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Anti-government activists were also removed from the fort during the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Jul-2022Spectators have been barred completely from the ramparts of the Galle Fort, which overlooks the cricket stadium where the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia is being played. This, after anti-government protesters had been forcibly removed from the area during the first Test between these teams.Police officers guarding access to the ramparts told ESPNcricinfo that even the ICC has asked for spectators be kept away. However, not only has the ICC never previously spoken against viewing matches from the fort, public spaces in Sri Lanka are also well beyond their jurisdiction.Last week, an army spokesman told that protesters had been removed in order to ensure batters were not distracted. Australia, who were batting that day, have since said that they had no qualms with public presence at the fort.Related

• In a parallel universe, Sri Lanka offer a glimpse of happier times

• Cricket cannot solve Sri Lanka's problems but it can be a distraction

Although several protesters had been removed from the fort on day two of the first Test of the series, a sign demanding the resignation of Sri Lanka’s president and prime minister had been seen for several hours on end in the evening session. The following day – day three of the Test – no spectators were seen on the ramparts, as police and army patrolled the area.As the ramparts are public property, crowds – sometimes swelling to hundreds, and very occasionally to even thousands – frequently watch cricket from there. This free vantage point is among the ground’s distinguishing features, with fans of touring teams also often setting up there to see the game.There have been widespread anti-government protests in Sri Lanka in recent months, some of which have come amid a deepening economic crisis in the country, which has left it desperately short of fuel, cooking gas and essential medicines, while the cost of living has also skyrocketed.SLC has essentially banned protests inside its grounds this series, preventing spectators from bringing anti-government placards and banners into its venues, although posters thanking Australia for touring were allowed.

Series in doubt after further positive means UAE must “remain in quarantine for extended period”

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2021The ODI series between UAE and Ireland has been hit by its second postponement in three days after a further Covid-19 positive was returned by the home camp.Sunday’s second ODI was called off the day before after a third UAE player tested positive for the virus. Following 48 hours of isolation, the Emirates Cricket Board has now announced another positive case within the squad.With the team now required to “remain in quarantine for an extended period of time”, it could affect the ability of the remaining three ODIs to be played. Ireland are also due to face Afghanistan in a three-match series in Abu Dhabi starting on January 21.Related

• Two UAE players test positive for Covid-19 ahead of ODIs

• Stirling 131* in vain as Usman, Rizwan centuries take UAE past Ireland in 1st ODI

• Another Covid-19 case in UAE camp pushes Ireland ODI back

• Shane Getkate called into Ireland squad for UAE, Afghanistan ODIs

Cricket Ireland said it supported the ECB’s decision and would continue to monitor the situation, with the health and safety of the players its priority.”Emirates Cricket Board has confirmed that tomorrow’s match in the Sky247.net ODI Series 2021 against Ireland has been suspended,” said an ECB statement. “This decision, supported by Cricket Ireland, was made after a new directive was received from authorities.”This followed over 48 hours of self-isolation by the UAE team after four reported positive cases of Covid-19. Additionally, the directive from the authorities requires the UAE team to remain in quarantine for an extended period of time.”Discussions are continuing with all concerned parties, including the relevant authorities, regarding rescheduling of the remaining matches. A decision will be made and communicated once an agreement has been reached and approved.”UAE won the opening match of the series – their first ODI victory over Ireland – on Friday, despite losing Chirag Suri and Aryan Lakra to positive Covid-19 tests in the build-up. Alishan Sharafu, who played in the first ODI, then became the third player to test positive, with the remaining games rescheduled for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – although that schedule is now in doubt.

Hong Kong are now winless after three matches while UAE have achieved two victories in three outings

