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Paarl Royals have become the first team to qualify for the SA20 2025 playoffs with an 11-run win over Pretoria Capitals by “just doing the simple things well”, according to local hero Bjorn Fortuin. The left-arm spinner, who is from the Boland, has played all his franchise T20 cricket for teams based at this venue, and understands the secret to success is being able to slow things down.”We’ve played here quite a bit now, so I’ve sort of tailored a lot of my game plan towards playing in conditions like this,” Fortuin had said after Royals’ win over Joburg Super Kings earlier this week. “I wouldn’t quite call it subcontinent conditions, but it definitely lends itself towards that type of game plan.”Keeping things simple is a big part of doing well here. In the past, we’ve had quite explosive players. Sometimes they come off, sometimes they don’t. This season, there’s been a lot more consistency, and playing well at home contributes to that.”Related

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The Boland, 50 kms inland from Cape Town, is hot and dry in peak summer, and the surfaces get more difficult for run-scoring as the season grows long. Saturday’s pitch, which was slow and low, was a perfect example of that. Fortuin has spent his early domestic career here and has played five years of T20 franchise cricket for teams based in Paarl: two years with Paarl Rocks in the now-defunct Mzansi Super League, and three in the SA20. He has adapted his game for exactly these conditions, particularly with the new ball.Fortuin is often used in the powerplay to put the pressure on upfront and usually also make a few crucial incisions. Across the three seasons of SA20, Fortuin’s economy rate of 6.08 in the powerplay is the best among bowlers who have delivered at least 15 overs in that phase. His 20 wickets in the same period is the joint most with Marco Jansen. It includes the likes of Quinton de Kock, Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton (all twice); Devon Conway, Faf du Plessis, Kyle Mayers and Kusal Mendis; and on Saturday, the destructive Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz.In another country, Fortuin’s record and reputation might see him walk straight into the national squad. But the presence of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi means he plays infrequently for South Africa, and has also missed out on the Champions Trophy squad. Fortuin said the snub is “not something I can comment on right now” as he focuses on SA20 success, where Royals have set the pace, particularly with their spinners.This season, Fortuin has been joined by offspinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Joe Root, and left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage. Between them, they are dominating every bowling stat in the competition so far. Mujeeb is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker in the tournament, while Wellalage and Fortuin have the two lowest economy rates. Root has bowled 16 overs thus far – perhaps more than he expected to – and on Saturday, Royals added legspinner Nqaba Peter in the first all-spin attack in a T20 in South Africa.This season at Paarl Royals, Bjorn Fortuin has been joined by Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Joe Root and Dunith Wellalage•SA 20

Their tactics caught Pretoria Capitals by surprise and helped Royals achieve the second-lowest successful defense in SA20 history.”Looking at their team, we were trying to find the seamers when we saw the line-up,” Rilee Rossouw, Capitals’ captain, said. “It’s definitely something different. It’s something that we are not so accustomed to, especially here in South Africa. Credit also has to go to their bowlers and how they went about their business.”That statement might apply to the tournament as a whole. Royals have only lost one game so far – to their neighbours MI Cape Town – and have won all four at home. This is the third successive season that Royals have made it to the knockout stage, but have yet to make a final. And they will be wary of dropping form at the business end, as they have done in the past.In 2023, they won five of their first eight matches, and then lost two of the last three. Last year, after only losing only one of their first six matches, they finished on a five-match losing streak, including defeat in the knockouts.”So we won’t count our chickens too early,” Fortuin said. “The past two seasons, we’ve had good starts and then sort of fallen away towards the back end. So we’ll take it game by game.”Coach Trevor Penney on Lungi Ngidi: “He was out [with a groin injury] for eight weeks. So he’s on a programme where he’s almost back now”•Sportzpics

