In an entertaining cricket match, Middlesex won a T20 Blast match against Surrey with just four balls to spare chasing a target of 253 runs. It is the highest run chase in the T20 Blast and the second-highest run chase in T20s behind South Africa‘s 259-run chase against West Indies in March 2023.

Captain Stephen Eskinazi led from the front with the bat, scoring 73 off just 39 balls, including one six and 13 boundaries. Max Holden also smashed an unbeaten 68 off 35 deliveries, while Ryan Higgins and Joe Cracknell chipped in with 48 (24) and 36 (16), respectively. Middlesex won the game by seven wickets.

Also Read: Ashes 2023: Iceland Cricket Trolls “Bazball” After England’s Defeat In Edgbaston Test

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Earlier in the match, Surrey won the toss and opted to bat. Will Jacks (96) and Laurie Evans (85) added 177 for the first wicket. The rest of the batters contributed the remaining 60 runs in the batting lineup.

Recovered yet? 😅

Watch the highlights from tonight’s extraordinary London derby 👇#Blast23

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) June 22, 2023

Also Read: “I Promise I Didn’t Know” – Ahmed Shehzad Opens Up On His Dropped Catch Appeal During ODI Against Sri Lanka

Middlesex Achieve Record Run-Chase Against Sussex In T20 Blast

The Surrey batters smashed a total of 19 fours and 16 sixes in their innings. Middlesex batters in response hit 33 fours and 8 sixes. Both sets of bowlers went for plenty of runs as several records were broken in the game.

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The win for Middlesex helped them end their 14-game losing streak. This was their first win in 11 games this season. The club is last on the points table from the South Group. They will next face off against Kent in Canterbury on Friday, June 23.

😲 Highest run chase in Blast history
📈 Second-highest run chase in T20 history
🔝 Joint-sixth highest Blast score
🤝 Highest aggregate score in Blast history
✅ @Middlesex_CCC‘s first win in 15
🏟 @surreycricket‘s highest score at the Kia Oval

What. A. Night. #Blast23 pic.twitter.com/Q2bKHEbCen

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) June 22, 2023

This is the fourth consecutive season that Middlesex have crashed out in the group stage in the T20 tournament. The 2008 champions last reached the Quarterfinals in 2019. Meanwhile, Somerset are leading the group with nine wins in 11 matches. Warwickshire leads the North Group with 16 points from 11 games.

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The post T20 Blast: Middlesex Create History As They Chase 253 In Vitality Blast 2023 To Register First Win In 15 Games appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Pakistan batter Haider Ali encountered a brain fade moment to be dismissed in a bizarre fashion in a Vitality Blast T20 game between Birmingham and Derbyshire. Derbyshire won the game in the end but not before a comical dismissal of the Pakistan batter.

Derbyshire were chasing 204 to win against the Birmingham Bears. A late onslaught from skipper Leus du Plooy ensured that his team won the match with three balls to spare. Brook Guest the wicketkeeper was unbeaten at the other end with 11.

Derbyshire got off to a brilliant start with Haider Ali (48) and Luis Reece (57) adding 95 for the first wicket in the chase. In the 11th over from Danny Briggs, he bowled a perfect yorker to Haider who missed the fall trying to convert it into a full toss. He initially did not get out of his crease and then not knowing where the ball is, he ran for a single and was stumped in the process by wicketkeeper Lex Davis. Haider’s dismissal was eventually confirmed by the square leg umpire.

Watch: Haider Ali’s Comical Stumping In Vitality T20 Blast

Make sense of this Haider Ali stumping 👀 #Blast23 pic.twitter.com/d1iD6t1yMZ

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) June 7, 2023

All of this was very comical on Haider’s behalf who seemed to lose his concentration for a second. The television umpires were left in splits while describing the dismissal. The dismissal also questions Haider’s understanding of the game and putting a prize on his wicket.

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After the Bears amassed a formidable total of 203 for seven, Du Plooy delivered an unbeaten 66 from just 25 balls, propelling his team to 207 for four in 19.3 overs. Opening batsman Luis Reece (57 off 38 balls) and Haider Ali (48 off 34 balls) formed a crucial partnership of 96 runs in ten overs, laying a solid foundation for the successful chase.

Also Read: ICC World Test Championship Final: Paras Mhambrey Slams Lack Of Discipline From Indian Bowlers On Day 1

The match showcased remarkable batting performances from both sides, with Haider contributing significantly to Derbyshire’s victory despite his unfortunate dismissal. While the humorous incident involving Haider’s stumping gained attention, it was the outstanding batting display from Du Plooy and the collective effort of the Derbyshire team that ultimately secured the thrilling win.

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The post Watch: Haider Ali’s Bizarre Stumping Dismissal In Vitality T20 Blast appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Vitality T20 Blast is underway in England. The competition between bat and ball has been exceptional and there have been some memorable performances as well. Be it with bat or ball, players have stepped in and have given immense entertainment to fans. 

During the game between Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, one of the fantastic performances came from the bat of Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq. He played a blistering cameo during the fag end of the innings and powered his team to the fighting total. 

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Naveen-ul-Haq scored 25 runs in just eight balls to finish the innings on high. 22 of those runs came in the 19th over. He smashed 6,4,6,6 to James sales and Andrew Tye. The main highlight of that over was the scoop shot that he played on the last ball. 

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Here’s the video: 

Wait for the last one 😱pic.twitter.com/MosIjQmWW3

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) June 3, 2023

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Naveen-ul-Haq bowls inspirational spell but Chris Lynn’s ton takes Northamptonshire to win 

In the second innings, it was all about Chris Lynn’s batting. The Australian batter played a staggering knock and made a blistering return with his century.

He ended with a knock of unbeaten 110 runs in 68 balls that took his side to the win in 18.2 overs. For Northamptonshire, Naseem Shah and Naveen-ul-Haq were the picks of the bowlers as they returned with the figures of 1/20 and 1/26.

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The post T20 Blast: WATCH – Naveen-ul-Haq Goes Berserk With Bat; Smashes 6,4,6,6 in Vitality Blast appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Vitality T20 Blast is underway in England. The competition between bat and ball has been exceptional and various young stars have set the stage on fire with their performances. Not only with the bat and ball there have been quite a few impressive fielding performances. 

One such came during the game between Northamptonshire and Birmingham Bears at the county ground in Northampton on Wednesday (31st May). Josh Cobb was the hot soup of the game, especially after his magnificent effort in the field near boundary ropes. 

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T20 Blast took to their official Twitter account and posted the video of Josh Cobb’s spectacular catch. They wrote: “An extraordinary catch from Josh Cobb. That is a stunner to get Rob Yates.” 

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Here’s the video: 

An extraordinary catch from Josh Cobb 😲

That is a stunner to get Rob Yates 🔥#Blast23 pic.twitter.com/6QxZ3wXZuP

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) May 31, 2023

Also Read: IPL 2023: WATCH- Dwayne Bravo And Kieron Pollard Engage In Hilarious Banter Over The Most Successful Franchise Between CSK And MI

Birmingham Bears thump Northamptonshire by 21 runs to bag important two points 

Northamptonshire won the toss and opted to field first. Their decision to field first didn’t pay off as they were taken to the cleaners by the Birmingham Bears openers.

Alex Davies (46) and Rob Yates (71) smashed a sensational 100 runs for the opening partnership. Before Sam Hain chipped in with a crucial knock of unbeaten 48 runs to take his team to a total of 202 runs. For the bowling side, skipper David Willey, Andrew Tye, and Freddie Heldreich bagged two wickets each. 

Chasing the target, Northamptonshire lost Chris Lynn (7) and Josh Cobb (3) early but Ricardo Vasconcelos (65) and skipper David Willey (33) kept their side in the hunt. They, however, kept losing wickets at regular intervals and could manage just 187 runs. For Birmingham Bears, Craig Miles was the star bowler as he picked 4 wickets and conceded 29 runs.

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The post T20 Blast: WATCH – Josh Cobb Takes A Blinder At Boundary Ropes In The Vitality T20 Blast To Send Rob Yates Packing appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Joe Cracknell, on Monday (May 29), took one of the best catches of the ongoing season to dismiss Jack Taylor during the clash between Gloucestershire and Middlesex in the ongoing T20 Blast.

Asked to bat first, Gloucestershire were in a precarious position in the 10th over when Joe Cracknell pulled off the outrageous catch to send back the opposition skipper. Gloucestershire were on 85 for 3 when Taylor decided to take on leg-spinner Luke Hollman.

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On the third ball of the over, Hollman bowled a back-of-a-length delivery and Taylor decided to go for a big shot. The right-handed batsman made a good contact as he hit the ball towards deep mid-wicket. The ball was looking destined to pass through the fielder at deep mid-wicket and long on.

Also Read: CSK vs GT: Watch – MS Dhoni’s Lightning-fast Stumping Sends In-form Shubman Gill Packing For 39 In IPL 2023 Final

However, Joe Cracknell had other ideas. As soon as Taylor placed his shot towards the fielder’s left side, Joe Cracknell ran towards his left and before the ball could land on the field or cross the boundary rope, he made a full-length dive and caught the ball with his left hand to complete an outrageous catch. His reaction after completing the catch said it all as even he could not believe that he had pulled off such a catch.

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Here is a clip of the catch from Joe Cracknell:

Joe Cracknell, take a bow 👏

That is an unbelievable catch from the @Middlesex_CCC fielder 😲#Blast23 pic.twitter.com/jTZ5TNzhHz

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) May 29, 2023

Talking about the game, Gloucestershire beat Middlesex by 2 runs. A 59-run knock from Miles Hammond helped Gloucestershire recover from 85 for 4 and post 181 for 9 in the allotted 20 overs. In reply, Middlesex were on 106 for 1 after 11 overs before their chase derailed. They eventually finished their innings on 179 for 6.

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The post T20 Blast: Watch – Joe Cracknell Pulls Off One Of The Best Catches Of The Year With Stunning Left-Handed Effort appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Singapore-born Australian explosive batter Tim David while talking about the prospect of being part of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 squad of the Australia National Cricket Team, said that he would be “thrilled and really excited”.

Tim David has made a name for himself while playing in different T20 leagues across the globe. The 26-year-old, who was bought by the 5-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) for INR 8.25 crore at the IPL 2022 mega auction, has participated in the IPL, BBL, CPL, PSL, T20 Blast and The Hundred.

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He has played for the teams like Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Perth Scorchers, Multan Sultans, Lancashire, Lahore Qalandars, Hobart Hurricanes, Surrey, St Lucia Kings, and Southern Brave.

Also, he has played 14 T20 International games for Singapore, scoring 558 runs at an average of 46.50 and a strike rate of 158.52.

Meanwhile, several Australian cricketers including the likes of Shane Watson and Matthew Wade have called for David’s inclusion in Australia’s T20I team.

I’m not really thinking about it too much – Tim David on Australia T20I call-up

The 26-year-old power-hitter said that although he would be thrilled and excited to join Australia’s T20I team, he is not really thinking about the call-up for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

“They won the World Cup six months ago and that team hasn’t changed since then. Those guys have been playing for Australia for a long time. If I had the opportunity to be a part of it, I’d be thrilled and really excited.

“I’m not really thinking about it too much, to be honest. Playing well in T20 leagues fills me with a lot of confidence, but international cricket is a different beast so we’ll see what happens if I get that opportunity. It’s just another challenge. I just want to keep trying to improve and have fun,” David was quoted as saying on BT Sport.

