Nigeria stun New Zealand to set tournament alight

Nigeria achieved a remarkable victory against New Zealand, marking their first win in the Women's Under-19 World Cup. This game was their first completed match in the tournament after their initial match was washed out due to rain. The match was affected by rain and reduced to 13 overs per side. Nigeria batted first, scoring 65 runs for 6 wickets, with notable contributions from captain Piety Lucky and Lilian Udeh. In response, New Zealand's innings began with an early setback, losing their opener Kate Irwin to a run-out on the very first ball. Emma McLeod, the other opener, was dismissed in the third over by right-arm seamer Usen Peace. New Zealand struggled throughout the middle overs, finding themselves at 49 for 5 at the end of 11 overs. With 17 runs needed for victory, New Zealand scored eight runs in the penultimate over, including a four from captain Tash Wakelin on the last ball. However, they required nine runs in the final over but could only manage six runs off Udeh, allowing Nigeria to secure a thrilling two-run victory.

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International games

ICC UNDER 19 WOMENS T20 WORLD CUP 2025

England Women U19 vs Pakistan Women U19

 England Women U19 won by 6 wkts

• PAKWU19-66/10 (18.5 Overs)

• ENGWU19 - 67/4 (9.2 Overs)  

  South Africa Women U19 vs Samoa Women U19

     South Africa Women U19 won by 10 wkts

• WSMWU19 16 (9.1 ) 

• RSAWU19 17/0 (1.4)

     Scotland Women U19 vs Nepal Women U19

  Scotland Women U19 won by 1 wkt

• NPLWU19 73 (18.5)

• SCOWU19 74/9 (18.4) 

Shan Masood defends spin-it-to-win-it strategy: 'We will do what we need to take 20 wickets.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood put up a strident defence of Pakistan's decision to produce a pitch that was heavily spin-friendly. After Pakistan wrapped up a 127-run win in the shortest-ever Test to produce a result on Pakistani soil, much of Masood's press conference was dominated by talking about why the soil in question was quite as dry and brittle as it was.

"We will do what we need to take 20 wickets and win the match," Masood said. "We don't even play domestic cricket in these conditions. It's a new thing for us as well. We changed it during the England series because we wanted our team to win. We should appreciate the hard work of our bowlers, who got us 20 wickets consistently."

Domestic cricket + T20 leagues

BANGLADESH PREMIER LEAGUE, 2024-25

Dhaka Capitals vs Sylhet Strikers

• Dhaka Capitals won by 6 runs

• DHCP - 196/6 (20 overs)

• SYST - 190/7(20 overs)

Travis Head Poised for Test Captaincy Amid Smith's Injury Concerns

Australia's cricket leadership may see a shift as Travis Head emerges as a potential stand-in captain for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour. This development follows an elbow injury sustained by current Test captain Steve Smith during a Big Bash League match, casting doubt on his availability.

Smith, who assumed the captaincy from Pat Cummins—sidelined due to an ankle injury—is awaiting a specialist's assessment to determine his participation. In light of this uncertainty, Head's leadership credentials have garnered support, notably from former opener David Warner.

At 21, Head became South Australia's youngest Sheffield Shield captain, highlighting his leadership potential early in his career. His recent form bolsters his case; he was the leading run-scorer in the series against India, showcasing his reliability and performance under pressure.

Should Smith be unavailable, Head is poised to become Australia's 48th Test captain, marking a significant milestone in his cricketing journey. This potential leadership change lives with uncertainties surrounding Cummins' participation in the upcoming Champions Trophy ODI tournament in Pakistan, as he undergoes specialist rehabilitation for his ankle.

The Australian cricket community awaits further updates on Smith's condition, with Head ready to step into the leadership role if required.

On This Day

2014

Pakistan made 302 - the fastest chase of a 300-plus total - in 57.3 overs to win the Sharjah Test and draw the series 1-1 with Sri Lanka, who, in trying to protect their series lead, played out the first four days and a session of the fifth at a crawl (they scored 19 runs in the final 16. 4 overs of their second innings). Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed injected urgency into the proceedings on day five, aided by Misbah-ul-Haq, as Pakistan stormed along at 5.25 an over. Sri Lanka had won the second Test, in Dubai, comprehensively by nine wickets, bowling Pakistan out cheaply for 165 in the first innings.

Coming tomorrow

• SA20, 2025

  • Durban Super Giants vs Mi Cape Town

•  BIG BASH LEAGUE 2024-25

  • Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers, Qualifier

•  INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE T20, 2024-25

  • Dubai Capitals vs Desert Vipers

What else is happening

• Pant unveiled as LSG captain, says he will give the franchise '200%: Rishabh Pant has vowed to "give 200%" to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after being officially unveiled as the franchise's captain for IPL 2025. As ESPNcricinfo had reported earlier, Pant was set to be named captain after being bought at the pre-season auction for a record INR 27 crore (USD 3.21 million approx.).

• Axar hints at flexible middle order as India gear up for England T20Is:  All of India's batters apart from their openers can expect to have flexible roles in the T20I line-up. Axar Patel, India's newly appointed vice-captain in the format, suggested this could be the case in his press conference ahead of the five-match T20I series against England.

• MLC set to expand from six teams to eight by 2027, move into Canada being explored: Major League Cricket (MLC), the fledgling T20 tournament in the USA, is set to expand from six teams to eight by 2027, with a move into Canada being explored in developments that could have wider implications for the sport.