His 206 runs during the Bangladesh series take him past Virat Kohli, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, among others

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2023Harry Tector has moved up to a career-best No. 7 spot, which is also the best for an Ireland batter, in the latest ICC men’s ODI batting rankings following his 206 runs during the three-match series against Bangladesh.Tector registered scores of 21*, 140 and 45 across three ODIs. While it wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-0 loss for Ireland, it saw him gain 72 rating points and take his tally to 722, which is also the most for an Ireland men’s batter. The previous best for them was Paul Stirling’s 697 in June 2021.Tector’s performance took him past Virat Kohli, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, among others, who are currently at No. 8, 9 and 10 respectively on the table. Babar Azam continues to be the top-ranked ODI batter with 886 rating points .Full rankings tables

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Since 2022, he has smashed 769 runs in 13 innings – including four centuries and as many half-centuries – at an average of 76.90 and a strike rate of 90.89. The next best tally for Ireland in this period is Paul Stirling’s 352 from 12 innings. Tector will get a chance to further improve his ranking when Ireland take part in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June.Tector’s team-mate Mark Adair also made giant strides in the latest update, jumping 30 spots up to No. 31 on the bowlers’ list and 33 spots up to No. 33 on the allrounders’ list. Adair took seven wickets, and scored 40 runs from two innings, during the Bangladesh series.

Northamptonshire 152 for 4 (Zaib 37*, Willey 31, Lynn 31) beat Derbyshire 151 for 6 (Madsen 57, Guest 49) by six wicketsDavid Willey’s return to Northamptonshire as an all-action T20 Blast captain got off to winning ways at the third attempt with a hard-won six-wicket win at Derby with two overs to spare. Predictably, he was in the thick of it, backing up four tight overs and a boundary catch with a battling 31 from No. 3 that helped give Northants the base for victory. He is not about to be a shrinking violet.Willey’s elevation to the captaincy in his first season back with Northants was only officially announced shortly before the tournament, with Northants waiting for Royal Challengers Bangalore’s elimination from IPL at the group stages, and it left the incumbent, Josh Cobb, “shocked and disappointed”.The word on the streets, however, had long been that Willey had been promised considerable authority at Northants once he walked out on Yorkshire in protest at the mass sacking of staff. It was not as much what was done as the way it was done that was at issue.Willey comes in to his own on demanding days like these. For Derbyshire and Northamptonshire this was assuredly a working Bank Holiday, the sort of exacting surface that should have players claiming a day in lieu for the extra effort required, not to mention Mick Lynch calling a wildcat strike in protest and Amazon docking pay because the score wasn’t mounting quickly enough.That was encapsulated by Derbyshire’s bowling Powerplay. They had leaked scores in the high 70s in their first two games so to restrict Northants to 29 for 1 was quite a change of tone. But it was all to no avail. They now have three defeats on the bounce and a repeat of last year’s quarter-final appearance – at which point they imploded against Somerset at Taunton – does not look likely.Northants, though, give Willey something to work with. His stand of 64 with Chris Lynn was growled and grimaced rather than purred, but they have a dangerous top six. The inclusion of left-arm legspinner Freddie Heldreich for the first time this season also gave them more variety with the ball.Heldreich struck with his first delivery, bowling Anuj Dal who failed to hit him out of the ground, and did a decent job, even if Wayne Madsen did twice loft him over the ropes. A shoddy piece of fielding at fine leg, however, will not have to be repeated too often if he is to please his new taskmaster.Derby was at its most inviting: a warm and sunny Bank Holiday, a tree-lined ground that belies its basic reputation of old, and a decent, convivial crowd. That local tastes would not be easily satisfied, however, was apparent when Derbyshire lost four wickets for 49 by the eighth over – Luis Reece and Haider Ali both failing with straight hits as the pitch revealed its true nature, and Leus du Plooy playing all around one from James Sales before Heldreich made his entrance.Madsen and Brooke Guest responded with a knowing stand of 92 in 70 balls from a perilous position of 49 for 4 in the ninth. It never quite felt enough; it was just that because it was Madsen supervising affairs you felt that it might be.Madsen assesses pitches as well as anybody around. Data experts could crunch thousands of statistics. Google pitch robots could take soil samples from the surface (it’s only a matter of time). All the algorithms that money can buy (in Derbyshire’s case about 50 quid’s worth) could be put into use. Then when Madsen was informed that 175 would be a winning score, he would chew over the information before adjusting it to 151.On this occasion, he malfunctioned: Derbyshire were conservative for too long. Madsen and Guest began steadily, were steady throughout the middle phase and, as the overs ran out, remained steady. The Steelbacks removed Madsen in the penultimate over when he pulled Taylor to deep midwicket and Guest fell in the final over when he lifted Andrew Tye into the hands of long on.Northants might have dismissed Madsen when he had only a single to his name, Sales failing to produce the accurate throw needed after Reece rejected Madsen’s call for a single into the off side. He was also dropped on 40 – the former Derbyshire seamer, Tom Taylor, being the luckless bowler when he clothed one to mid-on but Tye fumbled with an ungainly dive.Although Northants lost Ricardo Vasconcelos early, pulling to short midwicket, Willey and Lynn old-manned them into a decent position. Derbyshire bowled with spirit, and when Reece removed both batters within three balls – Willey holing out at deep square; Lynn dragging on a wide one – they sensed an opportunity.But Saif Zaib was reprieved on 14 by Zaman Khan as he slapped the left-arm spinner, Mark Watt, to the edge of the circle, and Northants made light work of a target of 44 from the last six as Zaib, a fine natural talent who has remained in bud for far too long, flowered with the most attractive innings of the day.

