Ryan Burl's 30* in 11 balls, Craig Ervine's Zimbabwe T20I with 54
Ryan Burl's 30* in 11 balls, Craig Ervine's Zimbabwe T20I with 54
Earlier, Burl also lost two wickets, as the bowlers combined to restrict Ireland despite Harry Tector's 47.
Player of the match Ryan Burl went 6, 6, 4 over George Dockrell as Zimbabwe needed 23 from 15 balls and the match was in order. In the end, he completed 30 runs from 11 deliveries to turn the screw in the chase of 142, as the hosts closed the series 2-1 in Harare. He followed with 2-for-28 with the ball, as the Zimbabwe bowlers combined to restrict the visitors to 141.
It is a terrible situation on the court that continues to produce average figures after a total of 114 and 144 in the first two games. Craig Ervine's 54 from 43 balls set the stage for Zimbabwe, whose required rate reached nine plus with 30 deliveries still to go. Ervine shared with Idnes staff was involved in a crucial second wicket partnership with Innocent Kaia after Zimbabwe lost their first wicket in the third over. Another 24-for-14 fastball was important from a 92-for-4 situation, as the innings were tied together before Burl, who won player of the series, came to finish the game.
Earlier, it took a 70-point partnership between Harry Tector and Curtis Campher to help Ireland to the championship total after going 19-for-3 at one stage. Wessly Madhevere struck first to dismiss Ross Adair and finished 2 for 8 after dismissing Tector for 47. But Burl bowled Campher for 27 to break Ireland's momentum and bring Zimbabwe back into the game. . Dockrell and Mark Adair added 31 to breathe life into the Irish innings, but 141 eventually fell short as Burl's heroes saw Zimbabwe win the match by a toss.
Ravindra Jadeja will return to action and should be in Ranji Trophy
Jadeja is completing rehabilitation and has been named in the 17-member Test squad for the first half of the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
In a boost for India, first-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will return to action and participate in the final round of Saurashtra's Ranji Trophy from January 24. The tournament will pit Tamil Nadu against Chennai.
Jadeja had to pull out of the Asia Cup last September to undergo surgery on his right knee. Currently at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, Jadeja is completing his rehabilitation and has been selected by the 17-man test squad for the first half of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy match that starts in Nagpur from February 9. the second test in Delhi, followed by the final two tests in Dharamsala and Ahmedabad. The selectors, however, chose Jadeja on the condition that the NCA would declare him a good fit. It is learned that Jadeja resumed bowling and bowling earlier this week but will have to pass a medical test before being given the green light to play competitive cricket. Given Jadeja's fitness - not only has he not played cricket since September, but his first first-class match was a Test at Edgbaston against England last July - the selectors as well as the NCA and the Indian team management have agreed that the allrounder should play fear. Ranji and the pre-call match and its participation in the Australian Test series.
An in-form Jadeja has proved the pick of the playing XI both at home and away. As a left-handed batsman and especially in the absence of Rishabh Pant, Jadeja provides balance in the middle and No. 5 or 6 when he plays the role of the main spinner in R Ashwin's side.
While they are aware of the dangers of running Jadeja back, the coaches also do not want to deprive India of their ability to win matches which they showed during Australia's previous Test against India in 2016-17.
In one of the most exciting bilateral series ever played, India defeated Australia 2-1, winning the final Test in Dharamsala thanks in part to Jadeja's 63 in their first innings and four matches. Jadeja was the obstacle Australia kept coming up against as he finished the series with 25 wickets and 127 runs. Since 2017, in 19 Tests, Jadeja has taken 82 원엑스벳 wickets at 9:46 pm including three five-fors. Significantly, his value as a bowler steadily increased during this period as he scored 898 runs at an average of 52.82 in two centuries and fifties.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy result is important for India and Australia as both are the first to compete in the final World Test Championship in June, which is scheduled at The Oval. India will win the series to reach the final, which will make them the first to join the conflict over two editions of the WTC.
Both the teams will have their own preparatory camps before taking on the Australians in the first Test in Bengaluru while the Indians are in Nagpur from February 1-5. BBL recap: Will Lynn return for Strikers and how did Stars lose that?
Australia's Test star makes a low-key comeback as Nathan Ellis misses a hat-trick
A slow start for test players
Australia's much-hyped test tour didn't get off to a good start. Marnus Labuschagne top scored with 46 in Brisbane Heat's win over Adelaide Strikers while Travis Head and Alex Carey made it three between them. David Warner couldn't really start against the Perth Scorchers although he didn't have much to do against Riley Meredith's yorker who swept him away in Hobart. Similarly for Usman Khawaja, he got a good delivery from Harry Conway in the match against Strikers. Steven Smith had good contact against the Scorchers at the SCG but Nathan Lyon had no way as Nick Hobson dispatched him for a six from 105 yards.
Lynn left
Chris Lynn will not see out the competition with the Strikers after his high-profile contract saw him leave early to join the ILT20 when there was a chance he would miss the BBL altogether. But he added value and exited as the tournament's second-leading scorer (with teammate Matt Short ahead). Early in the tournament, Lynn was unable to make many of his starts, but he turned it around with back-to-back knocks of 87, 64 and an unbeaten 69 off 37 balls as the Strikers posted 202 against Melbourne. Disobedient people... READ MORE
However, whether he will return next year is still unclear. "You can't say 'no, I don't want to go back' or 'I'm locked up' or anything," Lynn said. "There's a lot of discussion to be had and I'm sure the right decision will come."
Davies is a shining light in the midst of the fighting crisis
The Sydney Thunder stuttered well (albeit not all 15), ruining their finals hopes. However, Ollie Davies is building a solid season. He has now passed 300 runs - one of only five batsmen to do so - with two impressive innings. He was head and shoulders above the rest of the Thunder beating the Scorchers' fastest half-century and scoring the best against the Hurricanes amid another high slump.
The final memory of the derby
Kane Richardson was excellent and Will Sutherland kept it cool in the last over with 12 to spare, but that worsened what was turning into a miserable season for the Stars. Injuries didn't help - Glenn Maxwell missed the entire tournament and Marcus Stoinis' last game with a hamstring problem - and it left their campaign almost at an end.
