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B Sai Sudharsan and Prasidh Krishna once again stood up for Gujarat Titans (GT) as they beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 58 runs in Ahmedabad. This was GT’s fourth successive win in IPL 2025 and it took them to the top of the points table.After RR opted to bowl on a red-soil pitch, Sai Sudharsan’s 82 off 53 balls, his third half-century of the season, steered GT to 217 for 6. With no dew in the second innings, it proved way too steep for RR to chase down. Mohammed Siraj and Arshad Khan struck in the powerplay before Prasidh picked up 3 for 24 in the middle overs to keep RR on the back foot. Despite Shimron Hetmyer’s fighting fifty, RR were all out for 159 in 19.2 overs.Related

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Archer breathes fire again

Jofra Archer didn’t have a great start to IPL 2025. In his first two games, he conceded 109 from 6.3 wicketless overs. But he bounced back in his next two with a combined 4 for 38 from seven overs. He breathed fire tonight as well. In his first over, he rushed Sai Sudharsan with a 152.3kph bouncer. In his second, he got one to move in at 147.7kph and pegged back Shubman Gill’s off stump. His match-up against Gill in T20 cricket now reads: 15 balls, ten runs, three dismissals.For his former captain Jos Buttler, Archer had two slips, a short leg and a catching square leg, and welcomed him with a menacing bouncer that Buttler did well to evade. Buttler inside-edged the next ball just wide of short leg, and then pushed Archer through the covers for four.

Sai Sudharsan continues his dream run

Sai Sudharsan generally takes time to get going. Here, he attacked right from the start. He ramped, scooped, drove and cut, and took his side to 50 in 5.1 overs. By the end of the powerplay, he had 39 against his name, off 22 balls. Only Wriddhiman Saha (54 vs Lucknow Super Giants in 2023) has scored more runs in an innings for GT in that phase.Buttler was on 12 off 13 at one point but hit four fours in his next six balls to move to 31 off 19. He and Sai Sudharsan added 80 off 46 balls before Maheesh Theekshana trapped Buttler lbw. After a brief dip in the scoring rate, M Shahrukh Khan opened up and smashed 36 off 20 to re-inject momentum.Sudharsan was dropped on 81 by Shubham Dubey off Archer in the 18th over, but he only added one more to his tally. Then Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan ransacked 30 in the last two overs to take GT past 200.1:36

What’s working for Prasidh Krishna this season?

Siraj, Arshad strike early

RR did not have a great start. Yashasvi Jaiswal slashed Arshad to deep third in the second over of the chase and Nitish Rana did the same against Siraj in the next. Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag counter-attacked and added 48 off 26 balls for the third wicket. The stand was broken when Impact Sub Kulwant Khejroliya had Parag caught behind in the seventh over. Parag immediately reviewed the decision, confident that his bat had only hit the ground, but the third umpire thought otherwise, with Ultra Edge also bringing up a second spike when the ball passed the bat.

Rashid into the act

Coming into this game, Rashid had picked up just one wicket in four outings. Tonight, he struck in his first over. It was a shortish ball that didn’t bounce as much as Dhruv Jurel expected, and Sai Sudharsan at deep midwicket gobbled up the mistimed pull.Rashid enjoys a favourable match-up against Hetmyer, having dismissed him six times in 63 balls for 79 runs before this game. He almost had Hetmyer lbw for a first-ball duck but the ball had pitched fractionally outside leg stump. From there on, Hetmyer dominated Rashid and hit him for 26 runs off 12 balls with the help of two fours and two sixes. However, Rashid was too good for RR’s Impact Sub Shubham Dubey and had him lbw for 1.

Prasidh lands decisive blows

Prasidh is GT’s enforcer in the middle overs and he was at it once again. Just before Rashid snared Dubey, he had provided his side a crucial wicket. Samson and Hetmyer had taken RR to 115 for 4 in 12 overs, leaving them needing 103 off 48. Prasidh then dug one into the pitch. Samson went airborne to try and ride the bounce and steer it behind point, but ended up guiding it straight to short third.In his final over, the 16th over of the innings, Prasidh had Archer caught at mid-off and Hetmyer at deep-backward square-leg, both off short balls. With RR 145 for 8 after 16 overs, the result was sealed. They dragged their innings into the final over but that did little to reduce the margin of their defeat.

