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Kohli's 84 sends India into Champions Trophy final
A weakened Australia put up a good fight, but India's experienced hands helped seal a chase of 265 with 11 balls remaining
Karthik Krishnaswamy
04-Mar-2025
India 267 for 6 (Kohli 84, Iyer 45, Rahul 42*, Ellis 2-49, Zampa 2-60) beat Australia 264 (Smith 73, Carey 61, Shami 3-48, Jadeja 2-40, Varun 2-49) by five wickets
Dubai will host the final of the Champions Trophy, and India will be in it, after proving their edge over a weakened Australia side in an absorbing first semi-final. Their win wasn't achieved without a fight, however, and Australia may yet look back on several moments that could have moved the contest in other, tantalising directions.
In the end, India's quality and experience made the telling difference, and the member of their line-up who most embodies those words was a central figure. Virat Kohli had made one of his trademark chase-controlling hundreds earlier in the tournament, against Pakistan, and seemed set for another here, only for an uncharacteristic attempt at a big hit to cut his innings short at 84. By then, however, he had passed 8000 runs in ODI chases, and whittled this one down to a more-than-manageable 40 off 44 balls.
Full postSamarawickrama hits 66* before first ODI is washed out
The teams now move to Nelson for the next two games in the series
ESPNcricinfo staff
04-Mar-2025
No result - Sri Lanka 147 for 5 (Samarawickrama 66*, Illing 2-42) vs New Zealand
Harshitha Samarawickrama scored an unbeaten 66 and appeared to steady Sri Lanka's effort in Napier before incessant rain forced a washout in the first ODI after 36.4 overs of action with the visitors at 147 for 5.
Asked to bat by Suzie Bates, Sri Lanka slid from 70 for 1 to 94 for 4, but the game had nearly evened up courtesy Samarawickrama's second fifty-plus score in ODIs. The rain, though, meant no further play, and after a three-hour break, the umpires called off the contest.
Full postMooney, Dottin, Kanwar hand Giants massive win to jump to second
UP Warriorz were 48 for 6 at one point in reply and slipped to bottom of the table after an 81-run thrashing
S Sudarshanan
03-Mar-2025
Gujarat Giants 186 for 5 (Mooney 96*, Deol 45, Ecclestone 2-34) beat UP Warriorz 105 (Henry 28, Gautam 3-11, Kanwar 3-17, Dottin 2-14) by 81 runs
It was not a happy homecoming for UP Warriorz, who received a thrashing at the hands of Gujarat Giants at the Ekana Stadium and slipped from third to last place on the points table in the process. In the first WPL match in Lucknow, Beth Mooney put on an exhibition to lead Giants to 186 for 5, the third-highest total this season.
She provided a reminder of why she is the No. 1 T20I batter in the ICC rankings, and helped Giants vault from fifth place to second by the end of the evening.
Full postVarun takes five as India top group and set up Australia showdown
Williamson's 81 in vain as New Zealand crumble against spin chasing 250
Sidharth Monga
02-Mar-2025
India 249 for 9 (Iyer 79, Axar 42, Henry 5-42) beat New Zealand 205 (Williamson 81, Varun 5-42) by 44 runs
India spun a web around New Zealand to defend 249 for their sixth straight win against what has been a bogey team for them in recent times. They added Varun Chakravarthy to the three spinners they already were playing, and he responded with a five-for at a venue where an indifferent showing against Pakistan in 2021 led to a major setback to his international career.
Finishing top of their group, India will now face Australia in the semi-final on Tuesday. New Zealand and South Africa are to fly back to Pakistan for their semi-final on Wednesday.
Full postCheatle's deflection secures New South Wales WNCL title
Georgia Redmayne was on 97 when she was run out backing up and it left too much for Queensland's tail to do
AAP
02-Mar-2025
New South Wales 215 (Learoyd 80, Parsons 3-29, Hamilton 3-57) beat Queensland 194 (Redmayne 97) by 21 runs
New South Wales snared their 21st WNCL title after defeating Queensland by 21 runs, and it was largely thanks to a freakish run-out.
Anika Learoyd cracked 80 off 110 balls and Claire Moore chipped in with 33 as NSW were bowled out for 215 in 48 overs at Allan Border Field on Sunday,
Full postNair, Malewar and bowlers lead Vidarbha to third Ranji Trophy title
Playing their first final, Kerala were left with several moments to look back on
Shashank Kishore
02-Mar-2025
Vidarbha 379 (Malewar 153, Nair 86, Nidheesh 3-61) and 375 for 9 dec (Nair 135, Malewar 73, Sarwate 4-96) drew with Kerala 342 (Baby 98, Sarwate 79, Nalkande 3-52)
Vidarbha put the ghosts of 2023-24 to bed in the most emphatic manner possible - snatching a thrilling battle for the first-innings lead in style - and then grinding Kerala down for nearly five sessions in the second innings to be crowned Ranji Trophy champions for the third time. It made it all the more special that they achieved this feat in front of nearly 3000 home fans who had trooped into the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on a Sunday afternoon, and saw Akshay Wadkar's team lift the trophy.
