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Maxwell puts Test snub behind with match-winning hand against Sixers
He followed up an unbeaten half-century with two key outfield catches
AAP
09-Jan-2025
Melbourne Stars 156 for 5 (Maxwell 58*, Webster 48, Abbott 3-29) beat Sydney Sixers 140 for 9 (Vince 53, Steketee 3-14, Mir 2-19, Siddle 2-26, Stoinis 2-30) by 16 runs
Glenn Maxwell's heroics inspired the Melbourne Stars to a crucial 16-run upset of the ladder-leading Sydney Sixers at the MCG, keeping their slim BBL finals chances alive.
On the same day his Test ambitions likely ended for good, Maxwell belted a game-high unbeaten 58 and took two important catches in the deep.
Full postRain cuts into Healy's prep as Filer slips and slides
It denied Healy a chance to test her readiness with the gloves after she had played the NZ series late last year only as a batter
Andrew McGlashan
09-Jan-2025
Governor-General XI 183 for 8 (Voll 57, Healy 38, Ecclestone 3-27, Dean 2-20) vs England
Match abandoned
Match abandoned
Alyssa Healy was prevented from testing herself in the middle with the wicketkeeping gloves as the Governor-General match against England was abandoned after less than 29 overs due to rain in Sydney, while quick bowler Lauren Filer endured a difficult start to her Ashes tour with the ball as she repeatedly lost her footing in delivery.
Australia captain Healy was using this match to test her readiness to return with the gloves after playing as a batter only against New Zealand late last year, but was only able to have a hit as she made a crisp 38 in a rapid opening stand of 91 with Georgia Voll who again impressed with a 38-ball half-century.
Full postNew Zealand breeze past Sri Lanka despite Theekshana hat-trick
Another top-order collapse for Sri Lanka meant they were always behind in the chase, and got nowhere close to concede the ODI series 2-0
Andrew Fidel Fernando
08-Jan-2025
New Zealand 255 for 9 (Ravindra 79, Chapman 62, Theekshana 4-44) beat Sri Lanka 142 (Kamindu 64, O'Rouke 3-31) by 113 runs
New Zealand strode to 255 for 9 in their 37 overs, with a 112-run second wicket stand between Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman the bedrock of that innings. And then Sri Lanka's top order crashed and burned again. They were 4 for 22 inside the first five overs, their hopes of levelling the series almost completely dashed.
Kamindu Mendis attempted to revive the innings, but his 64 was not nearly enough to revive this innings. Sri Lanka slipped to a 113-run defeat, having also lost heavily to New Zealand in the first ODI. New Zealand take the series despite being significantly depleted by absences and injuries. Sri Lanka are essentially at full strength, but the failure of their top five continues to dog them, even in a rain-reduced match such as this.
Full postWill shows the way: All-round Sutherland keeps Renegades alive
The fast-bowling allrounder first picked up two wickets - including that of Marsh - before scoring 70 off 45
Tristan Lavalette
07-Jan-2025
Melbourne Renegades 150 for 6 (Sutherland 70, Rogers 49*, Morris 2-21, Behrendorff 2-22) beat Perth Scorchers 147 for 8 (Agar 51*, Hardie 34, Zampa 3-27, Sutherland 2-22) by four wickets
Skipper Will Sutherland dismissed Mitchell Marsh for a golden duck before producing a brilliant knock under pressure alongside Tom Rogers to lift Melbourne Renegades over Perth Scorchers in a nerve-jangling match at Optus Stadium.
Chasing 148, Renegades were in disarray at 10 for 4 before Sutherland came to his side's rescue with 70 off 45 balls. He combined with Rogers in a remarkable 92-run partnership to inch 'Gades closer to victory.
Full postBryant, Renshaw spoil Christian's comeback as Heat overpower Thunder
Christian contributed with both bat and ball, but Bryant and Renshaw's 108-run stand turned the game on its head
Tristan Lavalette
06-Jan-2025
Brisbane Heat 174 for 5 (Bryant 72, Renshaw 48*, Ferguson 2-21) beat Sydney Thunder 173 for 8 (Warner 50, Christian 23*, Johnson 3-39, Neser 2-25) by five wickets
Dan Christian rewound the clock in his first match since coming out of retirement, but Matt Renshaw and Max Bryant produced a blistering century partnership to lift Brisbane Heat over Sydney Thunder in a pivotal BBL result.
Chasing 174 at the Gabba, Heat were in big trouble at 43 for 3 before Bryant and Renshaw combined for a belligerent 108-run partnership to turn the match on its head. Bryant smashed 72 off 35 balls, while Renshaw whacked 48 not out off 33 balls as Heat reached the target with seven balls to spare.
Full postSouth Africa seal ten-wicket win despite Pakistan's great resistance
Pakistan overcame a deficit of 421 but South Africa's target of 58 was little more than a formality
Danyal Rasool
06-Jan-2025
South Africa 615 (Rickelton, Bavuma 106, Verreynne 100, Abbas 3-94) and 61 for no loss (Bedingham 47*) beat Pakistan 194 (Babar 58, Rabada 3-55) and 478 (Masood 145, Babar 81, Rabada 3-115) by ten wickets
South Africa marked their qualification for the WTC final in style, romping to a ten-wicket win over Pakistan. It is their seventh successive Test win, and came after two and a half days of toil with the ball before they finally prised Pakistan out for 478 in the third innings. A valiant century from Pakistan captain Shan Masood and numerous other contributions forced South Africa to bat again as the visitors overcame the second-highest first-innings deficit in Test history. However, the target - 58 - was little more than a formality, and South Africa took 7.1 overs to knock it off.
