CCC.”The desire to play for England is as strong as it has ever been and I feel that now is the right time to accept a new challenge in an environment which will hopefully see me fulfil the dream of playing for England.”Durham have also allowed Phil Mustard to leave, with his contract up at the end of the season, but Paul Collingwood will continue to play on. Collingwood, captain of the Championship side, has agreed another one-year extension, which will take him into his 22nd year as a professional.Collingwood, 40, is currently averaging 50.66 in the Championship and saw Durham move up to second in the Division One table after a hard-fought victory over Lancashire at Southport last week.”I am so proud to still be playing for my home county who have given me the perfect environment to fulfil all of my cricketing dreams,” Collingwood said. “I feel that I can continue to contribute to the team and I really want to help develop the next generation of Durham cricketers.”I know that this club still has so much to offer English cricket and I continue to be excited by the young talent coming through the ranks.”Mustard, who is in his benefit year, will join Gloucestershire on loan until the end of the season, meaning he is likely to miss out on a farewell T20 appearance at Chester-le-Street. The 33-year-old lost his place in the Championship team last year, briefly joining Lancashire on loan, and although he has continued to be a leading limted-overs performer, Durham have been unable to afford a new deal for him.He joins Gloucestershire as cover for Gareth Roderick, who suffered a finger dislocation that required surgery and is expected to be out for six weeks.

Bangar hails Dhoni's mentoring skills

On Wednesday, MS Dhoni captained India for the 324th time in international cricket, and joined Ricky Ponting on top of the global list. That is a of experience, and Sanjay Bangar, India’s interim head coach, has said Dhoni went out of the way to share it with his young and inexperienced squad over the course of this Zimbabwe tour.”I definitely felt that he opened up quite a bit,” Bangar said, after India won the third T20I by three runs to wrap up the series 2-1. “He had a lot of interactions with the players. He made that effort to go out and mingle with them, he probably invited them for dinners and they [spent time] over Playstations together.”He went out of the way to make them comfortable, shared his experience with the younger guys, probably emphasised on the value of how to handle pressure, under match situations what are the things that are required to be done. So I think those were enormous learnings.”What he also did fantastically was he passed on the tradition of Indian cricket, because these younger lot are the future of Indian cricket, and the way he shared his experience was very, very similar to how the earlier generation used to pass on the knowledge and the experience and just make a younger player comfortable in the dressing room, so he made all that effort and it was great to see.”India batted first for the first time on the tour, and were tested by Zimbabwe’s bowlers on a slow, low Harare surface. They eventually posted 138, thanks in large part to Kedar Jadhav’s maiden T20I half-century. Bangar was pleased with how Jadhav – who only got to bat twice in six matches on this tour – has grabbed his opportunities, mentioning his ODI century on India’s previous visit in 2015 as another example.”The last time he played for India, probably it was again a year ago, he got a hundred in the series,” Bangar said. “He didn’t get too many opportunities in this series, this was only the second time that he could go out and bat, and he played an amazing innings, because he was having some issues.”As he went in, he wasn’t feeling too good, but he hung in and fought through, and the kind of innings he produced on a difficult wicket, I felt that showed the quality of the player, so he’s doing all that he can in the opportunities that he’s getting.At 31, Jadhav is the second-oldest player in India’s squad behind Dhoni, but Bangar felt that shouldn’t prevent him from having a sizeable international career.”Age doesn’t really matter because, nowadays, most of the guys are keeping themselves very fit, they have fantastic work discipline,” he said. “It’s just a matter of some individual getting a couple of opportunities simultaneously, and consecutively, so that he feels comfortable in match situations. These are quality players and they’re bound to come good.”Bangar made special mention of Axar Patel for his consistency with the ball and also his finishing skills down the order. Axar was India’s most economical bowler in the ODI series, conceding only 2.32 runs an over in three matches, and his left-arm spin was just as frugal in the T20Is, as his economy rate of 4.91 suggested. He only got to bat twice on the tour, both times in the T20I series, and scored 38 runs off just 20 balls. He played a key role in India’s narrow win in the third T20I, scoring an unbeaten 20 off 11 balls and conceding only 18 in his four overs while dismissing Hamilton Masakadza.”I think not only today, but throughout the series, he kept the pressure on,” Bangar said. “Probably, he was our most economical bowler. I don’t really know the exact stat, but he was very, very consistent. He maintained that pressure throughout, and not only his bowling, but generally, the way he fielded, a couple of catches that he took, and the way he finishes the innings. He got an opportunity in two T20s, the first and the third game, and he is proving to be a very good developing player at No. 7 or No. 8, who is capable of hitting the big shots. That’s really encouraging for Indian cricket.”