The real test will be how they adapt to conditions up country, where three of the four playoffs – including the final – will be played, and the spinners will have less of an impact. Royals have Lungi Ngidi and Kwena Maphaka in their line-up, but neither have played the last two matches (and word from the team camp is that there are no niggles). There are also the likes of Andile Phehlukwayo, Codi Yusuf, Dayyan Galiem and Keith Dudgeon. They will have confidence from beating Capitals at SuperSport Park, and completing the highest successful chase of the SA20 earlier this season, and will travel to Johannesburg next week before the playoffs.There, Royals coach Trevor Penney expects his seam attack, and specifically Ngidi, who has not played for the last three matches, to step up.”We’ve got the balance. We’ve got the seamers that are ready to jump in,” Penney said. “With Lungi, we know big fast bowlers like him, they sometimes needed a couple of weeks to get back into that full flow and the rhythm. It’s a tough thing for fast bowlers. He was out [with a groin injury] for like eight weeks. So he’s on a programme where he’s almost back now. So we played him in the first few games so he could get some game time. And I’m sure when we go to the Highveld, he’s going to be straight back in.”Before that, Royals will sign off from Paarl with a match against Durban’s Super Giants on Monday in a goodbye to a crowd that has ridden the wave of their winning streak.”They’re very passionate. The nice thing is that they’re actually quite knowledgeable as well, so they appreciate small bits of cricket here and there,” Fortuin said. “You certainly hear it when you’re not doing well, which is a bit of extra motivation as well. The vibe here is incredible. And in the future, I do hope that we can play games here at the back end of the tournament. It would be quite cool to eventually have a home final if something like that happens.”With a capacity of 10,000, Boland Park is the smallest of the SA20 venues, and has yet to host a playoff game.

Big picture: Contest between two good pace attacks

The Sabina Park will host its first Test in more than three years, but it’s a favourite venue of the hosts, and they play there regularly in one format or the other. Which gives them a great chance to put together another strong performance to send Bangladesh back with a 2-0 defeat. If it happens, it will be West Indies’ first Test series sweep since July 2022, and Bangladesh were the opponents then too.Given how fragile their batting has been of late, West Indies will be particularly pleased with the way they batted in the first innings in the North Sound Test. They had two big – 140 runs, each time – partnerships, the first involving Alick Athanaze and Mikyle Louis, who both got out in the 90s. Even though they missed their maiden Test centuries, they batted with responsibility and showed discipline. The same was the case with Justin Greaves, who did get to his first Test century. What was also heartening was the way Kemar Roach supported Greaves in their stand for the eighth wicket.Related

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West Indies also bowled with discipline, the four-man pace attack not giving Bangladesh that odd spell when run-scoring becomes easy. Jayden Seales is the attack leader. Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph bowl in fiery bursts. Roach banks on his huge experience, and the years of dominance over Bangladesh helps.Pace bowling was Bangladesh’s only positive in the first Test, too. And it could well be the only thing that they can bank on in the second Test.Taskin Ahmed led the way with eight wickets in the match, including a six-for in the second innings, where West Indies scored 152 in 46.1 overs. It was Taskin’s first five-wicket haul in Test cricket. The performance, coupled with Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam showing consistency, kept Bangladesh going in the Test. In Jamaica, Nahid Rana could get a look-in too, making the attack that much more potent.But what about Bangladesh’s batting? It has been one collapse after another, wherever they have played, for a while now – the main reason they have now lost their last five Tests after the big 2-0 win in Pakistan. They showed a bit of patience in their first innings at North Sound, lasting 98 overs – Jaker Ali and Mominul Haque got fifties, while Litton Das made 40. There was little more on offer from the group outside of that, except a bit of fight from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Jaker in the second innings.One thing that both teams need to improve is their catching. There were plenty of dropped catches right through the match. Mominul dropped two in a short span before West Indies dropped four during Shamar’s first spell on the fourth day. It was a blot on an otherwise good game.Taskin Ahmed picked up his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket in North Sound•BCB

Form guide

West Indies WLDLL
Bangladesh LLLLL
Both West Indies and Bangladesh are out of the running for a spot in the World Test Championship final.

