14 h. ago New Zealand v England: first men’s T20 cricket international hit by rain – as it happened

Rain washes out the first match of the series at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch3rd over: England 14-1 (Buttler 9, Bethell 2) Buttler gets a single off the first ball but Bethell can’t get off strike. Some free flowing shots go straight to the fielders and the pressure starts to rise. Play and a miss! Henry moves one off a length late and it is wafty-woo from Bethell. There we go – a tuck off the hip for two gets the youngster off the mark, that’ll settle him down a bit. Just three off the over.2nd over: England 11-1 (Buttler 7, Bethell 0) Jacob Bethell gets an early visit to the middle. Don’t mention the A word! He starts with two dots, a play and miss and a thick outside edge. Good over from Duffy and New Zealand have the better of the early exchanges. Continue reading...

Events

14 h. ago New Zealand v England: first men’s T20 cricket international abandoned due to rain – live

First T20 called off after Christchurch deluge Series remains 0-0 with two matches to play3rd over: England 14-1 (Buttler 9, Bethell 2) Buttler gets a single off the first ball but Bethell can’t get off strike. Some free flowing shots go straight to the fielders and the pressure starts to rise. Play and a miss! Henry moves one off a length late and it is wafty-woo from Bethell. There we go – a tuck off the hip for two gets the youngster off the mark, that’ll settle him down a bit. Just three off the over.2nd over: England 11-1 (Buttler 7, Bethell 0) Jacob Bethell gets an early visit to the middle. Don’t mention the A word! He starts with two dots, a play and miss and a thick outside edge. Good over from Duffy and New Zealand have the better of the early exchanges. Continue reading...

Society

17 h. ago New Zealand v England: first men’s T20 cricket international – live

Updates from the series opener in Christchurch Sign up for The Spin newsletter | And mail JamesThe players emerge onto the outfield of a blustery Hagley Oval. Looks like a double cable knit sort of evening to me. Let’s play!Mitch Santner – not at all reminding me of the ‘Weatherfield One’ Deidre Barlow when he wears his oversized specs wins the toss. Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago New Zealand v Australia: men’s third T20 international cricket – live

Updates from the third match at Bay Oval in TaurangaAny thoughts? Get in touch with an emailNew Zealand captain Michael Bracewell says he is happy to bat first and confirms his side is unchanged too:TEAMS: Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago New Zealand v Australia: men’s second T20 international cricket – live

Updates from the second match in Tauranga Play at Bay Oval starts 7.15pm local/4.15pm AEST Any thoughts? Get in touch with an emailTim Robinson’s first T20I century in Game One was a ripper in a losing cause. The Black Caps were 6-3 in the second over, with Josh Hazlewood removing Tim Seifert in the opening over and Ben Dwarshuis striking twice in two balls to send Devon Conway and Mark Chapman back to the sheds before Robinson swaggered out. Playing his 13th T20I, the tousle-haired 23-year-old scored an unbeaten 106 off 66 balls.Robinson smashed six fours and five sixes along the way and ended his blitzkrief in style, with a four and a six from the last two balls! Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago Ruthless Australia crush New Zealand by six wickets in first T20I

Mitchell Marsh smashes 85 to clinch victory in series openerAustralia lead 1-0 in three-match T20I series v New ZealandAny thoughts? Get in touch with an emailJosh Hazlewood has the new ball and Tim Seifert will face the first. Here we go, folks!Back at Bay Oval, the wind is whipping the young flag bearers off their feet. Umpires Chris Brown and Shaun Haig are taking the ground first, followed by the players. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago New Zealand v Australia: men’s first T20 international cricket – live

Three-match trans-Tasman series opens in TaurangaAny thoughts? Get in touch with an emailJosh Hazlewood has the new ball and Tim Seifert will face the first. Here we go, folks!Back at Bay Oval, the wind is whipping the young flag bearers off their feet. Umpires Chris Brown and Shaun Haig are taking the ground first, followed by the players. Continue reading...

Society

4 w. ago Ireland v England: second men’s T20 cricket international abandoned due to rain – as it didn’t happen

Updates from the second match of the series in Malahide Taha Hashim on Phil Salt | Sign up for The Spin | Mail JimYou knew it, I knew it. This one is kiboshed by rain.Still nowt official outta Malahide. There was some action with the covers a while ago but in a ‘kicking the tyres on a clapped out old banger’ sort of way rather than a ‘chances of play are significantly improving’ sort of way. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago Ireland v England: second men’s T20 cricket international delayed by rain – live

Updates from the second match of the series in Malahide Taha Hashim on Phil Salt | Sign up for The Spin | Mail Jim“It was spitting and now it’s back to a light drizzle.” Taha is really earning his corn today. I’d call him Michael Fish but he’s too young to know who that is. He’s probably too young to know Schafernaker. Not a criticism.My friend/comrade/mentor/squeeze Jon Hotten has also dipped his quill about all things Phil Salt, you’ll have a squizz if you know what’s good for ya:But numbers are just one way of expressing what Phil Salt does, what he is part of. They’re like the score to a great symphony, understandable as the method of conveyance, but hardly like hearing the music. Indeed, you don’t need to be able to read the music to listen, in the same way that you can watch without the slightest interest in interpreting the statistics.So what is it like to watch Phil Salt? What language do we need for that? Because he is not one for the aesthetes or the classicists, is he? Hi...

Society