Sussex happy for Mustafizur to have a break

Sussex captain Luke Wright has said that they are ready to give Mustafizur Rahman some time off before his stint with the county next month. Reports suggest that they expect him to make his debut on June 10 in the NatWest T20 Blast game against Kent in Hove.Given the progress of the Hyderabad Sunrisers in the ongoing IPL, it is likely that he will be busy till May 29, after which he is supposed to join Sussex for the NatWest T20 Blast and the Royal London One-Day Cup.But he has recently informed people close to him in Dhaka that he is eager for a break after the IPL. But the general view in the BCB is that they want Mustafizur to play in the UK, which they feel will set him up strongly in his career.Wright was confident that Mustafizur, who has already missed their first NatWest T20 Blast match against Gloucestershire on Friday, would play a number of games for Sussex whenever he arrives in Hove.”Fizz is definitely coming but we are just clarifying the number of games he is going to play,” Wright told the . “We have to understand he is a young lad who has been away from home for a long time in an environment where he doesn’t speak the language. He’s also played a lot of games so we want to give him enough time to rest so that when he does come over we get the best out of him.”We always knew he was likely to miss the first two games so it is a case of whether he misses an extra game or not. Obviously we’d like him for as many games as possible as he is in such great form but either way he’ll still be available for a large chunk of the matches.”Wright said that they would wait for Mustafizur to arrive, given the reputation he already carries. He has so far taken 15 wickets in the IPL, after performing exceedingly well for Bangladesh against India, South Africa and Zimbabwe last year, and in the World T20 this year.”When we did our research on him people told us what a big player he was going to be. When someone like Kumar Sangakkara says he is a special talent then you sit up and take notice.”He’s proving how good he is out in India at the moment so we’ve done very well to get him on the deal we have as I don’t think he’ll be quite so cheap in the future,” he said.

'I've got to get away from cricket, or else it captures my whole life'

‘I’ve got to get away from cricket, or else it captures my whole life’Pat Cummins: I can only speak for myself but it’s hugely important for me. With cricket, being on tour, it isn’t just individual tours, it’s basically our life. We spend 10-11 months of the year on the road, so when I’m touring I’ve got to get away from cricket, or else it captures my whole life. When I can get little breaks I do, and those four weeks were great for me to step away from cricket, not really watch cricket, just live a normal life, have a normal routine, because I don’t think I could do it for 10-15 years just with 12 months of the year all focused on cricket. Other guys might be different, they may play a little bit more, a little bit less. But for me as important as being really focused at training and games is trying to switch off and change my focus to something else every now and then.The last 12 months JL’s been really good at trying to identify breaks where we can. I’ve heard him say a few times ‘I wish I could give you guys a longer break but we’ll have to delay that’. It’s a general conversation. For me the priority’s obviously international cricket and I want to maximise as much international cricket as I can. We try to look through the diary between JL, the support staff and myself and try and map out a plan. But the priority after the Ashes, the non-negotiable, was to have a few weeks off bowling and then the conversation’s around ‘okay, how does that look in terms of games I’m going to miss, how long can we extend that break, can we get it out to four weeks’, so it’s a general conversation between all of us.Steven Smith: I think that’s something that we’re getting a lot better at. Communication with the coach, relevant people that are involved who we can have those honest conversations with about how we’re tracking. It is a pretty hectic schedule nowadays. It’s bloody tough to sustain it for long periods of time, particularly I think for the fast bowlers. It’s extremely difficult what they put themselves through. It’s great that those conversations are happening and we’re trying to keep guys as mentally and physically fresh as they can be.Tim Paine chats with Justin Langer•Getty Images