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2019Despite a solid platform of 93 for 2 in the 16th over, Hong Kong suffered a middle-order collapse at the back-end of their first innings to finish with only 116 for 7 in their 20 overs against United Arab Emirates. In response, UAE made swift work of the target, chasing it down with 29 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand. The margin of victory lifted UAE to the top of Group B, although that may just be temporary.UAE’s chase was spearheaded by the 93-run second-wicket stand between opener Chirag Suri and No. 3 Rameez Shahzad. After their captain Rohan Mustafa fell in the fourth over, the duo combined to strike nine fours and four sixes in their 67-ball stand to sniff out any hope of victory that Hong Kong may have had. Shahzad’s 37-ball 54 was his highest T20I score, while Suri’s 43-ball 44 brought the opener back into form, something UAE were missing from him at the start of the tournament. Hong Kong pacer Kyle Christie took both UAE wickets, but his dismissal of Shahzad in the 15th over was a mere formality. Three deliveries after the dismissal, Suri found the boundary to seal their second win in three games.That UAE had to chase only 117 was thanks to their varied bowling attack. Junaid Siddique set the tone with the new ball in the first innings, conceding only nine runs in his two overs. With the run-rate hovering below six, openers Ahmad Abbasi and Nizakat Khan perished to left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza and medium-pacer Waheed Ahmed respectively inside 11 overs. A brief recovery then followed, with Kinchit Shah (30) and the captain Aizaz Khan (19) upping the scoring rate, but with both set batsmen falling in the death overs, their new batsmen failed to generate the momentum needed to put up a challenging total. Mustafa’s spell of 2 for 17, including two wickets for only two runs in the 20th over, made him the game’s second most economical bowler.The result meant that Hong Kong’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals took a big blow while UAE’s win has only strengthened their shout for a final-four spot.

Ben Stokes’ trial resumes at Bristol Crown Court on Monday. ESPNcricinfo gives a run-down on the first week’s developments

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-20181:16

‘Everything I did was in defence of myself and others’, Stokes tells jury

Day one

The trial of Ben Stokes, Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale – all three charged with affray which they denied – began with jurors being told the England allrounder acted “well beyond self-defence or the defence of others” when knocking two men unconscious outside Mbargo nightclub in Bristol in the early hours of September 25 last year.It is alleged that Stokes offered £300 to the bouncer outside Mbargo, Andrew Cunningham, to try and regain entry after the 2pm closing time. When that offer was declined, Stokes is alleged to have become abusive to the doorman and then mimicked and mocked a young gay couple, Kai Barry and William O’Connor, who were leaving the club. He is alleged to have flicked a cigarette butt at the head of one of the young men.

Day Two

CCTV footage from outside Mbargo nightclub is shown to the jury. Andrew Cunningham, the bouncer, alleges that Stokes abused him and the gay couple.Max Wilson, a student in the Clifton Triangle area of the city when the incident occurred, who filmed the incident from his room, described the fight involving the three defendants plus Stokes’ England team-mate Alex Hales, who was not on trial, as being like “football hooligans”.Audio from the footage suggests Hales tried to pull Stokes away from the fray on several occasions – he is repeatedly heard shouting “Stop, Stokes! No! Enough!” – with both Wilson and other witnesses agreeing he was “trying to stop him [Stokes]”.PC Daniel Adams, the officer in the case, says that the video shows Hales kicking Ryan Ali in the head as he lay on the pavement.Under cross-examination, PC Adams agreed that both Ali and Hale had bottles at the time of the original fracas and accepted it appeared that Ali had used his “to aim a blow at Mr Barry”.A court sketch of Ben Stokes•PA Photos

Ben Stokes was described as the “main aggressor” in the fight when he is identified by Mark Spure, an off-duty member of the police force.The court also hears details of the injuries sustained by Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale.Stokes’ statement to the police, which he gave on November 20, is read out to the court in which he says he felt “under threat of immediate attack” and others involved in the fight had “demonstrated a willingness to use weapons in attacking people”. He claims he was protecting Kai Barry and William O’Connor from homophobic abuse.”What Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale were saying was far from harmless banter, it was nasty homophobic abuse,” Stokes said in his statement.”I decided to intervene and asked Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale to stop abusing Kai and William. I said something like ‘leave it out – you shouldn’t be taking the piss because they’re gay.'”In response,one of the guys said ‘Shut the f*** up and f**** off or I’ll bottle you’. At the time he was holding a bottle in his right hand.The CCTV footage from outside Mbargo nightclub is released, as are the mobile-phone recordings of the fight itself.

The judge instructs the jury to find Ryan Hale not guilty of affray due to lack of evidence. Ben Stokes enters the dock for the first time.Earlier, the court is read Hale’s statement, which he gave to police in September. In it, he claims that Stokes “could have killed me. The way he was acting in that video, he could have beat the living hell out of me. That’s quite shocking to think I’ve been put in that situation.”In the witness stand, Stokes tells the jury he “stepped in” after hearing homophobic abuse towards William O’Connor and Kai Barry. He adds he saw Ali brandish a bottle towards the two men and Alex Hales so “took the decision” to get involved to “keep myself and others around me safe”.Police bodycam footage is played to the jury of the moment of Stokes’ arrest. It shows him asking for the handcuffs to be loosened due to previous injuries to his hand and also hears him tell Hales to leave the area. “I was saying ‘It’s on me’. I was saying ‘Go, get away from here. Don’t get involved’.” The footage also shows Hales telling police he only arrived on the scene after the fight had taken place.