Australia Test opener Usman Khawaja has opted not to play for Queensland in the upcoming Sheffield Shield match against South Australia where a win could hand them a spot in the final, but he could be available for the decider if they get there.Khawaja was not named in Queensland’s 14-man squad after informing Queensland’s selectors that he was unavailable. Queensland Cricket were accepting of Khawaja’s decision with captain Marnus Labuschagne returning to the lead the side being away with Australia’s ODI team at the Champions Trophy.Khawaja isn’t the only Cricket Australia contracted player missing with Xavier Bartlett also unavailable for the remainder of the season as he heads off to play in the IPL for Punjab Kings. Travis Head, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Spencer Johnson are all unavailable for South Australia for the remainder of the season as they are IPL bound but Alex Carey has been named to play against Queensland and will available for the Shield final.Related

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• Queensland revive final hopes with thumping victory

• Khawaja's century gives Queensland edge on opening day

• Khawaja rested for second straight Sheffield Shield game due to workload management

However, Khawaja’s absence is an odd one given he is fully fit and produced match-winning scores of 127 and 33 not out in Queensland’s win over Tasmania to put the Bulls back in contention for the final, as they sit second on the table just 1.41 points ahead of New South Wales. Khawaja has opted to fly from Brisbane to Melbourne to spend the weekend watching the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix instead of playing the Shield game at Karen Rolton Oval.The 38-year-old has managed his schedule carefully in recent years, valuing rest over playing a lot of back-to-back games in order to remain mentally and physically fresh for his Test commitments as he attempts to extend his career as long as possible. That management plan has been supported by Cricket Australia and Queensland Cricket.He missed one of Queensland’s first four Shield games to freshen up ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and understandably missed the Shield game against Western Australia that started nine days after the tour of Sri Lanka where he scored a career-best 232 not out in the first Test. Khawaja wasn’t the only Test player to miss that round but Beau Webster did play for Tasmania, having played the three most recent Tests for Australia.Khawaja has already played 11 first-class matches this summer including seven Tests, which is already more games and days than any Australian domestic red-ball only batter would play in a Shield summer in total. He has also already captained Queensland to a Shield title back in 2021. However, Khawaja is likely to have all of April and May to rest after the Shield season finishes in the final week of March before preparing for four Tests in June and July which include the WTC final and a three-Test tour of the Caribbean. He won’t have any international commitments thereafter until the Ashes begin in late November.Meanwhile, Khawaja’s Queensland team-mates travelled to Adelaide early to get an extra day of training in on Thursday ahead of the match starting on Saturday as the squad could not train all week due to the heavy rain that followed Cyclone Alfred.South Australia have rested quick Brendan Doggett for the Queensland clash ahead of the final but Nathan McAndrew returns after he was rested from the win over Victoria last week.Elsewhere, Australia Test quick Scott Boland has been ruled out of Victoria’s must-win match against WA at the WACA ground. Boland suffered some knee soreness in the aftermath of the loss to South Australia and if Victoria are unable to qualify for the Shield final he is set for an extended period of rest before beginning a lengthy build-up towards the WTC final that will feature some bowling in Melbourne and up-to three training camps in Brisbane.Victoria captain Will Sutherland returns after being rested from the loss against South Australia and Peter Siddle has also been included in the 13-man squad. Victoria have also called up former WA quick David Moody after some strong performances for Victoria’s second XI.New South Wales have named Australia Champions Trophy players Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis and Tanveer Sangha for their day-night pink ball clash with Tasmania at Ninja Stadium (Bellerive Oval) in Hobart. A win and significant bonus points could be enough to get NSW into the final ahead of Queensland even if Queensland beat South Australia.Sheffield Shield squadsQueensland squad: Marnus Labuschagne (c), Jack Clayton, Lachlan Hearne, Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Jackson Sinfield, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Callum Vidler, Jack WildermuthSouth Australia squad: Nathan McSweeney (c), Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry ThorntonWestern Australia squad: Sam Whiteman (c), Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Keaton Critchell, Joel Curtis, Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli, Charlie Stobo, Ashton Turner.Victoria squad: Will Sutherland (c), Scott Boland, ⁠Harry Dixon, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Blake MacDonald, David Moody, Todd Murphy, Fergus ⁠O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Peter SiddleTasmania: Jordan Silk (c), Gabe Bell, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Aidan O’Connor, Mitch Owen, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau WebsterNew South Wales squad: Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Ollie Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards (c), Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Sam Konstas, Blake Nikitaras, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha

