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)Colin Munro looks to steer the ball behind point•Getty Images

Trinbago Knight Riders erased the bad memories of some early season woes at Queen’s Park Oval as they stormed back to the top of the CPL table in an emphatic fashion with a 67-run win over Guyana Amazon Warriors. The hosts staked a claim to be favourites for repeating as CPL champions behind another Colin Munro half-century, the fourth time he passed 50 in six career innings against Amazon Warriors.Munching for runsNew Zealand’s Munro is on the verge of obliterating the single-season scoring record for the CPL, ending Wednesday night just 23 away from surpassing the mark of 458 set last year by Chadwick Walton. Munro cracked his fifth fifty in eight innings in the season, this one the biggest of the lot as part of a 135-run second-wicket partnership with Denesh Ramdin.After the early loss of Chris Lynn, Munro plundered 10 fours and four sixes in his knock. Imran Tahir has been Amazon Warriors’ talisman with the ball, entering the night second on the CPL wickets table with 13 but was smoked into the third tier over long-on by Munro. It set the tone for a night in which the South African legspinner went wicketless for the first time this season.Munro reached 50 in 39 balls, then kicked his innings into high gear in the 14th over against Rayad Emrit. The Warriors captain was hammered for 19 in the over, including a four slashed over short third man and then a six flicked 25 yards over the square-leg rope. Unlike Tahir, going wicketless has been a regular occurrence for Emrit this season. The 37-year old ended with 0 for 40 in three overs, his fourth straight match without a wicket, and was in a foul mood in the post-match handshake line.Munro had plenty of time to reach what would have been his second CPL century, but got out just 10 short, skying a catch to long-on in the 17th over. Ramdin had fallen four balls earlier as well to spark a late comeback effort in the field by the visitors.Not the BrazilianMaking his CPL and T20 debut, 23-year-old Romario Shepherd was the man who eventually claimed Munro. The Guyanese medium-pacer didn’t stop there though. Two balls after removing Munro, he dragged one wide of the crease forcing Brendon McCullum into an awkward reach, resulting in a loopy drive taken by a diving Shimron Hetmyer running in from the cover boundary.Shepherd continued a fine effort in the 19th over, getting Darren Bravo to drag a full delivery onto his stumps to further dent Knight Riders’ efforts at a late surge and ended with 3 for 29. Sohail Tanvir followed up his first-over wicket of Lynn by rounding off the Knight Riders innings with two more on the last two balls, of Javon Searles and Sunil Narine. Considering the record-breaking chase by Jamaica Tallawahs on the same ground in the first week of the season, 170 seemed to be well below par at the halfway point but it wound up being plenty.Ameri-KhanAfter modest returns with the ball recently – a total of three wickets in his last four games – USA’s Ali Khan stepped up in the battle for first place to wreck the Warriors chase early. Four balls into the chase, Luke Ronchi was beaten for pace attempting to flick and was given lbw, although replays showed the ball appeared to be missing leg stump.Khary Pierre removed Walton flicking across the line in the third over before Ali Khan struck a much bigger blow in the fourth. Hetmyer failed to get the elevation trying to whip a length ball off his legs only to pick out Munro on the deep-square-leg boundary.When Narine induced a leading edge for a return catch off Cameron Delport in the sixth, Knight Riders were well on top at 33 for 4. Unlike the record chase by Tallawahs spearheaded by Andre Russell’s century when they had been four down in the Powerplay against Knight Riders, there would be no comeback from the Warriors. Dwayne Bravo and Fawad Ahmed claimed two wickets each before Ali Khan came back for the final wicket, Tahir caught at cover in the 18th over to clinch victory.