In the spotlight – Justin Greaves and Jaker Ali

It took Justin Greaves ten years to become a Test cricketer since his first-class debut, but after the debut series in Australia earlier this year, he was dropped. Then it took him another ten months to return to the Test side, but this time, he made it count. He showed restraint and enterprise, especially when batting with Roach late in the script. West Indies will expect a similar showing with the bat from Greaves in Jamaica.Jaker Ali showed character under pressure, unlike most of his team-mates. Jaker now has fifties in his first two Tests, which is rare for a Bangladesh batter. He is a fighter, and constantly encourages his batting partners, particularly the lower-order batters. Jaker himself is slowly opening up as a batter, and can expect a bit more responsibility in the Bangladesh batting line-up in Jamaica.

Team news – Expect changes in Bangladesh XI

West Indies are unlikely to change their playing XI barring any injuries.West Indies (probable): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Mikyle Louis, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Alick Athanaze, 5 Kavem Hodge, 6 Justin Greaves, 7 Joshua Da Silva (wk), 8 Kemar Roach, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Jayden Seales, 11 Shamar JosephJustin Greaves batted for over six hours as he scored a century in the first Test•Cricket West Indies

One or both of Shadman Islam and Mahidul Islam could expect a call-up for the second Test after Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Zakir Hasan failed in the first. Nahid could also feature as Bangladesh tend to rotate their fast bowlers.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mahmudul Hasan Joy/Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan/Mahidul Islam, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Shahadat Hossain, 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Shoriful Islam/Nahid Rana

Pitch and conditions

Sabina Park has seen big scores in T20Is this year, but it has also traditionally been a good pitch for both fast bowlers and spinners in Tests. Weather, however, could play a part as rain is in the forecast for all five days in Kingston.

Stats and trivia – Brathwaite set to go past Sobers

• Kraigg Brathwaite is currently equal with Garfield Sobers on 85 Tests, the most consecutive appearances for West Indies. Sobers played non-stop from 1955 to 1972, while Brathwaite has been a West Indies constant from 2014.
• Bangladesh have now played 18 Tests without drawing one. Their previous record is 21, between 2001 and 2004.
• At North Sound, Mominul struck his first half-century in the West Indies since 2014. He aggregated only 20 runs across three matches in the two Test series there in 2018 and 2022.
• The last time West Indies played a Test match in Jamaica, in 2021, Phil Simmons was their head coach. Now he is Bangladesh’s head coach.

The ECB’s senior leadership have conceded that cricket’s need to “protect broadcast rights” will see no changes to participating teams at next year’s Champions Trophy regardless of whether India decide to travel to Pakistan. The tournament is due to be staged in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi but India have not played an international match in Pakistan since 2008.Richard Gould and Richard Thompson, the ECB’s chief executive and chair, said on Wednesday that there are “lots of different alternatives and contingencies available” in the event that India do not travel to Pakistan, raising the possibility of a hybrid model being used. But they clarified that the Champions Trophy going ahead without India’s involvement is not an option.The BCCI did not send a team to Pakistan last year for the Asia Cup due to strained relations between the two countries and their governments, prompting the tournament to be shifted to a hybrid model with India’s matches staged in Sri Lanka. Last year, Pakistan travelled to India and participated fully in the 2023 World Cup, where they narrowly missed out on the semi-finals.Related