A heartbroken Kerala squad were left to rue what could've been. Would things have been different had Sachin Baby middled his slog sweep on 98 with a lead within touching distance? What if Akshay Chandran had taken second-innings centurion Karun Nair's catch early on day four? What if DRS had not reprieved half-centurion Danish Malewar after Vidarbha had lost two early wickets?
Full postSouth Africa decimate England to march into semi-finals
Jansen and Mulder shared six wickets before van der Dussen and Klaasen hit fifties in the paltry chase
Firdose Moonda
01-Mar-2025
South Africa 181 for 3 (Van der Dussen 72*, Klaasen 64, Archer 2-55) beat England 179 (Root 37, Mulder 3-25, Jansen 3-39, Maharaj 2-35) by seven wickets
South Africa confirmed their spot in the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a commanding victory over a hapless England, who ended the tournament winless, captain-less, and on a seven-match losing streak.
After choosing to bat first in Karachi, the most run-laden venue of the event, England played like a side that would rather not. They were bowled out for the lowest total of this Champions Trophy and gifted South Africa wickets in a display of carefree and sometimes careless strokeplay. South Africa were hit by both illness and injury-enforced absences and were not always at their best, but they caught particularly well in the field, paced their chase perfectly, and have plenty of positives to take into the knockouts.
Full postShafali and Jonassen power DC into playoffs
Chasing 148, DC romped to their target with 27 balls to spare, consigning RCB to their fourth straight defeat
Srinidhi Ramanujam
01-Mar-2025
Delhi Capitals 151 for 1 (Shafali 80*, Jonassen 61*) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 147 for 5 (Perry 60*, Bist 33, Pandey 2-24, Charani 2-28) by nine wickets
Shafali Verma and Jess Jonassen smashed merciless unbeaten fifties to steer Delhi Capitals (DC) into the WPL 2025 playoffs with a nine-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday. It was RCB's fourth defeat in a row, and they ended without a single win in the Bengaluru leg of the tournament.
Ellyse Perry once again led RCB's fight after they were sent in, scoring an unbeaten 60 to help the side post 147 for 5, but it wasn't enough against the table-toppers, who had Shikha Pandey and debutant left-arm spinner Shree Charani picking up two wickets apiece.
Full postVidarbha have one hand on the Ranji Trophy after Nair's 132*
Danish Malewar also scored 73 to go with his 153 in the first innings
Shashank Kishore
01-Mar-2025
Vidarbha 379 and 249 for 4 (Nair 132*, Malewar 73) lead Kerala 342 (Baby 98, Sarwate 79, Nalkande 3-52, Rekhade 3-65, Dubey 3-88) by 286 runs
If fate had played out differently two seasons ago, Karun Nair would have been playing for Kerala after he first reached out to them when he was dumped unceremoniously by Karnataka. They couldn't commit at the time and Nair, having sat at home for an entire season, couldn't wait to grab his next opportunity. That's when Vidarbha came calling.
Two seasons on, Nair is at the forefront of Vidarbha's charge to a third Ranji Trophy title, having batted all day to construct an unbeaten 132, his 23rd first-class century and fourth of the season. It helped stretch Vidarbha's lead to 286 at stumps on the fourth day, and they still have six wickets remaining. If Nair does lift the trophy, it'll be his third - his first two were with Karnataka in his first two seasons, 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Full postMcSweeney, Scott and Thornton end South Australia's 13-year trophy wait
Liam Scott's brisk half-century boosted the home side's total then the bowling attack was outstanding
AAP
01-Mar-2025
South Australia 268 for 7 (Nielsen 68, Lehmann 67, Scott 54*, Siddle 3-40, Sutherland 3-67) beat Victoria 204 (Sutherland 50, Thornton 4-27, McAndrew 3-47) by 64 runs
Nathan McSweeney's game-changing cameo with the ball helped South Australia defeat Victoria by 64 runs to collect the state's first one-day cricket title in 13 years.
SA, with Harry Nielsen, Jake Lehmann and Liam Scott making half-centuries, posted 268 for 7 in Saturday's battle for the inaugural Dean Jones Trophy.
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