Knowing when it’s time to go is a valuable trait, and if Pakistan were in any doubt their time in the Caribbean was up, West Indies quashed them and sent the visitors out of town with a comprehensive trouncing.Jayden Seales’ six-wicket haul – the joint second-best figures by a West Indian in men’s ODI cricket – and an unbeaten hundred from Shai Hope put Pakistan to the sword in each innings. It was more than enough to secure West Indies’ first ODI series win over Pakistan in 34 years with their biggest ever win over Pakistan, scything through them for 92 having set them 295 to win.It was a 15.2-over passage of play straddling both innings which lay at the heart of West Indies’ dominance, a stunning inversion of a script Pakistan thought they had been writing all along. West Indies struggled to get going on what looked a tricky pitch to negotiate against the slower bowlers, with Mohammad Rizwan greedily getting through as many of their part-time fifth bowling options as possible.West Indies appeared to have sacrificed an ambitious innings total in exchange for conservatism that at least preserved their wickets, but as a result, they hadn’t yet crossed 200 by the start of the 44th over. It took one ball to change that, a smeared six from Hope off the first ball from Mohammad Nawaz bringing up that milestone. A second six off the next delivery emphasised his intent, and Pakistan watched frozen as West Indies shuffled themselves off the canvas and began landing body blows Pakistan one after the other.Shai Hope remained unbeaten after making his 18th ODI ton•AFP/Getty Images

Rizwan immediately turned to Abrar Ahmed, so effective through the middle of the innings that he’d conceded just five off his first six overs. But West Indies’ captain had redlined his game, turbocharging to a gear Pakistan believed he wasn’t capable of achieving on this surface. He would bleed a further 18 off the mystery spinner, with Justin Greaves bursting into life from the other end, flaying Hasan Ali for as many. Naseem Shah, trying his best to land the kind of reverse swinging yorkers that had put paid to Roston Chase earlier, could not escape Hope’s wrath as he bore down on three figures, getting there with a crunching cover drive that put him third on the all time West Indian ODI centuries list.That was just the start of a 21-run over, and by the time he caressed Hasan Ali over backward point off the final ball of the innings, 100 had come off the final seven. As Pakistan walked off dejected muttering amongst themselves, it was hard to escape the feeling this was about as poor a passage of play as they could endure.And yet, Seales spent the next 8.2 overs disabusing them of that notion. For the third time in the series, the right-arm quick exploited the angle moving away to Saim Ayub, who nicked off in the first over. His fellow opener, Abdullah Shafique, would also leave without troubling the scorers, trying to whack Seales over mid-on, but couldn’t take into account the heavy ball he was bowling, ballooning it to Gudakesh Motie stationed perfectly in position.Jayden Seales finished with a career-best six-for•AFP/Getty Images

But it was the third of his six which will serve as the jewel in the crown. Rizwan can be tricky to settle on a length to for all his fidgetiness, and as he took a step out, he determined the fourth-stump line on a hard length was safe to leave on both counts. As he shouldered arms, he would have heard the mildest clink behind him, like ice-cubes tinkling in a glass. The ball had seamed back in and kissed the off bail without even touching the stumps; it could not have been dislodged more clinically if someone picked it up and set it on the ground.A punch-drunk Pakistan were already dreaming up wild scenarios for how this match could turn, and it’s safe to say they all involved Babar Azam. Babar, though, was a mere plot-point to Seales’ perfect day as he trapped him in front with the batter still in single figures to leave Pakistan reeling at 23 for 4.It was those 92 balls that defined the game. Pakistan may have started well, but it barely feels like it matters now. The cracks and weaknesses were apparent even then, when Rizwan turned to Hussain Talat for his first deliveries in international cricket after the first powerplay saw them constrict West Indies, only for Evin Lewis to pick him up for two sixes and break the shackles. Abrar was so accurate and menacing he often appeared on the verge of running through West Indies early, and the hosts spent much of the innings batting at a glacial pace well under four runs per over. It did not matter now.Mohammad Rizwan looks back after Jayden Seales’ sorcery dislodged the bails•AFP/Getty Images

Neither did whatever happened after that fourth Pakistan wicket fell. Salman Agha and Hasan Nawaz had little ambition beyond stealing a few singles each over, even if that made the ultimately Herculean task even more insurmountable as the asking rate spiked. That Pakistan had stripped their side of full-time bowlers for superficial batting depth hardly seemed to matter. They knew they were never getting there anyway, and when the spin of Motie and Chase accounted for them in quick succession, West Indies could see the finish line.To do the honours, they handed that baton to none other than Seales, who blew past Naseem and Hasan Ali before Abrar jogged through for a single that was never on. Chase effected a direct hit, that sharpness depriving Seales the opportunity to bag the best ever bowling figures in men’s ODIs by a West Indian. For all of the young speedster’s brilliance, the fact Pakistan ensured they had a final say in their own downfall felt somewhat apt.