The opener says that the Lord’s pitch will suit England more than the slow, dry surface they encountered at Edgbaston

Matt Roller23-Jun-2023

England will beat Australia by 150 runs at Lord’s next week to square the men’s Ashes series at one-all. That is the belief of Zak Crawley, who has also predicted that the level of “niggle” between the two sides will heighten over the course of the series.Speaking to Times Radio, Crawley said that the Lord’s pitch would suit England more than the slow, dry surface they encountered at Edgbaston. “I think we’ll win,” he said. “I think it will suit us a bit more, that pitch. So I think we’ll win by, I don’t know, 150 runs?”He said that England had “gained a lot of respect” after running Australia close in the first Test, and that the bigger picture of keeping supporters engaged with the format was “a big part of what we talk about”.Related

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Crawley said: “That’s why we took [this loss] better than other losses perhaps, because it was great for the game. I think Sky had record viewing figures, Test Match Special had record listening figures, so this week was a great week for cricket and that’s what we’re all about.”We’re not about results. We always talk about that. We’re not about winning or losing: we’re about entertainment. Of course, we’re there to win and it helps our brand and what we’re trying to do. If we win, we get more traction.”But I don’t think we’ve lost anything this week other than a game of cricket, which is [the first in] a five-match series. But other than that, we’ve gained a lot of respect. We gained lots of support and I think it’s great for the game.”Crawley made 61 and 7 in the first Test at Edgbaston, memorably hitting the first ball of the series for four when he drove Pat Cummins through cover. “There was definitely part of me that was thinking, ‘If it’s there, I’m going to try and hit for four, send a message,'” he said. “Thankfully it was in a decent spot to hit for four and yeah, I got lucky, it hit the middle of my bat.”You don’t feel that pressure when you’re out there. The pressure is more when you’re playing for your team-mates and our jobs as openers and top-order batsmen is to set the tone. And so the pressure I feel is I’ve got to get off to a good start and a quick start for my team.”I more feel that pressure than the pressure of the scrutiny of the media or anything like that. So I was under pressure [but] I thought I’m going to try and get us off to a good start here. I was always looking to be positive.”Heading into the second Test, Crawley expects the verbal battle between the sides to ramp up. “The Edgbaston crowd was so loud, to be honest with you, that you genuinely couldn’t hear anything they were saying. At Lord’s, with a little bit more of a quiet hum, you might hear a bit more.”In general, they’re good fellas, we’re good fellas. I think as the series goes on there’s going to be a few incidents, maybe, that will cause a bit of niggle and it’ll get more and more. Everyone’s extremely competitive on an individual level and obviously on the team level. I’m sure by the fifth match, there’ll be some niggle.”