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Pakistan has not hosted a major ICC event since co-hosting the men’s 50-over World Cup in 1996 and the PCB have said they are “fully committed” to staging a “world-class” event. The final decision over whether or not India travel to Pakistan will rest on whether or not the Indian government grants the team permission to do so.”It would not be in cricket’s interests for India not to be playing in the Champions Trophy,” Thompson said. “It’s interesting, with Jay Shah – the former secretary of the BCCI and now chair of the ICC – [who] is going to have a big role to play in that. There’s geopolitics, and then there’s cricketing geopolitics. I think they’ll find a way. They have to find a way.”There are always security concerns in this part of the world when those two countries play each other. That will probably drive the key decisions. But I know relationships between the two countries are as amicable as they can be at the moment: we saw it play out at the [men’s T20] World Cup in New York.”Gould and Thompson are in Pakistan ahead of upcoming ICC meetings in Dubai, and have been meeting PCB officials in Multan during England’s second Test match. Gould said that cricket’s dependence on broadcast rights as a revenue stream ensured both India and Pakistan would feature. “If you play the Champions Trophy without India, or Pakistan, the broadcast rights aren’t there, and we need to protect them,” he said.”They [Pakistan] are the host nation. We’ve seen the developments going on, and we’re all waiting to understand whether India are going to travel. That’s the key. We think there are some discussions and relationships where they need to be. I know Pakistan are expecting India to travel. There are lots of different alternatives and contingencies available if that doesn’t happen.”There are a variety of different options available if those circumstances come along. But also, when was the last time Pakistan hosted any kind of ICC trophy? This is a big moment for the country, and hopefully we can have the fullest possible competition in Pakistan. If that’s not possible, we know there are options available.”Thompson predicted that the exact nature of India’s participation would “go to the wire”. He said: “That’s between India and Pakistan, and I think they will find a way where India will participate in the Champions Trophy… These things tend to go to the wire, as history has shown us, so I think that in those [last] six months, they’ll find a way.”The PCB’s position remains unchanged, with a board official telling ESPNcricinfo they wish to see the entirety of the tournament played in Pakistan. Fixtures for the Champions Trophy have not been published, but the PCB have submitted a draft schedule to the ICC, which would see the tournament run from February 19 to March 9, with India playing all of their matches in Lahore.The Champions Trophy will feature eight teams, with two groups of four followed by semi-finals and a final. The competing teams are: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa.The ICC was contacted for comment.

At the start of 2023, we, including Rishabh Pant, wondered if he would be on a cricket field again, leave alone be the same flamboyant Pant the world fell in love with. A road accident on the way to surprising his mother in Uttarakhand left his car in flames; most would take coming out alive of it as a blessing let alone compete in elite sport again. Less than two years later, he has beaten every recovery timeline given to him, and even though he missed the home ODI World Cup, he is a T20I world champion, and more importantly now back as a Test jack in the box.On his comeback Test, Pant equalled MS Dhoni on most centuries as an India wicketkeeper, and then confirmed what observers have long believed: even though he entered our consciousness as a T20 player, Test cricket is where he is most at home.”Definitely, it was emotional because coming back I wanted to score in each and every match, which I couldn’t do [in the first innings, where he was part of a recovery but made a mental error],” Pant told the broadcasters after India’s 280-run win against Bangladesh in Chennai. “But coming back to Test cricket, where I belong most is great. I enjoyed batting out there and just got a little bit emotional. But at end of the day, just being on the field gives me more pleasure than doing anything else.”Related

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Pant equalled Dhoni in terms of centuries at Dhoni’s quasi home ground. Pant said he, too, loves the vibes there. “A lot special because I love playing in Chennai, first of all,” Pant said. “And secondly, after injury, I think I wanted to play all three formats and this was my first Test match after coming back. Just loving it every day.”Pant might not have made a big score in the first innings (39), but he walked in ahead of KL Rahul at 34 for 3 and added 62 with his friend Shubman Gill. “I try to read the situation in my own way,” Pant said. “And when you’re 30 for 3, I think you need to switch a partnership. And that’s what exactly me and Gill did out there. Especially, I feel like when you are chatting with someone who you have a great relationship outside the field, it really helps.”Captain Rohit Sharma was full of praise for Pant’s comeback. “He has been through some really tough times, and the way he has managed himself through those tough times was superb to watch,” Rohit said. “He came back in the IPL then followed by the World Cup, a very successful World Cup, and then obviously this is the format he loves the most.”For us it was never about what is he going to do with the bat. We always knew what he had with the bat and with the gloves as well. It was just about getting him back in the game and giving him that game time. Credit to him as well. He went on to play the Duleep Trophy and got ready for this Test match and had an impact straightaway in the game.”

