Rugby World Cup final: England v South Africa Venue: Yokohama International Stadium Date: Saturday, 2 November Kick-off: 09:00 GMT Coverage: Live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. If you could choose a combined XV from England and South Africa at this World Cup, you would choose all England players. So in Saturday's final, if South Africa play exactly the same as they have done throughout the tournament, I think England can handle it. I cannot see how South Africa's gameplan is going to work against a side who are going to match them physically. ADVERTISEMENT However, there is a part of me that still thinks South Africa are going to do something a bit different. They have been lulling us in, saying they are going to do the same thing all the time. England name unchanged team for World Cup final How Ford has moved out of Farrell's shadow The unique story of South Africa's first black captain Class of 2003 give their views on the final The Springboks have got players there who can score tries and play expansively. I am not saying that is going to be enough, but England have got to be wary of that. Head coach Eddie Jones has named an unchanged starting XV for the match, while Springboks counterpart Rassie Erasmus has got wing Cheslin Kolbe back after an ankle injury. I think these are the six key battles that could decide the game. Ben Youngs v Faf de Klerk

Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka says he "reached boiling point" following repeated threats to his wife and daughter, as he explained his angry confrontation with fans on Sunday. The Swiss midfielder was booed while he walked off the pitch at Emirates Stadium, prompting him to cup his ear. In an emotional statement, he said he had been "hurt deeply" by comments on social media and at matches recently. ADVERTISEMENT They included 'Kill your wife' and 'Wish that your daughter gets cancer'. Breaking his silence for the first time since the incident, Xhaka, 27, said he got "carried away" and reacted "disrespectfully" to fans. Arsenal manager Unai Emery had called for Xhaka to apologise for his reaction but the player instead said he was sorry if people had thought he was being disrespectful. "The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply," Xhaka said in statement on Instagram on Thursday.. "I love this club and always give 100% on and off the pitch. "My feeling of not being understood by fans, and repeated abusive comments at matches and in social media over the last weeks and months have hurt me deeply. "People have said things like, 'We will break your legs', 'Kill your wife' and 'Wish that your daughter gets cancer'. That has stirred me up and I reached boiling point when I felt the rejection in the stadium on Sunday. "In this situation, I let myself be carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that support our club, our team and myself with positive energy. That has not been my intention and I'm sorry if that's what people thought. "My wish is that we get back to a place of mutual respect, remembering why we fell in love with this game in the first place. Let's move forward positively together." It was not the first time Xhaka had been booed by his own fans this season, with Emery publicly defending the midfielder after a game against Aston Villa last month. That uneasy relationship with the Gunners fans did not stop Emery appointing Xhaka as club captain in September after the summer departure of Laurent Koscielny. However, Emery has refused to confirm whether Xhaka will remain captain after Sunday's incident.

James Vince ensured England began their winter tour of New Zealand on a high with a seven-wicket victory in the first Twenty20 in Christchurch. Vince struck a fine 59 off 38 balls as England overhauled a target of 154 with nine balls to spare in Chris Silverwood's first game as head coach. Ross Taylor made 44 in New Zealand's 153-5, with Chris Jordan taking 2-28 and debutant Pat Brown 1-30. ADVERTISEMENT The second game of the five-match series is in Wellington on Sunday. England, who have rested several first-choice players, made the most of winning the toss, with New Zealand unable to find any fluency with the bat. Although New Zealand left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner impressed with 3-23, England were always in control of what proved to be a simple run chase. England in New Zealand - fixtures, results & squads Vince leads England charge Vince has been a source of frustration throughout his international career, often criticised for making attractive starts but not converting them into match-winning scores. With key players such as Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler missing the T20 series, Vince is among those given a chance to impress before next year's T20 World Cup in Australia. He arrived with England 37-1, after an out-of-sorts Dawid Malan was caught at third man, and looked sharp, driving crisply and offering support to a set Jonny Bairstow. Vince reached his maiden T20 international half-century from 33 balls and looked as though he would lead England home as he hit strike bowler Tim Southee for a towering straight six in the 15th over. However, with 32 needed for victory, he tamely chipped a full toss from Santner to Martin Guptill in the deep to end a 54-run partnership with captain Eoin Morgan. Vince's dismissal may have briefly raised New Zealand's hopes but Morgan went on the attack before finishing the match off with six over mid-wicket.

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will take a "short" break from cricket to deal with mental health issues. Maxwell, 31, has played 171 times for Australia across all formats since his international debut in 2012. He played in the first two matches of the ongoing three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka but has been replaced by batsman D'Arcy Short. ADVERTISEMENT Ben Oliver, the head of Australia's national teams, said: "The well-being of our players and staff is paramount." Oliver added: "Glenn has our full support. He's a special player and an important part of the Australian cricket family. "We hope to see him back in the team during the summer." Cricket Australia said Maxwell, who played county cricket for Lancashire in the summer, raised the issues with Australia's support staff and was supported by Cricket Australia and his state side Victoria in his decision to take a break from the game. "Glenn Maxwell has been experiencing some difficulties with regards to his mental health," said team psychologist Dr Michael Lloyd. "As a result, he will spend a short time away from the game. "Glenn was proactive in identifying these issues and engaging with support staff." Maxwell scored 62 off 28 balls in the opening T20 win over Sri Lanka on Sunday but was not required to bat in the second match on Wednesday as Australia won by nine wickets. Maxwell has played seven Tests for Australia but is better known as one of the most destructive batsmen in white-ball cricket. However, he has been controversially left out of both the Test and one-day teams in recent years.

