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Worcestershire end their Waite with crushing win over Essex
Allrounder snaps up six-wicket haul to condemn visitors to heavy defeat
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
18-May-2025
Worcestershire 358 (Waite 73, Jones 54, Snater 4-78) and 134 (Harmer 4-37) beat Essex 157 (Das 44, Taylor 3-23) and 110 (Waite 6-19) by 225 runs
Matthew Waite's career best figures propelled Worcestershire to a rampant three-day victory over Essex in the Rothesay County Championship
The home side rallied to 134 all out at Visit Worcestershire New Road, with Ethan Brookes' valuable 38 the standout knock, setting Essex 336 to win the game. They were then blown away as Waite did the bulk of the damage with 6 for 19, enabling Worcestershire to claim a 225-run win.
Full postFlying Foxes end Lord's drought to extend lead at the top
Middlesex stumble to 143 in second innings before Handscomb seals chase against old side
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
18-May-2025
Leicestershire 274 (Handscomb 87, Gohar 4-34) and 102 for 3 beat Middlesex 232 (Davies 49, Holland 5-35) and 143 (van Beek 3028, Green 3-32) by seven wickets runs
Three wickets apiece for seamers Logan van Beek and Ben Green set up Leicestershire's first red-ball victory at Lord's in 45 years, flattening Middlesex to strengthen their position as Rothesay County Championship Division Two front-runners.
Van Beek took 3 for 28 - including two wickets in as many balls - while Green's 3 for 32 also played a pivotal role in ensuring the home side were dismissed for 143 in their second innings.
Full postNawaz stars for Gladiators in last-ball thriller against Sultans
The win helps Gladiators top the table while it was Sultans' ninth defeat in ten matches
Danyal Rasool
18-May-2025
Quetta Gladiators 190 for 8 (Nawaz 67*, Nafay 51, Shahid 3-29) beat Multan Sultans 185 for 7 (Yasir 45, Tayyab 36, Tariq 3-32) by 2 wickets
Quetta Gladiators beat Multan Sultans, quite literally, by the length of a fingertip. With two required off the final delivery, Hasan Nawaz, who finished with an unbeaten 67 off 38, dug out an attempted Mohammad Hasnain yorker, getting enough bottom hand power to ensure it sneaked over the top of a leaping long-on, who only got a fingertip to it, unable to prevent it sailing over for six. It took Gladiators to 190, past the 186 they needed to guarantee they finish top of the table, while the Sultans slumped to their ninth defeat in ten matches.
After inserting Gladiators in to bat on a scorching afternoon in Rawalpindi, Sultans removed the captain Mohammad Rizwan off his second delivery, Faheem Ashraf swinging one back in to clean up his stumps. Yasir Khan led the charge in the early overs, initially targeting Khurram Shahzad before signing off the powerplay by flaying spinner Abrar Ahmed for 18 runs.
Full postNehal Wadhera and Harpreet Brar take Punjab Kings closer to playoffs
RR got off to a strong start in chase thanks to Jaiswal and Suryavanshi but eventually fell to a 10-run loss
Alagappan Muthu
18-May-2025
Punjab Kings 219 for 5 (Wadhera 70, Shashank 59, Deshpande 2-37) beat Rajasthan Royals 209 for 7 (Jurel 53, Jaiswal 50, Brar 3-22) by 10 runs
The break in the IPL witnessed the departure of two huge pillars of Indian Test cricket. It resumed with a 23-year-old and a 14-year-old taking T20 batting to new heights. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi put on a 76-run opening partnership where 74 runs had come in boundaries. But even with that head start, it was heartbreak for Rajasthan Royals (RR) as they lost by 10 runs. Punjab Kings (PBKS) are now up to 17 points. They were assured of a playoffs spot after Gujarat Titans (GT) beat Delhi Capitals (DC) later on Sunday evening.
Wadhera, the unsung hero
Yorkshire get the better of Essex to march into quarter-finals
Kalis strikes a blow for Tier 2 as T20 County Cup heads towards its final rounds
ESPNcricinfo staff
17-May-2025
Sterre Kalis drove the agenda for Yorkshire with 83 not out to beat their Tier 1 opponents Essex by 11 runs and secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Vitality County T20 Cup.
Kalis, the Netherlands international, was in imperious touch, hitting 14 fours and one leg-side six in Yorkshire's total of 188 for 4 in 20 overs.
Maddy Ward chipped in with a senior-best score of 43, as the pair shared an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 113 in the last 10.4 overs of the home innings.
