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The Melbourne Stars allrounder caused a scare in the opening game of the BBL season

AAP27-Dec-2024Hilton Cartwright has revealed he had fears of being left paralysed while laying prone on the Optus Stadium turf in the BBL season opener.Cartwright sent a scare through Australian cricket last week, after falling awkwardly in the field in Melbourne Stars’ season-opening loss to Perth Scorchers.He was taken from the field in a neck brace and medicab, before being quickly cleared of any serious damage in hospital and being released back to Melbourne. Incredibly, the former Test representative returned to play for the Stars just three days later against Brisbane Heat, and has not missed a game yet this season.Related

• Cartwright cleared of serious injury after fielding mishap

• Vince's classy century leads Sydney Sixers to record chase

Speaking for the first time since the injury, Cartwright admitted his mind had spiralled quickly while laying on the turf with what was ultimately a case of whiplash.”It was an extraordinary series of events. It looked worse because there was no information surrounding it,” Cartwright said.  “My neck pain had subsided quite a lot by the time I was on the sidelines, it was all on one side. Needless to say the doctors did a great job with how they handled it.”But my mind spun to the worst-case scenario about being paralysed, or strokes. My mind was completely spinning. But thankfully I was home that night and I haven’t had any serious repercussions from it.”After diving for a ball in the outfield, Cartwright’s neck snapped back quickly and he was left to lay on the ground for close to five minutes while receiving medical attention. Adding to the concern was that the 32-year-old became a father for the second time in October, with another toddler also at home.”As soon as all that pain subsided I started thinking around all the short-term side effects,” he said. “Am I going to be in a neck brace for a couple of months whilst we have a newborn? It would not only be tough on me, but tough on my partner. Thankfully everything got cleared and there were no issues. So far so good.”Cartwright said he had been able to class the incident as a “freak” accident, helping it not play on his mind while in the field since.His comments came as Stars slumped to a fourth straight loss to start the season, with Sydney Sixers chasing down 195 against them with 11 balls and two wickets to spare at the SCG.Stars will now likely need to win at least five of their last six to have any hope of making the finals, beginning with Saturday night against the Sydney Thunder. Otherwise, they risk missing for a fifth straight season.”If we’re being true to ourselves we want to win all six games to give ourselves a chance,” Cartwright said.

“Obviously playing one day cricket here when other teams haven’t played a lot, is nice”

Danyal Rasool10-Feb-2025Sometimes scorecards really do tell the story of a game, and in this case, a cursory glance makes what happened obvious. A Kane Williamson masterclass – his 14th ODI hundred and first since 2019, made light work of a South African total not too far removed from the one that saw Pakistan fall well short on Saturday – helped book New Zealand’s place in the final, and earn them three rest days. The former captain said he felt the pitch was there to be taken advantage of, and praised his team-mates, most of all Devon Conway – who came into the side following Rachin Ravindra’s freak injury and scored a brisk 97.”It was great to be out there and be a part of some important partnerships,” Williamson said after the game. “Devon Conway was outstanding – he was at his best and got us off to a great start. We were able to put that partnership together that took us a long way into that chase. That was really valuable.”What looks inexorable in hindsight was anything but certain. South Africa had put on a stiff 304 thanks largely to a stunning onslaught from Matthew Breetzke as he became the first debutant to score 150 in an ODI. They pillaged 108 in the last ten overs with momentum on their side at the lunch break. When New Zealand had subjected Pakistan to a similar assault, they wilted in the second innings, losing wickets in bunches and falling well short.Related