But Pakistan made them wait for the win. When South Africa enforced the follow-on leading by 421 on Sunday afternoon, they did not anticipate having to bowl another 122.1 overs. Masood, unbeaten overnight on 102, carried on and tried to rebuild after a mammoth 205-run opening stand with Babar Azam. South Africa were frustrated for large parts of the day, most notably during an 88-run stand between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha in the afternoon. But Keshav Maharaj, who had been denied for most of the day, found the breakthrough, and regular wickets after that ensured a finish was on in the late-evening sunshine.
Full postAfghanistan claim series victory after Rashid's career-best flattens Zimbabwe
It took just 15 deliveries into the fifth day for the visitors to take the last two wickets
Himanshu Agrawal
06-Jan-2025
Afghanistan 157 (Rashid 25, Raza 3-30, Nyamhuri 3-42) and 363 (Rahmat 139, Alam 101, Muzarabani 6-95) beat Zimbabwe 243 (Ervine 75, Raza 61, Rashid 4-94) and 205 (Ervine 53, Rashid 7-66, Zia 2-44) by 72 runs
It had to be Rashid Khan. After starring in each of Afghanistan's previous three Test wins - in Dehradun, Chattogram and Abu Dhabi - he wrapped Zimbabwe up with a match haul of 11 for 160 in Bulawayo. That included career-best figures of 7 for 66 in the second innings, with expectations of a thrilling finish being quashed only 15 deliveries into the final morning. Zimbabwe were 73 runs away from victory, with all hopes from their captain Craig Ervine. Afghanistan needed two good balls to finish the game off.
But even the short span of play on the fifth day was enough for plenty of drama. The day started with exactly what Afghanistan wanted: Rashid bowling to Zimbabwe's No. 10 Richard Ngarava. Four balls into play, Afghanistan got exactly what they wanted - almost. Ngarava skied an attempted slice off Rashid, and the ball popped up behind the man at silly point. Hashmatullah Shahidi, placed at cover, moved to his right. Fareed Ahmad, at point, stepped to his left.
Full postIsmat and Rashid put Afghanistan in sight of victory
Craig Ervine, batting on 53, holds the key for Zimbabwe, who are 73 runs from their target but have just two wickets in hand going into day five
Abhimanyu Bose
05-Jan-2025
Zimbabwe 243 and 205 for 8 (Ervine 53*, Rashid 6-66, Zia 2-44) need 73 runs to beat Afghanistan 157 and 363 (Rahmat 139, Ismat 101, Muzarabani 6-95)
Ismat Alam's century on debut and Rashid Khan's six-for bookended a day of dominance for Afghanistan, who will come back on the fifth and final day needing just two wickets to seal the match and the series against Zimbabwe.
Ismat, who had come into the Test with a first-class average of 92 and had converted all four of his fifties at the level into centuries, also converted his maiden Test fifty into a century to help Afghanistan finish on 363, setting Zimbabwe 278 to win.
Full postHurricane Tim David blows Strikers away for fourth consecutive win
He smacks an unbeaten 62 off just 28 balls to help Hurricanes hunt down 187
AAP
05-Jan-2025
Hobart Hurricanes 187 for 5 (David 62*, Owen 37, Boyce 2-23) beat Adelaide Strikers 186 for 5 (Lynn 49, Ross 47, Salamkheil 2-22) by five wickets
A brutal unbeaten 62 from 28 balls from Tim David helped Hobart Hurricanes to a fourth straight win and the second-highest run-chase of the BBL 2024-25.
David hit six sixes and three fours as Hurricanes chased down Adelaide Strikers' 186 for 5 with eight deliveries to spare and five wickets in hand at the Bellerive Oval. He hit 40 runs during the power surge in the 14th and 15th overs when the game was on the line.
Full postBabar, Masood fight for Pakistan after South Africa enforce follow-on
Visitors fell 421 runs behind after folding for 194 in the first innings, but found their fight second time aroun
Firdose Moonda
05-Jan-2025
Pakistan 194 (Babar 58, Rabada 3-55, Maharaj 2-14) and 213 for 1 (f/o) (Masood 102*, Babar 81) trail South Africa 615 by 208 runs
Pakistan posted their highest opening stand against South Africa as Shan Masood and Babar Azam put up solid resistance against the hosts on a flat track. Masood went past 30 for the first time in nine innings and went on to score his sixth Test hundred, and the first by a Pakistan captain in South Africa, while Babar, opening in place of the injured Saim Ayub, made 81 The pair took a significant chunk out of their first-innings deficit of 421. Pakistan are now 208 behind with nine wickets standing.
South Africa's five frontline bowlers were made to toil on a surface that remains good for batting despite showing signs of turn. They also bowled 23 no-balls across the two innings so far - 10 in the ongoing second innings alone - and will be disappointed with their ill-discipline. Their only second innings success came late in the day when Babar chased a full, wide ball from Marco Jansen and edged to slip. Nightwatcher Khurram Shahzad accompanied Masood to the end of the day.
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