Stokes continues to be cross-examined. He is accused of lying to the jury, and also of exaggerating the extent of an argument he witnessed “in an attempt to justify your own violent behaviour”.A written statement from England team-mate Jake Ball is read to the court in which he says Stokes was in a “good mood” during the night in question and that he wasn’t drunk.The final session of the week sees Ryan Ali, Stokes’ co-defendant, take the stand. Under cross-examination Ali accepts that footage shows he struck another man with a bottle before being punched by Stokes. Ali says he only did it to defend himself.The trial continues.

AB de Villiers is expected to retire from Test cricket as early as August, in a second attempt at hanging up his whites, unless CSA can convince him to stay on again.

AB de Villiers is expected to retire from Test cricket as early as August, in a second

Firdose Moonda26-Jun-2017AB de Villiers is expected to retire from Test cricket as early as August, in a second attempt at hanging up his whites, unless CSA can convince him to stay on again.ESPNcricinfo has learned that de Villiers informed CSA of his decision to give up the longest format late last year, but was instead offered a year out of the game in a bid to get him to reconsider. However, de Villiers is understood to contemplating Test retirement when he meets CSA officials following the appointment of a new coach in August, in an attempt to continue playing white-ball cricket for South Africa until the 2019 World Cup. CSA have declined to comment.Before leaving the UK for a two-month break at home, de Villiers said he and CSA would “make a final decision about what happens for the next few years” when they meet in a few weeks’ time, and indicated that the appointment of the new coach would be key to his future. Incumbent Russell Domingo’s contract is up at the end of the current tour to England and several sources have confirmed he has not reapplied for the post despite the support of the players, including de Villiers.But, insiders have revealed there is more on de Villiers’ mind than the question of who will take charge of the side. Those close to de Villiers say the batsman has wanted to retire from Test cricket since sustaining the elbow injury that kept him out of the New Zealand, Australia and Sri Lanka Tests last season.In a column for Graeme Smith all but confirmed this information when he wrote: “It’s my belief that AB was looking to walk away from the Test game last year at some point, but has been encouraged to carry on by CSA. His personal prerogative is ensuring he does all he can to add as much longevity to his international career as possible, as well as taking in to account the harsh realities of touring such as the amount of travel involved, and the toll that takes on your body.”AB has already made huge sacrifices for South African cricket, over such a long period of time, and with the next ICC World Cup just two years away, it’s likely that he is targeting that tournament as a swansong to his already illustrious career at the top level. What has AB de Villiers got to prove to anyone? He’s a star, and those players are often expected to be available all of the time no matter what the consequences might be personally.”Smith’s advice to de Villiers is to “step away from the captaincy”, and concentrate on maintaining his energy levels for the World Cup. If anyone would know about such things, it’s Smith. He gave up the limited-overs captaincy after the 2011 World Cup, following nine years in charge in all formats but continued playing before an unexpected retirement in 2014.Until yesterday, de Villiers had given no indication he was likely to take that course of action, insisting that he enjoyed leadership, but following South Africa’s defeat in the third T20 in Cardiff, he seemed to change his tune.De Villiers said he would like to be part of the World Cup squad in “one way or another”, and hinted at a change in mood in South African cricket. “There are quite a few things that are changing in South African cricket at the moment, quite a few things we need to wait for. I don’t even think it’s in my hands what is going to happen,” de Villiers said.Those changes include the introduction of a T20 league, to which de Villiers has committed to being a part – he is the marquee player for the Pretoria franchise. He also plays in the IPL and has previously had stints in the CPL. He admitted to being approached by the Big Bash in the past, but turned them down, because of the clash with the South African season. With a growing family, it remains to be seen how much de Villiers still wants to travel abroad, for T20 leagues or for South Africa.