Bangladesh have announced an unchanged squad for the three-match T20I series against Pakistan, following the 2-1 T20I series win over Sri Lanka.Pakistan have already arrived in Dhaka, where they will play all three matches at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on July 20, 22 and 24. All three are night matches.The Bangladesh squad arrived in Dhaka on Thursday, after having crushed Sri Lanka by eight wickets in Colombo to complete a turnaround from 1-0 down and win the series.Related

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Litton Das became the first Bangladesh captain to win two overseas T20I series. He had also led Bangladesh to a 3-0 win in the West Indies in December last year.Bangladesh have an in-form batting group, with Tanzid Hasan, Litton, Towhid Hridoy and Shamim Hossain scoring important runs against Sri Lanka. Offspinner Mahedi Hasan led the bowling effort in the third T20I, picking up 4 for 11, while Rishad Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman completed the series with economy rates of less than six an over.Bangladesh’s most recent T20I series result against Pakistan was a 3-0 defeat in Lahore in May-June earlier this year. Pakistan boast a strong record against Bangladesh, having won 19 of the 22 T20Is between the two sides.Bangladesh will be wary of the preparedness of the pitches in Dhaka, which has been experiencing heavy rain during the monsoon season.

Bangladesh squad for T20Is against Pakistan

Litton Das (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mohammad Saifuddin.

Pakistan will play three ODIs at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore against South Africa from September 16 to 22 in the build-up to the 2025 ODI World Cup before leaving for Sri Lanka, where they will play all their group matches – as well knockout matches, if they qualify for that stage.There is no other cricket scheduled for the team for the rest of 2025 apart from a three-match T20I series in Dublin in early August.The major part of the build-up to the T20 World Cup in England in June-July 2026 will be in South Africa, where they play three ODIs and three T20Is in February-March next year, and the same number of ODIs and T20Is against Zimbabwe at home in April-May. That series was supposed to include five T20Is in addition to the three ODIs according to the future tours programme, but has been trimmed to three.

Women’s international calendar 2025-26

International calendar
Three T20Is vs Ireland, Dublin, Aug 6-10, 2025
Three ODIs vs South Africa, Lahore, Sep 16-22, 2025
Women’s ODI World Cup, India and Sri Lanka, Sep 30-Nov 2, 2025
Three ODIs and three T20Is vs South Africa in South Africa, Feb 7-Mar 2, 2026
Three ODIs and three T20Is vs Zimbabwe in Pakistan, Apr 24-May 11, 2026
T20 tri-series in Ireland, May-June, 2026
Women’s T20 World Cup, England, June 12-July 5, 2026

Domestic calendar
National One-Day Tournament, Karachi, Nov 6-24
National T20 Tournament, Karachi, Mar 24-Apr 17, 2026
Inter-University, Oct 2025

Pathways
Under-19 T20 Tournament, Karachi, Sep 15-Oct 6, 2025
Pakistan U-19 tour to Bangladesh, Dec, 2025

Pakistan will then travel to Ireland for a triangular T20I series also involving West Indies in May-June before travelling to England for the World Cup.The women’s Under-19 team is scheduled to play a national T20 tournament in Karachi from September 15 to October 6. The PCB has said in a statement that the tournament’s top performers would be invited to a three-week skills development camp afterwards too. This, and a conditioning camp, will lay the foundation for the team for their tour of Bangladesh for a five-match T20 series in December this year.On the domestic seniors’ front, the PCB is “actively engaging in discussions with various departments to introduce a departmental tournament for women’s cricket” and “this initiative will provide additional playing opportunities for our women cricketers”, PCB’s head of women’s cricket, Rafia Haider, said.The tournament, if it comes to pass, would slot into the domestic calendar alongside the women’s one-day tournament, which takes place in Karachi from November 6 to 24. The international players are expected to take part in this event, played on a double-league basis and featuring 15 matches.The women’s T20 tournament will be staged in Karachi from March 24 to April 17 next year. An inter-university tournament is scheduled for October 2025 as well, though no schedule or venues have been announced for it yet.

