A busy final week of August came to an end with the biggest upset of the new millennium when Zimbabwe beat Australia in an ODI game at Harare. Sri Lanka capped off their successful summer with another trophy in the bag as they beat Pakistan 2-1 while their neighbour India secured two easy wins in England after a horrid Test series.
Sri Lanka come back strong to beat Pakistan 2-1
After losing the first ODI, Sri Lanka came back strongly in the 2nd and 3rd ODI games against the visiting Pakistan team to clinch the 3-match ODI series 2-1.
During the 2nd ODI, Sri Lanka registered a 77-run victory after defending 310 as their spinners excelled under lights in Hambanthota. Three brilliant knocks by Angelo Mathews (93), Mahela Jayawardene (67) and Thisara Perera (65 in 36 balls) aided Sri Lanka to post a match-winning score. Thisara Perera captured 3 late wickets as Pakistan was bundled out for 233 after being 202/5 at one stage.
Sri Lanka wrapped up the ODI series in style at Dambulla on the 30th of August as Pakistan was shunted for a mere 102 with seamer Thisara Perera capturing 4 wickets. Sri Lanka chased down the target easily losing only 3 wickets.
Zimbabwe defeat Australia after 31-long years
Zimbabwe beat Australia for the first time in 31 years on the 31st of August as captain Elton Chigumbura’s unbeaten half-century led his team to a famous 3 wicket win in the 4th match of the ODI triangular series.
Zimbabwe’s only previous win over the Australians was at Trent Bridge in the 1983 World Cup, in the first ever encounter between the two sides. Injured Michael Clarke’s knock of 68 had held the Australian innings together as they crumbled against Zimbabwe’s four spinners, who reduced the tourists to 57 for 4 and then 150 for 7 before they limped to 209/9 at the end of 50 overs. Chigumbura finished on 52 not out and shared an unbroken stand of 55 with Prosper Utseya as Zimbabwe chased down a target of 210 to win with two overs to spare.
India seize the lead against England in ODIs
India regained their position as the number 1 ODI team after beating the hosts, England by 133 runs and 6 wickets during the 2nd and 3rd ODI games respectively and took the lead of the 5-match ODI series 2-0 with two more games remaining.
Suresh Raina smashed a 75-ball century to help India win the 2nd ODI convincingly while left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja captured 4 wickets.
Ravi Ashwin rattled the Englishmen in the 3rd ODI with an amazing spell of spin-bowling and Ambati Rayudu calmly chased down 228 with a valuable 64 not out.
AB De Villiers and Faf Du Plessis down Australia in an entertaining chase
Skipper AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis struck sublime centuries as South Africa chased down a massive score of 328 to beat Australia by 7 wickets in the 2nd ODI match of the triangular series on the 27th of August.
The pair put on 206 for the third wicket, the highest South Africa partnership against Australia, as the Proteas reached their victory target of 328 with 20 balls to spare. AB was unbeaten on 136 while Faf scored his maiden ton after the Australian innings was propelled by Aaron Finch’s 4th ODI century.
Bowlers shine for South Africa against Zimbabwe
South African bowlers led by Dale Steyn helped their team secure a 61-run win over hosts, Zimbabwe in the 3rd ODI match of the triangular series played on the 29th of August.
Prosper Utseya captured a hat-trick as the Proteas were bowled out for only 231 with Hashim Amla (66) and Quinton De Kock (76) scoring bulk of the runs. Dale Steyn and Ryan McLaren knocked off the Zimbabwean middle order and the tail with two fiery spells capturing 3 wickets each as the hosts were bundled out for 170.
Heavy rains abandons one-off T20 between West Indies vs Bangladesh
Heavy rains and a damp pitch forced the abandonment of the one-off Twenty20 international between the West Indies and Bangladesh at Warner Park in St Kitts on the 27th of August. Play was halted by torrential showers with Bangladesh at 31 without loss in 4.4 overs while batting first.
Rohit Sharma sidelined due to finger injury
India’s opening batsman Rohit Sharma has been sidelined for the rest of the ODI series and a T20 in England due to a fracture on the middle finger of his right hand. Sharma will be replaced by Murali Vijay, who flew back home after the conclusion of test series.
Sunil Narine and Andre Russell pick CLT20 over Tests
The West Indies will be without spinner Sunil Narine and all-rounder Andre Russell for the two-Test series at home against Bangladesh, after they opted to play in the Champions League T20 instead.
The pair will represent Indian Premier League champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, instead of facing the Tigers this month. They will go to India for the tournament while their Test colleagues stay home. The WICB said they would not punish the players for choosing this option.
Test Squad: Denesh Ramdin (captain), Sulieman Benn, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kirk Edwards, Shannon Gabriel, Christopher Gayle, Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, Shane Shillingford, Jerome Taylor.
BCB lift ban on Shakib Al-Hasan
Bangladesh Cricket Board lifted the six-month ban imposed on their all-rounder Shakib Al-Hasan after he was pleaded guilty for misbehavior. After 15th September, Shakib will be available for selection and he will par-take in the Asian Games which starts on 19th.
Michael Clarke injured again
Australian captain Michael Clarke will fly home from the one-day tri-series in Zimbabwe after aggravating his hamstring injury in the shock loss to the hosts. In addition to missing the remainder of the one-day series, in which the No.1 ranking is go on the line against South Africa, Clarke is in serious doubt for the upcoming Test tour against Pakistan.
England call up Jason Roy for T20
England have named uncapped batsman Jason Roy in a 14-man squad for the one-off T20I against India at Edgbaston on September 7th. He was the top-scorer in the 2014 Natwest t20 Blast with 677 runs and a strike rate of 157.07 and with Stuart Broad, England’s regular T20 captain, unavailable due to a knee injury, the team will be led by Eoin Morgan.
Squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Harry Gurney, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Taylor, James Tredwell , Chris Woakes