After a performance as perfect as this – in which John Simpson became their third batsman to score a brilliant ton, and Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones shared nine Hampshire wickets – it is only rain that can deny Middlesex now

Will Macpherson at Merchant Taylors' School30-May-2016
ScorecardAdam Voges finished unbeaten on 160 before Middlesex’s bowlers got to work•Getty Images

As Brendon McCullum watched on from the balcony atop this beautiful, expansive ground’s quaint, wisteria-covered pavilion, he would have been forgiven for wondering quite how his new Middlesex team-mates have failed to win in the Championship this season. Six games, six draws. There is mitigation: half of those games have taken place on the deadest of Lord’s tracks, while they have lost a staggering 618 overs – 103 out of each game – to rain. The top order has been making runs, the bowlers have been taking wickets, yet not a result in sight.After a performance as perfect as this – in which John Simpson became their third batsman to score a brilliant ton, and Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones shared nine Hampshire wickets – it is only rain that can deny them now. A downpour is forecast for Tuesday, but the heavy lifting is done; surely, across the final two days, the clouds will lift to allow them time to take the seven remaining Hampshire wickets, after they were made to follow on. On the basis of the second day’s play, that should not take long.Angus Fraser talks about the “Middlesex DNA”, the personality traits he wants to define his team, which is a rather hazy concept for those on the outside, but crystal clear to all in a united, friendly, laugh-a-minute dressing room. It was there last week, when Nick Gubbins, the baby of the side – and thus victim of a few pranks – was so touched to be taken out for drinks by his team-mates upon finally reaching a Championship ton, having three times fallen in the 90s. It was visible here, when James Fuller took his first – then second and third – Championship wickets for the club, and the back-slapping seemed to last for hours. It is audible every time Ollie Rayner or Murtagh let out their big barks, their umms and ahhs in the field; each gag is raucously laughed at, each achievement raucously celebrated.It was perhaps most obvious, however, as Adam Voges and Simpson came out and flayed to all parts in the morning session – with clouds low and fielders’ fingers freezing – to add a quickfire 125 in just 19.2 overs and set up a perfect declaration, allowing the bowlers 30 minutes before lunch, upon the completion of Simpson’s rocking, rollicking century. Roland-Jones described their efforts, to which Simpson contributed 72 off 61 this morning as Voges, who finished 160 not out turned the strike over, as “selfless, but highly skilful too”.”It’s never easy to go out and force the issue that clearly,” Roland-Jones said. “They set the tone, playing so positively to get ahead so quickly and we exploited the conditions that were out there.”Simpson, such a pugnacious, powerful batsman, played a dazzling hand. There was a front-foot pull for six off James Tomlinson, then another six to cow, and reverse-swept and straight-driven fours, all of Liam Dawson, as 22 were pilfered from five balls. Each came with crack cleaner than the last. Hampshire, on a pitch described by Roland-Jones as “pretty consistent, but always offering enough to the bowlers with enough lateral movement,” had been thoroughly beaten up by brilliant batting. They looked utterly demoralised.Either side of lunch, the nippy, nagging excellence of Murtagh and the Fraser-ish, bouncy Roland-Jones, a veritable nightmare bowling down the hill, bowled 11- and 10-over spells respectively. As Roland-Jones’s lift continually beat the outside edge, Murtagh’s off-stump line accounted for the top three. Sean Ervine and Dawson – who drove beautifully straight – dug in to share 34, Hampshire’s largest partnership of the day, but a screaming Sam Robson catch at gully saw off Dawson, and before long Rayner’s bounce gave his first over the wicket of Joe Weatherley. Murtagh returned to find Ervine’s edge, and Roland-Jones docked a limp tail.Hampshire’s horrid day was summed up by Tino Best, so hot against Nottinghamshire last week, so very cold today. There he was, at the end of the day’s first over, calling the 12th man on for a second jumper – to be fair, it was chilly enough to force umpire Neil Mallender to don gloves – but soon he was officially warned for beaming Voges and, later, a leading edge off Roland-Jones flew straight to mid-on. His funereal walk to and from the middle meant a one-ball innings lasted four minutes.The follow-on was enforced without the batting of an eyelid – and may mean Hampshire, who are three behind on the over rate, end up taking -2 points from the match. Middlesex continued on their merry way, Murtagh’s second ball taking the edge of Will Smith – promoted to open, before Fuller’s aggressive late burst did for Michael Carberry, caught low at second slip, and Ervine – stump cartwheeling – just as the new-ball pair’s exertions began to show. Off they went, revelling in their six perfect sessions and ready to meet their newest team-mate, knowing that first win is not far away.

