Category: Australia Cricket

• Third T20i: Australia, 173-8, bt SA, 172-7, by two wkts

• Maxwell’s 62 gets hosts home with one ball to spare

Australia’s Glenn Maxwell produced an unbeaten half-century in a tense chase to help the hosts edge out South Africa by two wickets in the third and final T20 international in Cairns on Saturday. Maxwell’s unbeaten 62 off 36 balls helped Australia chase down 173 with one ball to spare at the Cazalys Stadium, completing a 2-1 series victory in style.

After 18 overs, it was a run-a-ball target for Australia with Maxwell in the middle. The South African bowler Corbin Bosch (three for 26) claimed two wickets and kept Maxwell away from the strike. Needing 10 off the last over from Lungi Ngidi, Maxwell took six from the first four balls before reverse-sweeping for four to seal Australia’s dramatic victory.

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• Simpson played 62 Tests over more than two decades

• Australia’s first full-time coach helped guide team’s re-emergence

The former Australia cricket captain and coach Bob Simpson has died in Sydney aged 89. He was an influential figure in Australian cricket for more than four decades as a player, captain and coach. He also made his mark on the game as a law-maker, referee and commentator.

Simpson first pulled on the baggy green cap of the Australian Test cricket team in 1957, and made a comeback to captain Australia aged 41 after the game was thrown into crisis by World Series Cricket in 1977.

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• Todd Greenberg sees a future with fewer Test nations

• Winter Tests in Darwin and Cairns could be revived

Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has warned some nations will go “bankrupt” if they continue to play the longest format of the game, stressing he sees a future with fewer Test nations.

Admitting he has become a “little unpopular” since taking over from Nick Hockley in March, the former Australian Cricketers’ Association boss believes “scarcity in Test cricket is our friend, not our foe”.

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• Batsman hit 12 fours and eight sixes in unbeaten 125

• Hosts made 165 in vain chase of 219 in Darwin

Dewald Brevis lit up Darwin’s Marrara Oval with a blazing century to help South Africa to an imposing 53-run victory over Australia in the second Twenty20 match.

The 22-year-old Brevis scored an unbeaten 125 from 56 balls with 12 fours and eight sixes, propelling South Africa to 7-218 before Australia struggled to 165 in front of another noisy near-capacity crowd on Tuesday night.

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An explosive century from Dewald Brevis was too much for Australia as South Africa level the series 1-1 in Darwin

Maxwell to continue, the young Pretorius top edges a sweep, it swirls over fine leg… and dropped! Zampa was circling under it like a puzzled shark, never looked set, and as it comes down he’s craning his neck to work out the angle of the drop. His head isn’t in position, and he spills it. Maxwell is not happy, with two runs conceded as well, and he’s even less happy next ball when Pretorius puts him on the roof. Huge sweep shot, bounces off the corrugated tin. But Maxwell’s mood improves after a single, as Markram skips down, laces an off drive, but hits it flat and straight at mid off. Owen takes the catch.

4th over: South Africa 35-1 (Markram 18, Pretorius 1) Ben Dwarshuis finishes the over tightly, only one run from it along with the wicket.

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• Australia 178; South Africa 161-9 | Australia win by 17 runs

• David scores 83 to lead Australia to win in Darwin

Australia have dominated South Africa’s largely unknown batting lineup to secure an unlikely victory in the first match of a three-game Twenty20 series in Darwin.

South Africa lost by 17 runs in at Marrara Oval on Sunday, bowled out for 161 after Australia were dismissed for a disappointing 178 from the final ball of an innings rescued by Tim David’s 83.

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Australia battled back from a dreadful start n Darwin to win the first of three T20 matches

5th over: Australia 60-3 (Green 25, David 18) So the run rate’s up and the wickets are falling. David doesn’t mind the latter, he maintains the former, thrashing Corbin Bosch’s first ball over backward point for four. It was full and wide but David has the reach to fetch what Travis Head couldn’t earlier. Bosch, tall and blond and built, looks annoyed, bowls the next into leg stump, and has David hitting to his outfielder at deep backward. That’s more the plan. No plan is containing Green though, who makes it look so easy slotting another six over long on. He’s 24 off 7 balls! Then races a single. He’s six foot seventy-three but he’s also quick enough. One ball to come, and David drives it over cover for six!

Oh boy. Three down and they’re going at 12 an over. The ground DJ is playing Chappell Roan. Hot to Go.

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• Pair put on unbroken partnership of 131 off 64 balls in Jamaica

• Adam Zampa claims 3-29 from four overs to halt host’s brisk start

Josh Inglis and Cameron Green have smashed half-centuries to power Australia to an eight-wicket win over West Indies in their second T20 clash in Jamaica.

The hosts posted 172-8 before Inglis (78 not out from 33 balls) and Cameron Green (56no from 32) led Australia to 173-2, and victory with 28 balls to spare.

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• Second Test, day one: Australia win toss and make 286 at stumps

• Tourists had slumped to 93-4; Steve Smith dismissed for three

Wickets tumbled either side of Alex Carey and Beau Webster’s 112-run stand as Australia were dismissed for 286 at stumps on day one of the second Test against the West Indies.

Alzarri Joseph’s 61-4 helped restrict Australia, who are gunning for an unassailable 2-0 series lead in Grenada. The tourists were clearly struggling at 93-4 at lunch but Webster (60) and Carey (63) combined to restore some order in the second session as the tourists reached 209-5 at tea.

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• Josh Inglis loses his spot to make way for returning No 4 batter

• Pat Cummins says Smith won’t be back in the slips ‘too often’

Steve Smith will complete a rapid return to Test cricket, just 20 days after suffering a nasty compound dislocation of his finger.

The batter will bat at No 4 in Australia’s second Test against the West Indies in Grenada, starting at Friday midnight AEST.

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Former Australian batter Michael Hussey has called for fans to be patient with the Test side’s new-look top order following last week’s unconvincing performance during the Frank Worrell Trophy series opener against the West Indies.

Former England opening batter Dom Sibley has put his name forward for a potential Test recall with an epic triple century as Surrey posted the highest score in the club’s 128-year history.

India will make a “last-minute” decision on whether to risk the outstanding Jasprit Bumrah in successive Tests as they look to level their five-match series with England this week.

Nathan Lyon is adamant he’s not retiring “anytime soon” despite handing over the significant duty of leading the team song after victories to Test keeper Alex Carey.

Australian vice-captain Steve Smith has jumped to defence of Michael Di Venuto after the national batting coach copped criticism from former Test wicketkeeper Ian Healy.