Have England ever fielded a Test side with players from 11 different counties? asked Malcolm Price from England This is a difficult one to check - especially given the amount of player movement in recent years - but I think it has only happened twice. The first time was in the third Test against South Africa in Durban in 1930-31, when the England team included players from Glamorgan (Maurice Turnbull), Gloucestershire (Wally Hammond), Kent (captain Percy Chapman), Lancashire (George Duckworth), Middlesex (Patsy Hendren), Nottinghamshire (Bill Voce), Somerset (Jack White), Surrey (Maurice Allom), Sussex (Maurice Tate), Warwickshire (Bob Wyatt) and Yorkshire (Maurice Leyland). It happened again at Trent Bridge in 1950, when the team for the third Test against West Indies featured representatives from Essex (Doug Insole), Glamorgan (Gilbert Parkhouse), Hampshire (Derek Shackleton), Kent (Godfrey Evans), Lancashire (Cyril Washbrook), Middlesex (John Dewes), Nottinghamshire (Reg Simpson), Surrey (Alec Bedser), Warwickshire (Eric Hollies), Worcestershire (Roley Jenkins) and Yorkshire (captain Norman Yardley). Keshav Maharaj conceded 318 runs in the Test in Vizag. Was this a record? asked Kishore Mehta from India Only two bowlers have conceded more runs in a Test than South Africa's Keshav Maharaj against India in Visakhapatnam recently, when he took 3 for 189 in the first innings and 2 for 129 in the second. Offspinner Jason Krejza, making his Test debut for Australia against India in Nagpur in 2008-09, had match figures of 12 for 358 (8 for 215 and 4 for 143). But this unwanted Test record belongs to a legspinner - the Jamaican "Tommy" Scott, who gave away 374 runs (5 for 266 and 4 for 108) for West Indies against England in Kingston in 1929-30. In Vizag, Maharaj broke his own South African record, having conceded 283 runs in taking 12 wickets against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2018 (9 for 129 and 3 for 154). The only other bowler to concede more than 300 runs in a Test is Arthur Mailey of Australia, who did it twice. Which Australian Test cricketer was born near Harrods department store in Knightsbridge? asked Nigel Jenkins from Australia The answer here is someone from the very first Test match, in Melbourne in March 1877. After Australia batted, the first man to bowl a ball for Australia was the Knightsbridge-born left-arm medium-pacer John Hodges, who soon claimed their first wicket, when John Selby was caught by Bransby Cooper for 7. Hodges owed his place to the late withdrawal of another local left-armer, Frank Allan. Very little is known about Hodges: this Test was also his first-class debut, and apart from the second Test of the series he played only two other first-class games the following season, taking 3 for 11 against New South Wales. He played for the Richmond club in Melbourne. There is some confusion about his death: some claim he passed away early in 1933, aged 77, but cricket historians do not yet have confirmation. We do know that Hodges was born in 1855, in London - and although I was confident Harrods was established by then, I wasn't sure if it was on the current site. However, it seems that the shop (founded by Charles Harrod in 1824) moved to the site of the current huge store in Knightsbridge in 1849, although the original shop there was only a small one. So Hodges must have started life close by.

Bismah Maroof hit a career-best 70 not out off 50 balls as Pakistan women beat Bangladesh women by 15 runs to take a 2-0 lead in their three-match T20I series in Lahore. Maroof came in to bat at 35 for 1 in 4.4 overs, and stayed till the end to drive Pakistan to 167 for 3. Bangladesh put up a good fight, but could muster only 152 for 7 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Monday. Maroof's 10th T20I half-century comprised nine fours and one six, and was the centrepiece of Pakistan's innings, with Javeria Khan lending good support with a 44-ball 52 at the top of the order. The two shared a 95-run stand for the second wicket in just 11.5 overs to put Pakistan on course for a winning total. Bangladesh's best bowler was right-arm medium pacer Jahanara Alam, who took 2 for 27 in her four overs, accounting for Javeria and Iram Javed. The only other wicket-taker was Lata Mondal. Bangladesh's chase was crippled by left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, playing only her second T20I. Sadia took a career-best 3 for 19 in her four overs as the middle order crumbled. Sanjida Islam, batting at No.3, held the first half of the innings together with 45 off 32 balls, but lacked top-order support. Bangladesh had begun poorly by losing a wicket in the second over. They kept losing wickets and had sunk to 93 for 6, with 75 needed off 39 balls as no batter in the top five could string together a partnership with Sanjida. The lower order then hit out to eventually bring the margin of defeat down. Fargana Hoque at No.6 made 30 off 19 balls while Alam hit two sixes and a four in her unbeaten 18 off just 5 balls. Maroof was player of the match in the first T20I too, when Pakistan defended 126 for 7 by keeping Bangladesh to 112 for 7. The third and final T20I of the series will take place on Wednesday, and will be followed by two ODIs.

India and Bangladesh will step into the unknown when they two teams play the first ever day-night Test in India, at the Eden Gardens. ESPNcricinfo poses five questions around day-night Tests How will dew affect the cricket? This will be the 12th day-night Test in all, but the first one to be played in proper winter. Of the 11 before this, nine were played in summer; the other two were hosted by Dubai, which doesn't have a cold winter. With winter of course comes the dew, heavy dew. The ball gets heavier and slippery, making batting easier. It is hard enough in ODIs; how will the Test manage? There have been 12 first-class day-night matches in India before this, all played in the months of August and September. Even then there were complaints of dew; this Test will be in proper winter. That's one thing everyone will have eyes on. ALSO READ - Bangladesh agree to play day-night Test at Eden Gardens Will they get the ball right? This will be the first Test with a pink SG ball. The feedback after the day-night first-class matches in Greater Noida in 2017 was mixed. Picking the ball was not an issue during the day or under the lights, but it was a struggle during the twilight hours when it appeared to be orange when tossed up in the air. However, the bigger problem was that it took spinners out of the equation. Kuldeep Yadav, who played that Duleep Trophy, said it didn't turn much because of the extra lacquer required. The same went for reverse. Yuvraj Singh said the extra lacquer and the grass required to keep the ball in tact meant it swung and seamed more. Mohammad Shami was unplayable in a day-night club match played in 2016 in Kolkata between Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore.