• Sears out of Champions Trophy with hamstring tear; Duffy brought into squad

• Pakistan vs New Zealand in a title clash and a dress rehearsal

• Breetzke bats his way from scratchy to sublime in ODI debut to remember

• Williamson powers New Zealand home, Breetzke's record 150 in vain

But after a steady opening partnership, Conway and Williamson put together a huge stand, taking advantage of some inexperienced South African bowling and a true pitch that only appeared to get better as the day aged. Williamson looked in the form of his life, and appeared to take no risks while continuing to score at a strike rate close to 140. He brought up his century in 72 balls, the second fastest ODI hundred he has scored. The two put on 187 runs off 154 balls for the second wicket, and by the time Conway sliced one to a fielder, the contest was effectively done and dusted.”The pitch was definitely a better surface [to bat] today,” he said. “For whatever reason, I’m not sure. That’s part of some of the good learnings, really – different times of the day going into the evening. It came onto the bat quite nicely and it still took a little bit of turn. So it’s quite interesting; it’s the sort of wicket where if you’re able to get breakthroughs, you can apply some pressure. But it was nice we were able to build those partnerships and break the back of the chase. For me, it’s about trying to assess conditions and do the best job I can and then be a part of partnerships for the team in whatever role it is. It was tough going – kept quite low in that day time innings. But it did change a bit.”Williamson understands the value of getting some extra game time in with the Champions Trophy around the corner, but also has the experience of not reading too much into it. This game was played during the day – a timeslot that will not be in play for any game during the Champions Trophy. However, just as New Zealand were ruthless in defence of a total against Pakistan, they were equally clinical at hunting one down today.”Obviously playing one day cricket here when other teams haven’t probably been playing a huge amount of one day cricket is nice,” Williamson added. “It helps us to try and get as familiar as you can with our roles and how we operate as a unit and also the conditions. Having said that, we know that each game is a match in isolation. When you come to a tournament like Champions Trophy, the top eight teams on their day giving the conditions, anyone can beat anybody, so a really competitive tournament. That is exciting, I think, and a great prospect for viewers as well.”Today, though, a sizeable crowd, considering it was a weekday with two neutral teams, were not thinking of the Champions Trophy. Williamson was the man they had come to see, and as he pointed out, it was his side they seemed to support. And, as he has proved to fans on the other side of the world time and again, he showed Pakistan supporters what it felt to throw their support behind a cricketer who never seems to let anyone down.”It was great to see a crowd here today,” Williamson said. “Pakistan not a part of this match, but heard a few chants for the Kiwis which was nice as well. I suppose we have been here fairly often in recent years and that was great. So it’s nice to get a bit of a crowd along to this match and certainly had an outstanding atmosphere in the first one and that was great to be a part of as well.”

Chittagong were all but out but fought back in a see-sawing contest

Mohammad Isam05-Feb-2025Al Islam’s last-ball four, that too a classic cover drive, took Chittagong Kings to the BPL final. In an absolute see-saw battle, Aliss came back after injuring himself earlier in the last over, to hit the winning boundary and beat Khulna Tigers by two wickets in the second qualifier.Islam was unbeaten on 17 off seven balls, with two fours and a six, to take the Chittagong franchise into their second BPL final. They will face defending champions, and favourites, Fortune Barishal at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Friday.Chasing Khulna’s 163 for 6, Chittagong were all but out of the contest before Aliss got them back with his surprise cameo. Earlier, Khulna were powered by Shimron Hetmyer’s 63 to reach 163 for 6 in 20 overs. They went at less than six runs an over for the first 16 overs.

Aliss the King

Chittagong’s batting order, that lacked depth, was left exposed when tail-ender Khaled Ahmed walked in to bat at No 7. They slipped from 105 for 2 to 130 for 7 between overs 13 and 17. Arafat Sunny and Aliss then added 26 runs, with both hitting a couple of boundaries each.When Aliss slipped in the last over, he hurt his ankle. Shoriful Islam walked in, inside edged a boundary. But he fell next ball, and Chittagong’s players put on Aliss’ pads for him and he walked out again. He smashed Musfik Hasan for a boundary and sparked huge celebrations.

Nafay powers Chittagong

Chittagong lost two of their big-hitters early in the chase. Parvez Hossain Emon holed out to mid-on before Graham Clark, smarting from a blow to the nose while fielding, missing a straight one from Hasan Mahmud. Khawaja Nafay though kept the run rate at a fair clip with this combination of quick singles and no-look clips on the leg side. He added 70 runs for the third wicket with Hussain Talat, fresh off his great form in the Champions T20 Cup (Pakistan’s domestic T20 competition) recently.The Pakistani pair relied a lot on rotating the strike but just when the boundaries dried up, Talat struck the big ones. He made 40 off 25 balls with five fours and a six, while Nafay reached his second half-century for the season, as Chittagong looked to be sailing smoothly.

Nasum double sparks a collapse

Talat swung Nasum towards the deep-square-leg boundary in the 13th over, only to be caught in the boundary. It sparked a collapse as Shamim Hossain also top edged Nasum in his next over, before Musfik accounted for Nafay. The set batter couldn’t get going after reaching his fifty, missing on a lap shot against the fast bowler. He removed Khaled later in the over, before the Chittagong captain Mohammad Mithun top edged Hasan Mahmud in the 17th over.