Leicestershire have announced the signing of Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal to play in the NatWest T20 Blast as cover for Grant Elliott

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2015Leicestershire have announced the signing of Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal to play in the NatWest T20 Blast as cover for Grant Elliott. Akmal will be available to play in four games in June, while Elliott is with New Zealand for their ODI series against England.”This will be my first time playing T20 for a county and I am very excited to be handed this opportunity,” Akmal said. “The club have put their trust in me so I will give my 100 percent efforts to repay their faith.”Akmal was a member of Pakistan’s World Cup squad and has played 170 limited-overs internationals for his country. Elliott and Akmal will share the second overseas slot during the Blast, with former Australia international Clint McKay available across all formats.Leicestershire’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, said: “It is brilliant that we are signing a player of Umar’s quality for when Grant is on international duty with New Zealand. Our fans should get the chance to see Umar at Grace Road on Friday, June 12, and we are all looking forward to him showcasing his skills over the course of the four games.”Leicestershire, who won the last of their three T20 titles in 2011, begin their Blast campaign on Friday against Lancashire. Akmal is expected to play in fixtures against Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire.”It is fantastic to have Umar with us when Grant goes to play for New Zealand,” Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove said. “Along with Clint, we have high-class overseas players to supplement the young talent we have here.”

The preview of the CLT20 final between Lions and Sydney Sixers, in Johannesburg

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran27-Oct-2012

Match facts

October 28, 2012
Start time 1730 local (1530 GMT)Sydney Sixers’ attack will be led by Mitchell Starc who has been among the best bowlers of the year in Twenty20s•Associated Press

Big Picture

The Champions League T20 may be the ugly step-sister of the cricketing world, with most fans giving it the cold shoulder, but for many of the players involved the final will be the biggest payday of their lives. With the champions getting a cool $2.5m, the money on offer will bump players, especially those who aren’t part of national teams or aren’t globetrotting T20 specialists, up a tax bracket or two. Adding to the occasion will be the sell-out crowd at one of cricket’s iconic venues, the Wanderers Stadium, which will make it among the biggest audiences some of the domestic players will play in front of.And contesting the final are the two most consistent sides of the tournament. Lions weren’t topping anybody’s list of favourites when the tournament began, but they have exceeded expectations through a combination of teamwork and temperament, keeping their head when things start to get tight. They have plenty going for them. The Wanderers is their home ground, and no one knows the conditions there better than Lions. The diversity in their batting – Twenty20 batting doesn’t get too much more of a contrast than the leg-side biffing of Ghulam Bodi and the surgical precision of Neil McKenzie – has been married to consistency through the tournament. And the bowling has four match-winners: their two imports Dirk Nannes and Sohail Tanvir, their best bowler in the domestic tournament, Chris Morris, and one of the bowlers of the CLT20, Aaron Phangiso.Their one reverse in this tournament came against their opponents in the final, Sydney Sixers. When the Big Bash League was launched a year ago, Sydney Sixers were the butt of jokes for their flamboyantly pink outfits, a colour which they started to refer to as ‘mangenta’. A year on, they have earned the respect of Twenty20 fans after winning the inaugural BBL, and are yet to drop a game in the CLT20.They came into the tournament as one of the leading contenders and have so far lived up to the tag, despite losing the services of Dwayne Bravo and Brett Lee to IPL teams, and that of possibly the most valuable player currently in T20 cricket, Shane Watson, midway through the tournament. They could also be without their captain, Brad Haddin, for the final, as he picked up a thumb injury – though he was fit enough to bat on Friday.

Watch out for…

Steve O’Keefe has opened the innings only three times in T20s: the semi-finals and final of the BBL, and Friday’s CLT20 semi-final against Titans. On all three occasions he has made a significant contribution, including a Man of the Match performance against Titans. In addition, his left-arm spin has been taken for less than a run-a-ball this tournament.Fast bowler Chris Morris was the top wicket-taker in South Africa’s domestic Twenty20 competition last season, and he came into the CLT20 on the back of a 12-wicket haul against Dolphins in a first-class game. He started off quietly in this tournament but hit the headlines with his spell against Delhi Daredevils in the semi-finals, helping his team defend a sub-par score by taking the key wicket of David Warner and then killing off the game with scalp of Kevin Pietersen.

Weather and conditions

Despite gloomy weather forecasts, the showers thankfully stayed away during both semi-finals. The organisers will hope that trend continues for the final as well, when light rain is predicted.