New Zealand have qualified for the Pakistan Tri-Nation Series final after completing the third-highest successful chase in Lahore to beat an under-strength South Africa by six wickets. The result means the next match, between Pakistan and South Africa in Karachi on Wednesday, is a knockout.Kane Williamson and Devon Conway, both back in New Zealand’s ODI squad for the first time since the 2023 World Cup, scored 133 not out and 97 respectively and shared in a record partnership for New Zealand against South Africa (187). Conway’s score was the first time he crossed fifty since the opening match of the 2023 World Cup, 11 innings ago. Williamson’s century was his first in 22 innings, dating back to his 148 against West Indies in Manchester in the 2019 World Cup. It was also Williamson’s second fastest ODI hundred, off 72 balls. Between them, the pair eclipsed a remarkable achievement by Matthew Breetzke, who became the player with the highest individual score on ODI debut – 150 – and the fourth South African to score a century in his first match.Breetzke accounted for just under a half of South Africa’s total, which is the first indication of where things went wrong for them. They scored too slowly in the middle of the innings, especially given the flat nature of the track. The second issue was a severely uninspired attack, albeit not a first-choice one. Three of the bowlers – Eathan Bosch, Senuran Muthusamy and Mihlali Mpongwana – were on ODI debut and could be forgiven but lack of punch from Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi, who conceded 116 in 16 overs between them will be a concern ahead of the Champions Trophy.Devon Conway brought up his half-century off 64 balls•PCB

South Africa have now lost five ODIs in a row, their longest losing streak in 20 years, but have played all their matches without a full strength side. While they’re unlikely to have too many positives to take from this defeat, they may console themselves with the knowledge that, Rachin Ravindra aside, New Zealand were at full strength and played like it.After choosing to bowl first in the only day game of the series, New Zealand struck early when Will O’Rourke bounced Temba Bavuma out as he edged a pull. Bavuma had looked confident for his 23-ball 20 but New Zealand’s O’Rourke’s consistent and aggressive approach with the short ball paid off.Breetzke and Jason Smith combined for a second-wicket stand of 93 but their scoring rate of 5.31 runs to the over was testament to New Zealand’s squeeze. South Africa struck only two fours and three sixes in the 17 overs between Bavuma’s dismissal and Smith’s run-out, as they tried to take on Mitchell Santner but were largely kept quiet. In that time, Breetzke brought up fifty off 68 balls.A perfect start to Matthew Breetzke’s ODI career went in vain•AFP/Getty Images

When Smith was run-out, New Zealand had an opportunity to get into an inexperienced middle order and they took it. Kyle Verreynne tried to reverse-sweep the fourth ball he faced, missed and was bowled by Michael Bracewell. Another quiet period followed, in which South Africa only hit one boundary in 11 overs, as the combination of Ben Sears, Bracewell and Matt Henry stuck to their disciplines.South Africa were 196 for 3 entering the last 10 overs and 280 looked a distance away. Breetzke took it on himself to get them there. He dispatched O’Rourke through deep third to bring up his century off 128 balls in the 41st over, and then put foot down. His next fifty runs came off 19 balls as he brought out his full range. His 150 came in an over where he hit Sears for 20.Just as it seemed Breetzke could be eyeing a double, he mis-read a Henry slower ball and was caught at mid-off. Wiaan Mulder, who had largely operated as a spectator to that point, had the responsibility to finish off the innings but was fortunate to have an inside-edge trickle away for four before he established some control. He reached his second ODI fifty with a crunching cover drive off Henry, off the 54th ball he faced, and took South Africa over 300 with a four through short fine in the penultimate over. South Africa got only four runs off their final eight balls.Eathan Bosch celebrates after getting rid of Will Young for his first ODI wicket•Associated Press