South Africa’s David Bedingham admitted he had “panicked big time” during a handled-the-ball incident on the second afternoon of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, one that briefly threatened to thrust Australia’s wicketkeeper Alex Carey into another spirit of cricket rumpus.Two years on from his contentious stumping of Jonny Bairstow during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, Carey was once again at the centre of an unusual Australian appeal, as Bedingham – on 31 at the time, and in the final over before the lunch break – played off the back foot to Beau Webster, and inside-edged the ball into his pad-flap.Although the on-field umpires, Richard Illingworth and Chris Gaffaney, subsequently called the ball dead, Bedingham’s continued movements had briefly threatened to dislodge it from his pad-flap. With Carey swooping round from behind the stumps in a bid to gather it before it hit the turf, Bedingham responded by reaching down to his knee, and throwing the ball to the ground.Related

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“Yeah, I think I panicked big time,” Bedingham said at the close. “Because Carey was standing up, he was quite close. The umpires said, regardless, it was dead ball. But I think the way I picked up the ball and dropped it came across a bit dodgy.”Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, played down the moment in his post-match press conference, but acknowledged that he would likely have withdrawn the appeal had the umpires not signalled dead ball. Notably, he chose not to do this two years ago against England, when Carey capitalised on Bairstow’s habit of walking out of his crease after each delivery to throw down his stumps with an opportunistic under-arm shy.”I’m just glad they withdrew the appeal, because there [would be] more controversy and that type of stuff,” Bedingham said. “I’m glad nothing happened out of it, really. The slip cordon just told me, ‘don’t panic, just leave it…’ but in the moment, I think I panicked big-time.”The Bairstow dismissal caused a huge row, with Australia’s fielders coming in for abuse from MCC members within the Long Room as they left the field at the end of the session, and England’s captain Ben Stokes subsequently stating that he wouldn’t want to win a game in such a manner after Australia sealed a 43-run win later that afternoon.David Bedingham drops the ball from his pad just as Alex Carey comes forward to catch it•Getty Images

However, that moment, as with this latest incident, clearly fell within the remit of the laws of the game.According to Fraser Stewart, MCC’s head of cricket and the former laws manager, the eventual decision was “right for the game”, even if a strict interpretation of the Law 20.1.1 – which pertains to dead balls – might argue that the ball hadn’t been completely stationary at the moment of Bedingham’s intervention.According to the relevant laws, a ball becomes dead when: In a 2001 Test in Ahmedabad, England’s Michael Vaughan was given out handling the ball after placing his hand on the ball after it had already hit the turf, seemingly to prevent it from rolling back onto his stumps.Vaughan is the last of seven batters to be given out handled the ball in a Test match, because since 2017, that mode of dismissal has been subsumed into obstructing the field. In 2023-24, Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim fell in that manner after handling the ball against New Zealand in Mirpur.