‘The biggest improvement since I started is the amount of support’Smith We fill out daily how we’re feeling, how we slept … the sleep gets a big red every now and again. We fill out a wellness thing every day. The coach and psych and head of team performance look at our markers daily and it’s upon us to be honest in the way we go about that as well. They can see how we’re tracking and if there’s a change in behaviour, if you’re feeling ill or not sleeping well or feeling a bit off, they’re aware of it. That can sort of start a conversation. Why’s your sleep bad? What’s going on? Why are you feeling a bit off today? It’s good that they do that. It’s good for guys’ mental health and wellbeing.Cummins Lloydy [Australian team psychologist Michael Lloyd] has just about been full-time on tour for the last few years. Lloydy’s brilliant, I’ve known him since 17 or 18 years old and he’s always on tour, if he isn’t he might be away for a week or two, but there’s definitely times where I pick up the phone and speak to him about different things. We’ve got great staff, through the ACA, the player development officers around the states, everyone’s got good contacts with them.That’s probably the biggest improvement I’ve seen since I first started was the amount of support you have around. It’s still up to the player sometimes to pick up the phone and pick up that conversation, but we’re lucky how many resources we have and always trying to optimise that. We get asked about it a lot, how we want it to look like and how we can make improvements. I think if it’s three or four negative things, it goes [from the wellness app] to a group of people and that might have the physios, coaches, mental health, psychologists, and whatever it is, that normally instigates a conversation with the player.ALSO READ: ‘Shows incredible courage to talk about mental health’‘The only opinions who matter are the ones close to me and the team’Mitchell Starc: I got off social media. Getting older and going through all that the last 12 to 18 months I have been mindful about being pretty level. In terms of opinions, the only ones who matter are the ones close to me and the team. Going in and out of the team early in my career and going through that as a young cricketer [helped me]. The game has changed since I started. Social media stuff comes into it. We have two broadcasters now so there are more demands on the players. Guys are reading and taking note of more opinions now as well. I can only speak for myself but that is what helped me most over the past 18 months was not caring what people think and not reading it and taking that away from my lifestyle and it’s been a lot clearer and a lot more positive.Pat Cummins claims another scalp•Getty Images

‘Having something else in my life it would have alleviated some of the pressure I put on myself’Tim Paine: It can be difficult [to have perspective] and I think it comes as well with experience. I think it’s something you do need to go through at times to come out of it with that knowledge and know-how. I look now at that period of time where I was out injured or I was really struggling now as a real positive in my life, not only in my career. I think it’s made me a much better person. I think obviously going back to when I was 16 or 17 I wish I knew what I knew now and I would have been a lot better at school, because I think having something else in my life it would have alleviated some of the pressure I put on myself to perform. It would have allowed me to go out and play a little bit more fearlessly which I would have loved to be able to do but I’ve never allowed myself to do because I’ve always had all my eggs in one basket. It was a difficult time, but in the end it’s turned out to be a real positive. Cummins: It was really difficult [battling injuries at a young age]. Probably looking back I now realise how much more difficult it was than when I was going through it for the first time – I was a little bit naive. The most obvious example was that every single summer of my life I’d played cricket and suddenly I was a professional cricketer but I was spending my summers not playing cricket, and I just wanted to do what I love doing. I try to keep realising that while I wasn’t playing, I was hanging out with my mates, I was going to the cricket ground and training, so there was a life as a cricketer I was still able to have and Cricket Australia were brilliant with New South Wales, the support staff especially who were my main contact in cricket. They were the ones who kept me motivated and instilled patience in me for those couple of years.‘Health is much more important than another game of cricket’Justin Langer: I’ve learned a lot over however long I’ve been coaching. I’m dealing with young men all the time, so hopefully I’ve got a pretty good feel for how guys are going. But it’s a complex issue – it’s like concussion. There’s a really clear protocol on concussion now and I’m really hopeful, in a really complex matter of mental health, that we can get to a point where there’s really clear protocols and there’s no stresses about it, there’s no indignity in saying ‘I’m not okay’.And then we work out how guys can return to play, whether it’s in the shorter term or in the longer term. I’m sure that’s what we’re all searching for, to make sure that we get that protocol right. I said it one of our players today, at the end of the day the health of our players and the wellbeing is much more important to me than another game of cricket. We saw it with Steve Smith – we would have loved Steve Smith to play the third Test of the Ashes, of course. But it was so clear that he wasn’t right, it was an easy decision. We lost a tough game but it was a no-brainer, and I hope we can get to that point with mental health as well.