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The post If I Had The Opportunity To Be A Part Of It, I’d Be Thrilled And Really Excited – Tim David On Potential Australia T20I Call-up For World Cup appeared first on CricketAddictor.

West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard, who retired from international cricket earlier this year, has been ruled out of the remainder of the Vitality T20 Blast 2022. However, he is expected to return to the Hundred to play for London Spirit after the knee surgery.

The 35-year-old former West Indies all-rounder Pollard had suffered a knee injury early on in the Vitality T20 Blast 2022 and he underwent surgery on his left knee on Tuesday morning.

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In an official statement released by Surrey, it was stated that the surgery will keep Kieron Pollard out of action for four to six weeks and as a result, the star player will miss the remainder of the competition.

“Despite treatment, he has failed to improve significantly and therefore a decision was taken to gain a surgical opinion,” Surrey said in a statement.

“He has undergone successful surgery this [Tuesday] morning which will keep him out of action for the next four to six weeks whilst he rehabilitates.”

Notably, Pollard was a marquee signing for Surrey as one of their two overseas players alongside Sunil Narine.

This is hugely frustrating – Kieron Pollard

Former West Indies captain Kieron Pollard after being ruled out of the rest of the T20 Blast said that it is a “hugely frustrating” development for him.

“This is hugely frustrating as we have been a dominant force and I felt I was part of something special,” Pollard said. 

“But I wish the lads all the best for the rest of the campaign whilst I get myself fit and firing again.”

Pollard scored 99 runs for Surrey in 5 innings in the tournament and his strike rate was terrific as he scored his runs with a strike rate of 141.42. Also, he bagged one wicket and one catch in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Surrey have already qualified for the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast with nine wins and a no-result from their first ten games.

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The post Kieron Pollard Ruled Out Of Remainder Of The Vitality T20 Blast 2022 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The 20-over game was cut down to eight overs an innings due to rain with the Bears batting first. They piled up 98 runs on the board courtesy of Chris Benjamin’s quick-fire 17-ball 36.

During the innings, Brathwaite, who walked in to bat in the 5th over, scored an 11-ball 17 before retiring out. He was replaced by Sam Hain who couldn’t face a delivery.

Tactical masterstroke? 🤔

Carlos Brathwaite retires out to be replaced by Sam Hain for the final over!

Watch it unfold LIVE: https://t.co/ScNplvlY5n#Blast22 pic.twitter.com/RwCKpCVPSK

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) June 5, 2022

In the run chase, Nottinghamshire lost Joe Clarke early but a 55-run stand between Ben Duckett and Alex Hales put the chase back on track. Things got too steep in the end with 15 runs needed off the last over.

Samit came to bat in the final over but walked off after scoring 2 runs in 2 balls. Unfortunately, the move didn’t affect the game in the end as Nottinghamshire fell short by one run, leading the Bears to move to the second spot on the points table in the North Group.

Watch Samit Patel retire out:

You cannot make this up! 😂

Samit Patel also retires himself out off the penultimate ball of the match! #Blast22 pic.twitter.com/Q2fPLRe7A5

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) June 5, 2022

The tactical nature of retiring out was brought into play recently by Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter, Ravichandran Ashwin, who made way for Riyan Parag in a game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2022 season.

Also Read – Joe Root Enters The 10000 Test Runs Club With A Remarkable Century, Becomes Only The Second English Cricketer After Alastair Cook To Achieve The Feat

The post Samit Patel, Carlos Brathwaite Retire Out In Birmingham Bears’ T20 Blast Match Against Nottinghamshire appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Australia big-hitter Chris Lynn is currently playing in the T20 Blast in England for the Northamptonshire Steelbacks and in a match recently, hit such a huge six that the ball landed in the backyard of a house near the ground.

The owner of the ground shared the video footage of the ball landing in his backyard on Twitter and also showed the ball in his possession.

Lynn, who was released from his Brisbane Heat contract after a decade with the franchise. Chris Lynn has been part of various T20 franchises across the world. He has played for Kolkata Knight Riders and the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He has also played in the CPL, PSL, and the Abu Dhabi T10 league amongst others.

However, his success in T20 leagues has not translated to the international level as he has played only 4 ODIs and 18 T20Is for Australia without much success and the Kangaroos have moved on from him in shorter formats.

Chris Lynn’s Six Lands In House Of Someone Near The Ground

He has been in red hot form for the Steelbacks, as in the side’s second game, Lynn blasted a magnificent 46-ball 83 to blow away Durham at County Ground in Northampton on Saturday.

Lynn stitched a 149-run opening stand with partner Ben Curran (71) as the duo smacked Durham bowlers to the cleaners helping Steelbacks pile up a massive 223 on the board in their allotted 20 overs. During the match, he hit such a huge six that the ball landed in the backyard of a house with the owner sharing the CCTV footage of the ball bouncing in his garden.

Check it out here:

OOOOOOOF. https://t.co/eDp8cjMgmu pic.twitter.com/gJcmx1ge32

— Northamptonshire Steelbacks (@NorthantsCCC) May 27, 2022

@NorthantsCCC 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/XMGTwAU6Py

— cobbleysaint (@cobbleysaint) May 27, 2022

Lynn has his fans with a 46-ball 86 and in the match against Leicestershire, he scored an unbeaten 106 off 66 balls. The innings against Leicestershire saw Lynn smoking three sixes and twelve fours as his team won the contest by 42 runs. Batting at a strike-rate of 166.67, the Australian batter has accumulated 205 runs from three innings so far in the T20 Blast.

Also Read:  IPL 2022: Shane Bond Defends Decision To Buy Jofra Archer

The post Watch: Chris Lynn Hits Enormous Six In T20 Blast Match; Ball Lands In House Adjacent To Stadium appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former England cricketer David Lloyd has offered a significant expression in regards to what he accepts is the best T20 contest on the planet. Lloyd, who has worked effortlessly as a cricket reporter around the world, accepts T20 Blast is superior to the IPL and has made sense of the explanation for it.

While the T20 Blast appeared in 2003, the Indian Premier League (IPL) made critical progress when it was presented in 2008. The IPL kept on developing huge amounts at a time as the years went by as the world’s best players carry out their specialty in it, drawing huge crowds.

IPL Is Benefitting Already Wealthy People: David Lloyd

Addressing ESPN Cricinfo, David Lloyd said the distinction between the IPL and T20 Blast is that the latter is people-driven and the former advantages the well off. The 75-year-old likewise brought up that the IPL misses the mark on the fun component.

He said: “I have worked on the IPL, but it is a private enterprise and benefiting already wealthy people. The T20 Blast is for the people and bringing money into the game. That’s a major factor for me in saying it is the best. The IPL fits an Indian audience because the players are Gods out there, but it is deadly serious.”

The former first-class cricketer continued: “If I am doing a T20 game I’ll have a hoot. Blokes messing up and having a laugh, although serious enough that everyone cares about the outcome.”

Discussion of the best T20 rivalry has been a steady one nowadays, with practically all the Test-playing countries forming their own leagues. In any case, a few cricketers have guaranteed the IPL to be awesome and the most cutthroat.

Vitality Blast Is One Of The Greatest Days In The Cricket Calendar: David Lloyd

The Englishman pronounced the Vitality Blast as the best T20 competition as it unites the onlookers to make it a commended day in the cricket calendar.

David Lloyd said: “I think the Blast is the best T20 competition in the world – not for its quality necessarily, but for its longevity, the joy that it brings to spectators in the UK culminating in one of the greatest days in the cricket calendar.”

The 2022 season of the Vitality Blast will start on May 25th. Kent Spitfires won the last season, beating Somerset by 25 runs at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Also Read: IPL 2022: Liam Livingstone Happy To Prove His Critics Wrong

The post “That’s A Major Factor For Me In Saying It Is The Best” – David Lloyd Reveals Why T20 Blast Is Better Than IPL appeared first on CricketAddictor.

England all-format pacer Jofra Archer has revealed that his rehabilitation process is going well and he has the full backing of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to take as long as he needs to return to being fully match-fit.

Archer has been out of action for a while after his elbow injury flared up again and this time around, he is not keen to rush back into the circuit. Thankfully for Archer, the ECB has asserted that they want him around for a long time.

“In a situation like this, when you are forced to have operations, you do think about whether you are going to play cricket again, whether you’re going to play all formats even. But the ECB gave me the assurance and peace of mind that they wanted me around for a long time.

“At one point I thought I was going to lose my [England central] contract when things weren’t going well, but now I have confidence about what the future holds,” Archer wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.

Archer intends to return to action by participating in Sussex’s matches in the T20 Blast over the coming few weeks. He intends to find out where he stands with regards to his elbow during the T20 season.

“Part of that is down to them not rushing me back. After my first operation last May, my right elbow felt no different at all.

“Obviously, I wasn’t going to fully know whether it had been successful until I started bowling, but what I can say is that things immediately felt different after my second one in December. Now, nearly five months down the line, it’s a relief the way things are.”

“Yes, there have been two surgeries but honestly, I couldn’t have written my rehab comeback any better. Now, I just need some game time to be able to put my trust in the elbow. I’ve not trusted it supporting me for a long period, so it’s going to take a little bit of work to do so and bowl at full tilt,” he added.

“I am not setting ambitious targets just yet” – Jofra Archer

The T20 World Cup is set to be held this year in Australia but Archer doesn’t want to think too far ahead. Although he would love to be a part of the event, he just wants to start playing cricket again.

“As for Test cricket this summer, I simply haven’t thought that far ahead. I’ve not had any prompts from anyone, telling me I’m a one-format player as yet. I still want to play everything, but my first task is the Blast and if I don’t play that properly, then I won’t be able to play Test cricket.”

“So the focus needs to be on the cricket I’ve got lined up and we will see from there. I am not setting ambitious targets just yet. All I want is to stay on the park for a full year without any more setbacks. I am aware there is a Twenty20 World Cup this coming autumn but I just want to be out there, having a good run,” Archer wrote.

Also Read – DC vs SRH: “If They Lose This Game, Their Season Could Be Over” – Ajay Jadeja Explains Why The Game Against SRH Is So Important For DC

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Kieron Pollard announced his international retirement last week. However, he will continue to play T20 franchise cricket across the globe. Pollard led the white-ball West Indian side for a couple of years before bidding retirement to the game.

Having announced his retirement, Pollard is now looking for a stint at the Vitality T20 Blast. As per reports in ESPN Cricinfo, Surrey is among the first county cricket club to have shown interest in the former West Indian skipper. His demand in the circuit increased after he bagged a contract with the London Spirit for the Men’s Hundred tournament.

The Vitality T20 Blast is scheduled to be played from May 25 until July 16. If Kieron Pollard indeed joins Surrey he will reunite with his long-time teammate Sunil Narine who has already signed for the duration of Blast as an overseas player.

Surrey, Northamptonshire Eteying Kieron Pollard In Vitality T20 Blast

Pollard has previously had a stint with Somerset in 2010 and 2011 in the English County Cricket circuit. He averaged 34.58 with the bat at a strike rate of 169.94 and took 41 wickets in 28 matches.

Meanwhile, another club that is interested in roping in Kieron Pollard is Northamptonshire. They agreed to sign a deal with Pollard in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the pandemic. Chris Lynn and James Neesham are two more players that the club have shown interest in signing.

