Johnson Charles’ quick-fire 71 helps Sharjah Warriorz overwhelm Dubai Capitals by 9 wickets

Johnson Charles’ quick-fire 71 helps Sharjah Warriorz overwhelm Dubai Capitals by 9 wickets
Johnson Charles of Sharjah Warriorz plays a shot during the DP World ILT20 win over the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium. (Pankaj Nangia/ILT20)
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Updated 29 January 2025
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Johnson Charles’ quick-fire 71 helps Sharjah Warriorz overwhelm Dubai Capitals by 9 wickets

Johnson Charles’ quick-fire 71 helps Sharjah Warriorz overwhelm Dubai Capitals by 9 wickets
  • Adam Zampa shines with the ball with 2 for 28 to help restrict Dubai Capitals

DUBAI: Johnson Charles ignited the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday night by leading the Sharjah Warriorz to a resounding nine-wicket victory.

His breathtaking knock of 71 runs in 33 balls set up a flawless run chase in only 11.5 overs as the Warriorz maintained their undefeated record against the Dubai Capitals in the DP World ILT20.

An impactful show from the spinners, including two wickets for 28 runs from Adam Zampa in the first innings, restricted the Dubai Capitals to 131/9. The result gives the Warriorz’s net run rate a significant boost, keeping them firmly in the fray for a playoff berth.

The powerplay made the chase a mere formality as Charles and Tom Kohler-Cadmore dominated the bowling to set the highest powerplay score of the season. The pair raced to 79 runs in just six overs, with Charles smashing five towering sixes, including a remarkable 24-run over off Zahir Khan. 

Charles brought up his 50 in 21 balls, studded with six sixes and two fours. Halted by Sikandar Raza in the 11th over, he departed after striking three fours and eight sixes, which included a combination of power hitting, deft touches and switch-hits.

Kohler-Cadmore wrapped up proceedings in the next over with a clever boundary off Dushmantha Chameera. The Englishman finished with 54 runs in 32 balls, smashing eight fours and two sixes.

Earlier in the day, Adam Rossington bludgeoned a six and two fours as the powerplay saw 55 runs for the Capitals. Shai Hope played second fiddle to Rossington until the latter was accounted for by Zampa in the seventh over for 37 runs in 23 balls. 

Following the powerplay there was a steep drop in the run-rate. While Hope occupied one end, batting with restraint, the wickets tumbled around him as the spinners dominated the middle overs.

Zampa claimed another when he dismissed Gulbadin Naib, and skipper Sikandar Raza was removed by Ashton Agar. In the same over, Najibullah Zadran was run out to leave the Capitals in hot water at 85/4 in 12 overs. 

The UAE’s Rohan Mustafa kept the pressure on with the wickets of Khalid Shah and Dasun Shanaka to expose the tail. Meanwhile Hope’s stint at the crease came to an end for 45 runs in 52 balls at the hand of Tim Southee in the 18th over.

Rovman Powell provided a flicker of hope with an unbeaten 32 runs in only 16 balls, peppered with three fours and two sixes but the Dubai Capitals finished the innings at a below-par score of 131/9 in 20 overs. 

Player of the match Charles said: “They got off to a bit of a flier, but I love playing in Dubai because the conditions tend to get a bit skiddier, which suits my style.

“I thought Ashton Agar and Rohan Mustafa bowled exceptionally well and complemented each other perfectly. We managed to put the opposition under pressure.

“Ash and I have played a lot together in the past, and it’s always a pleasure to play alongside him. It felt almost nostalgic since we haven’t had many opportunities to play together recently.”

The Dubai Capitals’ captain Raza said: “I thought we were traditional in our batting. We needed more sweeps, reverse sweeps and switch-hits. We went into a shell rather than being aggressive.

“Johnson is a fantastic player and done that to many teams; it was quite hard to bowl at him. He played a lot of great shots. One bad game is not going to derail us. We will try to get this game out of (our) system and winning the next two is the target.”

