Category: Games

Dubai, October 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):Ruben Trumpelmann endured a lengthy ordeal to qualify for Namibia but his patience has paid off in dramatic style.

JJ Smit revealed after his side’s four-wicket win over Scotland that the left-arm seamer, whose father is Namibian, spent eight months in the country waiting for his passport to be sorted due to the impact of the pandemic.

But with the issue now sorted, the paceman has gone back to what he does best – taking wickets.

There was no way back for Scotland once the 23-year-old had wreaked havoc in a remarkable first over, which started with danger man George Munsey attempting a cut to a ball too close for the shot and chopping on to his stumps.

Next into the Trumpelmann trap fell Calum MacLeod, who dangled his bat outside off stump and was caught behind, and the over moved into scarcely believable territory when Richie Berrington was pinned in front.

There may have been no more wickets for the seamer but his spell showed no let-up and by the time he was done, his three for 17 had ripped the heart out of the Scottish batting line-up and left them firmly on the back foot.

Smit went on to reveal the weight of support behind the Namibian squad, with messages flooding in from back home, and Trumpelmann is set to be the focus of plenty of those in the coming days.

“I wouldn’t want to be Ruben tonight,” the batter quipped – but plenty of Namibians would happily swap places with the in-form paceman living the dream on the biggest stage.

Smit himself was influential once again for the soaring Eagles, calming the nerves alongside David Wiese after a mid-innings wobble had left Namibia on 67 for four in their pursuit of 110.

He has already proven himself a calm head in a chase, seeing his side home against Netherlands, and he was quickly into his stride as he sought to repeat the trick.

The first of his huge sixes, swatted over deep mid-wicket from a Chris Greaves full toss, got the partnership ticking and the second sealed the deal from the first ball of the final over.

Tougher tests lie in wait for Namibia but confidence is high and they fancy their chances of causing bloody noses to some of their illustrious opponents in Group 2.

Trumpelmann’s new-ball spells will be crucial if they are to do so but for now, he can bask in the glory of an over he will never forget.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, October 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):An electric first over from Ruben Trumpelmann set Namibia on their way to a four-wicket victory against Scotland in a tense Group 2 clash in Abu Dhabi.

The left-arm bowler sent three Scottish batters back to the pavilion within the opening six balls to get his side off to a dream start and he was well backed up by Jan Frylinck, who claimed two for 10 from four miserly overs.

Michael Leask’s defiant 44 from 27 balls dragged his side towards three figures, which they passed in the penultimate over, and Namibia took few risks in pursuit of the modest target.

Craig Williams (23) got the chase off to a solid start and though his stumping left his side four wickets down, JJ Smit’s unbeaten 32 saw Namibia home with five balls to spare.

Having been dismissed for 60 by Afghanistan in their Group 2 opener on Monday, Scotland were looking for a steady start when put in at the toss but Trumpelmann had other ideas.

The tone was set from the very first delivery of the match, which George Munsey chopped on to his stumps, and Namibia were in dreamland when Calum MacLeod edged behind without scoring.

It got even better for from the next ball as Richie Berrington was pinned lbw, with an unsuccessful review confirming leg stump would have been hit.

From two for three at the end of the first over, Scotland had a mountain to climb to post a competitive target and the situation almost grew more desperate when Craig Wallace – selected in place of injured skipper Kyle Coetzer – attempted a risky single to mid-off.

A full-length dive saw the batter just make his ground but he didn’t survive when struck on the pads by David Wiese in the fifth over as Scotland lost their fourth wicket with the score on 18.

Leask got off the mark in streaky fashion, an inside edge narrowly evading his stumps on its way to fine leg for four, but quickly settled in as he set about the rebuilding job.

He took his side past 50 by bludgeoning Michael van Lingen down the ground and followed up with the first six of the innings over long-on.

The valuable fifth-wicket partnership between Leask and Matthew Cross was brought to an end when the latter was clean bowled by Frylinck for 19 and Chris Greaves survived a let-off before he had scored when Zane Green put down a chance to his right later in the over.

Greaves went on to prove a useful foil for Leask, who continued to keep the scoreboard moving until he paid for showing his stumps to Smit and was bowled.

Mark Watt holed out off Frylinck but Scotland edged into three figures before a run-out from the final delivery ensured the innings was bookended by wickets falling.

With a required rate of 5.5 an over from the outset, Namibia openers Williams and Van Lingen were happy to be patient and accumulate steadily in the powerplay.

The first boundary off the bat did not arrive until the fifth over, when Van Lingen heaved Josh Davey through midwicket, and one quickly became two when a drive flew past mid-on from the next delivery.

But it was pressing the accelerator which brought Van Lingen’s demise, an attempted pull off Safyaan Sharif looping into the hands of Berrington at midwicket as Scotland broke through three balls before the end of the powerplay.