Pollard is currently playing in the IPL for Mumbai Indians. The side is out of the playoff race after losing their first 8 games on the trot. The West Indian all-rounder has scored 115 runs in 8 matches with a best of 25. With the ball, he has taken three wickets. Pollard not being in form is one of the reasons why the franchise has had to make an early exit from the tournament.

Also Read: IPL 2022: Updated Points Table, Orange Cap And Purple Cap After Match 41 DC vs KKR

The post Kieron Pollard Looking For A Stint In The Vitality T20 Blast After International Retirement appeared first on CricketAddictor.

England all-rounder Tom Curran may not participate in the upcoming season of the domestic T20 competition, the T20 Blast after being reportedly sidelined for three months at least due to a lower back stress fracture as scans revealed the depth of his injury.

The right-arm seamer has represented the country in two Tests, 28 ODIs, and 20 T20 internationals so far and has combined taken 65 wickets across formats. Though expensive at times, Curran has the ability to vary his line and length in death overs and his back of the hand slower deliveries have always been his strength.

Tom Curran’s T20 career in the last two years has been marred due to Covid and other reasons. He missed the entire BBL 2020-21 season due to the Covid-19 restrictions. He was part of the Delhi Capitals team and played a handful of matches during the IPL 2021 season. He was then called up as cover for his brother Sam Curran in the England T20 World Cup 2021 squad but didn’t get to play a game.

Tom Curran To Go Into Rehab Under Surrey Medical Team

The English all-rounder had recently pulled out of the entire BBL 2021-22 season after playing just four games after facing discomforts in his back and will now go into rehabilitation under the guidance of Surrey’s medical for the next few months.

The 26-year-old pacer was not named in England’s squad for the upcoming five T20Is against West Indies and he will not be taking part in the domestic campaign as well the Cricketer reported. Furthermore, Curran will not be ready to participate in any cricket by the start of the County Championship, a first-class tournament that he last played in 2019.

While some dates are known, the full calendar for the new county season has yet to be published. In a draft schedule seen by The Cricketer, the Blast is due to get underway on May 25.

The hope will be that he can educe full fitness in time for England men’s white-ball encounters scheduled later this year. They face the Netherlands in three ODIs in June before the home series against India and South Africa in July.

Also Read: The Fact Is Jos Buttler Isn’t Doing Enough To Keep His Test Place – Geoffrey Boycott

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England’s bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes will return to his county side Birmingham Bears for their quarterfinal match against Kent in the T20 Blast on Friday. He was released by the national board after constant persuasion from the Bears’ side.

Woakes hasn’t played a Test match for England in over a year but he will stay in the fray until he attains match fitness. He might get a chance to be added to England’s squad for the fourth and fifth Tests if he is deemed to be fit enough.

Woakes recovered from a broken heel he suffered in a Test against Pakistan last year. He bowled around 25 overs in a four-day match against Worcestershire which bodes well both for his county and his country.

England is short on bowling resources at the moment having lost Jofra Archer to an elbow injury that has plagued him for a while now. Ben Stokes has taken an indefinite break from cricket so his services will also be missed. Woakes is part of the main playing XI so he will be keen to nurse himself back to full fitness.

Chris Woakes’ addition will bolster an injury-ravaged Birmingham Bears side

The Birmingham squad is depleted following several injuries in their contingent. Olly Stone, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Henry Brookes, and veteran Ryan Sidebottom are all suffering from injuries. West Indian all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite has also returned to play in the Caribbean Premier League.

Birmingham’s coach, Mark Robinson, was gutted with the number of injuries his team has had to deal with. However, he remained hopeful of his troops delivering the results now that a world-class player like Chris Woakes will turn for the match.

“We have had to overcome some setbacks this year with missed personnel. I suppose the advantage is that we’ve been there before. We know what our best team looks like and we’ve never really put it out. But when you play for Warwickshire – or Birmingham – you never are the underdogs. That’s what the message will be,” he said.

Birmingham Bears will face off against Kent in the last quarterfinal of the T20 Vitality Blast on Friday at Canterbury.

Also Read – Michael Vaughan Reckons England Could Level The Series On Day 3 At Headingley

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One of Austalia’s finest batsmen Marnus Labuschagne is coming off an excellent stint in the T20 Blast for Glamorgan with hopes of getting a spot in the T20 World Cup. Australia did not have the services of their senior players for the five-match T20 International series against West Indies and it cost them a 1-4 loss.

Marnus Labuschagne has an impeccable record in Test cricket already for Australia and he is proving to become an excellent player in ODI internationals as well. However, he hasn’t been seen as an option in T20Is for Australia so far and his good form for Glamorgan might just open up the plans.

Labuschagne Opens Up On His Aspirations In T20 Cricket

Marnus Labuschagne mentioned that he wants to be playing for Australia in all three formats and he was quite honest about his strengths and weaknesses in the format. He stated that the selection part remains with the management and he wants to concentrate on improving his game. He was happy with the way he improved his T20 play through his Glamorgan stint and was keen to learn things.

“I want to be there, I want to be playing for Australia in all three formats, but there’s literally nothing more I can do in this format. I’ve shown some of the things I can do well and some things I need to improve, so [selection] is not in my hands.”

“Coming back to Glamorgan, it was one of my focuses to improve my T20 game and learn how to play role batting at three or four. At times I did it really well, at times I didn’t do it as well, but that’s part of learning,” Marnus Labuschagne was quoted as saying by BBC Sport Wales.

Labuschagne Delighted With His Growth In The Format

Labuschagne was particularly happy about how things went for him in the T20 Blast for Glamorgan and he added that he had felt the growth with the bat especially in the top order. He was overall satisfied to leave the country as a better player than before in the T20s especially.

“I was really excited to play the Blast, and grow with bat and all, so I think I leave here a much better player than I came which is always very satisfying,” he maintained.

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Glenn Phillips, the New Zealand batsman, pulled off a screamer on Friday during a T20 Blast game while fielding at the deep point position. He is plying his trade for Gloucestershire in the ongoing tournament.

During a game against Middlesex in Cheltenham, Glenn Phillips got rid of opener Stephen Eskinazi with a stunning catch. The official handle of the Blast uploaded the video.

Eskinazi scooped a full ball outside off to a deep point, where Glenn Phillips, came out flying out-of-nowhere in the video to grab the ball, parallel to the ground, apparently one-handed.

Watch: Glenn Phillips takes a WORLDIE

WHAT A WORLDIE 😱

Glenn Phillips take a bow 👏

Watch #Blast21 LIVE: https://t.co/YlrUmoId41 pic.twitter.com/tRDw651orZ

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 9, 2021

Apart from that catch, the Kiwi batsman has rocked the Blast with his stylish and aggressive batting. Glenn Phillips has so far scored 423 runs in 10 matches, he averages 60.42 while striking at 162.06.

This form of Glenn Phillips is crucial for him for solidifying his place in New Zealand’s side for the T20 World Cup. He has featured in 25 T20Is for the Black Caps, and scored 506 runs at 28.11, at a strike rate of 149.70; he has struck one century and two fifties so far.

Watch: Harleen Deol takes a stunning catch at the boundary line

Hours after Glenn Phillips’ fantastic catch, India‘s Harleen Deol caught the attention of the world as she produced an all-time great catch during the first T20I between India and England in Northampton.

The 23-year-old from Chandigarh sent England batter Amy Jones with an incredible take at the boundary line. Jone skipped down a couple of steps in order to launch Pandey over wide long-off where Harleen was positioned.

The ball seemed to sail over the fielder for a maximum – but was stopped in its way by the fielder. With a little jump in the air, the youngster first reverse-cupped the ball above her head. Realizing that her body was about to fall over the boundary line, she threw it back in the air and then went over the rope.

A few steps behind the boundary line, Harleen Deol observed the airborne ball; she pulled herself off the ground, diving inside the playing area to grab the ball again with her body almost horizontal in the wind.

OMG 😱 🤯🤯@imharleenDeol take a bow!! Calling it now the best we will see this series!! pic.twitter.com/O4Dwm4OYlU

— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) July 9, 2021

Also Read: Ellyse Perry Pulls Out Of The Inaugural Season Of The Hundred

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England all-rounder Ben Stokes is all set to make a comeback to cricket after recovering from his finger injury that he picked up during IPL 2021. The injury ruled him out of the first phase of IPL 2021. He was also left out of England’s test squad for the series against New Zealand. The English all-rounder has joined the Durham squad ahead of their T20 Blast match against the Birmingham Bears.

Ben Stokes resumed training with the county club ahead of their game against Birmingham in the Vitality T20 Blast 2021 on Sunday. Durham’s official Twitter handle shared a picture of him practicing at a net session.

Ben Stokes Set For County Return For Durham

Welcome back to the squad, Stokesy. 🦁👀

Tomorrow, Birmingham Bears (H)

Tickets ➡️ https://t.co/MwfFK9Hy8e pic.twitter.com/KwEPi4nZLL

— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) June 19, 2021

Ben Stokes Injured His Finger During IPL 2021

Ben Stokes has been out of the game since April after playing his last game in the IPL against Punjab Kings in IPL 2021. The 29-year-old sustained a fractured finger during Rajasthan Royals’ opening game against Punjab Kings and was ruled out just after the first game of the franchise. He got injured while trying to take Chris Gayle’s catch in the game.

Meanwhile, Durham currently is placed at number three in the North Group standings of the T20 Blast 2021. They have managed to get seven points from five games. Only Birmingham and Yorkshire are ahead of Durham in the table. Durham has a chance to top the table if they beat Birmingham in their next game. Birmingham Bears have nine points from six matches at the moment.

Meanwhile, the ECB has counted out the possibility of the participation of English players when the IPL 2021 resumes in September in the UAE.

Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders would miss their international superstars. The ECB has stressed on the availability of their players for international commitments even if that meant missing the cash-rich league.

England who lost a Test series at home against New Zealand will host Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series. The T20I series will be played between June 23-26 while the ODI series will run from June 29- July 4.

Also Read: Top 5 Players Who Have Captained India In Most Test Matches

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In a major boost for Lancashire Lightning, swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler will be available in the upcoming edition of Vitality T20 Blast.

The upcoming edition of the Vitality Blast T20 will kick off on June 09 with the final taking place on September 18.

Buttler, who has made just three appearances in the T20 Blast in the last three years, will be available for six fixtures this season.

He will play four away games against Worcestershire Rapids, Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, and Birmingham Bears till June 20.

Buttler, who was a part of the 2015 winning team, is looking forward to making a mark and hopefully play a defining role in his team reaching yet another finals day.

“I really looking forward to pulling on the Red Rose of Lancashire once again. It has been a while, but I always receive a really warm welcome whenever I return to play at Emirates Old Trafford, whether that is with Lancashire or with England. I hope that I can help the lads to get off to a strong start in the Blast and lay the foundations for yet another run to Finals Day,”  Jos Buttler said.

BREAKING: @josbuttler will be available for Lancashire Lightning’s first six @VitalityBlast matches this summer 🙌

⚡️#LightningStrikes

— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) May 28, 2021

Meanwhile, Lancashire Lightning’s Director of Cricket, Paul Allott admitted that Jos Buttler’s addition will be a huge boost for the team.