Chattogram Challengers, Rangpur Riders, Comilla Victorians and Fortune Barishal all made the playoffs

Mohammad Isam24-Feb-2024

The week started with Khulna Tigers beating a hapless Dhaka side to win their fifth game of the season after enduring five successive defeats. They had won their first four games. Dhaka lost both their matches this week to take their successive defeats tally to 11, a BPL record.Shakib Al Hasan continued his batting-form revival this week with a 39-ball 62 to help Rangpur beat Chattogram by 18 runs. Chattogram turned things around with a 10-run win against Dhaka before they crushed Khulna Tigers to confirm their playoff spot. Tanzid Hasan made important runs in both games, particularly the second one when he got his maiden T20 hundred.The week also saw Rangpur’s Abu Hider taking a five-wicket haul against Barishal although Tamim Iqbal’s celebration of Shakib’s wicket became a bigger talking point. Tamim’s batting, however, has done most of the talking this season. He led Barishal into the playoffs with a solid 66 against Comilla, the innings also taking him to the top of the run-scorers’ chart – with 391 runs – at the end of the league phase.Abu Hider poses with Rangpur Riders bowling coach Tareq Aziz after bagging a five-wicket haul•Raton Gomes/BCB

Kyle Mayers made his BPL debut memorable with a quick 48 followed by figures of 3 for 12 in Barishal’s 18-run win against Sylhet Strikers. Fellow West Indian Andre Russell made his first mark on BPL 2024 with a 12-ball 43 for Comilla against Rangpur. His strike rate of 358.33 is the highest ever in a BPL innings (25 runs minimum).Sylhet finished their campaign with two wins out of two this week. Benny Howell starred in both of them, clobbering a 31-ball 62 against Comilla Victorians before taking 3-15 to help them down Khulna by six wickets.Batter of the week: Tanzid HasanTanzid had made only a single fifty in this season before he suddenly burst into life this week, with a 51-ball 70 with six sixes and a four against Dhaka and his first century in T20s, against Khulna. He struck 116 off 65 balls, aided by eight sixes and as many fours. The two innings revived Chattogram’s campaign with the two wins, helping them to the playoff in a late turnaround.Bowler of the week: Abu HiderIn only his second game this season, Abu Hider became the first Bangladeshi bowler to take a five-wicket haul in this edition. He struck three times in his first five balls against Barishal, removing Mushfiqur Rahim, Soumya Sarkar, and Kyle Mayers. He added Mahmudullah and Mehidy Hasan Miraz to complete his maiden five-for in T20s.

He says England’s attacking cricket has made him focus on restricting batters as well as taking wickets

Shashank Kishore13-Feb-2024India’s left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav has said he enjoyed his first taste of England’s Bazball approach in Visakhapatnam because it not only created more wicket-taking opportunities but also made bowlers think about restricting batters in Test cricket.”Usually in Tests you’re not used to teams attacking you with this kind of approach [Bazball], but it also involves you a lot more,” Kuldeep said ahead of the third Test against England starting on February 15 in Rajkot. “As a spinner it makes you more focused on how you want to bowl and what your approach is.”Normally when you play Tests, you don’t worry about batters attacking you, you’re only focused on how you want to get them out. But here the approach is different, they’re in attacking mode so you also have to plan how to restrict them. When they play shots, you have those many opportunities to take wickets. It’s interesting. The last game was my first [against Bazball], I enjoyed it a lot, it’s good for cricket.”Related