 

Brief scores 

  • Sharjah Warriorz beat Dubai Capitals by 9 wickets
  • Dubai Capitals 131/9 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 45, Adam Rossington 37, Rovman Powell 32 not out, Rohan Mustafa 2 for 12, Adam Zampa 2 for 28)
  • Sharjah Warriorz 135/1 in 11.5 overs (Johnson Charles 71, Tom Kohler-Cadmore 54 not out, Sikandar Raza 1 for 9)

 


The drama and trauma of a batting collapse

The drama and trauma of a batting collapse
Updated 14 August 2025
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The drama and trauma of a batting collapse

The drama and trauma of a batting collapse
  • A case could be made that the truest of batting collapses occur in the final innings of a Test match, like England’s recent one against India

England’s dramatic loss to India at the Oval by six runs, when well set for victory on Aug. 4, prompted thoughts about where that failure sits in the pantheon of batting collapses.

There is a general understanding that a collapse occurs when, from a healthy position, wickets fall suddenly in quick succession. They can occur in any format of cricket and in any innings and are usually dramatic. Some are recovered from, others are terminal.

How many wickets need to fall in what space of time and for how many runs to constitute a collapse is a matter of conjecture. Yet, everyone involved will know that they have experienced one.

At the Oval, England reached 301 for the loss of three wickets in pursuit of a target of 374 runs. Thereafter, seven wickets fell for the addition of 66 runs. The collapse became even more pronounced after the fifth wicket fell at 332, the remaining five wickets falling for only 35 runs.

What was unusual about this collapse was that it occurred over three sessions of play. It began before the tea interval and into the next day as rain and bad light caused play to be stopped toward the end of the evening session.

As highlighted in last week’s column, the drama was heightened by England’s last batter arriving at the wicket with a strapped-up dislocated shoulder. There was already enough drama.

It was the fifth and last test of the series, the last innings of the series that would decide if England would win the series 3-1 or India would level it at 2-2. A case could be made that the truest of batting collapses occur in the final innings of a Test match.

One example of this took place at Old Trafford, Manchester, in 1961. Australia had set England 256 runs to win in 234 minutes. The series stood at one win apiece. At 150 for the loss of one wicket, England looked set for victory.

Australia’s captain, the shrewd Richie Benaud, who went on to become a commentator of the highest repute, decided to bowl his leg breaks into the rough areas outside of a right hander’s leg stump, caused by bowlers’ footmarks. Initially this was an attempt to restrict scoring opportunities.

It turned out to be a master ploy. He reasoned that if he could break the second wicket stand, the rest of the team would have a predicament, looking to press for victory but having to take chances on a worn pitch and without time to settle in.             

Quickly, he dismissed Ted Dexter who had galvanized England’s gallop to what looked like victory. Then, shortly afterward, he bowled England’s graceful captain, Peter May, around his legs to stunned silence around the ground. The ball had pitched outside May’s leg stump, he tried to sweep it, missed, the ball turning sharply into his stumps.

Somehow, the crowd knew that an English collapse was about to happen. Seven wickets fell for 43 runs, England falling short by 55 runs, with 20 minutes of play remaining, Benaud claiming six wickets, including a spell of five for 12 from 25 balls. Australia went 2-1 up in the series and a draw at the Oval in the fifth test confirmed their series victory.

Benaud’s bowling qualities and his leadership were decisive through his ability to make his players believe that they could win when the cause looked hopeless.

At Headingley, Leeds, in 1981, a Test match, which is probably the most talked about ever, took place. Despite Ian Botham’s audacious innings, Australia only needed 130 runs for victory. In pursuit, Australia reached 56 for the loss of one wicket and then lost the next nine for 55 runs, Bob Willis claiming eight for 43. 

If this was not enough, a fortnight later at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on an unusually parched pitch, Australia had reached 105 for four in pursuit of 151, looking well set for a 2-1 lead in the series. Then, suddenly, Australia’s obdurate captain, Allan Border, was dismissed. An opportunity appeared, the ball was thrown to Botham, who proceeded to take five wickets for one run in 28 balls, Australia losing six wickets for 16 runs.