”We are thrilled to have Jos available for our first six T20 matches this summer, it will be a huge boost to Glen and the squad. Unfortunately, we have not seen as much of Jos as we would like in recent years, due to busy international schedules, but I am sure that his availability for the Blast this summer will excite Members and supporters alike. As well as strengthening an already strong batting line-up, the experience that a Cricket World Cup winner like Jos can pass onto some of our younger players in the squad will be invaluable,” Allot said.

Lancashire Lightning will be looking to shrug off the heartbreak of the last season where they lost to eventual champions Nottinghamshire by five wickets in the

Also Read:  IPL 2021 To Resume In UAE, Confirms BCCI SGM

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Nepal’s leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has been roped in by Worcestershire for the upcoming season of the T20 Blast. The signing was announced by the official Twitter handle of the Worcestershire County Cricket Club.

While he has played 10 ODI and 21 T20Is for Nepal, Sandeep Lamichhane is one of the most sought-after players in franchise leagues around the world. The leg-spinner has played in the top-tier T20 leagues in the world such as the Indian Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League amongst others.

Sandeep Lamichhane, 20, has experience of 96 T20 matches in which he has snapped 125 wickets at an average of 18.86 and a brilliant economy of 6.79.

Alex Gidman, coach of the Worcestershire Rapids, is excited to have the young leg-spinner on his team for this season’s T20 Blast. Gidman reckons the leg-spinner will add the mystery element to his side. This will be the first experience in the tournament for the Nepal-both leggie.

“Sandeep has played in many tournaments and gained a lot of experience in franchise cricket. He’s a leg-spinner, which is a bit of mystery spin we believe we need in our squad in terms of balance, so we are ecstatic with the signing. This is his first taste of playing in England, and I’m sure he will do well and have an enjoyable summer with us,” Alex Gidman said in a club statement.

Look forward to the day where more & more talented players from Nepal will feature in county: Sandeep Lamichhane

Sandeep Lamichhane has warmly accepted the 2018 champions’ call. He is, too, excited to be a part of the Blast. The youngster hopes for other talented cricketers from Nepal to soon play in the franchise league as he does.

“Absolutely happy to be the part of @WorcsCCC family for @VitalityBlast. Always heard that county cricket is more than cricket because of it’s culture, decorum and amazing crowd. I look forward to the day where more & more talented players from Nepal will feature in county. #2FIVE,” tweeted Sandeep Lamichhane.

In 2018 Lamichhane became the first cricketer from Nepal to play in the IPL. He was bought by the now-defunct Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) for his base price of Rs. 20 Lakhs. However, the opportunities for him were few and far between; in three seasons with the franchise, he made into the eleven only 9 times – owing to the strong Indian spin-bowlers Delhi possessed – but was impressive picking up 13 wickets.

He warmed the bench for the entire last season and was released for IPL 2021; the spinner went unsold in this year’s auction.

Absolutely happy to be the part of @WorcsCCC family for @VitalityBlast. Always heard that county cricket is more than cricket because of it's culture, decorum and amazing crowd. I look forward to the day where more & more talented players from Nepal will feature in county. #2FIVE pic.twitter.com/jDc7G6YVWM

— Sandeep Lamichhane (@Sandeep25) March 25, 2021

Also Read: IPL 2021: Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi Joins Chennai Super Kings As A Net Bowler

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Sussex pacer Mitch Claydon has been banned for nine matches by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), after using sanitizer on the ball during a Bob Willis Trophy game against Middlesex. The ECB examined an incident in Sussex’s Bob Willis Trophy match against Middlesex on August 23, with Claydon later admitting the charge.

Sussex Sharks have been eliminated from the T20 Blast tournament this year and it clearly means that Claydon will also miss the first couple of games of the 2021 season too.

Sussex Bowler Suspended For Ball-Tampering, Used Hand Sanitizer On The Ball

“After Claydon admitted to the charge a CDC panel, chaired by Mark Milliken-Smith QC, met on Wednesday, September 30 and imposed a nine-match playing suspension,” read an ECB statement.

“The sanction took into account a six-match playing suspension imposed on Claydon by Sussex, which the player has already served. As such the remainder of the player’s suspension is three matches across all formats and included Thursday’s Vitality Blash quarter-final against Lancashire at the County Ground in Hovel,” the statement further read.

Mitch Claydon Guilty Of Breaching Multiple Directives

Mitch Claydon pleaded guilty for breaching ECB directives 3.3 and 3.7. The nine-match suspension for the bowler includes the T20 blast quarter-final too.

The ECB directives say:

3.3 No Participant may conduct themselves in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket, or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.

3.7 Contravention of the Bob Willis Trophy Playing Conditions 5 or 41.2 … shall be regarded as (i) unfair and improper conduct, and (ii) conduct prejudicial to the interests of cricket and likely to bring the game into disrepute.

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Just two days after Gloucestershire trolled Babar Azam for his poor performance against them in the ongoing Vitality Blast T20 league, the Pakistan star bounced back in style to play his career-best knock in T20s. He starred with the bat, scoring 114 off 62 balls to guide Somerset to a crushing 66-run victory against Glamorgan.

His knock came after he was trolled by Gloucestershire after managing just 10 off 17 balls against them on Sunday. Gloucestershire had taken to Twitter to troll the Pakistan batsman as they posted a video where Babar Azam was seen struggling to bat against David Payne.

Babar managed to score only 6 runs off 10 balls against Payne before he was dismissed by the left-arm pacer as Gloucestershire tweeted: “Rankings don’t matter on the pitch”.

Babar Azam’s reply:

Well, Babar Azam did not take long to show why he was the top-ranked T20I batsman in the world not very long ago. At present, he is at second spot. His stunning knock helped Somerset put up a formidable total of 183 for 3. The 25-year-old shared a fourth-wicket stand of 110 runs in 10.4 overs with teenage debutant Lewis Goldsworthy.

In reply, Glamorgan put up a poor display with the bat too as they could only manage 117 in 15.5 overs. With the latest defeat, Glamorgan are now out of the contention for the last eight while Somerset have kept alive their chances of quarter-final qualification from the Central Group.

Before his 114-run knock, Babar Azam had only scored 58 in four innings in 2020 for Somerset. But he stepped up when his team needed him the most as Somerset returned to winning ways after losing their previous three games. The Pakistan skipper’s knock was studded with nine fours and five sixes.

🏏 114* runs
⚪ 62 balls
💥 Nine fours and five sixes

Babar Azam hit his first century for Somerset in this season's T20 Blast and also became the third-fastest player to 5000 T20 runs 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xe5qGy5ynf

— ICC (@ICC) September 17, 2020

Watch: Mitchell Starc’s Incredible Reaction As He Decides Against Mankading Adil Rashid

Watch: Australia Recover From 73 for 5 To Chase Down 303 As They Clinch Series Against England

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Pakistan’s prodigal son, Babar Azam, seems to be in a bit of trouble as Pakistan fans are seemingly unhappy with a recent controversy involving the star batsman. Babar Azam returned to Somerset to contest in the Vitality T20 Blast tournament after having had an exceptional outing in the recently concluded England-Pakistan T20I series.

However, Pakistan cricketers and controversy is something that works in tandem. His arrival in the English club has now caused another outrage and this time it is the Pakistan fans who have been outraged by Babar’s actions. However, the controversy this time is a bit different as it has nothing to do with Babar Azam’s gameplay.

The recent controversy revolving around Babar stirred after he contested in his first match of the Vitality T20 Blast tournament, wherein he donned a jersey that had the branding of alcohol. Alcohol is a taboo in Islam and now, Babar finds himself in the midst of a new controversy.

Babar Azam’s Jersey Sparks Controversy As Pakistan Fans Fume In Anger

Babar’s fans in Pakistan were left extremely displeased with the fact that the name of an alcoholic brand was mentioned in Babar’s jersey. Let’s have a look at some of the tweets by angry Pakistan fans.

Bhai mere, as a muslim how can you promote alcohol? Many Pakistani cricketers specially in CPL used to hide the logo. I hope babar dont have any problem with it.

— Malik Hassaan 🇵🇰 (@MalikHassaan2) September 3, 2020

Please remove the logo of tribute from Babar Azam’s shirt 👕 because we’re Muslim

— Hamza Nazik (@hamza_nazik) September 4, 2020

Tribute to @amlahash @TheRealPCB should notice that.#babarazam https://t.co/C7ObHG6nS9

— Muhammad saqib saeed (@saqibsaeed846) September 3, 2020

Babar Azam Wearing Kit with Alcohol Company (Tribute) logo on it .Babar Bhai You are our proud plz don't wear this kit again with Tribute logo plz scarifice the 25% match fee for it @babarazam258 @SomersetCCC @TheRealPCBMedia #SayNoToAlcohol

— Abubakar (@Abubakar9961) September 4, 2020

Later, it was confirmed that it was a mistake that will be rectified in the coming match. Somerset will get that removed from the next game onwards. “The sponsors logo for a brand of alcohol on Babar Azam’s Somerset shirt was left on in error. Somerset will be removing the logo before their next match in the T20 Blast,” confirmed Pakistani journalist Saj Sadiq.

The sponsors logo for a brand of alcohol on Babar Azam's Somerset shirt was left on in error. Somerset will be removing the logo before their next match in the T20 Blast #Cricket #VitalityBlast pic.twitter.com/yEQO9Y4EPd

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) September 3, 2020

Babar Azam’s Show With The Bat Continues

Babar Azam, unbothered by all these controversies, had a great game on show in his maiden outing for Somerset in the Vitality T20 Blast against Worcestershire. Batting first, Somerset set a target of 230 runs for Worcestershire to chase. Babar played a scintillating knock and smashed 42 runs off 35 balls, opening the innings. Steven Davies also played a blistering knock and scored 60 runs in just 35 balls.

The chase always proved to be an uphill climb for Worcestershire. However, they came close to the target but couldn’t attain victory as they could only manage to score 213 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their 20 overs.

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The hosts Sussex Sharks will face Hampshire on Sunday (30th August) afternoon at County Ground (Hove) in the T20 Blast 2020 (South Group).

Both teams have played one match each in this new season and both their respective matches had no results due to the rain interruption in the middle of the game.

T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Hampshire – Match Details

The T20 Blast 2020 South Group match between Sussex Sharks vs Hampshire will be played at County Ground (Hove) on Sunday (30th August) afternoon. This match has been scheduled to begin at 14:00 local time (18:30 IST).

T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Hampshire – Pitch Report

County Ground (Hove) will host this match. In the T20 format, the chasing is generally easier at this venue. While this season’s first T20 match at this venue failed to produce a result due to rain, the first batting side Sharks struggled as they scored 116/5 in 15.2 overs before the rain interruption.

• Average completed first innings total at this venue in last five T20 matches: 166
• Last five T20 match results at this venue (only complete matches): 1st Batting team won – 1; 2nd Batting team won – 4.