Tuesday was special for the Snedden family as Michael Snedden, the 27-year-old medium-fast bowler, became the latest from the family to play first-class cricket - he is the first fourth-generation cricketer in New Zealand's first-class history. Michael follows in the footsteps of his father, 1980s New Zealand international Martin Snedden, grandfather Warwick Snedden, and great-grandfather Nessie Snedden to play first-class cricket. While Martin played 25 Tests and 93 ODIs between 1980 and 1990, Nessie captained the country in several representative matches against overseas sides, but his career finished before New Zealand were granted Test status. Overall, Michael is the sixth cricketer from the Snedden family to play first-class cricket, which also includes Nessie's cousin Colin, who had a decade-long career with Auckland in the 1930s and 1940s, and Cyril, who played in 1920-21. Injuries to frontline seamers Hamish Bennett and Ollie Newton paved the way for Michael's first-class debut for Wellington Firebirds in their second round Plunket Shield clash against Canterbury at Basin Reserve, which started on Tuesday. Michael spent his first day as a first-class cricketer in the dressing room as Wellington racked up 415 for 6 on the opening day of their second-round match against Canterbury. Michael made his List A debut for Auckland Aces during the Ford Trophy last year, but featured in just two matches that yielded three wickets. In his only innings with the bat, he made an unbeaten 18. He switched teams ahead of the 2019-20 season. Michael's first taste of days' cricket came in 2014, when he was picked for a tour game against the visiting Sri Lankans. It was a game in which he bowled only six overs before dislocating his shoulder. He was part of a strong New Zealand XI that played Sri Lanka again in a three-day game last year.

Netherlands 81 for 2 (Cooper 41*, Zahoor 1-12) beat UAE 80 for 9 (Raza 22, Glover 4-12, van der Gugten 2-10, ven Meekeren 2-13) by eight wickets A relentless assault from the pace quartet of Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren, Brandon Glover and Timm van der Gugten smothered the tournament hosts as the Netherlands restricted UAE to 80 for 9 on the way to an eight-wicket win in the opening playoff match at the men's T20 World Cup qualifiers at Dubai International Stadium. It's the Netherlands' third consecutive berth in the men's T20 World Cup following trips to Bangladesh in 2014 and India in 2016. UAE were 9 for 5 after five overs after choosing to bat first and, unlike Papua New Guinea against Kenya two days earlier, were never able to recover. Coming back into the starting XI as an extra bowling option in place of struggling opening batsman Tobias Visee, Klaassen struck five balls into the match when he beat Rohan Mustafa for pace as the batsman attempted to pull a length ball that fluttered over the bowler's head for a return catch taken next to the non-striker's stumps. That made it 2 for 1, but a pair of hammer blows were struck at the end of the second over by van Meekeren, which pretty much wiped out UAE's chances. Sticking to a back-of-a-length mode of attack, van Meekeren had Rameez Shahzad fending an edge behind for a third-ball duck, and then Muhammad Usman, fresh off a sensational 89 not out against Canada, lasted just one ball. The bowler squared him up with one on a similar length angled across the fourth-stump channel to give Scott Edwards another catch behind as UAE were left reeling at 3 for 3. Brandon Glover came on in the third over and trapped Darius D'Silva with a full-length ball playing around his pads for the third UAE duck before Zawar Farid miscued a pull to Pieter Seelaar on the ring at midwicket in the fifth for Glover's second. Waheed Ahmed and Mohammad Boota mostly nudged the ball around for the next eight overs in a 35-run stand, the first boundary coming from a top-edge over the keeper by Waheed off van Meekeren in the sixth. But Glover returned in the 14th to bounce out both. Waheed hooked to van Meekeren at deep fine-leg before Boota feathered an edge through to Edwards off a pull to make it 45 for 7. After a brief flurry of sixes off Klaassen in the 19th by Sultan Ahmed and Ahmed Raza, van der Gugten stifled any further hopes with two wickets in the final over. Sultan slogged to cow corner before Raza was bowled way out in front of a slower ball in what ended as a one-run over. UAE struck an early blow in the chase when Max O'Dowd waved through a gentle offbreak from Mustafa to be bowled for 5. But Colin Ackermann and Ben Cooper rebounded with a 51-run stand to put the Dutch on course for a smooth chase. The only further hiccup came in the tenth over when Ackermann slashed Zahoor Khan to third man for 18. Cooper and Ryan ten Doeschate knocked off the final 25 runs with ease, clinching victory with 29 balls to spare.