Later, Botham observed: “I had bowled well — fast and straight — but on that wicket it should not have been enough to make the Aussies crumble that way. The only explanation I could find was that they had bottled it.”

There are various explanations for batting collapses. Pressure is one. An exceptional individual performance is another, as was the case with Benaud. And Willis, who would not have had the opportunity if it were not for Botham’s brilliance.

India’s recent victory at the Oval was ultimately supercharged by Mohammed Siraj’s five-wicket haul, but the collapse was induced by England’s recklessness in shot selection. Deteriorating or changed pitch conditions can also be a cause, partly the case for Benaud in 1961.

Five years earlier, in 1956, also at Old Trafford, Australia suffered another final innings collapse. In the previous, third Test, England’s spinners, Tony Lock and Jim Laker, took all but two of Australia’s 20 wickets, prompting suggestions that the pitch had been prepared in favor of the home team.

These fears intensified in the fourth Test when two days of heavy rain were followed by sunshine and a rapidly drying wicket. The Australians reached 114 for two wickets on the final day before succumbing to Laker, losing eight wickets for 91 runs.

Laker took all 10 wickets. When added to the nine he claimed in the first innings, his 19 wickets in the match for 90 runs remain the best bowling figures in Test history. In the first innings, Australia’s collapse had been even more precipitous, falling from 48 for no wicket to 84 all out.  

The atmosphere in a dressing room and between team members when a collapse is occurring at Test match level can only be imagined by those not present. Many of us will be familiar with how it feels in a club environment.

Panic, uncertainty and blame all surface. It becomes difficult to stay relaxed and calm. The mood becomes tense and nervous. Casual conversations or light-hearted remarks can be perceived as a lack of care at the seriousness of the situation.

An air of incredulity and embarrassment can develop, even a feeling of inevitability and a desire for it to be over and forgotten about. It is put down to being just one of those days, undone by a brilliant performance or a poor pitch.

This may explain why batting collapses can be so difficult to stop. Batters become tentative and indecisive in shot selection, disappearing into a shell of inaction, failing to have a clear plan of action.

England’s players, by their own admission, were guilty of this against Benaud in 1961. His form had taken a downturn and he freely admitted that had his gamble not worked it may have been a sad way to end his international career.

Batting collapses produce drama and bowling heroics. They also require victims, the batters, who are caught in a web of doubt, uncertainty and indecision or who, sometimes, are the architects of their own downfall. 


New Zealand complete crushing innings win over Zimbabwe

New Zealand complete crushing innings win over Zimbabwe
Updated 09 August 2025
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New Zealand complete crushing innings win over Zimbabwe

New Zealand complete crushing innings win over Zimbabwe
  • Nic Welch, batting at number three, made an unbeaten 47 and stood virtually alone against the New Zealand pace attack
  • It was the third-biggest win by an innings in Test history

ZIMBABWE: New Zealand completed a crushing win by an innings and 359 runs on the third day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club on Saturday.

Zak Foulkes, playing in his first Test match, took five for 37 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 117 in their second innings.

Nic Welch, batting at number three, made an unbeaten 47 and stood virtually alone against the New Zealand pace attack.

It was the third-biggest win by an innings in Test history.

England beat Australia by an innings and 579 runs at The Oval in London in 1938. Australia defeated South Africa by an innings and 360 runs in Johannesburg in 2001/02.

“We bowled well in the first innings after losing the toss,” said Mitch Santner, who captained New Zealand in both Tests in the absence of the injured Tom Latham.

“And the batsmen got through some tough periods with their partnerships and then cashed in.”

New Zealand’s previous biggest win — and Zimbabwe’s previous heaviest defeat — was by an innings and 301 runs when the two teams met in Napier in 2011/12.

Zimbabwe suffered their sixth successive defeat — four of them by an innings — since beating Bangladesh in Sylhet in April.

New Zealand declared their first innings closed on their overnight total of 601 for three.

It took only three balls for Matt Henry to start the home team’s collapse when he bowled Brian Bennett for his second duck of the match.

Henry had Brendan Taylor caught at second slip and Jacob Duffy caught Sean Williams off his own bowling before Matthew Fisher had Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine held at third slip.