Saurashtra announce Uthappa signing for 2017-18 season

The Saurashtra Cricket Association [SCA] has announced signing Robin Uthappa as the team’s professional player for the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season, although the senior batsman is yet to confirm the development. ESPNcricinfo understands Uthappa, 31, does not wish to preempt the announcement before the paperwork has been processed and sent by the BCCI to the SCA, after an earlier deal with Kerala, which he had been on the verge of signing, did not go through.The SCA, though, has issued a statement welcoming Uthappa. “SCA feels confident that Robin will add strength to [the] strong Ranji Team of Saurashtra with his vast experience and commendable performance,” the association’s media manager, Himanshu Shah, said in a press release. “Robin Uthappa has completed all necessary formalities to BCCI, Saurashtra Cricket Association and Karnataka State Cricket Association.”In any event, the move has brought the curtain down on Uthappa’s 15-year association with Karnataka. He led Karnataka to the final of the 2009-10 Ranji Trophy, where Mumbai snatched a six-run win. Uthappa was also part of the Karnataka side that did the double-treble, winning the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Last season, however, he had a middling run, tallying 328 runs from seven Ranji Trophy games, with only one fifty-plus score. Uthappa was subsequently left out of Karnataka’s quarter-final clash against Tamil Nadu, which the latter won.Karnataka State Cricket Association secretary Sudhakar Rao said the association had tried to persuade Uthappa to stay on. “We had two meetings, but he stuck to his words. He said he wanted a change. We can’t stop him,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “He is a senior player and he wants to go. So, we issued an NoC (No Objection Certificate) and wished him all the best for his comeback to the national side.”Uthappa has scored 8793 runs from 130 first-class matches at an average of 41.28, including 21 hundreds. He has turned out for India in 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is.

Hilton Cartwright, Jofra Archer keep Southern Brave in knockout mix

A 19-ball half-century from Hilton Cartwright led Southern Brave to victory over Welsh Fire in a tight game in The Hundred.Cartwright made an unbeaten 51 to help Brave rally to 129 for 8, before Brave’s bowlers closed the game out with the ball in a topsy-turvy chase.Electing to bowl first in helpful conditions, Welsh Fire’s new-ball pairing of David Payne and Matt Henry were exceptional, bowling 20 of the first 25 deliveries.Henry in particular was relentless, dismissing Leus du Ploy and Jason Roy on the way to a remarkable return of 2 for 5 from 20 balls – the second-most economical figures in the short history of the Hundred.Brave skipper James Vince dug in, helping his side recover to 53 for 3 at halfway before eventually falling when he pulled a short ball from Chris Green straight down Saif Zaib’s throat at deep midwicket for 29.Enter Cartwright. The Aussie big-hitter went on the attack immediately, hitting five sixes, mixing power and innovation, as he reached a 19-ball half-century, finishing 51 not out as the Brave made 129 for 8.Jonny Bairstow’s lively start was not enough for the Fire•ECB/Getty Images

In the run chase, Jonny Bairstow came out swinging, hitting Craig Overton for two fours and a six in the first set. He then smashed Reece Topley for two fours as the Fire raced to 23 for 0 from the first 10 balls before he fell for 22, skying Overton to du Plooy in the ring.The chase ebbed backwards and forwards and with 20 balls left, Fire needed 27 to win with three wickets in hand and just the tail for company for Tom Kohler-Cadmore.Five wides from Jordan took some of the pressure off before four were taken from Jofra Archer’s final five, including Laurie Evans putting down David Payne behind the stumps to leave 16 required off 10.Kohler-Cadmore (25) then found Cartwright in the deep off Coles, leaving Payne and Henry – Fire’s heroes with the ball at the top of the day – to find the crucial 12 runs to take Fire to victory, from final five to be bowled by Jordan. He delivered a fine last five to ensure it was the Brave who got over the line.”That was an absolute thriller. It ebbed and flowed that whole second innings. The crowd got a bloody good game tonight,” Cartwright said. “I took the game on and it paid off, thankfully… It was an all-round team effort tonight. I thought the bowlers did an outstanding job to defend a small total.”