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The Visakhapatnam Test was only Kuldeep’s ninth Test since he made his debut in March 2017. It was his first in over 15 months. Kuldeep picked up three of his four wickets in the first innings as India took a 143-run lead that helped them level the five-Test series 1-1.”It’s been good,” Kuldeep said with a smile when asked about finally getting a chance in Test cricket. “Whatever Tests I’ve played, I’ve performed well. I have three five-fors, so yeah it feels good when you see the stats. I’m very happy.”The pitches for the first two Tests of this series have not been rank turners and, if that trend continues in Rajkot, Kuldeep could keep his place in the XI even if Ravindra Jadeja returns. Kuldeep’s accuracy and extra bounce made him more effective than Axar Patel in Visakhapatnam.”Am not sure of my position,” he said when asked about his chances of playing in Rajkot. “If I get the opportunity, I’ll be more than happy. I don’t think too much about whether am playing or not. I just enjoy my day and keep working hard. Combination is such a thing that it matters in a team game. As simple as that.”Kuldeep needed no reminders of his previous Test in Rajkot, where he took a five-for against West Indies in 2018.”It’ll be a batting wicket,” he said when asked about the pitch for the upcoming Test against England. ‘It doesn’t mean there’ll be 700-800 runs scored. It’ll be a good wicket. It won’t be a rank turner, it will be a live wicket, good for cricket.”Why has there been a sudden shift in the nature of pitches for this series?”I haven’t played on rank turners, I don’t know what the approach or thought is, it’s a team management decision,” Kuldeep said. “Obviously everyone wants to watch good cricket. I don’t know if I’ll get an opportunity or not, but whether it’s flat wicket or rank turner, I enjoy it. I think batting is also important, not just spin bowling. Fast bowling comes into the game as well. It’s good for cricket. It’s not like you’ll see rank turners only, but hopefully you’ll see it [laughs].”

Heather Knight says she has no regrets about pulling out of the WPL and missing Royal Challengers Bangalore’s trophy-winning campaign, as she prepares to lead her side in the first of five T20Is against New Zealand in Dunedin on Tuesday.Knight, 33, withdrew from the tournament, which concluded with RCB’s victory over Delhi Capitals on Sunday, when it became clear that the schedule would impinge on her ability to lead England in the T20I leg of the New Zealand tour, which forms a key part of the team’s preparations for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.Her place in the RCB squad was taken by South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk, who featured just once in the campaign, while seamer Lauren Bell also withdrew from the UP Warriorz squad to focus on her England preparations.A core of England’s established T20I players – including Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt, Alice Capsey and Sophie Ecclestone – chose to stay on in India and will link up with the T20I squad ahead of the fourth and fifth matches later this month. As England captain, however, Knight said she was clear where her priorities lay.”I was always going to come [to New Zealand], so that was quite an easy decision for me,” she said. “As captain, I wanted to be here and I want to be around the team for the build-up, and those three games.”The ideal world would have been to leave the WPL a little early, but that wasn’t an option to do so, because of the rules about replacement players. We wanted to have someone available for the whole competition. Those are the choices that players have to make now, it can be quite tricky, but I think it’s really important that it’s made on an individual level.”Given the timezone difference, Knight said she hadn’t watched the final, in which RCB hunted down Delhi’s target of 114 to win by eight wickets with three balls to spare, but had watched the highlights that morning, and had been kept abreast of the celebrations, not least through her England team-mate Kate Cross, who was an unused squad member.Related

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“I was getting a few messages, from Kate who’s there and obviously some of the overseas [players] as well. I was really pleased for them that they managed to win, after quite a tough year last year. I guess I could have been there, but I’m not really thinking about that. I’m super happy to be here. Obviously the right thing for me, and for the team, was for me to be here.”Despite the scheduling clash, Knight insisted that England would benefit from the split priorities, both from the WPL contingent’s exposure to subcontinental conditions ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September, and from the extra competition for places that will arise in their absence for the first three T20Is.”The right thing for me was to be here, but I still think we’re going to get a really good benefit as an England team,” Knight said. “Alice Capsey playing in a big final yesterday, that’d be a really good experience for her, and hopefully England will benefit down the road, with a World Cup coming up in Bangladesh.”It’s a tricky one. It’s getting a little bit tougher for players to make these decisions because they have so many different options now. In an ideal world, you’d have windows [in the schedule]. There is a little window, but a day in between [games] isn’t realistic, obviously, to fly across the world and play.”But I’m quite an optimistic person, I’m looking at the positives that we’ve got. We’ve got a huge opportunity for some of our younger players to play a really good role [in New Zealand], and by making the choice around the first three T20s to have a different squad, the girls at the WPL have a little bit of a chance to take a few days off as well, and get used to New Zealand and get the flight out of their legs.”It’s not an ideal situation, but I think there’s some really good positives that will hopefully benefit the England team moving forward.”In terms of the challenge awaiting England in Dunedin, Knight admitted that the damp weather meant that the conditions could be similar to early-season England, but expected a good wicket with a bit in it for batters and bowlers alike.”It’s been nice to get acclimatised,” she said. “The weather’s made us feel quite home to be honest, it’s a little bit cold and miserable out there now. But the main thing is just adapting to being on grass again, and getting really clear on our mindset about how we’re going to play tomorrow. We’re obviously excited to get going. It’s been a long build-up.”

