分类： sports

New Zealand secured a commanding 323-run victory against the West Indies in the third test at Mount Maunganui, concluding the three-match series with a 2-0 triumph. The decisive win came after the hosts bowled out the visitors for a mere 138 runs on a challenging fifth-day pitch that showed significant deterioration.

Jacob Duffy emerged as the series hero, claiming 5-42 in the final innings and surpassing Richard Hadlee’s longstanding New Zealand record of 80 wickets in a calendar year. The pace bowler finished the series with 23 wickets at an impressive average of 15.4, including three five-wicket hauls. His remarkable consistency and endurance saw him bowl over 154 overs throughout the three tests, earning him the Player of the Series honor.

The match witnessed extraordinary batting performances from New Zealand’s openers. Devon Conway scored 227 and 100 across both innings, while Tom Latham contributed 137 and 101, marking the first instance in test history where both openers scored centuries in each innings of a match. Their partnership totaled 515 runs, setting a new record for opening pairs. Conway also became the tenth test player and first New Zealander to achieve both a double-century and century in the same match.

Both teams competed with significantly depleted pace attacks throughout the series. The West Indies missed Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph, while New Zealand overcame injuries to Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Kyle Jamieson, Nathan Smith, and Blair Tickner.

The final day’s play began with West Indies openers Brandon King (67) and John Campbell (16) showing resilience, but their dismissals within five balls triggered a collapse that saw five wickets fall before lunch. Duffy’s aggressive bowling proved particularly effective on the deteriorating pitch, with several deliveries lifting uncomfortably and creating challenges for the batsmen.

Despite the loss, the West Indies demonstrated competitive spirit throughout the series, notably drawing the first test after batting 163.3 overs to reach 457-6 in pursuit of 531 runs—the highest fourth-innings score since tests were limited to five days.

In a dramatic turnaround at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium, Dubai Capitals clinched a decisive six-wicket victory against Gulf Giants in Sunday’s DP World ILT20 encounter. This crucial win propels the Capitals to second position in the tournament standings while extending the Giants’ losing streak to four consecutive matches.

The match witnessed a spectacular bowling performance from Mustafizur Rahman, whose triple-wicket breakthrough in the 14th over dramatically shifted the game’s momentum. Despite a threatening 66-run partnership between James Vince (36 off 34) and Azmatullah Omarzai (43 off 26) that had positioned the Giants favorably, Rahman’s devastating spell triggered a collapse that restricted them to 156 all out.

Chasing a modest target, the Capitals demonstrated strategic batting prowess. Shayan Jahangir anchored the innings with a composed 48 from 44 deliveries, providing crucial stability after early setbacks. The chase culminated in a spectacular finish as Rovman Powell’s unbeaten 47 from 31 balls, complemented by Mohammad Nabi’s explosive 25 not out from 14 deliveries, sealed the victory with four balls remaining.

The Giants’ innings began promisingly with Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s explosive 25 from 11 balls, but early breakthroughs from Haider Ali and Nabi left them struggling at 53-3 after the powerplay. The middle-order partnership between Vince and Omarzai offered temporary respite before Rahman’s intervention proved decisive. The Giants’ final hopes evaporated in a chaotic final over featuring three run-outs.

Stand-in captain Mohammad Nabi praised the collective effort, highlighting Rahman’s game-changing over and Powell’s intelligent chase management. Opposite skipper James Vince acknowledged recurring patterns in his team’s performances, noting the tendency to lose multiple wickets in quick succession after establishing promising positions.

Mustafizur Rahman deservedly earned Player of the Match honors for his match-defining bowling performance that ultimately shaped the contest’s outcome.

England’s revolutionary ‘Bazball’ approach to Test cricket has encountered its sternest examination during the ongoing Ashes series in Australia, with coach Brendon McCullum acknowledging strategic missteps in preparation while maintaining commitment to the aggressive philosophy.

The touring side arrived with ambitious expectations to deploy their attack-oriented methodology against Australia’s traditional, pragmatic cricket. However, after merely one internal warmup match against second-string English players, the limitations of their preparation became apparent as Australia secured the series victory with two Tests remaining.

McCullum conceded to TNT Sport that retrospective analysis of the 3-0 deficit suggested room for improvement in preparatory approaches. The coaching staff accepted responsibility for potentially inadequate planning while emphasizing the continued validity of their core strategy.

The turning point emerged following consecutive eight-wicket defeats in Perth and Brisbane, prompting McCullum to alter training intensity. The squad received unexpected respite at Noosa, Australia’s premier beach resort, which subsequently yielded improved performance—England reached the fifth day of a Test match for the first time during the Adelaide encounter.

Despite this tactical adjustment, England’s bowling attack struggled with consistency on Australia’s hard, bouncy pitches, while top-order batters frequently succumbed to questionable shot selection. Fielding deficiencies, including dropped catches, contrasted sharply with Australia’s exceptional fielding standards.

McCullum observed that players became ‘stuck’ in their determination to execute the aggressive approach, potentially inhibiting natural talent and skill expression. The third Test demonstrated that when players balanced their attacking instincts with situational awareness, performance notably improved.

Both McCullum and captain Ben Stokes emphasized the importance of marrying individual scoring methods with the mentality required for international success. They maintain confidence in their team’s exciting potential despite the series outcome, viewing the remaining matches as opportunities to restore pride and extract valuable lessons from the challenging tour.

In a stunning reversal of pre-series expectations, Australia’s cricket team has secured the Ashes urn with two matches remaining, delivering a decisive 3-0 lead against what was widely regarded as England’s strongest squad since 2011. The victory comes despite veteran English bowler Stuart Broad’s characterization of this Australian lineup as “the worst to contest the Ashes in Australia” since England’s last victorious tour Down Under.

The pivotal moment arrived during the third test at Adelaide Oval, where Australia claimed an 82-run victory despite England’s determined final-day comeback attempt. Chasing a world record target of 435 runs, England was ultimately dismissed for 352, drawing a total crowd of 223,638 spectators across the five-day contest.

This triumph is particularly remarkable given Australia’s significant personnel challenges. Captain Pat Cummins missed the first two tests due to back injury recovery, while Josh Hazlewood was ruled out for the entire series. The bowling attack saw Mitchell Starc emerge as the sole consistent member of Australia’s regular pace trio, with offspinner Nathan Lyon also being dropped for the second test.

Starc rose to the occasion with two man-of-the-match performances, claiming 22 wickets in the series and 51 for the calendar year. “We just found a way, which I think is a feature of this group over a number of years now,” Starc remarked. “Even at times where it’s not going our way, we can find a way to get ourselves over the line.

The batting order also demonstrated remarkable resilience. With Steve Smith leading in Cummins’ absence initially before being ruled out of the third test due to vertigo, Usman Khawaja was rushed back into the lineup. Travis Head’s promotion to opener resulted in a match-winning century in the first test and a spectacular 170 on his home ground in Adelaide.

Cummins praised the team’s adaptable mentality: “You just kind of crack on. Even though I missed the first couple of games, Steve stepped right in. It was smooth, seamless. The boys go, ‘OK, that’s happened, let’s crack on, what’s next?’ That’s one of the big reasons why we’ve had success over the last couple of years.”

As the teams prepare for the Melbourne test starting Boxing Day, Australia eyes the possibility of a 5-0 series sweep, while England continues its drought of 16 losses and two draws without a win on Australian soil since 2011.