New man Green survived an lbw review due to Watt’s delivery pitching outside leg and his partner soon took the attack to the spinner, lofting him back over his head for the first six of the innings to bring up his side’s 50.

Scottish hopes were raised once more when Green picked out Munsey, who took a fine catch on the run at long-off, and Leask continued a fine individual performance by clean bowling skipper Gerhard Erasmus with his second delivery.

Williams was then stumped off a Watt wide as Namibia were reduced to 67 for four but Smit joined Wiese to calm the nerves.

Smit belted a Greaves full toss over deep midwicket for six and when Wiese cleared the ropes down the ground off Leask, the required runs moved into single figures.

Leask struck back, having Wiese caught at short third man following a leading edge, and Namibia had to wait to begin their celebrations as Frylinck chipped to midwicket with the scores level.

But Smit, who hit the winning runs against Netherlands earlier in the tournament, settled the outcome in style by lofting the first ball of the final over for six as Namibia got their Super 12s stage off to a perfect start.

Scores in brief

Namibia beat Scotland at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi by four wickets

Scotland 109 for eight, in 20 overs (Michael Leask 44, Chris Greaves 25; Ruben Trumpelmann 3/17, Jan Frylinck 2/10)

Namibia 115 for six, in 19.1 overs (JJ Smit 32 not out, Craig Williams 23; Michael Leask 2/12, Brad Wheal 1/14)

Player of the Match: Ruben Trumpelmann (Namibia)

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, October 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):Jason Roy revealed he had to overcome dark thoughts and put his hard work in training into action as his 61 helped England beat Bangladesh by eight wickets.

England had restricted Bangladesh to a considerably below par total of 124 for nine thanks to two wickets in two balls for Moeen Ali and Tymal Mills at either end of a lacklustre innings, while Liam Livingstone also chipped in with the wickets of Mushfiqur Rahim and captain Mahmudullah.

In reply, Roy’s blistering knock came off just 38 balls and fittingly came in his 50th T20 international appearance as he answered critics that had been questioning his ability to play left-arm spin at the top of the order in emphatic fashion, after working hard with teammate Liam Dawson in the nets.

The 31-year-old said: “I [enjoyed that innings] a lot. It’s an area of my game I’ve been working extremely hard on, on slow pitches against left-arm spinners and the angle as such.

“It was a big game for me today to put all my hard work I’ve been doing in the nets into play. Credit to the bowlers, we were chasing a total well below par but we still had to knock it off.

“I think as a batter, as a cricketer, you always have some darker thoughts going into your mind before the game, ‘What if, this can happen, this can happen.’

“But you’ve got to remind yourself that your training has been good, I’ve worked a hell of a lot against Liam Dawson in the nets.

“He’s bowling so much to me and I’ve got to keep reminding myself to do what I do in training and things will be alright.”

Bangladesh struggled in their first ever T20 clash against England, but Roy insisted they were not easy opponents and revealed his side will continue to focus on themselves rather than worrying about what other teams can do.

He added: “I don’t think they are an easy team to beat, they’ve got some matchwinners out there, some extremely good players.

“We came out and kept it very simple and stuck to what we do, we don’t look too much into what a lot of other teams do, we make sure everything in our camp is right and we are doing our roles right.

“Today was another day where we bowled extremely well and were clinical with the bat.”

Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah lamented his side’s inability to get off to a good start with the bat as they slipped to a second straight Super 12s defeat to leave the Tigers needing wins against West Indies, South Africa and Australia to stand a chance of progressing to the semi-finals.

He said: “We were disappointed with the batting, it was a good wicket but we didn’t start well and didn’t have any partnerships in the middle either.

“We’ve been lacking a good start, on these wickets it gets difficult later on. We are more skilled hitters than power hitters, we don’t want to change that because we believe we can post good totals. We need to reassess and come up with a good plan.”

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, October 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):Australia wicket-keeper Matthew Wade revealed his side must win the spin battle against Sri Lanka if they want to make it two wins from two in the Super 12s.

Wade and Marcus Stoinis put on 40 in 26 balls to guide Australia to a five-wicket victory over South Africa in their opening game of the ICC Men’s World T20 2021.

And next up for Justin Langer’s men in Group 1 is a Sri Lanka side who chased down 172 to beat Bangladesh and will come armed with several spinners at the Dubai International Stadium in the UAE.

“I think every game in this tournament is going to be hard work,” said Wade, who has had to adjust to operating in the middle order with the bat rather than at the top of the innings as he has done in recent years.

“As we’re seeing throughout the tournament, every team in the competition on their day are going to be hard to beat, so Sri Lanka is certainly no different. They have had a few more games leading in than what we have as well.

“No, they’re a terrific team. They’re going to challenge us with a fair bit of spin, I would’ve thought. There could be up to 12 overs of spin, I reckon, that we’ll probably face tomorrow.