All the world's cricketers walked into a bar. The LOLs, the chatter, and the occasional mini-brawls, they were endless. And the news cycle was never the same again! Welcome to ESPNcricinfo's Social Buzz, your go-to destination for all the bantz, the jousts, and little bit of eavesdropping from the social media playground and beyond. October 30 Jimmy Neesham can't stop, won't stop, trying to pull one over the English, this time with some help from Lockie Ferguson. After New Zealand lost to England in the Rugby World Cup, Neesh and Ferguson challenged a couple of English fans to a kayak-off… with cricket bats for oars. A great morning down on the Avon River with Lockie Ferguson & Jimmy Neesham + some English and @BLACKCAPS fans as we build up to Friday's 1st T20 @Christchurch_NZ #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/uNdpgM8RiO — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 29, 2019 It went exactly as you might have expected. At one point NZ dropped the nice-guys act and proceeded to attack the England kayak with their boat, only to lose by their largest margin yet. After the cricket and the rugby came the kayaking as Blackcaps stars Jimmy Neesham and Lockie Ferguson took on a couple of English cricketers playing in the local leagues. The result didn't change though. In fact it might have been the biggest margin of the lot. pic.twitter.com/cnpgfjciAG — Dean Wilson (@CricketMirror) October 29, 2019 October 29 Lucky kid bags David Warner's gloves after his maiden T20I hundred Talk about getting lucky. It was David Warner's birthday two days ago, and he celebrated by giving himself, and his team, a fantastic gift - a 56-ball 100 that gave Australia a rather emphatic win over Sri Lanka in the first T20I in Adelaide. And Warner was evidently in a giving mood. Not only did he donate his player of the match cheque to charity Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation, but on his triumphant walk back to the dressing room, he dropped his gloves in one lucky kid's popcorn bucket. That look on the kids' faces says it all. These young fellas won't ever forget their trip to the cricket today. All class from @davidwarner31 #AUSvSL pic.twitter.com/3z57vgwuS9 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 27, 2019 October 28 PNG, and 'one of modern cricket's amazing feel-good stories' Papua New Guinea made history on Sunday, earning tickets to a senior World Cup for the first time when they beat Kenya to earn a direct berth at next year's T20 World Cup. It was big news all right, and Ian Bishop and R Ashwin, among others, recognised the feat for what it was.

Namibia 161 for 7 (Smith 59, Williams 45, Khan 4-19) beat Oman 107 (Khawar 41, Scholtz 3-14, Erasmus 3-19) by 54 runs "Not again". That's what Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus said was going through his mind as Khawar Ali was torching his bowlers to take Oman to 55 for 1 after five overs chasing a target of 162. Namibia have gone through more heartbreaks than most teams at the T20 World Cup Qualifier, failing in five qualification playoff matches spread across 2012, 2013 and 2015. That sense of déjà vu was especially present for Erasmus for he was in the XI when Oman upset Namibia four years ago at Malahide chasing 149 to clinch a place at the 2016 T20 World Cup in India. This time Bernard Scholtz's introduction in the seventh over sparked a stunning fightback as Oman lost 6 for 32 to the left-right spin tandem of Scholtz and Erasmus to help Namibia secure a 54-run win and their first ever trip to the T20 World Cup. JJ Smit was named Man of the Match for his stirring counterattack in the first innings, blitzing a 20-ball half-century before taking two wickets at the end to clinch victory, Namibia's fifth straight after starting the tournament with back-to-back losses. After overcoming the loss of Jatinder Singh, caught at deep square leg on the second ball of the chase, Ali had been toying with the Namibian pace bowling unit through the rest of the powerplay and took a special liking to Christi Viljoen. Ali drove, pulled and cut him for a trio of fours to start the second over, then pulled him over midwicket and drove him over long-on for a pair of sixes in the fifth. But the wheels came off in the Oman chase upon the arrival of Scholtz. Aqib Ilyas tried to slog sweep the first ball he saw against the spinner and missed, struck on the back leg in front of middle for a straightforward lbw decision to end a 57-run stand. Despite being well ahead of Namibia's position - they had ended their own powerplay at 36 for 3 - Scholtz and Erasmus seized on Oman's batting hubris to run amok through the middle order. Captain Zeeshan Maqsood was out sixth ball lofting a drive to long-off in the eighth off Erasmus. Ali charged impetuously at Scholtz four balls later to be out stumped for 41 off 25. Suraj Kumar produced a reckless heave first ball and was fortunate to be spilled by Smit on a straightforward chance at long-on, but refused to adjust his approach and slog swept Erasmus to Jan Frylinck at deep midwicket for 6 in the 12th. Kaleem swatted Scholtz to Frylinck at cow corner for 13 five balls later before Sandeep Goud skied a slog over mid-on for Erasmus to circle back for a sharp over-the-shoulder catch to complete a shocking and in some ways self-inflicted collapse. Smit came back for a late spell to claim Khurram Nawaz with a full delivery in front of middle stump for a leg before decision and then induced a skier to backward point on the first ball of the 20th taken by JP Kotze to end the match. As pivotal as Scholtz's spell was, there was no doubt that 23-year-old allrounder Smit would be Man of the Match for rallying Namibia with the bat. Erasmus looked like he may have made the same mistake as UAE earlier in the day by choosing to bat first as Namibia found themselves at 82 for 5 in 14 overs. Outside of Niko Davin's brief flurry in the powerplay, the rest of the top and middle order failed as Oman took command.