Ishan Kishan will not be charged with dissent despite an on-field argument with an umpire on the fourth day in Mackay after India A were unhappy with the ball being changed.Before the first ball of the final day, umpire Shawn Craig told the Indian players the ball was changed because it was scratched, which raised the spectre of ball tampering, but a Cricket Australia statement later said it was due to “deterioration”.”You scratch it, we change the ball. No more discussion, let’s play,” Craig was heard saying over the stump microphones.That led to a heated exchange with Kishan who replied: “So we are going to play with this ball…that’s a very stupid decision.”Craig responded: “Excuse me, you’ll be on report for dissent. That’s inappropriate behaviour. Because of your actions we changed the ball.”Under the CA playing conditions, umpires are able to change the ball without awarding a five-run penalty, which is part of the laws and playing conditions for altering the condition of the ball, if there is uncertainty over how the damage occurred.CA playing condition 41.3.4 reads: “If the umpires together suspect, but are not certain, that the condition of the ball has been unfairly changed, or that its condition is inconsistent with the use it has received, the umpires may: Change the ball forthwith. The umpires shall choose a replacement ball for one of similar wear and of the same brand as the ball in use prior to the contravention; Bowler’s end umpire shall issue the captain with a first and final warning.”Three hours after the match finished, CA issued a statement saying the ball had been changed because of “deterioration” despite what was heard over the stump microphones on the coverage.”The ball used in the fourth innings of the match was changed due to deterioration,” a CA spokesperson said. “Both teams’ captain and manager were informed of the decision prior to the start of play. No further action is being taken.”Kishan will also escape any punishment despite his exchange with Craig.Australia A captain Nathan McSweeney was at the crease when play resumed but was involved in what went on.”I was at the striker’s end when the umpires said they’d changed the ball, I’m not sure what quite for, I didn’t notice any change in the ball personally,” he said.Kishan is not part of India’s Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and neither is India A captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, from the XI which featured for the first game Abhimanyu Easwaran, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prasidh Krishna will stay on for the Test series.The scenes at the start of play added unexpected drama to the closing stages of the first four-day game which saw McSweeney make a strong claim for a place in Australia’s Test squad as he finished unbeaten on 88 in the chase. He added an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 141 with Beau Webster who also produced a very controlled innings.Once India A didn’t make early breakthroughs on the final morning they started to go through the motions with Sai Sudharsan sending down six overs of rather friendly spin.

The last leg of Somerset’s treble bid went the way of the first two as Glamorgan won a truncated Metro Bank One-Day Cup Final on a gloomy reserve day at Trent Bridge that mercifully stayed dry long enough for them to lift the trophy for the second time in four years.In a match reduced in advance to 20-overs a side after Sunday’s total washout, overhauling Glamorgan’s 186 for 7 proved beyond them as the Welsh county, who beat Durham here to win the 50-over competition in 2021, came out on top by 15 runs, restricting Somerset to 171 for 6.Sam Northeast had anchored the Glamorgan innings with an unbeaten 63, while Billy Root added 39 off 27 balls, both hitting two sixes in a crucial fifth-wicket stand, Timm van der Gugten backing them up with 26 off just nine balls to bookend Will Smale’s 28 from 14 at the top of the innings.Skipper Sean Dickson hammered 44 from just 20 balls after Andy Umeed’s 45 from 36 for Somerset, but after offspinner Ben Kellaway and seamer Andy Gorvin had taken two wickets each, Glamorgan’s Jamie Mcilroy and Dan Douthwaite held their nerve with two fine overs at the death to finish the job.Beaten in the Vitality Blast final and knocked out of the race for the Vitality County Championship in the preceding nine days, the defeat left Somerset empty handed yet again.The only disappointment for the winning team was that their moment of triumph was witnessed in the flesh by only a smattering of spectators on the ground rather than the thousands who had turned up on Sunday.England spinner Jack Leach did not bowl a ball as Somerset opted to rely on five seamers, of whom George Thomas took 2 for 23 and left-armer Alfie Ogborn 2 for 36 from their four-over allocations.Sam Northeast cut loose for Glamorgan•Getty Images

