August 30, 2024

Heavy Rain Cancels First Day of Second Test Match

The umpires inspected the field around noon, despite the ongoing rain, and decided to cancel play for the entire day. As a result, no play took place between Pakistan and Bangladesh on the first day of the second Test in Rawalpindi, not even the toss. The rain was so persistent that the teams didn’t even leave their hotel.

The weather forecast predicts more rain later today, and tomorrow is also expected to be overcast. On Thursday, the teams had to cancel their practice sessions due to rain as well.

Bangladesh leads the two-match series 1-0 after securing their first-ever Test win against Pakistan in the previous match. In that game, Pakistan had an all-pace bowling attack, but for this Test, they included legspinner Abrar Ahmed in their squad. On the Bangladesh side, Taskin Ahmed is fit and likely to replace fast bowler Nahid Rana. However, we’ll have to wait until Saturday morning to see the final playing XIs.

Originally, this Test was scheduled to be played in Karachi, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) moved it to Rawalpindi due to construction work at the National Stadium.

Aaliyah Alleyne’s Four Wickets Lead Barbados Royals to WCPL Title Defense

Fast-bowling allrounder Aaliyah Alleyne’s impressive 4 for 21 led Barbados Royals to their second Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) title. In a low-scoring final, Trinbago Knight Riders were restricted to 93 for 8, with Alleyne playing a key role. Despite a fighting innings of 39* from Chamari Athapaththu, the Royals chased down the target with five overs to spare, finishing at 94 for 6. The Royals, who were defending champions, secured the victory after finishing as runners-up in the inaugural WCPL in 2022.

After being asked to bat, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) got off to a strong start with captain Deandra Dottin, who recently rejoined the West Indies squad for the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup after reversing her retirement, hitting a six off Chinelle Henry in the opening over. However, their momentum quickly shifted when Royals’ captain Hayley Matthews bowled Dottin out in the second over.

Things worsened for TKR when Jemimah Rodrigues, who had secured their qualification with a half-century in the previous game, was caught and bowled by Henry for just two runs. Jannillea Glasgow, opening in place of the excluded Harshitha Samarawickrama, then partnered with Shikha Pandey, who was promoted to No. 4, to add 43 runs for the third wicket. However, the match took a decisive turn when Aaliyah Alleyne was introduced in the 12th over. She immediately made an impact by dismissing Glasgow with her first ball and then clean-bowling Pandey in her next over.

Alleyne’s impactful 16th over, where she took two wickets in four balls by dismissing Chedean Nation and Zaida James, brought Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) to a sudden stop. Three of Alleyne’s four wickets came from clean-bowling the batters, as she consistently targeted the stumps.

Chasing a target of 94 for their second consecutive title, the Barbados Royals started strong, with Chamari Athapaththu leading the charge. She hit three consecutive fours off Jess Jonassen in the fourth over, followed by another three off Shamilia Connell in the final over of the powerplay, leaving the Royals at 48 for 0.

TKR’s top wicket-taker in WCPL 2024, offspinner Samara Ramnath, then dismissed Hayley Matthews with a diving catch by Deandra Dottin at backward point. A few overs later, Connell took an athletic catch at long-on to dismiss Qiana Joseph, giving Ramnath her second wicket. However, shortly after taking a catch to dismiss Alleyne, Connell injured her ankle while attempting to catch a shot from Laura Harris at the boundary. She had to be stretchered off, and her recovery will be closely monitored by the West Indies management, as she is part of the T20 World Cup squad.

Despite a brief setback where the Royals lost three wickets for just two runs, Chamari Athapaththu remained steady and secured the win for the Royals in the 15th over, sparking celebrations. This victory was well-deserved, as the Royals had lost only one match all season. Hayley Matthews was named Player of the Tournament for her outstanding performance, leading the wicket-takers with 11 wickets and scoring the second-most runs in WCPL 2024.