Sport
Lucknow Super Giants beat Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs
Marcus Stoinis and Avesh Khan shared five wickets between them as Lucknow Super Giants defended 154 to defeat Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.
West Indies big-hitter Kyle Mayers top-scored with 51 and Stoinis contributed 21 in Lucknow's total on a tough batting pitch in Jaipur.
Stoinis then took the two key wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal (44) and Jos Buttler (40). Fellow quick Avesh returned figures of 3/25.
With 19 needed off the last over, Avesh kept his calm to strike twice and restrict Rajasthan to 144/6, AFP reported.
Rajasthan keep their top spot in the table with eight points, ahead of second-placed Lucknow, who also have four wins from six matches but stay behind on an inferior run-rate.
Stoinis broke a promising opening stand of 87 between the left-handed Jaiswal and Buttler and denied both batsmen their fifties.
Last year's runners-up Rajasthan looked like coasting along before they lost Jaiswal, skipper Sanju Samson, run out on two, and Buttler in the space of three overs.
Avesh dismissed the big-hitting Shimron Hetmyer but impact player Devdutt Padikkal took charge and attempted to revive the chase with his quickfire 26 but it was in vain.
Avesh got Padikkal caught behind in the final over and sent back Dhruv Jurel for nought to be on a hat-trick denied by Ravichandran Ashwin.
Rajasthan, inaugural IPL winners in 2008, began the match with a maiden over from New Zealand left-arm quick Trent Boult, who returned figures of 1/16.
Ashwin took two wickets, including the dangerous Mayers after the left-handed opener struck his third fifty of the season following a sluggish start.
Skipper KL Rahul was the first to go after an unconvincing 39 in a 82-run opening stand with the left-handed Mayers.
Stoinis and West Indies star Nicholas Pooran, who hit 29, put on 45 runs for the fifth wicket to help the team cross 150.
Sport
Afghanistan clinches ODI series victory against Zimbabwe
Afghanistan's national cricket team triumphed over Zimbabwe by 8 wickets in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) to claim the series victory.
In a dominant bowling display, Afghanistan dismissed Zimbabwe for just 127 runs in 30.1 overs. The Afghan batsmen then chased down the target comfortably in 26.5 overs, losing only 2 wickets along the way.
The standout performer of the match was Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, who took a remarkable 5 wickets, while Rashid Khan supported with 3 wickets. Azmatullah Omarzai and Farid Ahmad each claimed 1 wicket.
The first match of the series was abandoned due to rain, but Afghanistan bounced back strongly in the second match, securing a commanding 232-run victory.
This series win follows Afghanistan's earlier success in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, further cementing their dominance in international cricket.
Sport
Bangla Tigers lift Lanka T10 Super League title
Player of the match and player of the series was Titan’s skipper Dasun Shanaka.
Hambantota Bangla Tigers beat favorites Jaffna Titans by 26 runs in Thursday’s Lanka T10 Super League final at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy.
The Tigers produced a fine all-round performance to beat the Titans, who had won all their matches in the lead up to the final.
Player of the match and player of the series was Titan’s skipper Dasun Shanaka.
Hambantota Bangla Tigers, put into bat first, posted 133 for seven from their allotted 10 overs through some useful contributions from their top order batsmen.
The openers Mohammad Shahzad and Kusal Perera added 35 runs from 2.4 overs before they suffered a middle order collapse and reached 59 for three at the halfway stage of the innings.
However, skipper Dasun Shanaka and Shevon Daniel revived the innings with a fourth-wicket partnership of 44 runs in three overs.
Shanaka made 21 with two sixes and two boundaries while Daniel struck 26 with one six and three boundaries before Kennar Lewis and Dhananjaya Lakshan added the finishing touches.
Chasing 133 runs for victory, Jaffna Titans lost wickets at regular intervals and they eventually finished at 107 for six despite a fighting unbeaten half century from middle order batsman Tom Abell.
Richard Gleeson wrecked the Hambantota Bangla Tigers’ innings with excellent figures of three wickets for 21 while Shanaka captured two wickets for four runs.
Sport
Afghanistan crush Zimbabwe by 232 runs in second ODI
Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by 232 runs in the second ODI on Thursday to secure a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Sent to bat first by Zimbabwe who won the toss, Afghanistan posted 286-6 in Harare.
Sediqullah Atal scored 104, his first hundred in an international match. Abdul Malik followed with 84.
In reply, Zimbabwe scored 54 runs before being bowled out in the 17.5 overs.
Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and Naweed Zadran took three wickets each. Fazlullah Farooqi picked up two wickets and Azmatullah Omarzai one.
This was the second match of the ODI series between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. The first was abandoned due to rain.
The third and final game of the series will be played on Saturday.
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