After Sunday’s total washout forced the teams to return for the scheduled reserve day, play mercifully began on time, with the contest sensibly reduced to 20 overs per side even before the toss had been made, in anticipation of more heavy rain due to arrive in early afternoon.Somerset won the toss and opted to bowl as the Trent Bridge floodlights illuminated the misty gloom hanging over the ground.Ogborne took wickets with his third and fourth deliveries, bowling skipper Kiran Carlson before Tom Bevan shovelled tamely to short fine leg, but Glamorgan still put up 39 runs in the first four-over powerplay thanks to Smale’s aggression.Smale raced to 28 from his first 13 balls, living dangerously against Josh Davey with three boundaries over third but striking Ogborne cleanly over mid-on and for six over square leg. The threat he posed was removed when Dickson held a brilliant catch falling backwards at mid-off.After South African Colin Ingram, one of Glamorgan’s trump cards, picked out wide long-on off Thomas for just 11, Glamorgan were 71 for 4 from 10 and needed to find new energy.It came initially from Root, who cleared the rope three times, with Northeast eventually following suit with two of his own, one from a free hit, as Kasey Aldridge’s final over went for a damaging 29. They added 78 in 49 balls before Root was caught behind off Thomas.The next two wickets came quickly as Northeast’s failure to run as he was caught off a no-ball left the big-hitter Douthwaite stranded, before Kellaway sliced to short third, but van der Gugten’s swashbuckling cameo, encompassing four fours and a six off Davey hammered over long-off raised the total to something that looked defendable on a slow pitch.In reply, Somerset had Thomas run out in the third over of a stodgy powerplay and were some way off the pace at 63 for 2 from 10 after Lewis Goldsworthy, who had hit a century in the semi-final to down holders Leicestershire, picked out long-on off Kellaway, although Umeed was beginning to land some blows.A double setback followed as Umeed fell to a superb catch by Smale standing up to Andy Gorvin and James Rew was caught off a top-edged sweep as Kellaway landed his second blow, leaving Somerset 89 for 4 in the 13th and Glamorgan firm favourites.A blistering partnership of 66 in just five overs between Dickson and Archie Vaughan dragged Somerset right back into contention, Vaughan having survived Kellaway’s lbw shout on umpire’s call before he had scored.But after hammering 44 from 20 balls, hitting sixes off van der Gugten (twice) and McIlroy, Dickson reversed Gorvin to short third – from a delivery that might otherwise have been called wide – costing them critical momentum with 32 needed from 15 balls.It came down to Somerset needing 29 from the last two, a task that ultimately proved too much. Douthwaite picked up a wicket when Green heaved in the air to square leg and Vaughan’s boundary off the last ball was academic.

Warwickshire will visit Glamorgan in the Metro Bank One Day semi-finals on Sunday after a dazzling maiden List A century from Kai Smith powered them to four-wicket victory over Worcestershire at Edgbaston.Warwickshire were in deep trouble when, chasing 286, they hit 77 for 5, but Smith, whose previous List A best was 44, smashed an unbeaten 130 from 104 balls. A sixth-wicket stand of 181 in 163 balls between Smith and Will Rhodes (75) saw the Bears to 288 for 6 with six balls to spare.It was devastating turnaround for injury-ravaged Worcestershire who had totalled 286 for 9 thanks to a stylish century from Jake Libby. Already the national leading run-scorer in this year’s Metro Bank One Day Cup, the captain struck 112 from 115 balls to build on a platform set by Ed Pollock’s 54.Early wickets then put Worcestershire in command but 19-year-old Smith played with freedom, fluency and not a trace of nerves to book his side a semi-final in south Wales.Put in on a used pitch, Worcestershire openers Pollock and Gareth Roderick added 38 in ten overs before two wickets fell in five balls. Roderick was lbw to Rae and Rob Jones edged his second ball behind to reward Ed Barnard for an excellent opening spell.Pollock advanced to a 54-ball half-century against his former team-mates but added only four more before slicing a drive at Jake Lintott to point. Adam Hose, freed from Hundred duty, soon spliced Michael Booth to extra cover but Libby reached his sixth half-century of this year’s tournament (from 67 balls) and celebrated with six over mid-wicket off Barnard.Jake Libby hits through the off side•Getty Images