T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Hampshire – Full Squad

Sussex Sharks: Luke Wright (C), Will Beer, Ravi Bopara, Danny Briggs, Ben Brown, Mitch Claydon, Harry Finch, George Garton, Stuart Meaker, Tymal Mills, Delray Rawlins, Ollie Robinson, Phil Salt, Aaron Thomason, David Wiese

Hampshire: Sam Northeast (C), Brad Wheal, Tom Alsop, Ian Holland, James Fuller, Lewis McManus, George Munsey, Felix Organ, Scott Currie, Ajeet Dale, Joe Weatherley, Mason Crane, Ryan Stevenson, Chris Wood

T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Hampshire – Predicted Playing XI

Sussex Sharks: Phil Salt (wk), Luke Wright (C), Harry Finch, Delray Rawlins, Ravi Bopara, Aaron Thomason, George Garton, Ollie Robinson, Will Beer, Danny Briggs and Tymal Mills

Hampshire: George Munsey, Tom Alsop, Sam Northeast (C), Joe Weatherley, Lewis McManus (wk), James Fuller, Ian Holland, Scott Currie, Chris Wood, Ryan Stevenson and Mason Crane

T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Hampshire – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips

Sussex Sharks

In their first game of this tournament, openers Phil Salt and captain Luke Wright, the two most run-scorers for this team in the previous T20 Blast season, provided the solid start. While the skipper Wright scored 31 runs off 25 balls (6 fours), Salt scored 40 runs off 22 balls (4 fours and 2 sixes). They have also the experienced all-rounder Ravi Bopara, who scored one run in their rain-interrupted incomplete opening match in this new T20 season.

Right-arm pacer Ollie Robinson and T20 specialist left-arm fast bowler Tymal Mills are their main bowlers in the present bowling line-up.

Hampshire

While Hampshire luckily escaped from a defeat in their season-opening match (against Kent) due to the rain, the middle-order batsman Joe Weatherly was the only positive name as he scored the crucial 68 runs off 49 balls (6 fours and 2 sixes) when his team was struggling. Wicket-keeper batsman Lewis McManus also played an important knock of 26 runs in that game but lost his wicket at the crucial moment.

Captain Sam Northeast and Scottish opener Goerge Munsey are the other important names in the batting line-up.

Chris Wood and Mason Crane are the important bowlers of this side.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Phil Salt, Luke Wright, Joe Weatherley

Vice-captain – George Munsey, Ravi Bopara

Suggested Playing XI for Fantasy Cricket:

Wicket-keeper(s) – Lewis McManus

Batsmen – Joe Weatherley (vc), George Munsey, Sam Northeast, Luke Wright, Phil Salt (C)

All-Rounder(s) – Ravi Bopara

Bowlers – Mason Crane, Chris Wood, Tymal Mills, George Garton

The post T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Hampshire – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips, Pitch Report And Playing 11 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

In the T20 Blast 2020 (Central Group), Glamorgan vs Birmingham Bears match will be played on Sunday (30th August) afternoon at Sophia Gardens (Cardiff).

Glamorgan have played two matches in this tournament. While their tournament opener against Worcestershire Rapids was completely washed out in rain, they beat Gloucestershire by 15 runs on last Saturday (29th August).

On the other hand, Bears have played only one game (against Somerset) and it was completely washed out in rain.

T20 Blast 2020: Glamorgan vs Birmingham Bears – Match Details

Glamorgan will face Birmingham Bears in the Central Group of T20 Blast 2020 on Sunday (30th August) afternoon at Sophia Gardens (Cardiff). This match will begin at 14:00 local time (18:30 IST)

T20 Blast 2020: Glamorgan vs Birmingham Bears – Pitch Report

In recent times, Sophia Gardens (Cardiff) generally sets up the high-scoring matches in T20 cricket as the chasing side enjoys the most.

Average completed first innings total at this venue in last five T20 matches: 170
Last five T20 match results at this venue (only complete matches): 1st Batting team won – 1 match; 2nd Batting team won – 3 matches (one tied).

T20 Blast 2020: Glamorgan vs Birmingham Bears – Full Squad

Glamorgan: Dan Douthwaite, Billy Root, Andrew Balbirnie, Chris Cooke (capt, wk), Marchant De Lange, Kiran Carlson, Callum Taylor, Graham Wagg, Andrew Salter, Prem Sisodiya, Timm van der Gugten, Owen Morgan, Lukas Carey, Michael Hogan.

Birmingham Bears: Will Rhodes (capt), Dom Sibley, Ed Pollock, Ian Bell, Sam Hain, Adam Hose, Michael Burgess (wk), Tim Bresnan, Jeetan Patel, Henry Brookes, Dan Mousley, Liam Norwell, Jake Lintott, Olly Stone.

T20 Blast 2020: Glamorgan vs Birmingham Bears – Predicted Playing XI

Glamorgan: Dan Douthwaite, Billy Root, Andrew Balbirnie, Chris Cooke (capt, wk), Marchant De Lange, Kiran Carlson, Callum Taylor, Andrew Salter, Prem Sisodiya, Timm van der Gugten, Michael Hogan.

Birmingham Bears: Will Rhodes (capt), Dom Sibley, Ed Pollock, Ian Bell, Sam Hain, Adam Hose, Michael Burgess (wk), Tim Bresnan, Jeetan Patel, Henry Brookes, Olly Stone.

T20 Blast 2020: Glamorgan vs Birmingham Bears – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips

Glamorgan

While Glamorgan started this T20 Blast season with a 15-run victory against Gloucestershire on last Saturday (29th August), off-spinner Andrew Salter was the hero for the side. While Salter finished as the most wicket-taker for his team in the last T20 Blast season (14 wickets), he started the new season with the bowling figures of 4-0-20-4.

Timm van der Gugten and Prem Sisodiya also impressed with the ball in hand against Gloucestershire. Left-arm spinner Sisodiya managed to bowl a maiden over and he had the bowling figures of 4-1-12-1, while the right-arm pacer Gugten had the bowling figures of 3-0-17-2.

Earlier, in the first innings, captain Chris Cooke played the crucial knock of 51 not out off 35 balls. Also, opener Billy Root provided a solid start by scoring 29 runs.

Birmingham Bears

Sam Hain was team’s most run-scorer in the T20 Blast 2019 as he finished in the seventh position in the most run-scorer table in that tournament (459 runs in 12 matches; average 41.72). Adam Hose, Dom Sibley etc are also the important names in this batting line-up. Experienced Ian Bell is also in this squad.

In the T20 Blast 2019, right-arm pacer Henry Brookes was team’s most wicket-taker as he finished with 13 wickets in 10 matches. Jeetan Patel and Tim Bresnan are also the big names in this bowling team.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain: Andrew Salter, Chris Cooke, Sam Hain

Vice-captain: Andrew Balbirnie, Dom Sibley

Suggested Playing XI for Fantasy Cricket:

Wicket-keeper(s) – Chris Cooke (vc)

Batsmen – Sam Hain, Adam Hose, Dom Sibley, Andrew Balbirnie, Billy Root

All-Rounder(s) – Tim Bresnan, Andrew Salter (C)

Bowlers – Jeetan Patel, Henry Brookes, Timm van der Gugten

The post T20 Blast 2020: Glamorgan vs Birmingham Bears – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips, Pitch Report And Playing 11 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Central Group teams Worcestershire Rapids and Northamptonshire Steelbacks will meet at County Ground (New Road, Worcester) on Saturday (29th August).

Both teams have earned one point each in the early period of this tournament after their respective tournament-opening matches were washed out in rain.

T20 Blast 2020: Worcestershire Rapids vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks – Match Details

On Saturday (29th August), Worcestershire Rapids will face Northamptonshire Steelbacks at County Ground (New Road, Worcester) in the Central Group match of the T20 Blast 2020. It will begin at 13:00 local (17:30 IST).

T20 Blast 2020: Worcestershire Rapids vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks – Pitch Report

It will be the first T20 match at County Ground (New Road, Worcester) in the ongoing season. This venue provides the high-scoring encounters where the chasing teams generally enjoy the most.

Average first innings total at this venue (in last five completed T20 matches): 148.60
T20 Match results at this venue (in last five completed matches): 1st Batting side won – 2; 2nd Batting team won – 3

T20 Blast 2020: Worcestershire Rapids vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks – Predicted Playing XI

Worcestershire Rapids: Ben Cox (wk), Ed Barnard (c), Riki Wessels, Hamish Rutherford, Daryl Mitchell, Brett D’Oliveira, Jake Libby, Ross Whiteley, Charlie Morris, Dillon Pennington, Josh Tongue

Northamptonshire Steelbacks: Paul Stirling, Adam Rossington, Richard Levi, Charlie Thurston, Josh Cobb (C), Alex Wakely, Rob Keogh, Nathan Buck, Graeme White, Ben Sanderson, Brandon Glover

T20 Blast 2020: Worcestershire Rapids vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips

Worcestershire Rapids

Riki Wessels was the most run-scorer for this team in the previous T20 Blast season, where the defending champions finished as the runners-up. He scored 461 runs in 14 matches with an average 35.46, including three half-centuries with the best knock of 91 runs. He is a very consistent batsman in the T20 format as he is the most run-scorer in T20 Blast since 2014 (2656 runs with an average 35.89).

The team is hoping some good performances from the New Zealand opening batsman Hamish Rutherford.

The 24-year-old right-arm pacer Ed Barnard, who is leading this side, is the crucial member in their bowling line-up. All-rounder Daryl Mitchell is another important name in this squad.

Northamptonshire Steelbacks

Captain Josh Cobb, Adam Rossington, Richard Levi and Paul Stirling are the crucial names in their top-order batting line-up.

The right-arm pacer Ben Sanderson is the crucial name in their bowling line-up along with all-rounder Rob Keogh and left-arm spinner Graeme White.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain: Paul Stirling, Josh Cobb

Vice-captain: Daryl Mitchell, Riki Wessels

Suggested Playing XI for Fantasy Cricket:

Wicket-keeper(s) – Adam Rossington

Batsmen – Richard Levi, Paul Stirling (C), Riki Wessels, Hamish Rutherford

All-Rounder(s) – Josh Cobb (vc), Daryl Mitchell

Bowlers – Brandon Glover, Ben Sanderson, Graeme White, Ed Barnard

The post T20 Blast 2020: Worcestershire Rapids vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips, Pitch Report And Playing 11 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

On Friday (28th August) evening, Birmingham Bears will face Somerset CCC at Edgbaston (Birmingham) in the Central Group of T20 Blast 2020.

It will be the opening match in this tournament for both these sides. In the last T20 Blast season, while Bears finished in the eighth position in the North Division points table, Somerset ended their journey after finishing in the sixth position in the South Division points table.

T20 Blast 2020: Birmingham Bears vs Somerset CCC – Match Details

Birmingham Bears will host the match against Somerset CCC at Edgbaston (Birmingham). It will be a day/night encounter, which will begin on Friday (28th August) at 18:30 local time (23:00 IST).

T20 Blast 2020: Birmingham Bears vs Somerset CCC – Pitch Report

It will be the first T20 match at Edgbaston (Birmingham) in this season. Generally, 160+ totals are good 1st innings totals at this venue if the team has good bowling line-up.

Average first innings total at this venue (in last five matches): 160.40

T20 Match Results at this venue (in last five matches): 1st Batting side – 2 victories; 2nd Batting side – 3 victories.

T20 Blast 2020: Birmingham Bears vs Somerset CCC – Predicted Playing XI

Birmingham Bears: Dom Sibley, Sam Hain, Ian Bell, Adam Hose, Matt Lamb, Will Rhodes, Michael Burgess, Henry Brookes, Jeetan Patel, Olly Stone, Olly Hannon-Dalby

Somerset CCC: James Hildreth, Tom Abell, Ed Byrom, Steven Davies, George Bartlett, Tom Lammonby, Jack Brooks, Craig Overton, Roelof van der Merwe, Jamie Overton, Max Waller

T20 Blast 2020: Birmingham Bears vs Somerset CCC – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips

Birmingham Bears

The seventh most run-scorer in the T20 Blast 2019 Sam Hain was the most run-scorer for his team in that season (459 runs in 12 matches; average 41.72). Adam Hose and opener Dom Sibley are the other crucial names in the batting line-up.