Chittagong apply the squeeze

Earlier in the evening, Khulna didn’t get going with the bat for a long time. They lost captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the third over when Binura Fernando got one to scissor through him. Islam then had Alex Ross caught and bowled in the following over, before Khaled Ahmed, Chittagong’s best bowler, removed Mohammad Naim, Khulna’s best batter, for 19.Afif Hossain also couldn’t resuscitate Khulna, making just 8 off 14 balls, before holing out in the deep in the ninth over. Chittagong applied the squeeze and then some, keeping Khulna from hitting boundaries for more than six overs. Aliss completed his four overs during this period, going for just 14 runs. Hetmyer, at the crease, didn’t help matters, as they meandered to 92 for four at the end of the 16th over.

Hetmyer does his thing

With their backs to their wall, Khulna really needed a boost at this stage of their innings. Mahidul Islam Ankon, who had hit the two sixes in the innings thus far, slammed Khaled before Hetmyer got two sixes to take 23 off the 17th over. Shoriful removed Mahidul first ball next over, but Hetmyer still found two fours in the over. Fernando, who had given away just six runs in his first three overs, then came into Hetmyer’s crosshairs. The left-hander struck him for two fours and two sixes in his first four balls, before falling off the last ball. Hetmyer had arrived for Khulna just before the eliminator match against Rangpur, having just played in the ILT20.Mohammad Nawaz and Jason Holder cobbled together 17 runs in the final over, to give Khulna the much-needed boost. They made 71 off the last four overs to finish on 163 for 6, but it wasn’t enough.

They share a fifth-wicket stand of 151 and Rob Yates scores 93 before home side fight back to parity at the close

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jun-2025Warwickshire 372 for 7 (Yates 93, Hain 87, Barnard 66, Crocombe 3-73) vs SussexSam Hain and Ed Barnard, with a fifth wicket stand of 151 in 32 overs, gave Warwickshire the advantage on the opening day of their championship match against Sussex at Hove, before the home side fought back to achieve parity at the close.Hain played a particularly exhilarating innings, using his feet and wrists to play a medley of inventive strokes to unsettle the Sussex bowlers. He reached his half-century for the fifth time in as many Championship innings and went on to make 87 from 118 deliveries, with three sixes and seven fours. Barnard, impressive in a support role, made 66.It would have been worse for Sussex but for Henry Crocombe, their fastest and best bowler in only his second game of the season. Crocombe missed the start of the summer with injury but took six wickets in the win over Hampshire in May. Here, he took three wickets for 73, bending his back and achieving some pace.Sussex and Warwickshire started the match without the respective services of Jofra Archer and Jacob Bethell, but with the shared hope that both players might be available for the last two days of the game if not selected by England for the second Test against India at Edgbaston; Crocombe replaced Archer from the side that drew with Durham last week, while Zen Malik came in for Bethell in the side that had a similar stalemate with Somerset. Chris Rushworth also came in for Che Simmons.The warm weather and the Kookaburra ball helped persuade Warwickshire to bat first. But the cloud cover and the grassy pitch still offered encouragement to the Sussex seamers.The first session went Warwickshire’s way, their batters exploiting the short boundary on the pavilion side of the ground as Sussex struggled for penetration.Rob Yates, who has suffered indifferent form since his century in the opening match of the season, looked in particularly good form as he shared an opening stand of 79 with his captain, Alex Davies.Davies gifted Sussex their first wicket in the 18th over, looking in two minds as he uppercut a short delivery from Crocombe to Fynn Hudson-Prentice on the deep point boundary. But Warwickshire lunched on a comfortable 113 for 1.The second session, when the sun came out and the ball turned soft, promised further riches for the batting side. But Sussex, protecting their seven bowlers from the heat with short spells, and backing them up with spirited fielding, fought their way back onto level terms.Warwickshire lost their second wicket on 174 when Tom Latham edged one down the leg side from Crocombe, ending a second-wicket stand of 95. And one run later, in Crocombe’s next over, Hudson-Prentice produced an excellent reflex catch, hands above his head at backward square-leg, to dismiss Yates, who had struck 15 fours in his impressive 93 from 142 deliveries.Six overs later, the challenging Gurinder Sandhu moved one away from Malik, for John Simpson to take the regulation catch behind the stumps, and Sussex were on top, with Warwickshire 189 for 4, though they recovered to 242 for 4 at tea.Sussex took the new ball at 308 for 4 and took three further wickets. Crocombe (who will make way if Archer joins the game) almost had Haine caught at mid-on by Ollie Robinson, who finally had the batter well caught at leg gully by Tom Haines. Then Barnard and Corey Rocchiccioli fell near the end.