Foulkes, who briefly returned to New Zealand after a triangular Twenty20 series but was recalled after Nathan Smith was injured in the first Test, took the next five wickets.

Foulkes had match figures of nine for 77.

Devon Conway, who scored 153 for New Zealand, was player of the match while Henry, who took 16 wickets across the two matches, was player of the series.


Emotions engulf Oval as England, India play out classic

Emotions engulf Oval as England, India play out classic
Updated 07 August 2025
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Emotions engulf Oval as England, India play out classic

Emotions engulf Oval as England, India play out classic
  • Match, arguably series, will be placed in category of best ever, play going to fifth day in all 5 Tests

The sight of Chris Woakes emerging from the dressing room to walk gingerly down the stairs to the field of play at The Oval was one of pathos. He is not normally England’s No. 11 batter but, this time, injury dictated his position. Having fallen awkwardly and painfully on the third day in a valiant attempt to prevent a boundary being scored, he suffered a dislocated shoulder which prevented him from taking any further part in the match — until that moment, the last throw of the dice.

My vantage point at the top of the pavilion allowed me to watch England’s supporters rise to applaud his courage, their emotions raised by the fact that there was hope that their team might still win. Another 17 runs were required. In truth, Woakes cut a sad figure. His left shoulder had been heavily strapped across his chest in a sling underneath his pullover. His bat was held limply in his right hand. Surely it was inconceivable that he would have to or should be allowed to face a single delivery. So began a game of cat and mouse, the final sub-plot in a match packed full of them.

Woakes joined Gus Atkinson, who was eight not out and on strike. They had a long conversation. Shubman Gill, India’s inexperienced captain, directed his fielders with authority. They were sent deep to the boundary to persuade Atkinson to take a single. This was something he was unlikely to do, unless it was the last ball of the over. Instead, he needed to score in twos, fours or sixes, much easier to say than do. However, off the second ball of the 83rd over, he struck the ball toward the boundary, straight to a fielder, who was not standing on the boundary’s edge. Straining backwards, the ball passed through his hands and over the boundary for six runs, eliciting wild cheers from England supporters and groans from the Indians.

Atkinson swiped at the next three deliveries but failed to score. In order to keep the strike, he needed to take a single off the over’s final delivery. Gill brought in the fielders to try and stop that happening. Atkinson missed the ball, which went through to the wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. Woakes was already on his way to striker’s end, running as best he could. Jurel rolled the ball towards the stumps, but the ball missed them and Woakes was home, to the delirium of English supporters and questioning looks from Indian fielders.

Ten runs were needed at the beginning of the 84th over. Atkinson managed two from the first ball, missed the next four and hit the sixth one for one, the field having been left deep, presumably for fear that Atkinson might score a boundary. Woakes grimaced in pain with each step that he had to make. The tension had now reached fever pitch. England needed seven runs to win, the field set deep to protect the boundary, which Atkinson needed to breach. This he tried to do off the first ball of Mohammed Siraj’s over, but missed and was bowled to begin India’s victory party. It was the narrowest-ever victory for India in a Test match and had been snatched from the jaws of defeat.

At 3:39 on the fourth day England had reached 301 for three wickets, largely thanks to a 194-run partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook. Root delivered a masterclass in how to bat, a model for anyone watching live or on screen. Brook is supremely talented and, with Root, was winning the match for England. He had reached a century but, instead of reining in to guide his team to victory with another 73 runs required, he chose to go on the rampage; as if to say to India, I am going to crush you. He seems to have a self-destructive streak and here it came to the fore. In another attempt to smash a boundary, he succeeded only in skying the ball, to be caught, while losing control of his bat, which also went skywards.

This action is very much in the image of the English team’s philosophy of playing aggressive cricket at all times, of taking the attack to the opposition. This has provided entertaining, even reckless, cricket. Brook’s failed gamble opened the door for India, whose body language suggested that they had begun to wilt. Visibly buoyed, they wrested the advantage away from England. False shots by Jacob Bethel and, of all people, Root caused English hopes to falter.