“And it’s going to be hard work. And we’ll have to be at our best to beat any team in this tournament, and Sri Lanka will certainly be no different tomorrow.

“They have some terrific spin options and match winners, especially. We’ll have to be at the top of our game against the spin.

“We’ve got some terrific players of spin ourselves, [Steve] Smith and [Glenn] Maxwell, those guys will be really important for us tomorrow.

“Hopefully they can bat through that middle over period and we can back end it a little bit more than what we did in the first game.

“It’s an exciting challenge. We know if we’re going to go deep into this tournament then we’ll have to play spin really well. And we’re looking forward to the challenge tomorrow.”

Wade revealed Australia are leaving no stone unturned in their preparation and reckons most fans do not appreciate the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes in the shortest form of the game.

He added: “There’s plenty of planning that goes into T20. I’d love a lot of the public and the fans to see actually how much planning goes in. It’s probably the most planned format, I think, over the three.

“The bowlers and Andrew McDonald, the bowling coach, spent a lot of time with the batters. And Kusal Perera is a world-class hitter, and he’ll be looking to go hard against our bowlers. But that’s the great thing about T20 and about World Cups, the best versus the best.

“We’re pretty confident that the guys that open the bowling for us can do a really good job and we can get early wickets and put them under a little bit of pressure. But, yeah, as excited as anyone to see those contests tomorrow.”

Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur insists the key for his side is to keep improving on their journey in the tournament having come through the first round before the Super 12s and is confident they can beat anyone.

He said: “For us, it’s just about us improving all the time. And every time we go out and play, I’ve applauded the players in terms of intensity, in terms of skill, in terms of execution.

“And the players have been outstanding. And we just are improving. For us, it’s about our journey at the moment. It’s not a sprint. Our players are getting better and better.

“So I’m really, really happy. The qualifiers were tough. There was a lot of pressure on us there. Now the pressure is reversed because we come into this space with not much to lose.

“We’re playing good cricket. We’re very dangerous. The players are very clear on what their roles are, and we’re confident we can beat anybody on our day.”

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, October 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):Forrest Gump famously said that life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get, and the same applies to Liam Livingstone’s bowling.

The England all-rounder mixes between off-spin, leg-spin and variations in between but performed a crucial role for captain Eoin Morgan in the victory over Bangladesh.

Known more for his brutally destructive batting, Livingstone’s handy spin is fast becoming an underrated weapon in Morgan’s armoury.

When skittling the West Indies out for just 55 in their opening Super 12s fixture, it was spinners Moeen Ali, two for 17, and Adil Rashid, four for two, who rightly took the plaudits with Livingstone not required to turn his arm over.

However, against Bangladesh it was the Lancashire star who chimed in with a couple of vital scalps.

Mushfiqur Rahim was the only batter to put together a significant innings, 29 off 30 balls, and it was Livingstone who had him trapped leg before to really put the brakes on any Bangladeshi momentum with the bat.

Mushfiqur had been given not out while attempting a reverse-sweep, but Morgan rightly reviewed and DRS proved Livingstone’s leg-break would have been crashing into middle stump after pitching in line.

That dismissal ended a partnership of 37 for the fourth wicket, the highest of a lacklustre Bangladesh innings characterised by regular dismissals and wayward running.

Livingstone was bowling when Afif Hossain was chaotically run out and then he claimed the prized scalp of opposition captain Mahmudullah for 19, just as the skipper tried to put his foot down against one of England’s supposed secondary bowlers.

Accounting for the two top scorers and finishing with figures of two for 15, Livingstone’s impact should not be underestimated as his three overs helped restrict Bangladesh from setting any sort of challenging total, in the very first T20 meeting between the sides.

Such was England’s dominance for the second successive game, that Livingstone – who was dismissed for one against the West Indies – was not even required with the bat in Abu Dhabi, his main strong suit.

Player of the match Jason Roy, who smoked 61 from 38 balls as England eased to victory, revealed Livingstone has been putting in the hard yards off the pitch and spending time with spin-bowling coach and former New Zealand bowler Jeetan Patel.

He said: “He [Livingstone] has been working extremely hard. It’s great having Mo[een Ali] and Rash [Adil Rashid] in the side as well and he learns a lot from them.

“And Jeetan Patel, our spin coach, has been giving him some words of wisdom. It’s paying off for him, he’s doing extremely well for us and holding up an end which is extremely positive.”

Roy even tipped Livingstone’s job with the ball to take on greater significance in the latter stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, with England currently well-placed as Group 1 leaders to make the semi-finals from the Super 12 stage.

He added: “Especially as the tournament goes on when the pitches might get a little bit harder against spin, who knows, he might have a little bit more of a role to play.”

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com