Young pacer Henry Brookes and former New Zealand off-spinner Jeetan Patel are the big names in their bowling line-up. Both of them were much consistent in the last season.

Somerset CCC

The top two run-scorers in the last T20 Blast season, Pakistan’s Babar Azam and England’s Tom Banton are currently busy in international cricket. Tom Abell is another big name in their batting, who is available for this match. In the last T20 Blast season, he scored 354 runs (average 44.25), including hitting one century.

Roelof van der Merwe, Max Waller, Craig Overton are some big names in their bowling line-up.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain: Sam Hain, Roelof van der Merwe

Vice-captain: Tom Abell, Dom Sibley

Suggested Playing XI for Fantasy Cricket:

Wicket-keeper(s) – Steven Davies

Batsmen – Sam Hain (C), Adam Hose, Dom Sibley, Tom Abell

All-Rounder(s) – Will Rhodes, Roelof van der Merwe (vc)

Bowlers – Jeetan Patel, Henry Brooks Craig Overton, Max Waller

The post T20 Blast 2020: Birmingham Bears vs Somerset CCC – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips, Pitch Report And Playing 11 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

On Friday (28th August), Sussex Sharks and Surrey CCC both will begin their journey in the T20 Blast 2020 when they will face each other at the County Ground (Hove).

In the last T20 Blast season, Sharks finished on top of the points table in the South Division while Surrey finished in the eighth position in that same points table. In the quarter-final, Worcestershire Rapids ended Sussex’s journey in the T20 Blast 2019.

T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Surrey CCC – Match Details

County Ground (Hove) will host the T20 Blast 2020 South Group match between Sussex Sharks vs Surrey CCC on 28th August. This match will begin at 14:00 local (18:30 IST).

T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Surrey CCC – Pitch Report

It will be the first T20 match at County Ground (Hove) in this season. In the last season, the chasing sides hugely dominated.

Average first innings total at this venue (in last five matches): 166

T20 Match Results at this venue (in last five matches): 1st Batting team won – 1 match; 2nd Batting team won – 4 matches.

T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Surrey CCC – Predicted Playing XI

Sussex Sharks: Phil Salt, Luke Wright (C), Ben Brown, Delray Rawlins, Ravi Bopara, Harry Finch, Aaron Thomason, Tymal Mills, Ollie Robinson, Danny Briggs, Will Beer

Surrey CCC: Mark Stoneman, Rory Burns, Scott Borthwick, Gareth Batty (C), Will Jacks, Ben Foakes, Ryan Patel, Jamie Smith, Matt Dunn, Gus Atkinson, Amar Virdi

T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Surrey CCC – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips

Sussex Sharks

Sussex will miss their consistent batsman Laurie Evans, the most run-scorer in T20 Blast 2018, as he will serve for Surrey on loan in this season. The T20 specialist left-arm fast bowler Tymal Mills, newly-signed experienced English all-rounder Ravi Bopara, the right-handed top-order batsman Phil Salt, captain Luke Wright are some crucial names of this team.

Surrey CCC

Though Surrey have signed Laurie Evans on loan, they can’t use him in the Sussex game according to the agreement. Also, some of their other crucial members are in the injury list, and these names are captain Jade Dernbach (ruled out), Ollie Pope, Liam Plunkett, Jordan Clark and Morne Morkel. On the other hand, Tom Curran, Jason Roy and Reece Topley are in the international duties, where Roy has suffered an injury and he has been ruled out from the full T20I series against Pakistan.

Rory Burns and Will Jacks are the important names in their present active batting line-up. Captain Gareth Batty has a big responsibility as an off-spinner.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain: Phil Salt, Ravi Bopara

Vice-captain: Luke Wright, Ollie Robinson

Suggested Playing XI for Fantasy Cricket:

Wicket-keeper(s) – Ben Foakes

Batsmen – Luke Wright, Phil Salt (C), Rory Burns, Will Jacks

All-Rounder(s) – Ravi Bopara (vc), Delray Rawlins

Bowlers – Will Beer, Tymal Mills, Ollie Robinson, Gareth Batty

The post T20 Blast 2020: Sussex Sharks vs Surrey CCC – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips, Pitch Report And Playing 11 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

On Thursday (27th August) evening, North Group sides Derbyshire Falcons and Leicestershire Foxes will start their campaign in the T20 Blast 2020 when they will face each other at Grace Road (Leicester).

In the T20 Blast 2019, while Derbyshire finished in the third position in the North Division points table, Leicestershire finished in the last position in that same points table. Derbyshire advanced to the semi-final where Essex Eagles beat them by 34 runs.

Though Leicestershire disappointed in the last year, they have the better success history against Derbyshire.

T20 Blast 2020: Derbyshire Falcons vs Leicestershire Foxes – Match Details

Derbyshire Falcons vs Leicestershire Foxes match will be played at Grace Road (Leicester) from 18:30 local time (23:00 IST).

T20 Blast 2020: Derbyshire Falcons vs Leicestershire Foxes – Pitch Report

It will be the first T20 match of this season at Grace Road (Leicester). In recent times, the chasing teams have the last laugh during the T20 matches at this venue. We have even experienced some high scoring totals at this venue.

T20 Blast 2020: Derbyshire Falcons vs Leicestershire Foxes – Predicted Playing XI

Derbyshire Falcons: Luis Reece, Billy Godleman (c), Wayne Madsen, Leus du Plooy, Alex Hughes, Matthew Critchley, Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Anuj Dal, Daryn Smit (wk), Logan van Beek, Ravi Rampaul

Leicestershire Foxes: Mark Cosgrove, Gareth Delany, Arron Lilley, Colin Ackermann (c), Harry Dearden, Lewis Hill (wk), Callum Parkinson, Ben Mike, Dieter Klein, Gavin Griffiths, Will Davis.

T20 Blast 2020: Derbyshire Falcons vs Leicestershire Foxes – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips

Derbyshire Falcons

Wayne Madsen and skipper Billy Godleman were in top form in the last T20 Blast season as they scored 464 and 453 runs respectively. They finished among the top 10 run-scorers in that tournament. Also, Leus du Plooy and Luis Reece performed well in some matches.

The 35-year-old veteran Caribbean right-arm pacer Ravi Rampaul finished the last T20 Blast season as the most wicket-taker as he bagged 23 wickets for the side. Also, the leg-spinner Matthew Critchley provided good support to Rampaul as the youngster took 17 wickets in 14 matches.

Leicestershire Foxes

In the last T20 Blast season, while captain Colin Ackermann was the highest run-scorer for his team (342 runs with an average of 28.50), he was also team’s joint most wicket-taker along with left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson as both picked up 12 wickets each. Opener Mark Cosgrove also played some good cricket with the bat in that season.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain: Colin Ackermann, Luis Reece, Ravi Rampaul

Vice-captain: Gareth Delany, Billy Godleman, Wayne Madsen

Suggested Playing XI for Fantasy Cricket:

Wicket-keeper(s) – Lewis Hill

Batsmen – Mark Cosgrove, Wayne Madsen, Billy Godleman

All-Rounder(s) – Colin Ackermann (C), Gareth Delany, Luis Reece (vc), Matthew Critchley

Bowlers – Will Davis, Callum Parkinson, Ravi Rampaul

The post T20 Blast 2020: Derbyshire Falcons vs Leicestershire Foxes – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips, Pitch Report And Playing 11 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Vitality T20 blast would be amongst the T20 competitions returning to the mix, organized by the ECB. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a postponement of plenty of marquee tournaments; however, with international cricket resuming in England, the shortest format edition will also kickstart. The champions of the previous year’s Vitality T20 Blast were Essex Eagles, lifting their first trophy.

Also Read: ECB To Prioritise ‘The Hundred’ And ‘Vitality Blast’ Over County Cricket This Year

The 2020 Vitality T20 blast edition begins from Thursday, the 27th of August as the defending champions Essex Eagles take on Middlesex at the Chelmsford County Cricket Ground. While a few games will coincide with the IPL 2020, set to commence on the 19th of September, the one in England (Vitality T20 Blast) will not lose its radiance.

We take a look at the schedules and timings of Vitality T20 Blast 2020 (All timings in IST):

27th August:

Essex Eagles vs Middlesex, The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, 6.30 PM.
Kent Spitfires vs Hampshire, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 6.30 PM.
Gloucestershire vs Steelbacks, The Bristol County Ground, 6.30 PM.
Derbyshire Falcons vs Leicestershire Foxes, The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, 11 PM.
Durham Cricket vs Lancashire Lightning, Emirates Riverside, Chester-Le-Street, 11 pm.
Glamorgan vs Worcestershire Rapids, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 11 pm.
Yorkshire Vikings vs Notts Outlaws, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 11 PM.

28th August:

Sussex Sharks vs Surrey 1st Central County Ground, Hove. 6.30 PM.

Birmingham Bears vs Somerset Edgbaston, Birmingham, 6.30 PM.

29th August:

Worcestershire Rapids vs Steelbacks, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester. 5.30 PM.
Durham Cricket vs Notts Outlaws, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street. 6.30 PM.
Gloucestershire vs Glamorgan, Bristol County Ground, 6.30 PM.

Leicestershire Foxes vs Lancashire Lightning, Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, 6.30 PM.
Middlesex vs Kent Spitfires, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, 6.30 PM.

30th August:

Glamorgan vs Birmingham Bears, Sophia Gardens Cardiff, 6.30 PM. Steelbacks vs Somerset, County Ground, Northampton, 6.30 PM. Surrey vs Essex Eagles, The Kia Oval, London, 6.30 PM.
Sussex Sharks vs Hampshire, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove, 6.30 PM
Yorkshire Vikings vs Derbyshire Falcons, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 6.30 PM.

31st August:

Worcestershire Rapids vs Gloucestershire, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester, 5.30 PM.
Derbyshire Falcons vs Lancashire Lightning, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 6.30 PM.
Notts Outlaws vs Yorkshire Vikings, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 6.30 PM.
Leicestershire Foxes vs Durham Cricket, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 11 PM.

1st September:

Essex Eagles vs Hampshire, The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, 6.30 PM.
Kent Spitfires vs Surrey CCC, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 6.30 PM.
Middlesex vs Sussex Sharks, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, 10.45 PM.
Steelbacks vs Birmingham Bears, The County Ground, Northampton, 11 PM.
Somerset CCC vs Glamorgan, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 11 PM.

2nd September:

Derbyshire Falcons vs Durham Cricket, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 11 PM.
Lancashire Lightning vs Notts Outlaws, TBC, 11 PM.
Yorkshire Vikings vs Leicestershire Foxes, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 11 PM.
Birmingham Bears vs Gloucestershire, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 11 PM.

3rd September:

Sussex Sharks vs Kent Spitfires, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove, 6.30 PM.
Worcestershire Rapids vs Somerset CCC, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 6.30 PM.
Middlesex vs Essex Eagles, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, 10.45 PM

Steelbacks vs Glamorgan Vitality Blast 2020 Edgbaston, Birmingham, 11 PM.
Surrey CCC vs Hampshire, The Kia Oval, London, 11 PM.