It was not enough. New Zealand built slowly but got ahead of the required run rate just after the halfway stage of their innings and were in full control from there. They had only lost Will Young at that point, for 19, though he should have been out for 6 in the third over. Smith dropped Young at backward point off Ngidi but the miss did not prove too costly.His dismissal brought Conway and Williamson together and there was one nervy moment, when Williamson inside-edged Junior Dala past Verreynne but he soon settled into a rhythm and put on a masterful display of run-scoring, all around the wicket. His wagon wheel was almost entirely symmetrical, with 67 runs on the off side and 66 on the leg side and the highlights included four strong cut shots and a creative ramp over Verreynne as he leaned back to an Ngidi delivery.Equally, Williamson’s pacing of his innings was perfect. He gave himself time to get in, all while scoring at a run-a-ball, and then took over the more dominant role from Conway, who got to fifty first. Conway’s half-century came off 64 balls, before Williamson’s reached his, off 44 balls, with a massive six over mid-on off Shamsi. It was also Williamson’s fourth successive fifty-plus ODI score in Pakistan. He took a liking to Mpongwana and Ngidi’s short-balls while Conway took on Shamsi and South Africa had no answers.Kane Williamson is a fan favourite in Lahore as well•AFP/Getty Images

Williamson got to his century in the 34th over with a single off Dala. Conway was not far behind and eager to get there but, when he was on 97, he tried to cut Dala past point and found Muthusamy, who moved to his left and took the catch.Muthusamy was the pick of South Africa’s bowlers and dismissed Daryl Mitchell, thanks to a stunning catch from Mulder at long-on, and Tim Latham off successive balls but Glenn Philipps partnered Williamson to the end. Williamson hit the winning runs in the 49th over, to give New Zealand victory with eight balls to spare.

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley has described Thursday’s exhibition match featuring an Afghanistan Women’s XI in Melbourne as the first small step towards playing international cricket saying it is a ‘real beacon of hope’ that should spark conversations globally.An Afghanistan women’s cricket team, consisting of refugees who now live in Australia, will play a T20 match between against a Cricket Without Borders XI at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Thursday morning ahead of the opening day of the day-night Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG that starts in the afternoon.It is the first time they have been able to come together as a group since leaving their country following the Taliban takeover, with half of the group settling in Canberra while the other half settled in Melbourne.Related

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• Powerplay: More than just a match for Afghanistan Women's XI

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• Powerplay: How cricket helped Afghanistan women escape

• Exiled Afghanistan women players to men's team: 'Please be the voice of the girls'

Hockley spoke alongside two of the Afghanistan XI players, Nahida Sapan and Firooza Amiri, on Monday at the Junction Oval, with Sapan announced as the captain for the match. Cricket Without Borders Chair Clare Cannon, Director Ken Jacobs and Australia’s Federal Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts were also present as the organisation of the match has been a joint effort between, CA, Cricket Without Borders and the Australian government.Hockley was hopeful that this match will be the first of many playing opportunities for the Afghanistan women in the future and indicated that the England and Wales Cricket Board were keen to help promote their cause after captain Heather Knight met the exiled Afghanistan female players in Melbourne earlier this month.”I think this is a first step,” Hockley said. “We’ve got colleagues from the ECB coming out for the women’s Ashes, and there are conversations happening to support from England as well as from Australia. So I think the first piece is awareness. But I think it’s going to be such an exciting day on Thursday, and my hope is that promotes lots of conversations, that this becomes an annual thing and then ultimately, that this team were able to compete on the international stage as is their want.”I don’t think any of us can comprehend what they’ve been through moving to a new country in such difficult circumstances, not speaking the language. I’m just inspired by their resilience, their love for the game and hopefully this game just raises awareness, a real beacon of hope.Nahida Sapan and Firooza Amiri speak to the media ahead of the Afghanistan XI match in Melbourne•Getty Images