Alessia Russo's brother, Giorgio, was in the crowd as England beat Italy in a game that ended up being more dramatic than any episode of Love Island.

• Russo posts picture of entire family
• Giorgio starred in Love Island
• England into Euro 2025 final

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Alessia started and led the line, before her substitution, as the Lionesses came from behind against Italy to win 2-1 and reach Sunday's Euro 2025 final. Michelle Agyemang, an 85th-minute sub who came on as Russo came off, scored a 96th-minute equaliser, before Chloe Kelly scored the winner in extra time, slamming in the rebound after initially missing a penalty, and Alessia has shared a photo of her entire family in the stands, Giorgio included.

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  Giorgio starred in the current season of Love Island, although he was dumped on cay 30 after he chose to remain loyal to his partner in the villa – Bilikis – but she opted to recouple with another contestant. On the bright side, that has given Giorgio the time to fly to Switzerland to support his sister, as he usually resides in Sydney in Australia.

• WHAT RUSSO SAID

  Giorgio was full of praise for his sister before the quarter-final against Sweden, telling Sky: "She never fails to make us prouder and prouder every day. The constant finals, the constant games and goals, is a real credit to her and the hard work that she puts in so as a brother, I couldn't be prouder."

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  Sky's Rob Harris speaks to AlessiaRusso's brother and former #LoveIsland contestant Giorgio ahead of the #Lionesses facing #Sweden at the Euro's quarter final.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  England are preparing for Sunday's final, as they bid to retain their European Championship crown. Giorgio will surely be in the stands, hoping to see Alessia given another winner's medal.

Further scans on the opener’s thumb revealed damage from the blow he took in the T20I series

Alex Malcolm27-Feb-2024New Zealand opener Devon Conway has been ruled out of the opening Test against Australia in Wellington due to the thumb injury he sustained in the T20 series. Henry Nicholls has been called into the squad although Will Young will be Conway’s likely replacement at the top of the order.Conway damaged his left thumb while wicketkeeping in the second T20I in Auckland on Friday. Initial scans cleared him of a fracture but he did not keep or bat after the blow and was ruled out of the third match of the series. Further investigation has shown damage to the thumb.”It’s disappointing for Devon to be ruled out on the eve of an important match,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “He’s a class player batting at the top of the order for us and I know he was really looking forward to this series.”Related

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Conway will undergo further assessment during the week to ascertain the extent of the injury and the final diagnosis. The second Test starts in Christchurch on March 8.On Tuesday, Stead confirmed that Rachin Ravindra would be fit to play after being left out of the last two T20Is against Australia as a precaution following knee soreness. Daryl Mitchell is also fit to play after missing the second Test against South Africa and the entire T20I series against Australia to manage an ongoing issue with his heel.Neil Wagner announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday after being told he would not be selected in the two Tests against Australia. His place in the squad is a ceremonial one for this Wellington Test only.Mitchell Santner is in line to return to the XI•Getty ImagesNew Zealand played four fast bowlers in their last Test in Hamilton but Stead admitted that, despite winning the match, it was probably a selection mistake. Mitchell Santner looks likely to reclaim his spot in Wellington.”I think in hindsight, we probably got that wrong the way that the pitch did behave,” Stead said. “We’ve certainly got Mitch Santner here as that option and we’ll certainly consider him as well.”Skipper Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke look likely to be the trio of quicks with Scott Kuggeleijn the only other fast-bowling option in the squad. The pitch had a typically green look to it two days out from the first Test but those who have been to the middle said it looks very good and firm underneath despite the covering of live green grass.New Zealand have not beaten Australia in a Test at home since 1993 and have not beaten them anywhere since 2011, but Stead said the series represents an opportunity to improve their record against their neighbours.”We don’t play Australia that often, which is strange considering that they’re just across the Tasman there,” Stead said. “But, look, they always set the benchmark and are current world Test champions and they are that for a reason. They’re a very good side. But that’s our opportunity. And that’s for us to go out and I guess show our wares and we’re certainly looking forward to the challenge that is ahead.”