Stats and trivia

• Mitchell Starc is the leading wicket-taker not just in the tournament but in all Twenty20s this year, with an astonishing 56 wickets in 26 matches
• Six of the Lions players who were part of the semi-final have a batting average over 26 in T20s, while the highest among Sydney’s players in the semi-final was Nic Maddinson’s 25.76

Quotes

“I think the middle overs will be important. We’ve dominated that period in almost all our games and I think that will play a massive role once again.”

“Lions are very desperate to win. This is a chance for the domestic teams to showcase their skills at the international stage.”

Heavy rain in Kolkata has forced the Champions League Twenty20 governing council to move the four scheduled matches at Eden Gardens to Hyderabad and Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2011Heavy rain in Kolkata has forced the Champions League Twenty20 governing council to move the four scheduled matches at Eden Gardens to Hyderabad and Bangalore, subject to approval from the local authorities.The Group B matches scheduled for September 25 and 27 will now take place in Hyderabad, while the match on September 29 involving Royal Challengers Bangalore and a team from the current qualifier will be played in Bangalore.”With regret and in the best interests of the tournament, CAB [Cricket Association of Bengal] and CLT20 have reluctantly agreed to moving its four scheduled Group B matches away from Eden Gardens due to the heavy rains that have deluged Kolkata,” Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of CAB, said in a statement.”We’re disappointed that we’re not able to host the matches, but this decision was unavoidable and taken out of our hands due to the current weather conditions. We wish CLT20 luck for the tournament and hope CAB will have the chance to host the event in the coming years.”

A round-up of the action from the second day of the ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge where West Indies, South Africa and Sri Lanka all recorded victories

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2010
Scorecard
Helmien Rambaldo’s 67 for Netherlands women was in vain against Sri Lanka women•International Cricket Council

South Africa humbled Pakistan at the Witrand Cricket Field in Potchefstroom, winning by seven wickets with almost 20 overs to spare. Opting to field, they made steady inroads into the Pakistan batting. After top-scorer Nain Abidi was dismissed for 30 to leave Pakistan at 83 for 4, there was no stopping the slide. Offspinner Sunette Loubser grabbed three wickets and Pakistan wilted, bowled out for 123. Wicketkeeper-batsman Trisha Chetty anchored South Africa’s reply, making a steady, unbeaten 60 to see her team through to its second straight win in the competition.
Scorecard
West Indies eased to their second consecutive win of the competition, thrashing Ireland by 166 runs in Potchefstroom. West Indies had begun the tournament on a high, seeing off Netherlands women by 148 runs and bettered that effort on Thursday with Stafanie Taylor, yet again, emerging their star. Opening the batting, she struck 72, an innings laced with six fours, and was supported in a 95-run stand for the third wicket by captain Merissa Aguilleira (44). Both were dismissed off successive deliveries in the 33rd over but Deandra Dottin, the first woman to score a Twenty20 century, stepped up to smash 72 off 59 balls and propel the West Indies score to 275.The start to Ireland’s chase was encouraging, with the openers Clare Shillington and Cecelia Joyce adding 66. But then began the slide, as left-arm seamer Shanel Daley removed the opening pair and set about shutting Ireland out of the game. There was plenty of support from the rest of the bowlers; Anisa Mohammed and Taylor, with their offspin, made inroads, grabbing two wickets each to help West Indies surge to another comprehensive win. Ireland were bowled out for 110, no other batsman, after the departure of the openers, managed to score more than 10.
Scorecard
Sri Lanka opened their account in the tournament with a comfortable win over Netherlands at the North-West University No.1 Ground in Potchefstroom. Their decision to bat was justified by a solid start provided by opener Hiruka Fernando and an attacking innings by Suwini de Alwis, who top-scored with 73, striking nine fours. Sandamali Dolawatta steadied things when Sri Lanka had appeared to lose their way towards the end of their innings with an unbeaten 48. She struck just one four in her knock but kept scoring at a good pace during her 61-ball stay. Sri Lanka managed 245, which proved more than adequate.Netherlands tried to put up a fight, captain Helmien Rambaldo scoring 67, adding 65 for the second wicket with opener Violet Wattenberg and a further 71 for the third wicket with Annemarie Tanke. However, those runs took too much time to accumulate and Netherlands struggled to match the increasing run-rate. Sri Lanka captain Shashikala Siriwardene removed her counterpart to make it 153 for 4 and Netherlands eventually ended up short, finishing on 195 for 8.