In addition to the emotions generated by the passages of play, Root, on reaching his century, removed his helmet and pointed to the sky. This was in reference to Graham Thorpe, one of his mentors and coaches, whose life ended a year ago in a tragic manner. Funds had been raised during the match for a mental health awareness charity. Donors received a replica of the headband characteristically worn by Thorpe.

Root’s dismissal rendered England 337 for six. Shortly afterwards, deteriorating light and then rain caused the umpires to halt play. A lack of improvement in the conditions led to play being ended for the day. Cricket does have the capacity to infuriate with what appear to be overcautious delays to play by officials. On this occasion, given the tantalizing balance of the match, England needing 35 runs for victory and India four wickets, it seemed the right outcome. Who knows what the outcome would have been if play had been able to continue, compared with the drama which unfolded the following morning. 

By common accord, this Test match and, probably, the whole series will be placed in the category of best ever. It went to the fifth day in all five Tests, the first time since 2014, and it may be seen on a par with the famous fifth Test against Australia in 2005.

Although the series was drawn 2-2, many non-English and, more than likely, most Indian observers and supporters regard India as the winners. A part of this judgment stems from the view that England tried to occupy the moral high ground in matters relating to “the spirit of cricket.” This was especially the case at Manchester where the English players belittled the Indians for refusing to accept the offer of a draw, so that two batters could complete centuries.

Certainly there has been acrimony in the heat of fierce contests. Players have pushed the laws and conditions of play to the limits. Their bodies have also been pushed to the limits. This is largely a function of cramming five Tests into the space of just over five weeks, as was also the case in 2024. The decision to do so is to enable the England and Wales Cricket Board to allocate the whole of August to The Hundred. It is little wonder that, already, several England players have withdrawn on fitness grounds.

There seems little chance that the schedules will be relaxed in the immediate future. In turn this has served to reignite the issue of injury substitutes in Test cricket. It is a polarizing issue with layers of complexity. England’s captain is dead set against the idea. It would be interesting to know how many people who agree with him may have wavered in their opinion when they witnessed Woakes taking the field in pain and discomfort, ultimately in a failed cause.


England face searching Ashes questions after India series thriller

England face searching Ashes questions after India series thriller
Updated 05 August 2025
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England face searching Ashes questions after India series thriller

England face searching Ashes questions after India series thriller

LONDON: England suffered an agonizing six-run loss to India at the Oval on Monday as one of the most dramatic Test series of recent times ended in a 2-2 draw.

Their next major red-ball assignment is a five-match Ashes series away to arch-rivals Australia — where England have gone 15 Tests without a win — starting in November.

Here are some of the key issues that emerged from England’s rollercoaster contest with India and what they mean for their quest to regain the Ashes “Down Under.”

What England gain from having Ben Stokes in their side was never more evident than when their inspirational captain missed the fifth Test with a shoulder injury — a fresh worry following his history of hamstring trouble.

The 34-year-old all-rounder was the most threatening member of England’s attack against India, taking 17 wickets at 25 in 140 overs — the most he has bowled in a series.

Stokes also looked back to his best with the bat, scoring 141 in England’s mammoth total of 669 in the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford. By contrast specialist opener Zak Crawley failed to reach three figures in nine innings.

And at the Oval, the sight of vice-captain Ollie Pope running off to the dressing room to receive what appeared to be tactical guidance from Stokes did not say much for England’s depth of leadership.

England limited-overs captain Harry Brook, also a mainstay of the Test team and a lively skipper in the Stokes mold, could yet prove a better fit as vice-captain against Australia.

England have long believed a battery of genuinely fast bowlers is essential if they are to win an Ashes series in Australia for the first time since 2010/11.

But fitness issues could blight their best-laid plans.

Jofra Archer made an encouraging return to Test cricket against India but played just two matches as England looked to manage the express paceman’s workload.

Mark Wood, another bowler with genuine pace, has not played Test cricket for nearly 12 months and had knee surgery earlier this year.