Young guns in focus as depleted SA look to sweep Zimbabwe

Big picture: South Africa missing their big guns

South Africa posted a 328-run win in the first Test against Zimbabwe, but they will be depleted in the second Test by the absence of Keshav Maharaj, who has been ruled out with a groin strain.As a result, Wiaan Mulder will take over the captaincy even though he has no prior experience of leading a side in first-class cricket. Having played 20 Tests, Mulder is the second-most experienced player in this South Africa squad behind Kyle Verreynne, who has played 26. They are without many of their main players, including regular captain Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada.Related

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  • Maharaj ruled out of second Zimbabwe Test

In total, South Africa have 93 caps, including Zubayr Hamza, who didn’t play the first Test. Lesogo Senokwane and Prenelan Subrayen, meanwhile, are still uncapped at this level.But South Africa have some exciting players in their ranks. Lhuan-dre Pretorius struck a barnstorming 153 in the first Test, while Corbin Bosch struck a century and took a five-wicket haul. As for Mulder, he scored 147 and had a four-wicket haul. After having impressed in IPL 2025 and the T20 Blast, Dewald Brevis hit 51 off 41 in his maiden Test innings.In contrast, Zimbabwe will be banking on experience. Sean Williams struck a sublime 137 in the first Test and has an average of 68.22 since 2020. Wellington Masakadza made a fourth-innings fifty in the first Test. But Zimbabwe will need more from their captain Craig Ervine, who scored 36 and 49 in that match.Blessing Muzarabani will lead the bowling attack with Tanaka Chivanga bubbling with confidence after taking a match haul of 6 for 159 in the first Test. Legspinner Vincent Masekesa produced some magic deliveries, too, but he will have to provide more control if Zimbabwe are to turn the tables on South Africa.

Form guide

Zimbabwe LLLWL
South AfricaWWWWWSean Williams has been Zimbabwe’s standout batter in Test cricket over the past five years•Zimbabwe Cricket

In the spotlight: Sean Williams and Corbin Bosch

Sean Williams has been Zimbabwe’s best Test batter in the last five years. In the first Test, he once again bailed his team out of trouble with his simple but effective technique. Williams’ short back-lift allows him to drive comfortably and he is arguably Zimbabwe’s best player of spin, thanks to his variety of sweeps.Corbin Bosch‘s double of five wickets and a century in the first Test was the first for South Africa in 23 years. Bosch is a hit-the-deck bowler who is capable of hitting 140kph. He usually bowls with the old ball and his century batting at No. 8 was a throwback to South Africa’s heydays of Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener.

Team news: Muthusamy may get a game

Brian Bennett, who suffered a concussion during the first Test, could miss this Test, and Prince Masvaure, who was his concussion replacement, could keep his place in the XI. Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Kundai Matigimu and Newman Nyamhuri are the other options on the bench for Zimbabwe.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Prince Masvaure, 2 Takudzwanashe Kaitano, 3 Nick Welch, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Craig Ervine (capt), 6 Wessly Madhevere, 7 Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Vincent Masekesa, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Tanaka ChivangaMaharaj’s injury opens up a place for Senuran Muthusamy. They also have Hamza, Senokwane and Subrayen as options in the squad.South Africa (probable): 1 Matthew Breetzke, 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Wiaan Mulder (capt), 4 David Bedingham, 5 Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 6 Dewald Brevis, 7 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Senuran Muthusamy, 10 Codi Yusuf, 11 Kwena Maphaka

Pitch and conditions: A lively surface on the cards

For a change, pace dominated spin in the first Test at the Queens’ Sports Club. The scoring rate, too, was higher than usual from both sides, though the pitch slowed down considerably later in the Test. The weather remains chilly, at times slipping to around 13-degrees Celsius.