The captain received important support from Ethan Brookes and Tom Taylor in stands of 61 in ten overs and 28 in 18 as the pitch flattened out in the sunshine. Fateh Singh and Tom Hinley also cleared the ropes to lift Worcestershire to a strong total.They also started strongly with the ball, taking two wickets in the first five overs as Theo Wylie skied Harry Darley to mid off and Zen Malik off-stump was trimmed by an inswinger from Taylor.Barnard and Rhodes took the score to 50 before two big wickets fell in the 14th over. Barnard flicked Jack Home straight to midwicket. Three balls later, Michael Burgess was run out by a direct hit from Brookes.When Benjamin edged a cut at Brookes, Warwickshire were 77 for 5 but Rhodes and Smith were unfazed. While the former captain anchored the fightback, Smith raced to a maiden List A half-century and then onward to a scintillating ton off 89.The sixth-wicket pair had put their side in control by the time Rhodes was brilliantly caught by a sprawling Brookes from a skier. That left the Bears needing 29 from four overs and Smith and Lintott closed the game out nervelessly, Smith striking Taylor for six and four from successive balls to seal victory.

Zimbabwe 210 (Masvaure 74, Gumbie 49, McBrine 3-37, McCarthy 3-42) vs IrelandA wicketless first session gave the impression that Zimbabwe would dominate the first ever day of Test cricket in Northern Ireland, but Ireland took all ten wickets in just over 40 overs to vindicate Andy Balbirnie’s decision to bowl first on an overcast morning.Barry McCarthy’s relentless eight-over spell after lunch denied Joylord Gumbie a half-century, left Dion Myers looking clueless, and set up a 65-run session where the visitors couldn’t get away. Curtis Campher blew hot and cold but dismissed Prince Masvaure, the top scorer with 74, allowing Andy McBrine to run through the lower half of the middle order.Zimbabwe had their share of soft dismissals, and the risks their batters took, particularly after tea, backfired as they lost their last six wickets for 17 runs. A second spell of rain came amid the change of innings and took out about half an hour, which was enough for the umpires to call stumps.Zimbabwe had the upper hand going into the evening session despite losing three wickets in the afternoon. The sun had peeked out, and Sean Williams was off and running. Campher was bowling the odd beauty, but it was an innocuous back-of-a-length ball going down leg that strangled Masvaure.Williams continued to take on McBrine despite Masvaure falling, and hit two fours. The offspinner did create a chance in the 59th over, but McCarthy, running back from mid-on, spilled it. But Balbirnie was rewarded for keeping McBrine on as he turned one away to have Williams edge to slip.An adventurous first-ball swipe from Clive Madande, trying to pump the spinner down the ground, found mid-off. A bouncer from Mark Adair had Brian Bennett edge a pull to the wicketkeeper as Zimbabwe lost two wickets with the score on 193, and the next on 194. The bowling duo took another wicket each before McCarthy closed out the innings. McBrine, who started the session with the ball, bowled 11 straight overs and took 3 for 32.Prince Masvaure scored 74•Cricket Ireland

The initial damage was done after lunch. Gumbie and Masvaure, Zimbabwe’s openers, had batted through a session, softened the new ball and were inching towards a hundred stand. But Gumbie, who went into lunch unbeaten on 49, fell after facing 11 dots as he clipped a leg-stump half volley from McCarthy to Campher at square leg. Four balls later, a brief rain break forced players off the field.Masvaure was getting off strike as the bowlers strayed down leg often. A flick to fine leg was what brought up the opener’s fifty, even as Dion Myers took 14 balls to get off the mark. But Myers pulled Adair for two fours amid leaving balls with exaggerated rotations.But McCarthy bowled a legbreak, angling the ball in before straightening it off the pitch, to Myers to hit the top of off stump. He took two wickets and gave away 14 runs in an eight-over spell. Craig Ervine couldn’t get going, and the first aerial shot he played was a pull that went straight to McBrine at deep-backward square leg. Masvaure, who made 35 in both sessions, was solid all the while.Thick grey clouds, a bit of grass on the pitch, and lush outfield. The conditions couldn’t have been better for the seamers in the morning. But Gumbie and Masvaure saw off the new ball. Gumbie’s early movement across the crease to work the ball leg side resembled Steven Smith’s batting style and allowed him to score off balls in and around the fifth-stump line. Masvaure was more orthodox but just as compact to help see off McCarthy and Adair’s new-ball spell.There were a few nervy moments in the first hour. Gumbie was hit on the pad while offering no shot off McCarthy in the second over but was saved by the bounce. He edged Adair to deep third for four off the next over, fended one that reared off the pitch over the slips in the eighth, and was beaten by a jaffa that straightened off a full length in the 11th.But Gumbie, who hit the first six fours of the innings, was often able to cover the line and duck under the odd bouncer. The tension built up by Adair and Young’s consecutive maidens was dissipated in the following two overs where Masvaure drove overpitched balls. The let-off balls between the good ones allowed Zimbabwe to turn strike and go into lunch unbeaten. But loose batting and luck combined to wreck Zimbabwe’s advantage as they lost all ten wickets for 113 runs.