“I was privy to a moment where they got to see their playing shirts for the first time with their names and numbers on the back, and you can just see how much it means to them. So I really hope this is kind of the first step of a really successful journey for this group, but also that this match shines a light on the fact that in places around the world not every woman and girl has a chance to play.”Sapan has been playing club cricket in Melbourne for Carnegie while Amiri has been playing for Dandenong. But both players were overjoyed at the opportunity to play in an Afghanistan Women’s XI.”It’s really special for us, especially for Afghan women because this is a very historic moment for all Afghan women,” Sapan said. “We have a big hopes for this match, because this match can open doors for Afghan women, for education, sport and future. We don’t want this to be our first and last match. We want more matches. We want more support.”Amiri, who has been a prominent voice for the Afghanistan female cricketers, was thrilled that the team can come together for the first time.”We are going to represent millions of Afghan women that they are in Afghanistan and denied for their rights,” she said. “And also it’s very special for all of us to get back together after three years, leaving everything and losing everything back home in Afghanistan”It’s going to be very exciting for all of us to play together. We had couple of camps together, but it’s going to be our first match. We’re looking for a win.”Australia currently do not play Afghanistan in bilateral fixtures but continue to face them in ICC events and are in the same group for next month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge says that England are ready to park the criticism that followed their early exit from the T20 World Cup, and renew their focus on the “fearless” brand of cricket that went missing at the crucial moments of their decisive group-stage defeat to West Indies in Dubai last month.Speaking in the lead-up to Sunday’s first T20I against World Cup runners-up South Africa in East London, Wyatt-Hodge insisted that England had not “become a bad side in eight overs”, after an error-strewn performance in the field had allowed West Indies’ Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph to romp to fast-paced fifties, en route to a place in the semi-finals at England’s expense.England’s poor performance drew an unprecedented reaction in the media, not least from the former World Cup winner Alex Hartley, who called into question the players’ fitness levels – a point that was flatly rejected last week by their head coach, Jon Lewis. However, Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that heightened scrutiny was an inevitable consequence of the growth of the women’s game.”That’s part of the game now isn’t it?” she said. “We put ourselves out there, people can say what they want, but all that matters is in our circle, and we’re all working really hard every day in training and games. We want to keep improving individually and as a team. And people are entitled to say what they want out of this group. That’s fine. We know what’s going on, so that’s all that matters.”We’ve played some outstanding cricket over the last few years, and we played some great cricket throughout the World Cup as well,” she added. “And we’re all here now in South Africa, and we’re really excited to get going. We just want to focus on playing that fearless brand of cricket that we’ve played over the last couple of years, and just enjoy it.”South Africa pulled off the shock of the tournament to beat defending champions Australia in their semi-final, before losing to New Zealand in their second consecutive appearance in the T20 World Cup final. Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that they would pose another stiff challenge to her team, even though they have chosen to rest two senior players, Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka, at this early juncture of their multi-format series.England “did not become a bad side in eight overs” against West Indies, says Wyatt-Hodge•ICC/Getty Images

“They’ve got a few youngsters in their squad, so we’re not going to be familiar with some of their bowlers,” Wyatt-Hodge said, with Eliz-Mari Marx and Nondumiso Shangase among the unfamiliar names.”We’re going to sit down and have a look at what they do, but they’ve got some outstanding players on their team, like Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt. They’re a very challenging team to play against, but it’s always really good fun to come out here and play against them in their conditions. We’re really buzzing to get going.”One potential trump card for England could be the recall of Lauren Filer, their fastest bowler, who was overlooked for the conditions at the World Cup, but who can expect to relish the harder surfaces of South Africa over the coming weeks.”Filer’s bowling has really improved over the last year or so,” Wyatt-Hodge said. “She’s very scary to face in the nets, and especially out here, the pitches are quite quick and bouncy. So she’s going to be a handful to face out here. She’s been working really hard, and if she gets a chance, I’m sure she’s raring to go.”The timing of the series, and the multi-format nature, means that England are sure to have one eye on their Ashes tour of Australia in January. But Wyatt-Hodge recognised the significance of the tour in its own right, especially given the need to bounce back from their recent disappointments.Related

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• England seek World Cup redemption in South Africa

• England Women appoint Courtney Winfield-Hill as assistant coach

• Alice Capsey called up to England T20 squad for South Africa tour

• Paige Scholfield ruled out of England's SA tour with ankle injury

“This is a massive series for us, leading up to the Ashes as well. We want to go out there and show off our skills, and show everyone how good we are.”We’ve had a few meetings, there’s always ways we can be better,” she added. “Personally, I’ve got things on the work on, like many of the other girls, so we want to keep pushing ourselves to be better and better.Even though I’m 33, I still feel like one of the youngsters, I feel about 23. I just want to have fun, but also, when I’m on it, I’m on it and I’m focused. I just want to keep working hard, and hopefully the youngsters see the likes of me, Heather [Knight], Amy [Jones], Nat [Sciver-Brunt] wanting to keep improving and working hard. We want to inspire them as well, to do what we’re doing.”The tour will conclude with a one-off Test match in Bloemfontein, starting on December 15, and though Wyatt-Hodge insisted “I just play what’s in front of me,” she admitted the prospect of adding a third Test cap to her tally was an enticing one.”We don’t really play that much of it, so every time I’m picked in a Test squad, it’s a really special feeling,” she said. “To make my Test debut in the Ashes Test couple of years ago was one of the best days I’ve had in my cricketing career. It hits different, a Test match does. We all really enjoy the challenge. It’s just so different, so having a Test match here against South Africa is going to be great prep going into the Ashes.”

