Report
Bowlers, Salt shine as RCB march into first IPL final since 2016
Hazlewood, Suyash and Dayal shared eight wickets as PBKS folded for 101 in Qualifier 1
Sidharth Monga
29-May-2025
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 106 for 2 (Salt 56*, Mayank 19, Jamieson 1-27) beat Punjab Kings 101 (Stoinis 26, Suyash 3-17, Hazlewood 3-21, Dayal 2-26) by eight wickets
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) waltzed their way into their first IPL final since 2016 as they blew Punjab Kings (PBKS) away for 101 on a surface with seam and extra bounce. Batting didn't get any easier in the second innings, but Phil Salt broke the back of the small chase in the powerplay that went for 61 despite a wicket-maiden in it.
The RCB fast bowlers kept bashing the hard lengths as PBKS refused to dial down the aggression on the challenging surface, taking seven wickets between them. The legspinner Suyash Sharma was the beneficiary of some reckless sweeping; the PBKS batters didn't pick any of the wrong'uns, losing three wickets to him.
Full postBethell the headline act as Brook era begins with crushing 238-run win
England post 400 for 8 to win at a canter, with captain claiming a record five catches in Windies' innings
Vithushan Ehantharajah
29-May-2025
England 400 for 8 (Bethell 82, Duckett 60, Brook 58, Root 57, Seales 4-84) beat West Indies 162 (Overton 3-22, Mahmood 3-32) by 238 runs
Born in Barbados but stunning in Birmingham, Jacob Bethell's devastatingly crisp 82 from 53 deliveries led England to 400 for 8, their second-highest score at Edgbaston, on their way to burying West Indies by 238 runs at the start of this three-match ODI series.
For Harry Brook's first assignment as full-time limited-overs captain, it was the perfect start. However one-sided this might have been, the dominance goes some way towards bolstering confidence at the start of a new era. The result alone is a godsend, ending a run of seven consecutive defeats.
Full postHasan Ali bags five as Pakistan blow Bangladesh away in first T20I
Shadab Khan puts in a strong all-round show as Bangladesh fall for 164 in pursuit of 202 in the first T20I in Lahore
Mohammad Isam
28-May-2025
Pakistan 201 for 7 (Salman 56, Shadab 48, Nawaz 44, Haris 31, Shoriful 2-32) beat Bangladesh 164 (Litton 48, Jaker 36, Tanzid 31, Hasan Ali 5-30, Shadab 2-26) by 37 runs
Hasan Ali bagged career-best figures of 5 for 30 in his first T20I in a year and Shadab Khan produced a strong all-round performance as Pakistan eased past Bangladesh in the series opener in Lahore on Wednesday.
After captain Salman Agha, who top-scored for Pakistan with 56 off 34 balls, and Shadab, who scored 48 off 25 balls, lifted Pakistan to 201, Hasan led their defence. After removing the Bangladesh openers with the new ball, Hasan returned to dismiss the dangerous Jaker Ali, Tanzim Hasan and Shoriful Islam.
Full postJitesh 85* trumps Pant 118* as RCB make Qualifier 1
Jitesh added an unbeaten 107 with Agarwal, who scored 41 not out, to complete an unlikely chase
Hemant Brar
27-May-2025
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 230 for 4 (Jitesh 85*, Kohli 54, Agarwal 41*, O'Rourke 2-74) beat Lucknow Super Giants 227 for 3 (Pant 118*, Marsh 67, Thushara 1-26) by six wickets
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stormed into Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 as stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma's 85 not out off 33 balls helped them pull off the third-highest successful chase in the tournament's history.
Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 118 off 61 balls had powered Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to 227 for 3, but RCB chased it down with eight balls and six wickets to spare. They will now face table-toppers Punjab Kings (PBKS) in New Chandigarh on Thursday.
Full postSophie Ecclestone is star turn as Lancashire lift inaugural T20 County Cup
England spinner claims 4 for 12 to cement dominance set in motion by Kestevan's 77 from 60 balls
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
26-May-2025
Lancashire 172 for 6 (Kesteven 77, Moore 4-27) beat Surrey 140 for 7 (Franklin 41, Ecclestone 4-12) by 32 runs
A star-studded Lancashire Thunder side made history as they claimed the first silverware of women's cricket's new era, overcoming fellow Tier One side Surrey with a 32-run victory at the inaugural Vitality T20 Women's County Cup Final in Taunton.
Lancashire appeared to be in pole position at the halfway stage of the match, scoring 172 for 6 from their 20 overs. Opening duo Emma Lamb and Tilly Kesteven put on 48 from the powerplay, hitting eight fours in the process. A brief rain delay at the start of the seventh over failed to halt their momentum, as the pair went on to add 38 runs by the end of the tenth over, reaching 86 for 0. Tilly Corteen-Coleman then provided much-needed relief for Surrey, breaking the 86-run partnership with the wicket of Lamb for 27 (25).