Mohammad Hasnain and Saim Ayub put in strong performances to take Panthers into the final of the Champions Cup with a seven-wicket win over Markhors. It was also the first win for the chasing team in the tournament.Batting first after winning the toss, Markhors had a poor start as Ali Raza dismissed Haseebullah Khan in the second over of the game. The real damage, though, was done by Hasnain, who sent back Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Rizwan to leave Markhors on 25 for 4 in the seventh over.Salman Agha and Iftikhar Ahmed staged a mini-recovery, adding 77 for the fifth wicket but once Iftikhar was run out, Markhors collapsed again, to be all out for 137 in 36 overs. Their unlikely tormentor was Ayub, who picked up 5 for 24 with his part-time legbreaks. It was the first time he took more than two wickets in any form of senior cricket.Panthers lost Azan Awais early in the chase but Ayub kept them on track with 33 off 36 balls. And even though Ayub and Umar Siddiq fell in quick succession, Usman Khan smashed 54 not out off just 26 balls to take the side home in the 24th over.Markhors will now face the winner of the first eliminator, between Stallions and Lions, on Friday.

The Northern Territory has set its sights on Australia’s white-ball series against South Africa next winter as their chance to end a 16-year wait for international cricket in Darwin.Darwin hosted the last of its four ODIs in 2008. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also played Tests in the city in 2003 and 2004.Since then, two drop-in wickets have been installed at the ICC-accredited TIO Stadium and the Top End T20 series launched, as part of the all-year Cricket 365 branding in the Territory.The Top End series last week brought in four Big Bash clubs, Tasmania, the ACT and teams from Pakistan and Bangladesh, with eyes to expand further in the future.Ten past or present Test players attended, including the likes of Jhye Richardson playing for the Perth Scorchers, and Marcus Harris with the Melbourne Renegades.But also on the horizon is international cricket, with Australia slated to host South Africa in three ODIs and three T20Is next August, and negotiations ongoing between the NT government and Cricket Australia.”I want that content. I don’t expect all of it, and I don’t expect any of it, but I want some of it – and I’m going after it,” NT Cricket CEO Gavin Dovey told AAP. “We are putting the foundation in place to be ready. We have the infrastructure and it has had exceptional cricket on it [with the Top End series].”It’s not the Big Bash or international cricket, but we have shown we have that calibre of players playing on these wickets. We have the venue and it is ICC-accredited – and we have the weather.”Dovey spent time holding a national team training camp in Darwin in his former life as Australia’s men’s team manager, before taking up the NT role last January.He is keen to make Darwin a consistent option for international fixtures, given only the Territory and North Queensland can host winter matches in Australia and are more likely to be held in the country in 2026.”It makes sense to get some T20s. We’ve never hosted a men’s T20, and there has been over 100 played in Australia,” Dovey said. “I’m not particularly after content every 10 years. I don’t see the legacy in it. Consistent content every year or two would mean kids don’t have to go a decade before they meet their BBL heroes or national heroes.”Dovey’s plan for growth is two-fold, with a desire to expand the Top End series to up to 12 teams, with more Big Bash franchises and overseas sides.Nearly 700,000 people watched this year’s nine-team, 30-match tournament via YouTube, while that number sat at 10.6 million last year once overseas broadcasters were included.Dovey is hopeful of adding teams from New Zealand and Nepal next year, along with the big lure of appealing to IPL franchises.”It’s in an August window where no one else can play. The wickets wouldn’t be like ours with the weather [elsewhere],” he  said. “It’s an incredible window to the subcontinent, where you can’t play easily this time of year either.  The event is awesome and has a point of difference with the international teams.”