Netherlands captain Pieter Seelaar has hailed his pace bowling unit as the foundation behind their third straight qualification to the T20 World Cup following their rampant performance in an eight-wicket win over UAE. In particular, Seelaar singled out Man of the Match Brandon Glover and Paul van Meekeren as two players who "are there to give us a bit of firepower" with game-changing ability that has consistently disrupted opposition batting units throughout Netherlands' matches in Dubai. "As in real X-factor, I would say Paul van Meekeren and Brandon Glover, not just by today," Seelaar said in the post-match press conference when asked who stood out most to him in Dubai. "I think they've bowled superbly well throughout the tournament. Timm van der Gugten started off very well just by doing his change-up. But there was more at the Academy when the wickets were a bit slower. But every time, pretty much every time Paul and Brandon had the ball in their hands, whether it was the Powerplay, whether they had to come back, they would always provide us with that breakthrough. "Bowling has definitely been our strong suit throughout the tournament. So I would say those two would be our real X-factors for us in this tournament to date. The other thing is we've had five different Man of the Match awards in all our wins. So it's not one or two blokes, it's most of the guys. But definitely those two have been match-winning for us." Glover claimed Man of the Match honours for his career-best 4 for 12. He built off the early carnage unleashed by van Meekeren, who dismissed UAE's two most threatening batsmen, Rameez Shahzad and Muhammad Usman, off back-to-back balls in the second over. It was another stellar display for van Meekeren who has a habit of turning in his best work in televised tournament matches. "I think it's more the big occasion rather than the TV games," Seelaar said of van Meekeren's penchant for performances in big moments. "But to be honest, he actually forgot his shoes this morning. So I'm not quite sure he was right on it! To be fair, he bowls well, generally, a lot. I think he had a little bit of a tough period last year. "This year, especially later on in the season, he started to bowl with some real gas. I think this whole tournament, whether the games have been [on TV] or not, he's been fast, he's been nasty. And to change it up with skills later on in the innings, that is something you don't come across very often. But I think Paulie has just bowled superbly well throughout the tournament. And yeah, probably the TV brings the best out of him."

Netherlands captain Pieter Seelaar has hailed his pace bowling unit as the foundation behind their third straight qualification to the T20 World Cup following their rampant performance in an eight-wicket win over UAE. In particular, Seelaar singled out Man of the Match Brandon Glover and Paul van Meekeren as two players who "are there to give us a bit of firepower" with game-changing ability that has consistently disrupted opposition batting units throughout Netherlands' matches in Dubai. "As in real X-factor, I would say Paul van Meekeren and Brandon Glover, not just by today," Seelaar said in the post-match press conference when asked who stood out most to him in Dubai. "I think they've bowled superbly well throughout the tournament. Timm van der Gugten started off very well just by doing his change-up. But there was more at the Academy when the wickets were a bit slower. But every time, pretty much every time Paul and Brandon had the ball in their hands, whether it was the Powerplay, whether they had to come back, they would always provide us with that breakthrough. "Bowling has definitely been our strong suit throughout the tournament. So I would say those two would be our real X-factors for us in this tournament to date. The other thing is we've had five different Man of the Match awards in all our wins. So it's not one or two blokes, it's most of the guys. But definitely those two have been match-winning for us." Glover claimed Man of the Match honours for his career-best 4 for 12. He built off the early carnage unleashed by van Meekeren, who dismissed UAE's two most threatening batsmen, Rameez Shahzad and Muhammad Usman, off back-to-back balls in the second over. It was another stellar display for van Meekeren who has a habit of turning in his best work in televised tournament matches. "I think it's more the big occasion rather than the TV games," Seelaar said of van Meekeren's penchant for performances in big moments. "But to be honest, he actually forgot his shoes this morning. So I'm not quite sure he was right on it! To be fair, he bowls well, generally, a lot. I think he had a little bit of a tough period last year. "This year, especially later on in the season, he started to bowl with some real gas. I think this whole tournament, whether the games have been [on TV] or not, he's been fast, he's been nasty. And to change it up with skills later on in the innings, that is something you don't come across very often. But I think Paulie has just bowled superbly well throughout the tournament. And yeah, probably the TV brings the best out of him."

Cricket South Africa has suspended interim director of cricket Corrie van Zyl, chief operating officer Naasei Appiah, and commercial manager Clive Eksteen pending an inquiry into alleged dereliction of duty over the non-payment of commercial rights fees during last year's Mzansi Super League. CSA did not name the trio, but confirmed in a statement that "employees who are alleged to have been involved in this matter have been placed on precautionary suspension until the investigation is completed, following which disciplinary action could be instituted against the affected employees". ESPNcricinfo has independently confirmed from several sources that van Zyl, Appiah and Eksteen are the members of the organisation, who have been suspended. Last week, the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) launched a formal dispute over unpaid fees understood to be in the region of Rand 2.4 million (approx. US$ 164,000). SACA alleged that CSA had breached an agreement to pay money for use of the players' commercial rights, which includes their images, for the inaugural edition of the MSL. SACA sought mediation on the matter. CSA has acknowledged that the money was not initially paid but once the dispute was launched, claim to have "successfully and quickly" addressed the situation. The board confirmed: "All fees due to players will be transferred to SACA with immediate effect." However, the CSA has also launched an investigation into why the money was not paid, resulting in the suspensions. "CSA wants to reassure all cricket fans and all cricket stakeholders that our organisation and indeed our staff adhere to the highest ethical standards in all our dealings and that consistency and accountability remains uppermost in all our processes and procedures," Thabang Moroe, the CSA CEO said. "It is our expectation that all our staff members, including third-party stakeholders who are associated with the CSA brand should protect the reputation of CSA and the sport of cricket at all times." The suspensions come ten days before the start of the second edition of the MSL, a project all three have worked on, with CSA still in a state of flux over management of the national men's team. It's also worth noting that while the three have been suspended over a Rand 2.4 million affair, the board itself is in debt to the tune of Rand 654 million (approx. US$ 44.6 million). Following the post-World Cup decision to restructure the coaching positions, van Zyl was serving in an interim capacity as director of cricket and last week confirmed his intention to apply for the role permanently.