Stats and trivia: Williams second only to Andy Flower

  • At 19 years and 93 days, Pretorius became the youngest to hit 150 in men’s Tests.
  • Williams, who began his international career 13 months before Pretorius was born, also made a century in the first Test in Bulawayo. It got him level with Grant Flower and Brendan Taylor on the centuriion’ table for Zimbabwe in Test cricket. Only Andy Flower is ahead of Williams now.
  • This will only be the third Test since September 2017 where South Africa will be without Rabada, Bavuma, Maharaj and Markram.

Niroshan Dickwella suspended indefinitely for doping violation

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella has been suspended indefinitely following a doping violation, Sri Lanka Cricket has confirmed.Dickwella is understood to have failed a doping test held in line with World Anti-Doping guidelines, during the recently concluded Lanka Premier League, and will be suspended from all forms of cricket while further investigations take place.”The suspension is effective immediately and will remain in place until further notice,” stated an SLC media release.”The test, which was conducted by the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024, is part of SLC’s ongoing commitment to maintaining the integrity of the sport.”This initiative, undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines, is aimed at ensuring that cricket remains free from the influence of prohibited substances.”SLC, together with the Ministry of Sports and SLADA, conducts these tests during domestic tournaments randomly to safeguard the sport against anti-doping violations.”The 31-year-old, who had captained Galle Marvels in LPL 2024, had last turned out for the national side in March 2023 but had received a call-up for Sri Lanka’s T20I series against Bangladesh earlier this year. He did not feature in a single game.Following his selection, the selectors intimated that they had spoken with Dickwella over his poor disciplinary record. The left-handed batter has been no stranger to controversy throughout his career, with his off-field lifestyle proving a lightning rod for criticism in light of his frequently erratic form. He was most notably among three players banned for breaching bio-bubble protocols in 2021, alongside Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilake.Dickwella has kept wicket for Sri Lanka across formats, scoring 2757 runs in Tests, 1604 in ODIs and 480 in T20Is.

Sydney Thunder sign Georgia Voll to bolster top order

Sydney Thunder have secured a significant signing ahead of WBBL10 by bringing in allrounder Georgia Voll from Brisbane Heat on a three-year deal.Voll, 20, is one of the most highly regarded batting talents in the Australian game and has also had an impact with her offspin.Last season was somewhat of a struggle with the bat in the WBBL as she slid down the order during the tournament, finishing with 206 runs at 18.72 and a strike-rate of 112.56, but she claimed 4 for 19 in the Challenger final against Perth Scorchers before Heat went down to Adelaide Strikers in the final.Related

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However, her batting prowess was on show later in the season when she struck a double century in the red-ball ‘Green and Gold’ game in Adelaide and also made two WNCL hundreds for Queensland.Voll had interest from a number of WBBL clubs but said conversations with Thunder coach Lisa Keightley had swayed her decision.”I never expected myself to play for a New South Wales team, to be honest, but after talking to Lisa and the guys down there, I’m super excited for the opportunity, and it’s a really good young group coming through,” she said.”Lisa was quite clear on the role she wants me to play and what she wants me to do and that sort of got me over the line. I liked what the Thunder were about last year, really playing as a team and getting around each other on and off the field.”Trent Copeland, Sydney Thunder general manager, added: “Georgia has shown since the day she arrived on the scene that she is a special talent with both bat and ball If you were to pinpoint the next young star to crack the Australian setup, Georgia is it. The 200 for Australia A in red-ball cricket, two hundreds in WNCL last season and the all-round capabilities we’ve seen for the Heat in WBBL. This is a huge signing for the club.”Voll’s departure continues significant change at Heat during the off-season with them also losing New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr to Sydney Sixers while coach Ashley Noffke has departed for a job in New Zealand. However, they have signed South Africa allrounder Nadine de Klerk on a two-year deal and will still have a formidable top order that includes Grace Harris, Georgia Redmayne, Laura Harris and emerging allrounder Charli Knott.

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