Gaikwad was due to debut at North Marine Road against Surrey on July 22 and remain with Yorkshire until the end of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2025India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ruturaj Gaikwad has pulled out of his county deal with Yorkshire due to a “personal issue at home”. Gaikwad was due to debut at North Marine Road against Surrey on July 22 and remain with Yorkshire until the end of the season.”Unfortunately Gaikwad’s not coming now for personal reasons,” Anthony McGrath, Yorkshire head coach, said. “We’re not going to have him for Scarborough or for the rest of the season. So that’s disappointing.”I can’t tell you anything about the reasons why, but we hope that everything’s ok. We’ve literally just found out.”McGrath said Yorkshire were assessing their replacement options.”We’re working behind the scenes on what we can do. But it’s only two or three days away, so I’m not sure what we can do at the moment. We’re working to try and get a possible replacement, but time pressure is the issue. I can’t give you anything more than that at the moment.”Gaikwad has not played any top-flight cricket since he was ruled out of IPL 2025 due to injury. He was replaced by Ayush Mhatre in the squad, with MS Dhoni taking over as CSK captain.McGrath also gave an update on Dom Bess and Jonny Bairstow, who missed the Vitality Blast game against Leicestershire on Friday.”Dom had a little bit of a niggle from the Roses game, and we just took a precaution with him,” McGrath said. “Jonny’s partner is due to give birth at any time, so we wish him and his family well. For Scarborough, we don’t know about that yet.”

Victory by 89 runs sees Brave make it five from five, as Sophie Devine stars again

ECB Media18-Aug-2025Southern Brave 161 for 6 (Wolvaardt 36, Bouchier 34, Franklin 2-28) beat Oval Invincibles 72 (Villiers 3-17) by 89 runs Southern Brave produced a devastating all-round performance to inflict a record-breaking 89-run defeat on Oval Invincibles at Utilita Bowl to maintain their 100 per cent record and move top of the table.Set 162 for victory, the Invincibles could only muster 72, never recovering from a two-wicket burst by Sophie Devine (2 for 15) in her opening set, the Kiwi castling Meg Lanning with a peach before sending Lauren Winfield-Hill on her way three balls later.When Lauren Bell (2 for 11) struck with consecutive deliveries, utilising the short ball to great effect to induce edges from Alice Capsey and Paige Scholfield, the visitors slumped to 28 for 4 and they were eventually skittled in 83 balls, Mady Villiers picking up 3 for 17 with her off-breaks.Earlier, England duo Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge put on an opening stand of 59 after Brave were asked to bat, Bouchier the main aggressor in her innings of 34 from 23 before picking out Scholfield at deep mid-wicket to give Tash Farrant the breakthrough.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Wyatt-Hodge (26 from 24) was clean bowled by a Phoebe Franklin slower delivery but Laura Wolvaardt kept up the momentum, the South African cruising to a 19-ball 36 including a slog-swept six off Amanda-Jade Wellington but the Aussie leg-spinner had her revenge next ball when Lanning held on to a catch at extra-cover.Freya Kemp was involved in a mix-up which saw Devine run out for 19 but the England starlet made amends with a sparky cameo, smashing two sixes in her 11-ball 24 to post a target which was well beyond the Invincibles’ reach and set up a fifth straight victory for the 2023 champions.Meerkat Match Hero Sophie Devine, who picked up the award for a third game straight at Utilita Bowl, said: “I feel a bit embarrassed because today was a great team performance and there were so many people who should be standing here instead of me. Today was exceptional from this group and I’m really proud of everyone.”The great thing about this group is we’ve spoken at length about different plans and having the ability to be able to execute that is something I’ve found incredibly impressive. That should stand us in good stead come the important part of this tournament.”For us there’s a great focus on each and every game. We’ve got some tough games coming up but we’ll celebrate our success here today. It was a comprehensive win but we certainly know we’ve got a big job to finish off this competition strongly.”

She was hit by a Knight drive in her follow-through and was helped off in a wheelchair

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2025Allrounder Arundhati Reddy suffered a knee injury in India’s warm-up match against England at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground on Thursday, five days ahead of the opening match of Women’s World Cup 2025. The extent of her injury is not yet known.She was struck on her left knee by a drive from Heather Knight, who was back in action for the first time since her hamstring injury in May. It came quickly at Reddy and hit her before she could react to take a return catch. It took time for her to get up, with the physio and reserve players helping her. She couldn’t keep her left foot down and eventually left the field in a wheelchair.Only two balls before, into her fifth over, Reddy had trapped opener Amy Jones lbw for 39 off 46 balls. During the chase of 341, Reddy did not come out to bat. Eventually, India were out for 187.