Devon Conway earned himself a place in New Zealand cricket history with an unbeaten 327 against Canterbury in the Plunket Shield. Conway, the South African-born batsman who qualifies for New Zealand next September, already had 261 to his name after a commanding display on the opening day in Wellington and reached his triple century from 334 balls with a punch down the ground. It was just the eighth triple century scored in New Zealand, the sixth in the Plunket Shield and also the highest score at the Basin Reserve overtaking Michael Papps' 316 not out in 2017-18. Bert Sutcliffe's 385 for Otago against Canterbury in 1952-53 is the highest first-class score in New Zealand. He finished sat between Papps and Dean Brownlie's 334 in 2014-15 and could have pushed further up the list had Michael Bracewell not called a halt shortly before lunch on the second day. It is worth noting as well that Wellington were 20 for 3 and 54 for 4 on the opening day before Conway took his formidable hold on the innings. He dominated stands of 129 with Malcolm Nofal (129), 173 with Peter Younghusband (36) and 159 with Jamie Gibson (65). It seems a matter of when, not if, Conway will play for the New Zealand when his qualification period is completed. He has spent time around training squads in the last few months and had his credentials talked up by New Zealand coach Gary Stead.

Following her withdrawal from the West Indies women's squad for the series against Australia in September and the subsequent eight-match suspension for breaching the Cricket West Indies (CWI) code of conduct, Hayley Matthews is eligible to return to action from the third ODI of the upcoming series against India, a CWI press statement said. The allrounder missed the entire Australia series, comprising three ODIs and as many T20Is, and will serve out her suspension for an undisclosed infraction after the second ODI against India on November 3. West Indies host India for three ODIs and five T20Is, with the series scheduled to commence on November 1 in Gros Islet. Allrounder Deandra Dottin, who had missed the tours of Ireland and England and the home series against Australia due to a shoulder injury, is continuing with her rehabilitation. The West Indies women's T20I and ODI Player of the Year has been out of action since February, but is gradually being eased into a playing plan under the watch of the CWI medical team.

As news broke about Shakib Al Hasan's two-year ban (one year suspended) from all cricket, support - as well as outrage - poured in from around the cricketing world.

Australia 118 for 1 (Warner 60*, Smith 53*) beat Sri Lanka 117 (Kusal Perera 27, Zampa 2-20, Stanlake 2-23) by nine wickets At least there were no unwanted records this time. At least the team total broke through to triple figures. And at least two batsmen made more than 20. Having been thumped by 134 runs on Sunday, these were the only minor improvements for Sri Lanka in the second T20I. Yet again, however, they were emphatically outplayed from the very beginning. A slow start, replete with regular wickets, coalesced into a total of 117 all out by the end of the 19th over. An imperious Australia then flew to their target with nine wickets in hand, and 42 balls remaining. As had been the case on Sunday, David Warner led Australia with the bat, reeling off 60 not out off 41 balls, while Steven Smith hit 53 not out off 36 in his first international innings on home soil since the ball-tampering ban. But it had been Australia's intense bowling and fielding effort that defined the game, Billy Stanlake [playing in place of the unavailable Mitchell Starc], Pat Cummins, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa all took two wickets apiece. David Warner drives through the off side Getty Images Kane Richardson was the only bowler to go wicketless, but it was he and Stanlake, who together set the tone with the new ball, conceding no more than nine from the first three overs of the innings - the pressure they built also producing the run out of Kusal Mendis. Although Sri Lanka threatened to break the shackles soon after, with Danushka Gunathilaka hitting a four and an outrageous scooped six in Stanlake's next over, they never really managed to unhook Australia's claws from their flesh. By the end of of the Powerplay, Sri Lanka were 36 for 2 - Stanlake having bowled Gunathilaka in the final over of the field restrictions. The middle overs were even more difficult for Sri Lanka as, while repeatedly failing to find the boundaries that might defibrillate the innings, they also lost Avishka Fernando, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Perera and Dasun Shanaka for 22 runs in the space of 22 deliveries. At 6 for 75, they were in serious danger of falling short even of their total of 99, from Sunday. In the end, some modest contributions from the lower-order batsmen, who batted with a mix of resignation and desperation, managed to push Sri Lanka to a less embarrassing score. But on a surface that always seemed full of runs - the reason why Lasith Malinga opted to bat first - this was nevertheless a glaringly meagre total. Aaron Finch nicked Malinga down the leg side third ball to depart for a duck, but that was about as difficult as the chase got for Australia. Smith leapt into T20 mode with successive fours off Nuwan Pradeep in the second over, first sending him scorching past point, before clipping him over midwicket.

After the players' strike pushed back the third round of the National Cricket League by a day, Rajshahi Division clinched a low-scoring thriller against Rangpur Division, beating them by six runs in Cox's Bazar, despite three of their regulars being taken away - two to the national team and one for a trial with new spin-bowling coach Daniel Vettori - midway through the match. And across in Rajshahi, Chittagong Division registered their first win of the season, beating Sylhet Division by nine wickets. Best batsmen Anamul Haque became the season's first batsman to score centuries in each innings of a match. The Khulna Division batsman started with a steady 126 off 224 balls that included ten fours and five sixes, before hitting eight sixes and nine fours in his 151 off 225 balls in the second innings against Dhaka Division. Chittagong's 20-year-old Pinak Ghosh made his maiden first-class century, hitting two sixes and 16 fours in his 83-ball 100 against Sylhet. Mohammad Ashraful, playing for Barisal Division this season, also made a ton against Dhaka Metropolis in a rain-affected game in Bogra. Ashraful made 150 off 204 balls with 16 fours. Best bowlers Legspinner Rishad Hossain took a five-wicket haul for Rajshahi before he was taken away to the capital to show off his skills to Vettori (Sabbir Rahman and Taijul Islam got national-team call-ups). Veterans Sunzamul Islam and Saqlain Sajib, however, didn't let Rishad's absence matter much, as their five-fors clinched them the hard-fought win over Rangpur. Khulna offspinner Mahedi Hasan finished with match figures of 9 for 138 against Dhaka Division, while seamers Irfan Hossain and Mehedi Hasan Rana took five-wicket hauls for Chittagong. Sylhet pacer Abu Jayed was also impressive, returning 4 for 86 against Barisal. Best match Rangpur took a 73-run first-innings lead after they were bowled out for 274 runs. Rajshahi then made 190 in their second innings with an important contribution from Sunzamul, who top-scored with 36 from No. 8. Then he came out to sizzle through the Rangpur line-up, taking 5 for 48 while Saqlain took 5 for 35. Points table Khulna remain on top of the Tier 1 points table with 17.25 points, but Rajshahi's win got them into second place with 13.11 points. Chittagong have replaced Barisal on the top of Tier 2, now leading with 16.42 points, ahead by 1.8 points. Players to watch Anamul's twin tons would do enough to keep him in the selectors' attention if a replacement is needed in India. Jayed, who was retained in the Test squad, showed improvement with a four-wicket haul, while Rishad's five-for is also encouraging, but he needs time in the middle.