Full postWarner and Vince power Karachi Kings into playoffs
Peshawar Zalmi fall short by 23 runs despite Babar Azam's 94 in a match where 451 runs were scored
Danyal Rasool
17-May-2025
Karachi Kings 237 for 4 (Warner 86, Vince 72, Khushdil 43, Wood 2-19) beat Peshawar Zalmi 214 for 5 (Babar 94, Ayub 47, Afridi 2-48) by 23 runs
There were fireworks during the innings break to celebrate the resumption of PSL 2025, but the pyrotechnics in each innings pushed that somewhat into the background. A high-scoring thriller of a contest saw Karachi Kings seal qualification to the playoffs, edging out Peshawar Zalmi in a game where 237 played 214. While batting seemed almost insouciantly straightforward - as it often is in Rawalpindi in T20 cricket - David Warner's 50-ball 86 had just enough support from his team-mates to outshine Babar Azam's 49-ball 94.
The first ball of the contest was a false dawn, when Luke Wood produced a ripping inswinger to clean up Ben McDermott. Warner and James Vince picked up where they had left off in the earlier part of this tournament as they flayed the Zalmi bowling. Wood, who bowled three powerplay overs to register 1 for 14, found none of his team-mates able to maintain the pressure from the other end; the other three overs in the first six went for 43.
Full postHandscomb returns to haunt his old team, not for the first time
Zafar Gohar keeps hosts in touch with 4-34, but the missed stumping off his bowling to reprieve Peter Handscomb may yet prove costly
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
17-May-2025
Middlesex 232 and 10 for 0 trail Leicestershire 274 (Handscomb 87, Gohar 4-34) by 32 runs
Not for the first time, Peter Handscomb returned to haunt his old county as Leicestershire kept their noses in front on an absorbing day two against Middlesex at Lord's.
Handscomb made only two 50s in 21 innings over two seasons for the Seaxes, but added to his century here last season with a defiant 87. It marked his 100th score of 50 or more in first-class cricket. Ian Holland (37) and Ben Green (36) lent support in stands of 93 and 59 respectively to carry the visitors to 274.
Full postTom Taylor stars once more as Worcestershire scent first win of season
Essex battle with ball in second innings but face daunting fourth-innings task
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
17-May-2025
Worcestershire 358 (Waite 73, Jones 54, Snater 4-78) and 58 for 5 lead Essex 157 (Das 44, Taylor 3-23) by 259 runs
Worcestershire's seam bowlers produced their best performance of the season to blow away Essex's batters and put them in complete control on Day Two at Visit Worcestershire New Road
In a clinical bowling display, wickets were shared amongst the pace bowlers, with Tom Taylor's 15-over spell of 3 for 23 the standout performance.
Full postCameron Green comes to Gloucestershire rescue with battling hundred
Bracey plays key role in innings-turning stand as hosts close in on first-innings 424
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
17-May-2025
Gloucestershire 307 for 4 (Green 102*, Bracey 69*) trail Kent 424 (Stewart 182, Benjamin 93, Singh Dale 7-110) by 117 runs
Cameron Green demonstrated true grit in scoring a much-needed hundred to extricate Gloucestershire from a spot of bother on day two of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match against Kent at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.
Reduced to 139 for 4 in reply to Kent's first-innings 424, Gloucestershire were indebted to their overseas hired hand, who registered a battling 102 not out from 150 balls with 12 fours and a six, and shared in a revitalising unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 168 with James Bracey to steer the home side to the relative safety of 307 for 4 by the close, just 117 runs behind. Bracey finished unbeaten on 69 from 134 balls and Gloucestershire are already two batting bonus points to the good.
Full postOverton stars as Somerset take control
His 3 for 30 and three fine slip catches helps establish a first-innings lead of 186
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
17-May-2025
Sussex 152 (Hughes 38, Pretorius 3-24, Overton 3-30) and 127 for 4 (Haines 50, Hughes 40, Leach 2-19) f/o trail Somerset 338 (Vaughan 80, Lammonby 60, McAndrew 4-71) by 59 runs
Craig Overton played the starring role as Somerset moved into a strong position on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match with Sussex at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
Having extended their first-innings score to 338 all out, with Archie Vaughan last man out for 80 and Nathan McAndrew claiming 4 for 71, the hosts skittled their opponents for 152, Overton claiming 3 for 30 and three fine slip catches to help establish a lead of 186. Daniel Hughes top-scored with 38, while Migael Pretorius took 3 for 24.
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