South Africa and Afghanistan are set to play their first-ever bilateral series, with three ODIs scheduled in Sharjah between September 18 and 22. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) will host the series, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement.This series was not part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) originally and CSA chairman Lawson Naidoo said it was a “significant milestone” in the partnership between the two boards. The series will end five days before South Africa’s scheduled matches – two T20Is and three ODIs – against Ireland in Abu Dhabi start on September 27.

South Africa’s tour of the UAE

ODI series v Afghanistan: September 18, 20 and 22.
T20I series vs Ireland: September 27 and 29.
ODI series vs Ireland: October 2, 4, and 7.

“We are excited to embark on this historic ODI series with Afghanistan, who have become a very competitive all-round team as evidenced by their recent performances in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and most recently at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024,” Naidoo said. “This is a significant milestone in our cricketing relations, and we look forward to a competitive and entertaining series.”These fixtures were not initially part of our FTP. Still, based on our productive negotiations with our counterparts at Cricket South Africa, we concluded that we will host the Proteas for an ODI series in September,” ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf said. “They are an excellent team, and we are eagerly looking forward to hosting them and playing them regularly in the future.”Before heading to the UAE, though, South Africa have two Tests and three T20Is lined up in the Caribbean against West Indies, starts August 7. For Afghanistan, the South Africa games will provide another chance to impress against a Test-playing nation and will be played less than a week after their maiden Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida, India, which will be contested from September 9 to 13.

Marnus Labuschagne pulled off an outrageous catch while playing for Glamorgan against Gloucestershire in the T20 Blast on Thursday.Fielding at long-on, he sprinted to his right and dived full-length, low to the ground to hold Ben Charlesworth’s lofted drive off legspinner Mason Crane.Labuschagne himself could barely believe he had taken the catch and sprinted off in celebration with his team-mates trying to catch him.The game itself turned into a thriller as well with Gloucestershire’s Josh Shaw hitting the last ball for six to clinch victory. Back in Australia, Labuschagne’s moment recalled memories of one that is part of cricket folklore: Adam Dale’s incredible catch in the deep during a one-day game against New South Wales at the Gabba in 1997.Related

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“I remember diving, and I still remember the stick [of the ball],” Dale recalled to on the 25-year anniversary of his catch. “It was a nice moment, but I do think I was out of position.”Labuschagne is known as an excellent fielder and has pulled off some superb run outs in both red and white-ball cricket.Earlier this week it was announced he would be Queensland captain next season, taking over from Usman Khawaja.

Legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has been added to Sri Lanka’s T20I squad for the T20I tri-series in Pakistan as cover for allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who has a hamstring injury.Hasaranga has not been ruled out of the series yet. He picked up the hamstring niggle during the second game of the ODI series against Pakistan and subsequently missed the third ODI as Sri Lanka suffered a 3-0 defeat.Related

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Viyaskanth will join the team directly from Qatar, where he was playing for Sri Lanka A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament. He has represented Sri Lanka just once in senior cricket, making his debut in the Hangzhou Asian Games in October 2023.Viyaskanth first rose to prominence in December 2020, when he became the youngest player at 18 years and 364 days to feature in the Lanka Premier League for Jaffna Stallions. In that tournament, he also became the first born-and-bred player from Jaffna to appear in an internationally televised game. Viyaskanth was also the second highest wicket-taker in the SLC T20 League in August 2025. Overall, in 59 T20 games, he has taken 67 wickets at 20.98 with an economy of 7.18.Sri Lanka are also missing their regular T20I captain Charith Asalanka for the tri-series. He flew home with an illness and Dasun Shanaka will fill in as captain. Sri Lanka play their first game of the tri-series on November 20 against Zimbabwe. The series starts on November 18 with each team playing the other twice before the final on November 29.