Lisa Keightley, the Western Australia and Perth Scorchers coach, has signed a contract to become England women's first full-time head coach. Keightley will join up with her squad for the first time in January, after the WBBL season ends, meaning Ali Maiden - the interim coach after Mark Robinson left his role at the end of a disappointing home summer - will lead the side on their tour to Malaysia. Keightley, 48, had been appointed coach of London Spirit in the Hundred, but will now vacate that role. A former Australia international who played nearly 100 times for her country in all formats, Keightley previously spent seven years as coach of the England Academy until 2015. Keightley said she was "massively excited" about her appointment. "It's a huge opportunity," she said. "It's a team full of world-class players and to be given the chance to work with some of the players who I worked with a few years ago is really exciting. I can't wait to get started and see where we can get to. "England are the current 50-over World Champions and they made it to the final of the last ICC Women's T20 World Cup. They're a very competitive side and they wouldn't be in big matches like that if they didn't have a really strong group of players who can perform on the big stage. I'm really looking forward to getting underway and helping the team progress." The immediate focus for Keightley will be the T20 World Cup in Australia next spring. Her first challenge will be a T20 tri-series against India and Australia directly before that tournament, and England will be among the favourites to win back the title they last won in 2009.

Named Bangladesh's T20I captain just over an hour after Shakib Al Hasan was banned by the ICC on Tuesday, Mahmudullah has called on his players to "play with our heart" in the three-match series in India. Shakib's absence has weakened an already depleted team further. Tamim Iqbal had earlier opted out of the tour, while Mohammad Saifuddin was sidelined with an injury. Mohammad Mithun, Taijul Islam and Abu Hider have since been brought in as replacements, with Mahmudullah promoted to the leadership role. ALSO READ: Bal - Just what was Shakib thinking? The conversations centred on Shakib as the team assembled at the airport in Dhaka for the trip across to New Delhi, where the first T20I will be played on November 3. "We have to play with our heart for the country," Mahmudullah said. "I think this [Shakib's absence] will work as motivation for us. I think there's no greater honour than playing for the country. The responsibility to lead the side lies with me, so I will try to give it my all. "The statistics don't lie. It is a tough ask, but it is not impossible. We have to perform as a team, and ensure we take advantage of every opportunity." In what is a rather young side, Mahmudullah will have only Mushfiqur Rahim to lean on for help with Shakib and Tamim out. "Definitely I will miss him [Shakib], since we have played together for so long," Mushfiqur said. "It is tough to play without him as he is the No. 1 player. But it is also a good opportunity for youngsters. "If someone was injured for a year, which could have been anyone, then it would have been an opening for the younger players. It is a challenge to beat India in their home turf but a challenge also means an opportunity." Left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny, who has made a return to the senior side after being banned for an illegal action in 2016, said, "Shakib has been the No. 1 allrounder in the world for a long time. I would have been more comfortable as a bowler knowing he is also around. He has a good sense of wickets in India given his experience in the IPL. So we will definitely miss him." Bangladesh will play two Test matches, including a day-nighter in Kolkata, after the T20Is, with Mominul Haque leading the long-format side.

UAE 112 for 5 (Farid 55, Okpe 2-22) beat Nigeria 111 for 3 (Adedeji 51*, Onwuzulike 46*) by five wickets After losing their previous game against Jersey, UAE returned to the winning ways when they rode on an excellent bowling performance and opener Zawar Farid's quick half-century to put it past Nigeria at Abu Dhabi's Tolerance Oval in a Group B match of the men's T20 World Cup qualifiers. The win, UAE's third in five games, put them level on points at the top of the table with Canada and Oman, but both of them have played fewer games than the home side and have a better net run rate. For Nigeria, meanwhile, it was a fourth loss in as many matches. The day started with Ahmed Raza winning the toss and asking Nigeria to bat, and it was slow going for the batting side for the most part. Openers Sulaimon Runsewe and Daniel Ajekun found it tough to score early on, and were both dismissed by the end of the third over with just two runs on the board. Leke Oyede, the No. 3, didn't have it any easier as he managed only four runs off 18 deliveries when Raza accounted for him. At that stage, Nigeria were 22 for 3 after 7.2 overs, but it did get better for them with Chimezie Onwuzulike and Sesan Adedeji, who batted through the rest of the overs while adding 89 runs together. Onwuzulike ended with an unbeaten 46 in 42 balls and Adedeji 51 not out in 48 balls. For UAE, left-arm spinner Sultan Ahmed ended with remarkable numbers - 4-2-6-0 - while Junaid Siddique and Raza returned identical figures of 1 for 15 from their four overs. Rohan Mustafa and Farid gave UAE a good start in response, the two adding 35 runs before Mustafa was dismissed by Chima Akachukwu for an eight-ball 14 in the fifth over. Farid, the dominant partner in that stand, continued in the same vein with Chirag Suri as his partner, the two adding 43 runs for the second wicket in which Suri's contribution was just eight runs. Farid fell to the medium pace of Daniel Gim for a 35-ball 55, and Suri fell soon after to offspinner Sylvester Okpe. Neither Waheed Ahmed nor Mohammad Boota lasted for long, but the target was meagre enough for UAE to canter past it in 12.3 overs, helping their net run rate significantly. UAE next play Canada on Sunday, while Nigeria take on Ireland a day before.