No access to drinking water for spectators at the MCA Stadium on a hot and humid day in Pune led to chaos and complaints of sickness among the fans who came to watch the first day of the second Test between India and New Zealand.During the lunch break, hundreds of spectators queued up near the North Stand for water, which was unavailable at the time. Police intervention was needed to manage that crowd. Around 20 people complained of dehydration and giddiness and needed attention at the first-aid kiosk at the North Stand. With temperatures over 30 degrees celsius, a member of the staff at that kiosk suggested that there were more cases of dehydration in other stands.The MCA stadium, located in the outskirts of Pune near the expressway to Mumbai, has a capacity of 37,000, and almost 18,000 spectators turned up for the third Test match at the venue and first since 2019. More than half of those spectators had to brave the heat and humidity as only six stands at the MCA stadium have a roof.The MCA had promised free water during this game, but amid the chaos, a number of fans ended up buying water from vendors at high prices. One fan said he had spent more on water bottles than his ticket for the entire Test match.Once water was made available to the spectators the MCA secretary Kamlesh Pisal apologised to the fans and said that more water booths would be set up across the stands from Friday.”We can only apologise to the fans for inconvenience caused,” Pisal told reporters. “But we want to assure them, through MCA, that this won’t be repeated, and everything will be taken care of.”Considering the scorching heat, we had decided to provide cold water. In our previous experience, the fans had complained about us providing warm water or boiling water. We, as management, thought we would provide them with cold water, so we had kept cool cages. Once the water in cool cages finished, we tried to refill it with the same cold water, and in that process, it got delayed. We have done a recce of the entire water in stands and will make sure everything is refilled properly tonight to avoid such situations.”

England’s women cricketers have taken another step towards gender parity, with minimum starting salaries in domestic cricket set to be equalised across the men’s and women’s professional games from 2025.The move, which will coincide with the first season of the new women’s county competition, will apply both at ‘Rookie’ level, which is being introduced into the women’s game for the first time, and at ‘Senior Pro’ level for players who have established themselves in first teams.The announcement comes in the wake of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report in June 2023, which called for a “fundamental overhaul” to the pay structure of women’s cricket in England and Wales.The report found that the average England Women’s salary was 20.6% of their male equivalents (although the ECB considered that figure to be closer to 30%), and set targets for equalising pay at domestic level by 2029 and for internationals by 2030.Although the ECB pushed back at the report’s timeframe for achieving full parity across the sport, their commitment to minimum salaries reflects the need to offer an equality of opportunity for young players considering cricket as a career choice. At the time of the report’s publication, the minimum salary for male first-class county players was in the region of £27,500.This latest move follows last summer’s announcement that England’s women would receive equal match fees for international fixtures, which had been an immediate recommendation in the ICEC report.”Equalising starting salaries across our men’s and women’s professional domestic game is another positive step forward for women’s cricket in England and Wales,” Beth Barrett-Wild, Director of Women’s Professional Game, said.”The changes we’ve made to the structure of women’s domestic cricket across the last nine months have been about producing a sustainable and viable product that’s attractive off the pitch, as well as being quality on it. As part of this, it’s important that our players are remunerated appropriately, and that cricket is seen not just as a viable career option for women, but an enticing one.”Increasingly, every decision we take is about making cricket as attractive a sport for young girls as it is for boys. We know we still have a lot of work to do in this space. But we are moving at pace, and the news today represents another significant building block in the journey to gender equity in the game.”The ECB has also confirmed that the eight Tier 1 counties in the new women’s competition will have minimum squad sizes of 15 contracted players, with each of the first-class counties required to invest at least £500,000 on their player salary costs in 2025. A salary cap of £800,000 per year has also been agreed for those clubs.PCA Director of Player Rights and Women’s Cricket, Emma Reid, said: “Working with the ECB and the professional game, we are really pleased to see equalised minimum salaries across the men’s and women’s domestic game from 2025.”This is a big step towards reaching parity and a journey that the PCA is fully committed to achieving, but there is still further work to do. With the women’s teams under the umbrella of the First-Class Counties, the PCA will continue to lobby for parity across all areas of the professional game.”The starting salaries and salary budget details have been approved by the ECB’s Professional Game Committee (PGC), which features representatives from FCCs, the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) and the ECB.The announcement came in advance of the ECB’s one-year update on its progress towards equity in cricket, in the wake of its initial response to the 137 recommendations and sub-recommendations outlined in the ICEC report.The measures introduced have included the appointment of the Cricket Regulator as an independent, arm’s length disciplinary body, and an additional investment of £2 million in the ECB’s pathways programmes.Richard Thompson, ECB Chair, said: “A year ago, we published our response to the ICEC report into racism, sexism and class-based discrimination in cricket.”We made a commitment to wide-ranging action aimed at tackling discrimination and breaking down barriers for women and girls, people from lower socio-economic groups, and ethnically diverse communities, and today I’m pleased to report on the progress we have made in that time.”But we know there is much more work to do and it’s only the start of the journey. We have a number of plans and structures in place to allow us to accelerate change through 2025 and 2026. And we recognise that in some areas lasting, meaningful change will take a long time.”This article was updated at 1pm BST, September 25, 2024, following the publication of the ECB’s progress report