Leicestershire Foxes shaded a close-run North Group contest with Worcestershire Rapids to pick up their second win from four matches in the Vitality Blast.England’s Rehan Ahmed took 2 for 27 and held a vital catch to and a potentially match-winning innings of 37 off 16 balls by Ethan Brookes, with Scott Currie taking two for 22 and debutant left-arm spinner Lewis Goldsworthy, on loan from Somerset, one for 17 after Matthew Waite had earlier hit 40 from 35 as the Rapids, needing 12 off the last over, fell five short of their target.That came after the Foxes had recovered from 119 for 5 in the 16th over to post 176 for 8, Ben Cox (29 off 21) and Ben Mike (24 off 11) building on Rishi Pate’sl 48 from 42 after Louis Kimber had hit 25 off 16 earlier, with the wickets shared between Nathan Smith (3 for 39), Adam Finch (3 for 43) and skipper D’Oliveira (2 for 24).On the same pitch used for a double-header on Friday, Worcestershire opted to bowl and were rewarded with wickets in the second and third overs as Sol Budinger, aiming for midwicket, was caught at short third man, and Peter Handscomb at deep third man off an uppercut as Adam Finch banged one in short and wide.Louis Kimber led an aggressive response with four boundaries in his 16-ball 25 but was caught at long-off as Brett D’Oliveira ended a stand of 48 in 33 balls. The Foxes were 78 for 3 from 10 but suffered another setback as D’Oliveira beat the advancing Wiaan Mulder and Gareth Roderick executed a stumping.Disciplined bowling by the Rapids made acceleration difficult and 114 for 4 from 15 overs was not promising, but the Foxes managed to up the tempo in the last five, adding 62 runs, a good return even at a cost of four wickets.The loss of Patel, holing out to wide long-on, looked a potentially serious blow but Cox struck 29 off 21 balls before he was caught behind and while Rehan Ahmed and Lewis Goldsworthy fell cheaply, the former failing to clear long-on and Goldsworthy grabbed one-handed in his follow-through by Smith, Mike’s two fours and a six off Finch’s last three deliveries in a 17-run 19th over, followed by 15 more off the last, ensured a competitive score.At 55 without loss from six from their batting powerplay, Worcestershire had their noses in front. Yet their progress was checked by spinners Goldsworthy and Rehan, who conceded only 27 in the next five, with the latter bowling D’Oliveira (32 from 25) on the reverse to end a stand of 70 in 55 balls.The Rapids surged when Josh Cobb twice cleared the legside boundary in thumping Ben Mike for 21 in an over but two wickets in three overs left them with a target of 57 from the last 30 balls after Waite had skied Scott Currie to square leg and Goldsworthy – making his debut on loan from Somerset – had Adam Hose stumped.Two big overs from Brookes, who hit sixes off Mulder and then Hull, brought it down to 28 from 18 but Rehan kept it in the balance by bowling Cobb (34 from 35) off an inside edge and after Rehan had taken a fine catch at deep cover to help Currie remove Brookes the requirement was 12 off the last six balls.Hull marred an otherwise fine last over with a no-ball but had Taylor well caught by Currie at mid-off before, with six needed, Ed Pollock swung in hope at the last delivery and missed.