4th September:

Gloucestershire vs Worcestershire Rapids, The Bristol County Ground, 6.30 PM.
Lancashire Lightning vs Derbyshire Falcons, Aigburth, Liverpool, 6.30 PM
Notts Outlaws vs Leicestershire Foxes, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 11 PM.
Durham Cricket vs Yorkshire Vikings, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 11 PM.
Somerset CCC vs Birmingham Bears, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 11 PM.

5th September:

Essex Eagles vs Kent Spitfires, The Kia Oval, London, 6.30 PM.

Surrey CCC vs Middlesex, The Kia Oval, London, 11 PM.

10th September:

Hampshire vs Sussex Sharks, Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 11 PM

11th September:

Essex Eagles vs Surrey CCC, The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, 6.30 PM
Steelbacks vs Gloucestershire, The County Ground, Northampton, 7 PM
Notts Outlaws vs Lancashire Lightning, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 11 PM.
Birmingham Bears vs Glamorgan, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 11 PM.

Durham Cricket vs Derbyshire Falcons, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 11 PM.
Leicestershire Foxes vs Yorkshire Vikings, The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, 11 PM.
Somerset CCC vs Worcestershire Rapids, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 11 PM.

12th September:

Kent Spitfires vs Sussex Sharks, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 6.30 PM.
Middlesex vs Hampshire, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, 6.30 PM.

13th September:

Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester, 5.30 PM.
Derbyshire Falcons vs Notts Outlaws, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 6.30 PM.
Durham Cricket vs Leicestershire Foxes, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 6.30 PM.
Glamorgan vs Steelbacks, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 6.30 PM.

Somerset CCC vs Gloucestershire, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 6.30 PM.

14th September:

Hampshire vs Kent Spitfires, Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 6.30 PM Sussex Sharks vs Essex Eagles, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove, 6.30 PM.
Middlesex vs Surrey CCC, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, 5.45 PM

Yorkshire Vikings vs Lancashire Lightning, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 11 PM.

15th September:

Gloucestershire vs Birmingham Bears, The Bristol County Ground, 11 PM.
Leicestershire Foxes vs Derbyshire Falcons, The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, 11 PM.
Steelbacks vs Worcestershire Rapids, The County Ground, Northampton, 11 PM.

16th September:

Hampshire vs Essex Eagles, The Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 6.30 PM. Kent Spitfires vs Middlesex, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 6.30 PM.
Glamorgan vs Somerset CCC, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 11 PM.
Surrey CCC vs Sussex Sharks, The Kia Oval, London, 11 PM.

Yorkshire Vikings vs Durham Cricket, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 11 PM.

17th September:

Notts Outlaws vs Derbyshire Falcons, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 11 PM.
Lancashire Lightning vs Yorkshire Vikings, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, 11 PM.

18th September:

Hampshire vs Surrey CCC, The Ageas Bowl, Southampton. 6.30 PM.

Kent Spitfires vs Essex Eagles, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 6.30 PM.
Sussex Sharks vs Middlesex, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove, 6.30 PM.
Leicestershire Foxes vs Notts Outlaws Vitality Blast 2020 The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, 9.30 PM.
Somerset CCC vs Steelbacks, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 9.30 PM.
Birmingham Bears vs Worcestershire Rapids, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 11 PM.
Glamorgan vs Gloucestershire, Sophia Gardens Cardiff, 11 PM.

Lancashire Lightning vs Durham Cricket, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, 11 PM.

20th September:

Birmingham Bears vs Steelbacks, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 5.30 PM.

Derbyshire Falcons vs Yorkshire Vikings, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 5.30 PM.
Essex Eagles vs Sussex Sharks, The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, 5.30 PM.
Gloucestershire vs Somerset CCC, The Bristol County Ground, 5.30 PM.
Hampshire vs Middlesex, The Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 5.30 PM.

Lancashire Lightning vs Leicestershire Foxes, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, 5.30 PM.
Notts Outlaws vs Durham Cricket, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 5.30 PM.
Surrey CCC vs Kent Spitfires, The Kia Oval, London, 5.30 PM.

Worcestershire Rapids vs Glamorgan, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester, 5.30 PM.

1st October:

11 PM: Quarter Final 1 (Venue not decided)
11 PM: Quarter Final 2 (Venue not decided)
11 PM: Quarter Final 3 (Venue not decided)
11 PM: Quarter Final 4 (Venue not decided).

3rd October:

3.30 PM: Semifinal 1, Edgbaston, Birmingham
6.30 PM: Semifinal 2, Edgbaston, Birmingham
10.15 PM: Final, Edgbaston, Birmingham

Below are the teams set to take place in the Vitality T20 Blast 2020:

North: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire Vikings
Central: Birmingham Bears, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northants Steelbacks, Somerset, Worcestershire Rapids
South: Essex Eagles, Hampshire, Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks.

Live telecast of the Vitality T20 Blast 2020:

All matches will be telecasted on Star Sports Network.

Also Read: Azhar Ali Reacts To Babar Azam’s Failure To Score Big In England

The post Vitality T20 Blast 2020: Schedule, Teams List, Venues, Live Telecast, And Timings appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is planning to prioritise the inaugural The Hundred and Vitality Blast Twenty20 tournament over County Cricket this year. ECB insists on doing so because of the widespread outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

The ECB has held talks with various representatives and all the recommendations will be discussed on Friday (March 20).

If the talks are held smoothly, then the board is likely to announce a decision within three or four days.

Notably, the coronavirus pandemic has brought the cricketing world to a stagnant position as multiple series and tournaments have either been postponed or been suspended by various cricketing boards amid the coronavirus outbreak.

ECB To Change Its Priorities Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

The cricket season in England is most likely to be curtailed, and there is a growing possibility that the cricket board chooses not to go ahead with the County Championship, ESPNCricinfo reported.

However, the board is likely to announce the delay of the cricket season in England by a minimum of six or seven weeks.

If this happens, the seven scheduled rounds of the County Championship would be wiped out.

However, the board is likely to announce the delay of the cricket season in England by a minimum of six or seven weeks. If this happens, the seven scheduled rounds of the County Championship would be wiped out.

English Cricket Faces The Wrath Of Coronavirus Pandemic

Earlier this month, the ECB had decided to postpone the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka due to the coronavirus pandemic. The series was to be a part of the World Test Championship (WTC).

All the English players playing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) have been called back immediately and the tournament has been postponed.

Also Read: Watch: Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma Reveal What They Will Be Up To Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

The post ECB To Prioritise ‘The Hundred’ And ‘Vitality Blast’ Over County Cricket This Year appeared first on CricketAddictor.

It was a mixed day on the field for Somerset’s Max Waller against Middlesex in the T20 Blast. While Somerset lost the game and Waller had a terrible day with the ball, he picked up a sensational catch to dismiss the dangerous AB de Villiers. Middlesex had only option with the bat and that was to go all out as they were chasing a mammoth 227.

Openers Dawid Malan and Paul Sterling gave Middlesex a perfect start by adding 67 runs in just 3.4 overs. However, Somerset hit back by dismissing both of them in two consecutive balls. Tim Groenewald sent both of them back in the fourth over to put Somerset in command of the proceedings. But there was no respite for Somerset.

AB de Villiers also started in the same manner. In a blink of an eye, he raced away to 32 from just 15 deliveries with the help of three fours and a couple of sixes. In the eleventh over bowled by Tom Lammonby, he went for another big hit. The ball was a bit short and AB de Villiers connected it really well.

The ball was looking destined to sail over the mid-wicket boundary. However, Max Waller, who was standing well inside the boundary, left everyone shell-shocked by pulling off an absolute blinder. The pacer nonchalantly jumped at his place and plucked the catch out of thin air with just one hand, leaving the commentators in utter shock.

Here is that catch from Max Waller:

How can you not like cricket when things like this happen! Absolute world class catch Max Waller! 👏🏏 pic.twitter.com/8c5BonGCng

— James (@Surreycricfan) August 30, 2019

Max Waller, nonetheless, ended up on the losing side as Middlesex chased down the total in just 17 overs. Eoin Morgan was the star of the show, hammering 83 from just 29 balls to take his side home. Middlesex also booked their place in the quarterfinal with the impressive win.

Also Read: Shane Warne In Another Sex Scandal As He Had Four-Way With Lover And Two Sex Workers

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Captain Eoin Morgan starred with the bat as Middlesex pulled off a record run chase in the Vitality Blast on Friday. Middlesex thrashed Somerset by six wickets to storm into the quarter-final. It looked all over for Middlesex when Somerset finished their innings on a mammoth 226 for 5 in the stipulated 20 overs.

However, Morgan had some other plans. Fresh off leading England to the historic World Cup triumph, Morgan slammed 8 sixes during his 29-ball 83 runs knock to remarkably get his side home with three overs to spare.

Earlier in the game, Tom Abell’s maiden T20 century had propelled Somerset up to 226-5. Opener Tom Banton had also played a fine knock of 62 from just 39 balls while middle-order batsman Edward Byrom slammed 44 from just 0.

Middlesex were looking well out of contest when Somerset ended their innings. However, the Middlesex batsmen were in no mood to throw in the towel. Their openers Dawid Malan (41) and Paul Stirling (25) gave them a solid start by adding 67 runs in just 22 balls.

Also Read: Shane Warne In Another Sex Scandal As He Had Four-Way With Lover And Two Sex Workers

AB de Villiers maintained the good start by slamming 32 from 16 balls. De Villiers was dismissed when Max Waller pulled off an absolutely outrageous catch at mid-wicket. The onus was completely on Morgan now and he did not disappoint. He launched a stunning counter-assault to leave Somerset shell-shocked.

8️⃣3️⃣ from 2️⃣9️⃣ balls! 😱

What are your messages for @Eoin16 tonight? 💥 pic.twitter.com/Ek5XGrjJnM

— Middlesex Cricket (@Middlesex_CCC) August 30, 2019

The England star kept Middlesex in hunt with his powerful display. He eventually took his team over the line at the end of the 17th over. After Mohammad Hafeez was run out for 18, Morgan shared an unbeaten 99-run stand with George Scott. Scott scored only 22 runs during the stand but more importantly made sure not to lose his wicket.

For Somerset, all the bowlers were taken to cleaners. Barring Abell, who bowled only one over for nine runs, not a single bowler could manage an economy-rate of less than 10. Tom Lammonby was the costliest bowler, having conceded 54 runs from just three overs.

The post Eoin Morgan Stars As Middlesex Pulls Of World Record Chase In Just 17 Overs appeared first on CricketAddictor.

South African Test and ODI skipper Faf du Plessis has signed up with English County Kent for the final leg of the ongoing Vitality T20 Blast. The right-hander will be available for the team’s final two matches against Gloucestershire and Essex as well as the knockouts if they are able to qualify.

Read More : MS Dhoni Won’t Play Forever – Sourav Ganguly

Kent will need to win either of one match against Gloucestershire and Essex to advance in the tourney. Thus, if they do, the Proteas skipper will be available for the big matches as well. Kent decided to rope in the services of Faf du Plessis after New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne’s journey in the tournament was put paid by ankle-injury.

Faf du Plessis will bring experience to the table.