Tanush Kotian scored his second first class century on the fifth day of the Irani Cup as Mumbai won the title on the basis of their first-innings lead, lifting the trophy for the first time since the 1997-98 season.Kotian added 94 runs to his overnight total of 20 as Mumbai batted through the day, declaring with a 450-run lead when Rest of India agreed to end the match as a draw. Kotian became the first batter to cross fifty twice in an Irani Cup game while batting at No. 8 or lower. Offspinner Saransh Jain picked up a six-wicket haul, but Rest of India were unable to bowl Mumbai out with enough time to have a crack at their total.Mumbai began the day with a 274-run lead, with Kotian at the crease with Sarfaraz Khan. Saransh trapped Sarfaraz lbw in the fourth over of the day, and two overs later, had Shardul Thakur stumped.But Kotian and Mohit Awasthi batted 200 balls, adding 158 runs, to seal Mumbai’s victory.Rest of India turned to eight bowlers in total, including Ishan Kishan, Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal, but could not add to their two strikes early in the day.Kotian, who made 64 in the first innings, hit ten fours and a six as he batted out 150 balls for his unbeaten 114.Awasthi, meanwhile, hit a six of his own and stroked four fours as he scored his maiden first class half-century.

Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama has been charged by the ICC for breaching three counts of the anti-corruption code relating to corrupt approaches in international matches and the Lanka Premier League.According to an ICC statement Jayawickrama, 25, was charged under articles 2.4.4 and 2.4.7 of the code as follows:

• Failing to report to the Anti-Corruption Unit, without unnecessary delay, details of an approach he received to carry out fixing in future international matches.
• Failing to report to the Anti-Corruption Unit, without unnecessary delay, details of an approach he received in which he was asked to approach another player, on a corrupter’s behalf, to carry out fixing in the 2021 Lanka Premier League.
• Obstructing the investigation by deleting messages in which the approaches and offers to engage in corrupt conduct were made.

Jayawickrama has 14 days from August 6 to respond to the charges. In accordance with the anti-corruption code, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the ICC have agreed that the ICC will take action concerning the LPL charge alongside the charges relating to international matches.Having made his international debut in a Test against Bangladesh in April 2021, Jayawickrama has played five Tests, five ODIs and five T20Is. His last appearance for Sri Lanka was in a T20I series at home against Australia in 2022.In LPL 2021, Jayawickrama was a part of the Jaffna Kings side that won its second title. He played one match that season, taking two wickets. In LPL 2024, he turned out for Dambulla Sixers.

