Former captain Angelo Mathews has been left out of Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for their World Cup qualifying matches in Zimbabwe. The 36-year-old scored 12 runs from 21 balls in his last ODI at home earlier this month, when Sri Lanka lost to Afghanistan by six wickets at Hambantota in the first game of a three-match series. The right-handed batsman was dropped from the subsequent games, both won by the hosts. Sri Lanka’s first qualifying match for the 2023 ODI World Cup is on 19 June against the UAE at Bulawayo, followed by matches against Oman, Ireland and Scotland. Sri Lanka squad: Dasun Shana ..read more

Steve Smith insists he is looking forward to England continuing with their ‘Bazball’ style during the Ashes, saying “they haven’t come up against us yet”. Smith’s comments came as Australia maintained their grip on the World Test Championship final against India on Thursday. REPORT: Australia dominate WTC final England have won 11 of their 13 Tests since captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum joined forces last year after adopting an ultra-aggressive approach to red-ball cricket. But just over a week out from the first Test at Edgbaston, the opener in a five-match series, Smith clearly ..read more

Australia took control of the WTC final at The Oval on Thursday after India’s top order crumbled. REPORT: Australia dominate WTC final  The post Highlights: World Test Championship final (Day 2) appeared first on SA Cricketmag ..read more

Steve Smith scored his 31st Test century before Australia captain Pat Cummins sparked India’s collapse in the World Test Championship final on Thursday. Smith, 95* overnight, followed teammate Travis Head in going to three figures with 121 in a first-innings total of 469 at The Oval. Fast bowler Cummins, in his 50th Test, then removed opposing skipper Rohit Sharma to initiate India’s second-day slump. Ajinkya Rahane (29*), struck some painful blows on the glove, held firm with Ravindra Jadeja (48) after India had been reduced to 71-4. But India were 151-5 at stumps, a huge deficit of 318 runs ..read more

Mohammed Siraj led an India fightback as they finally saw the back of Australia centurions Travis Head and Steve Smith on Thursday’s second day of the World Test Championship final at The Oval. India were facing a potentially huge Australian first-innings total with Smith (121) and Head (163) at the crease. But their pacemen struck as Australia lost four wickets for 41 runs, including Head and Smith, to slip from 361-3 to 402-7. India eventually dismissed Australia for 469 after lunch, fast bowler Siraj leading the way with 4-108 from 28.3 overs. Smith had batted in relatively sedate fashion t ..read more

Gerald Coetzee’s five-wicket haul and Tristan Stubbs’ half-century set up South Africa A’s series-clinching five-wicket win against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Thursday. Fast bowler Coetzee took 5-48 in 8.3 overs as the hosts were bowled out for 172. Sahan Arachchige top-scored with 63. Stubbs then struck 58* and Senuran Muthusamy 45* as SA A reached their target with 14.1 overs remaining. The visitors won the first match by four wickets, before losing the second by seven wickets. The teams will now play two four-day matches in Dambulla, with the first starting on Monday. Scorecard The post Coet ..read more

Seamer Trent Boult could return for New Zealand at the ODI World Cup later this year despite not having a national contract. Boult opted out of a New Zealand Cricket contract last year, which enabled him to play in the lucrative Big Bash League in Australia. He was not included in the list of players offered a central deal on Thursday, instead signing a “casual playing agreement”, New Zealand Cricket said. Black Caps coach Gary Stead hopes Boult can resume his strike partnership alongside Test captain Tim Southee at the 50-overs World Cup in India, which starts in October. “We are having posit ..read more

Fast bowler bowler Lutho Sipamla has been ruled out of the third one-day match against Sri Lanka on Thursday due to a back injury. The 25-year-old experienced discomfort ahead of the second match on Tuesday and the MRI scan revealed no stress fracture. Further assessment, however, revealed he was suffering from a lower back spasm. A decision on his inclusion in the two-match four-day series will be taken in due course. SA U19 and Lions bowler Kwena Maphaka has been called up to strengthen the squad and will arrive on 9 June in preparation for the first four-day match. WATCH LIVE: Sri Lanka A v ..read more

Travis Head and Steve Smith made it Australia’s day at The Oval.  The post Highlights: World Test Championship final (Day 1) appeared first on SA Cricketmag ..read more

Travis Head says batting alongside Australia star Steve Smith at The Oval on Wednesday enabled him to “sneak under the radar”. Head compiled an unbeaten hundred on the opening day of the World Test Championship final against India. Smith, one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation, has long been a prize wicket during a Test career that had yielded 8,792 runs, including 30 centuries. The former Australia captain proved his worth again with an unbeaten 95, but it was Head who led the way with a scintillating 146*. Australia reached stumps on 327-3, a superb recovery given they were 76-3 wh ..read more