Furthermore, Afghanistan’s talismanic all-rounder Mohammad Nabi also left which meant that the club was without any overseas player. Kent had lost to Surrey last Friday and would like to make a solid comeback.

“I really look forward to joining up with Kent for the last part of the Vitality Blast,” du Plessis said. In fact, I will do my best to contribute to the already successful team and hopefully help them to lift a trophy. I have played with some of the squad members in the past and look forward to joining up with all the guys again.”

Faf du Plessis was not named in South Africa’s T20I side for the upcoming tour of India. Moreover, he was expected to play Euro T20 Slam but the competition was called off. Consequently, the right-hander was available for the T20 Blast.

Faf is not in South Africa’s T20I side.

Director of Kent cricket Paul Downton said: “We’re really excited to be able to bring in a world-class player such as Faf for the rest of the Vitality Blast.

“He is a world-class batsman and, along with his leadership skills, he will be a major asset to our young side, as we seek to progress to the quarter-finals and beyond in this year’s competition.

Kent is currently placed at the third in the points table of the South Group with six wins out the dozen matches. The franchise will play Gloucestershire on 29th August at Canterbury.

Read More: Rishabh Pant Needs To Work, To Better His Game – Virender Sehwag

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Middlesex have roped in Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez on a three-match short-term deal as a replacement for AB de Villiers. Hafeez has been in good form and will add value to the Middlesex side in the T20 Blast.

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Hafeez to play for Middlesex

Meanwhile, de Villiers has taken a short break from the ongoing tournament. The former South African will be back ahead of their penultimate league game against Hampshire on August 29. Middlesex is currently second in the points table after Sussex in the South Group. They have won six matches out of the nine games played and have secured 12 points. AB de Villiers was in scintillating form showing why he is one of the greatest in the business. They are in line to progress to the quarterfinals with five ties left.

Also read: History Of Overs In Cricket – How Many Balls Were Bowled In An Over Before 1979?

Mohammad Hafeez is likely to join the Lord’s based county ahead of their Blast game against Essex on August 14. The 38-year-old all-rounder took to Twitter to announce that he is looking forward to representing Middlesex in the T20 Blast.

“Thanks #Canada @GT20Canada, really enjoyed my time here , Time to to go to next destination #London @Middlesex_CCC,” Hafeez tweeted. 

Thanks #Canada @GT20Canada , really enjoyed my time here , Time to to go to next destination #London @Middlesex_CCC pic.twitter.com/xChPA3YEsu

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) August 12, 2019

Also read: South Africa Announce T20I Squad For India Tour

Meanwhile, Mohammad Hafeez was a part of Pakistan’s World Cup-bound team. The veteran all-rounder didn’t have a good outing as his side failed to make it to the top four of the competition. Owing to a poor show, Pakistan Cricket Board didn’t award him the central contract. Meanwhile, the cricketer has already announced his retirement from Test but has expressed his desire to represent his country in the limited-overs cricket.

Recently, he was part of the Edmonton Royals in the recently concluded Global T20 League in Brampton, Canada. He has been in fine form and will hope to replicate his show for Middlesex.

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The way AB de Villiers played on his Middlesex debut, it would have definitely rubbed more salt on South Africa’s wounds. The recently-concluded World Cup campaign was marred for South Africa after it became public that AB de Villiers wanted to play for them in the tournament. AB de Villiers had later claimed that he never asked the team-management to include him in the team.

But all those controversies took the back seat when he came out to bat against Essex at the iconic Lord’s. This was de Villiers’ first match since the Indian Premier League where he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in May.

As usual, the legendary batsman looked at ease, blasting 88 not out from just 43 on his first appearance in English domestic cricket. Batting first, Essex went on to post 164-6 in their 20 overs.  Ryan ten Doeschate top-scored for them with 75 not out.

In reply, Middlesex were in all sorts of trouble after being reduced to 39 for 2. De Villiers and Dawid Malan then stopped the rot. The two started cautiously before picking up the pace and went on to share a 105-run third-wicket stand. Unsurprisingly, de Villiers stole the show with his batting. hitting five fours and six sixes. Malan, on the other hand, scored 43 from 34 balls with the help of five fours.

The English crowd will be desperate to see some more magic from de Villiers who will be available for Middlesex’s first seven group fixtures. AB de Villiers could also return for the knockout stage if his side qualifies.

Here is a clip of de Villiers’ breathtaking knock against Essex:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6NmWiB3JHE&feature=youtu.be

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Sussex have roped in Australian wicket-keeper batsman Alex Carey for the upcoming Vitality T20 Blast, the club confirmed on May 30 (Thursday). Meanwhile, the tournament will start on July 18, only three days after the final of the ICC World Cup 2019. Sussex will play their first game on July 19 against Hampshire.

Carey joins Sussex for T20 Blast

Carey is a part of Australia’s 15-member World Cup squad which will take on Afghanistan on June 1 in their tournament opener. Alex Carey has blown hot and cold in recent times and will look to hit the strides right from the start of the tournament. However, the 27-year-old enjoys a good strike-rate in the T20s. He has played 44 T20 games and has 918 runs at a strike rate of 128.93 with one century.

Read More: ICC World Cup 2019: Match 2 – Windies vs Pakistan – Match Prediction

Getty Images

Also read: BCCI Suspend Rinku Singh For Three Months

Alex Carey seemed extremely excited to work with Jason Gillespie, who is the head coach of Sussex. The Aussie cricketer also said that he can’t wait to link with the team and take the field as they have one of the best fans in the country. Previously, Carey has played in the Sussex Premier League.

“I’m very excited to get the opportunity to play with Sussex,” he pointed out. “I played for East Grinstead in the Sussex Premier League a few years ago and now to play for the Sharks in the Blast is super exciting. I’ve heard the fans are the best in the country and I can’t wait to join Dizzy and the guys in July,” he added.

Also read: ICC World Cup 2019: Kevin Pietersen Picks Transformed England and India as his Favourites

Alex Carey will be a welcome addition to the side as he can clear the ropes at will and can also rotate the strike to keep the scoreboard ticking. Jason Gillespie, who is also the coach of Adelaide Strikers where Carey plays in the Big Bash League, said Carey’s ability to adapt to different situations will give him an advantage.

Read More: ICC World Cup 2019: Twitter Reacts as South Africa Keeps England at Bay

“We’re delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to Alex and excited for him to be linking up with us,” Gillespie said.

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The tall and lanky fast bowler from Australia, Billy Stanlake will link up with Derbyshire ahead of the upcoming Vitality T20 Blast opener in July. However, his participation is subjected to final verifications. Stanlake will replace his fellow countryman Kane Richardson who had to withdraw following a call-up for the ICC World Cup 2019 starting from May 30.

Stanlake joins Derbyshire

Billy Stanlake has enjoyed a stellar form in the T20 format. The 24-year-old Stanlake has claimed 25 wickets from 17 T20I matches for Australia. Bowling from such a height, Stanlake can easily purchase some bounce and swing off the wicket and poses tough questions to the opposition batters. Stanlake also played a crucial role during the Adelaide Strikers victorious campaign in the 2018 Big Bash League. The right-arm pacer picked up with 11 wickets at an average at 22.36.

Also read: Irfan Pathan Ill-Advised Before He Enrolled In CPL Players’ Draft

Stanlake has also plied his trade in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He played a crucial role for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) taking them to the finals of the tournament before losing to Chennai Super Kings. Overall, Stanlake has taken 62 wickets in 51 Twenty20 matches, at an average of 23.95 and an economy rate under eight runs per over.

The Aussie cricketer seemed excited with the opportunity and said that he is looking forward to getting on the field. Billy Stanlake said that Derbyshire is a good side and he is hoping to use his skills and desire to contribute to their success.

“The T20 will come around fast now and I’m looking forward to getting going. It’ll be my first experience of the tournament, and having spoken to the guys I know how important the competition is. It’s a good side and a quick, bouncy track at Derby, so I hope to use my skills and contribute to performances out in the middle for Derbyshire,” he concluded.

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Somerset County Club has signed the number T20I batsman Babar Azam for the upcoming T20 Vitality blast. However, the joining will be subject to the club getting the appropriate visa or NOC green chit. Meanwhile, the talented batsman made his T20 debut against England in 2016 and since then he has taken giant steps at the International level.

The flamboyant batsman has thus far amassed 1180 runs in the 29 T20I matches at a staggering average of 53.72. Babar Azam highest score in the shortest format is 97 runs and he has scored his strike rate of 127.78.

Babar Azam is the number T20I batsman.

Meanwhile, the stylish batsman will be available for 14 league matches for the Somerset County Club. Furthermore, he is going to be available for the quarterfinal contest. In fact, his availability for the final stages of the tournament will depend on his commitments for the national duties.

Somerset CCC Director of Cricket, Andy Hurry said as quoted by the club website,  “To be able to sign a player of the calibre of Babar Azam is tremendously exciting. He is a proven performer at the very highest level and that is highlighted by the fact that he is the top rated international T20 batsman in the world.

“Obviously, everyone wants to sign a world-class performer, but we feel that continuity of selection is equally important. For us, it is about securing the services of someone as talented as Babar Azam for more than just a handful of fixtures.”

Babar Azam said that he is looking forward to joining the T20 Blast with all the zest.

Babar Azam said, “I am looking forward to the new challenge that playing T20 cricket in England will bring. I have heard good things about Somerset from Azhar Ali and I want to play a part in the Club winning matches. I know that Somerset get good support and I hope that I can give them something to cheer about this year.”

Meanwhile, Babar Azam is currently in England. Pakistan will play one-off T20I and five One Day Internationals against the host’s side. The one-off T20I will take place on 5th May whereas the opening ODI will be played on 8th May.

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Former England swing bowler Dominic Cork has been appointed as a specialist T20 coach of Derbyshire for this season of Vitality T20 Blast. The former swing master Cork has taken over the coaching reins from former New Zealander John Wright. In fact, Cork has spent the last two seasons with Derbyshire bowlers.

Consequently, Cork has provided his inputs to the English club. Furthermore, this bond will help him gel with the players. On the other side, John Wright was appointed as the coach of the county in the previous season. However, former Indian coach will continue as an advisor for the county.

Cork will like to get the best out of the players.

Meanwhile, the former England speedster will work with Dave Houghton (Head of Cricket), Steve Kirby (Assistant & Bowling Coach) and Mal Loye (Head of Development).

In fact, Derbyshire’s appointment of Cork as specialist T20 coach has come after a pattern in the England domestic circuit. Earlier, Middlesex and Durham had also decided to split the coaching roles in the upcoming season according to different formats.

Meanwhile, Derbyshire had ended at the seventh position in the North Group after they won only five matches in overall 14 matches. Consequently, the club will like to turn the tables. However, they had done a better job in the 2017 season where they had qualified for the quarter-finals stages.

Dominic Cork said after his appointment as a speciallist T20 coach, “The opportunity was too good to miss and I’m delighted to be back with Derbyshire. The club is dear to my heart – it’s where I started my career – and I’ve been grateful to work alongside John Wright in the last two years as the team has progressed.

“We’ve got players here who can win Twenty20 games and we’ve already upset the odds on a number of occasions. We’ll continue to work as hard as we can hopefully take the club one step further to Finals Day.”

Dominic Cork has all the experience under his belt and he would like to deliver the goods for the English county. Furthermore, Cork used to play for Derbyshire during his playing days.

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