Shane Snater played an incisive role as Essex defeated Gloucestershire by 63 runs in a one-sided Metro Bank One Day Cup contest at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.Called into the side after missing the competition opener against Warwickshire four days earlier, the 28-year-old seamer took three wickets in 13 deliveries in a devastating new-ball burst that fundamentally undermined Gloucestershire’s top order.Chasing a victory target of 263, the home side lost wickets with indecent haste thereafter, five top or middle-order batsmen falling in single figures as last season’s beaten semi-finalists were dismissed for 199 in 36.2 overs, Snater claiming 3 for 39 and Jamal Richards 2 for 33.Ajeet Singh Dale struck a defiant career-best 25-ball half-century and dominated a stand of 85 for the last wicket with Tom Smith, but tail-end resistance arrived too late to save Gloucestershire.Put into bat, Essex had earlier posted 262 for 8, thanks in the main to half-centuries from Luc Benkenstein and Robin Das, who staged a restorative partnership of 88 in 17 overs to rescue the visitors from 86 for 4. Das contributed 52 from 71 deliveries and Benkenstein raised a career-best 67 from 62 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes. Gloucestershire seamer Dominic Goodman returned impressive figures of 4 for 43, his best in List-A cricket, while Singh Dale generated express pace to claim 2 for 50 from nine overs and Tom Smith took 2 for 51 with his slow left arm.Beaten in their opening two fixtures, Gloucestershire face back-to-back away games against Surrey on Tuesday and Yorkshire on Thursday and will very likely need to win both if they are to remain in contention for a place in the knockout stages. Buoyed by their first win in the 50-over competition, Essex will attempt to strengthen their position when they embark upon successive home matches against Leicestershire and Glamorgan on Wednesday and Sunday respectively.A heavy defeat in front of their home crowd appeared an unlikely scenario when Gloucestershire won the toss and Singh Dale removed Nick Browne in the first over. But Feroze Khushi and Tom Westley weathered the storm and mustered eight fours and a six between them in a second wicket partnership of 59 in 61 balls, their burgeoning alliance only foundering when Khushi pulled a short delivery from Singh Dale to mid-wicket and departed for a 29-ball 31. Goodman struck with his first delivery to bowl Westley for 23 and, when Charlie Allison edged behind off Smith, the visitors were 86 for 4, their innings in the balance.Eschewing risk to begin with, Das and Benkenstein combined clever placement and hard running to rebuild the innings, the fifth wicket partnership realising 50 via 52 balls. Initially the more aggressive of the two, Das went to his half century from 64 balls as the innings gained crucial momentum during the middle overs. Smith eventually broke the partnership, Das hitting him high to long on where Cameron Bancroft parried the ball a split second before stepping over the rope to enable Ollie Price to complete a remarkable catch.Although Benkenstein raised his 50 in style, slog-sweeping Smith for six, he was unable to convert a substantial score into a truly meaningful one, lofting Goodman to deep cover and becoming part of a mini-collapse that saw Essex slip from 174 for 4 to 211 for 7 in six overs. Goodman accounted for Noah Thain and Shane Snater on his way to career-best figures, after which Essex were indebted to Ben Allison and Richards, who staged a useful unbroken stand of 23 for the ninth wicket.Any suggestion that Essex might have fallen short with the bat was quickly dispelled as Snater took a wrecking ball to the top order, pinning Miles Hammond lbw, bowling Price and then having James Bracey caught behind to reduce Gloucestershire to 28 for 3 in seven overs.The only one among the top-order batsmen to reach double figures, Bancroft then nicked a catch behind off Ben Allison as the hosts subsided to 33 for 4, summoning memories of the dramatic collapse that served to hand victory to Glamorgan in their previous outing. That soon became 43 for 5, Jack Taylor chopping on as Richards claimed a wicket with his third ball from the Bristol Pavilion end.Charged with the task of rebuilding, Graeme van Buuren and Ben Charlesworth added 30 runs in 7.4 overs before Gloucestershire suffered a further body blow. On this occasion, it was self-inflicted, van Buuren pushing a ball from Thain to mid-on and setting off in pursuit of a single, only to be run out by Das for 21. When Charlesworth holed out to deep square leg later in the same over, Gloucestershire were 76 for 7 and heading for a second defeat in four days.Singh Dale and Smith at least restored a vestige of pride, scoring 63 and 29 not out respectively in a stand of 85 in eight overs, a Gloucestershire record for the last wicket in List-A matches, eclipsing the previous mark set by David Graveney and John Mortimore in a contest against Lancashire at Tewkesbury in 1973.