Hong Kong has lost hosting rights for the inaugural men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League B, because of "the ongoing demonstrations within the city of Hong Kong". The tournament will now be played in Oman between December 2 and 12. The ICC, in a statement, explained that the political instability in Hong Kong had resulted "in logistical challenges and therefore [affected] the smooth running of the event", which has been postponed by a week from its original start date. "We have worked extremely closely with Cricket Hong Cricket and our security advisors to assess the changing situation in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing demonstrations, the consequential safety concerns and potential for disruption to event arrangements, we have decided the best course of action is to relocate the event," ICC head of events Chris Tetley said in a statement. "The Men's CWC Challenge League B is one of three events over the next two and half years that these teams will compete in, with the aim of qualifying for the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. I would like to thank Oman Cricket for stepping in to host this important event and I look forward to seeing a competitive, exciting competition in December. In the meantime we hope that conditions return to normal as quickly as possible in Hong Kong and we hope to have the opportunity to stage another event there in the future." Bermuda, Hong Kong, Italy, Jersey, Kenya and Uganda will travel to Oman to take part in the 15-game event, which is the first of three Challenge League B competitions leading up to the 2023 World Cup, to be played in India. The Challenge Leagues, A and B, are part of a number of new pathway events announced by the ICC in the lead-up to World Cup 2023. The top team in each Challenge League will secure a place in the men's World Cup qualifier playoffs, to be held in 2022, alongside the bottom four teams from the World Cup League 2. The top two teams from those playoffs will then take part in the final qualifiers in 2022, alongside eight other teams coming through from the ODI Super League and World Cup League 2. For more details on the pathway to World Cup 2023, click here.

Five hundred-plus runs with the bat. Ten-plus wickets with the ball. And if he doesn't get you with bat or ball, he gets you in the field. Case in point: his direct hit to run out Gujarat's Piyush Chawla in the Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final on Thursday. All of this, despite a family bereavement midway through the tournament. B Aparajith's paternal grandfather passed away on the eve of Tamil Nadu's Group C clash against Railways in Jaipur. But he stayed back with the team and produced a brilliant, all-round performance - 4 for 30 and 111 not out - to trump Railways. Aparajith downplayed it, saying, "I was just in the zone and things happened." ALSO READ - Dinesh Karthik and the story of Tamil Nadu's unbeaten run He brings up "I was just in the zone" quite a few times during this conversation with ESPNcricinfo even as R Ashwin engages in some friendly banter, screaming: "Come on, Apar." Much like his batting and bowling, Aparajith's fantasy football team is on the rise as well. His only worry for now is the form - or the lack of it - of Manchester United. "I'm still a fan of Manchester United, but I don't boast about it much these days," Aparajith laughs. "But [in] these 11 games in the Vijay Hazare we've done well as a unit and I'm personally happy with my form as well. When your contributions result in victory, it obviously brings more satisfaction." While Aparajith has been one of the batting leaders of Tamil Nadu's middle order for a while, it is the way his bowling has come along that has been a surprise. Given Tamil Nadu's wealth of spin options, Aparajith was often deemed surplus to the side's requirements, but the team needed him this season, especially when Ashwin was unavailable and Washington Sundar was recovering from a niggle. ALSO READ - Shahrukh Khan, and a potential box-office hit Aparajith explained that captain Dinesh Karthik had "defined his role" during the pre-season camp in Tirupur and credited his senior for making him dig deep into his reserves.

In a lot of ways, T20 appeared to be the best developed element of Justin Langer's coaching repertoire when he replaced Darren Lehmann some 18 months ago. In Western Australia, he had played a large role in making the Perth Scorchers the most feared T20 team in the BBL, turning the WACA Ground "furnace" into a fortress, mastering all the defensive skills of the game, using game analytics effectively and also making shrewd use of the parallel Scorchers and Western Australia programs to keep his playing list strong. Yet for all the dramas surrounding Australia's Test team in the wake of Newlands and then the ODI team's underperformance since winning the 2015 World Cup, it is international T20 that has long looked to be a blindspot. They have never won the T20 World Cup, nor been much more than a middling team in the scattered bilateral series. So when Langer looks to the method for success in the format where Australia will next have an ICC global event, in October and November next year, he will be leaning heavily on his experiences with the Scorchers, allied to the trove of lessons he has taken on board at international level. To attempt to win a World Cup at home carries great expectations, but also more than a few in-built advantages for the hosts. "As we saw with the 50-over World Cup there's obviously some home ground advantage because we're used to the conditions, we're used to the dimensions of the grounds, we'll have a good mix of players who play Big Bash at all the different venues," Langer told ESPNcricinfo. "But to win the World Cup it's like winning an AFL Grand Final, everything's got to go right at the time. "What we can look after at the moment is how we lead up to it, guys getting their job in the team. We've shown by selecting this team, very role specific, we want them in the short term, these six games coming up, but over the next year and couple of years to become the best in the world at what their role is, whether it's bowling at the death or finishing in the middle of the innings. The non-negotiables are still our fielding, that's got to be sharp. "But if our guys can get really great at their roles, my experience of Big Bash and T20 cricket, is if you've got specialists who do their roles really well, you'll win more games than you lose." Getting the best out of Steven Smith