The inconsistent Josh Tongue’s return of 19 wickets at under 30 in the India series could well see him selected for Ashes duty, with Gus Atkinson’s five-wicket haul on his return to Test duty at the Oval doing his cause no harm.

England, and Stokes in particular, have shown huge faith in Shoaib Bashir, a 21-year-old off-spinner unable to hold down a regular place in a county side but who has now taken 68 wickets in 19 Tests at 39.

In the India series, Bashir’s 10 wickets came at an expensive average of 54.1, before a finger injury ruled him out of the last two Tests.

But Hampshire stalwart Liam Dawson failed to seize his chance in the drawn fourth Test, with Stokes appearing to tell the left-armer where he should be bowling on the Old Trafford pitch.

Leicestershire’s 20-year-old leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, already England’s youngest Test cricketer, is another option.

England, however, didn’t bother with a specialist spinner at the Oval, deploying Joe Root and Jacob Bethell — clean bowled following a reckless charge down the pitch during a second-innings collapse — for a mere 11 overs combined.

But former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes England should stick with Bashir for the Ashes because of his similarity to outstanding Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

“Australia will have probably three or four left-handers in their line-up which will aid the right-arm off-spinner as well,” Ponting told Sky Sports. “And it’s the over-spin that you need in Australia.”


India hit back against Bazballing England on another remarkable day

India hit back against Bazballing England on another remarkable day
Updated 01 August 2025
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India hit back against Bazballing England on another remarkable day

India hit back against Bazballing England on another remarkable day
  • Continuing the back and forth theme of the entire series, India responded as their bowlers ran in relentlessly to peg England back to 247
  • Another fabulously undulating day began with India resuming at 204-6

LONDON: India roared back into contention on an exhilarating day two of the final test on Friday as their seamers restricted England to a 23-run lead after the hosts had threatened to run away with a match that the tourists need to win to square the series.

After mopping up India’s brittle tail in less than 30 minutes in the morning, openers Zac Crawley and Ben Duckett raced to 92-0 in 12 overs in a blistering return of Bazball.

However, continuing the back and forth theme of the entire series, India responded as their bowlers ran in relentlessly to peg England back to 247. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal then scored quickly in a potentially awkward last 90 minutes, ending unbeaten on 51 with India closing on 75-2, 52 runs ahead to leave the pivotal match fascinatingly poised.

Another fabulously undulating day began with India resuming at 204-6 but soon skittled for 224 as pace bowler Gus Atkinson took five wickets in his first test since May.

It was an all-too-familiar collapse by the tourists this summer as Karun Nair fell lbw for 57 and Washington Sundar was caught for 26. Atkinson then bowled Mohammed Siraj and had Prasidh Krishna caught behind, both for ducks, to finish with 5-33.

England set about their reply in their usual, swashbuckling fashion, exemplified by Duckett’s extraordinary “reverse hook” for six off Akash Deep.

They reached 50 in seven overs — the fastest 50 opening partnership England have ever managed in a test — but fell just short of the 100 as Duckett was caught behind reversing for 43.

They were 109-1 at lunch and England looked poised to take command but India, as they have all summer, refused to buckle as Crawley (64) and Ollie Pope (22) quickly departed.

Joe Root brought his usual calm to proceedings until Siraj nipped one back at him for an lbw on 29, with Jacob Bethell going the same way soon after.

Krishna finished off the session in style by having Jamie Smith brilliantly caught in the slips for eight by KL Rahul then getting Jamie Overton lbw for nought and followed up with the wicket of Atkinson to finish with 4-62.

Harry Brook had a late flurry either side of a rain delay before becoming Siraj’s fourth victim when bowled for 53 as England, with injured Chris Woakes absent, were all out for 247.

India’s openers quickly erased that and pushed on well beyond, with Jaiswal looking particularly enterprising en route to a quickfire 51 — though he was badly dropped in the deep on 40. Rahul departed tamely for seven off Josh Tongue, and Sai Sudharsan followed, lbw to Atkinson for 11, leaving Deep not out four.

With good weather forecast for Saturday another Oval full house will turn up in expectation of more fireworks and what has been one of the most entertaining series for years still in the balance.