Manchester United are facing the growing possibility of concluding the summer transfer window without securing the striker reinforcement they desperately need. The club’s efforts to bolster their frontline have hit a wall following unsuccessful pursuits of Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike, and Viktor Gyokeres.

Man Utd struggling to land a strikerAmorim desperately needs a No.9 Several targets are a part of their wishlistFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United boss Ruben Amorim, who recently welcomed Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo into the squad for combined fees of £135 million ($183m), had hoped to further sharpen his frontline. The duo had an impressive collective return of 35 Premier League goals last season, but with United having scored just 44 league goals in total during the previous campaign, Amorim remains keen to add a more traditional centre-forward.

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According to despite the big-money arrivals, the lack of a reliable No. 9 continues to be a glaring concern. While the scouting team continues evaluating other options, there is no assurance that a striker will be signed before the deadline. Tangible progress appears limited, and the club is now operating with an air of realism that they might need to move forward with their current squad unless a breakthrough materialises soon.

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There has been growing speculation surrounding Højlund’s future, with Italian giants Inter Milan and Juventus reportedly exploring the possibility of bringing him back to Serie A. Despite this, sources close to the club have suggested that the 22-year-old Danish striker is determined to stay and prove himself under Amorim’s leadership as he still has three years remaining on his current contract.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

With each passing day, United are under pressure to resolve their striker woes. A possible exchange deal with Chelsea, where Nicolas Jackson could make his way to Old Trafford in return for Alejandro Garnacho, is being mooted, but talks are still in preliminary stages, and it remains to be seen whether the two clubs can agree on terms.

He replaces Travis Head and Jake Lehmann after another disappointing season for the men’s team

Andrew McGlashan04-Apr-2024

Nathan McSweeney has been named the new South Australia captain as the state’s men’s set-up goes through significant changes after another disappointing season.McSweeney’s elevation is the latest move up the leadership ladder after captaining Australia A, the Prime Minister’s XI and Brisbane Heat in the last 12 months. He also led South Australia in the latter part of their recent Marsh Cup campaign.Related

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South Australia, who have taken the Sheffield Shield wooden spoon in 10 of the last 15 seasons, finished fifth in the 2023-24 campaign having not won the title since 1995-96. They also finished last in the Marsh Cup.McSweeney replaces Travis Head as the state captain, although Jake Lehmann had been installed as captain for the 2023-24 season due to Head’s heavy international schedule.Ryan Harris, who will act as interim head coach following Jason Gillespie’s decision to stand down, said that McSweeney had all the qualities needed for the role.”McSweeney is a natural leader who inspires confidence in those around him,” Harris said. “He has a deep understanding of the game and a strong work ethic; both will be invaluable assets in his new role. We know Nathan is the right person to lead this team forward and we are delighted to appoint him as state captain.”McSweeney has regularly been name-checked by national selector George Bailey as one of the emerging batting talents in the game. He averaged 40.10 in a bowler-dominated Sheffield Shield season with three centuries.”I’m incredibly honoured to be named captain of the South Australian Men’s Team,” McSweeney said. “This is a team with a rich history and passionate fanbase, and I’m excited about the challenge of leading the group forward, especially as we return to our proud South Australian identity.”The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) announced last month that the men’s and women’s teams would drop their monikers Redbacks and Scorpions, which have been used since the mid-1990s, from next season and be known as South Australia Men and South Australia Women.Meanwhile, it’s understood that Jason Sangha is close to agreeing to a deal to move to South Australia from New South Wales.