Full postArya and Inglis take PBKS to Qualifier 1 and send MI to the Eliminator
Josh Inglis and Priyansh Arya shared a 109-run stand for the second wicket to help PBKS chase down 185 with ease
Shashank Kishore
26-May-2025
Punjab Kings 187 for 3 (Inglis 73, Arya 62, Santner 2-41) beat Mumbai Indians 184 for 7 (Suryakumar 57, Arshdeep 2-28, Jansen 2-34, Vyshak 2-44) by seven wickets
Priyansh Arya and Josh Inglis were at the heart of a statement win for Punjab Kings (PBKS), a seven-wicket demolition of Mumbai Indians (MI) that sealed a top-two finish and gave them a shot at a direct entry into the IPL 2025 final.
Chasing a potentially tricky target, the pair added 109 for the second wicket en route stunning half-centuries each to turn what could have been a tense contest into a canter. It meant Suryakumar Yadav's 57 - a record consecutive 14th score of 25 or more in T20s - wasn't anywhere near enough.
Full postLancashire spinners extinguish The Blaze in rain-affected semi-final
Ecclestone, Morris claim five wickets between them as Lancashire take charge in low-scoring contest
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
26-May-2025
Lancashire 91 for 3 (Smale 35*, Threlkeld 34*) beat The Blaze 86 for 8 (Ecclestone 3-19) by seven wickets (DLS)
Lancashire overpowered fellow Tier One side The Blaze in a rain-affected second semi-final of the Vitality T20 Women's County Cup Finals Day. Following their seven-wicket victory, they will join Surrey in an all-Tier One final under the floodlights in Taunton, as they look to lift the first silverware of the new women's era.
The Blaze looked to be on top of an international-studded Lancashire bowling line-up before the rain delay, reaching 73 for 5 from 13.2 overs. After losing the toss and being put into bat first, the East Midlands outfit got off to a flyer as opener Marie Kelly scored a quick-fire 23 from 12, including five fours, before being bowled by Sophie Morris. Sarah Bryce was second top-scorer for The Blaze, hitting 18 from 22 before being caught and bowled by England international Kate Cross.
Full postSam Curran leads Surrey rearguard, Jamie Porter five-for in vain
Rain delays and stubborn batting combine to deny Essex on final day
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
26-May-2025
Surrey 279 (Curran 70, Clark 54, Patterson 51, Rajitha 5-87) and 279 for 7 (Curran 77, Porter 5-88) drew with Essex 217 (Pepper 75, Smith 3-53) and 479 (Allison 140, Walter 118, Elgar 64, Westley 50, Thain 50, Worrall 4-77)
Sam Curran added 77 to a first-innings 70, in his first red-ball appearance since last September, as Surrey saw out a rain-hit final day on 289 for 7 to secure a draw against Essex at the Kia Oval.
Curran's 121-ball effort held Surrey's batting together as seamer Jamie Porter and offspinner Simon Harmer threatened to bowl Essex to a second Rothesay County Championship win of the season.
Full postHamstrung Knight makes it 3-0 despite Matthews' latest heroics
West Indies captain takes three wickets and scores 71 off 54 but tourists fall short again
Valkerie Baynes
26-May-2025
England 144 for 5 (Knight 66*, Sciver-Brunt 37, Matthews 3-32) beat West Indies 127 for 8 (Matthews 71, Bell 2-11, Smith 2-25) by 17 runs
Heather Knight's unbeaten half-century steered England to a 17-run victory and a 3-0 sweep of the T20I series against West Indies.
Knight arrived at the crease with England 21 for 2 batting first for the first time in the series after being sent in by West Indies captain Hayley Matthews.
Full postRushworth, Woakes denied as rain saves Worcestershire from fifth defeat
Warwickshire needed two wickets when rain arrived at tea, and washed out the remaining 47 overs
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
26-May-2025
Warwickshire 227 (Hain 86, Latham 59, Taylor 4-37) and 280 (Hain 87*, Woakes 42, Duffy 5-75) drew with Worcestershire 181 (Libby 45, Rushworth 4-37) and 181 for 8
Warwickshire tasted deep frustration at Visit Worcestershire New Road as persistent rain ended the Rothesay County Championship derby when they needed just two more wickets to beat Worcestershire.
Chasing 327 for victory, Worcestershire were 181 for eight when the players went off for bad light just before tea. Much to the Bears' anguish, rain then arrived to wash out the last 47 overs.
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