T20 Blast 2021 News

Marnus Labuschagne known for his Test and ODI exploits had a great Big Bash League with Brisbane Heat, picking up more than 10 wickets with his leg break and also scoring quick runs. To back that up, he has now come back home from a great English summer, once again scoring heavily in T20 cricket, this time around for Glamorgan in English T20 Blast. With his 390 runs coming at an outstanding average of 55.71 and strike-rate of 140.79, with four half-centuries, Labuschagne believes that it will help him get into the Aussie side for the World Cup in UAE and Oman. "I certainly think the games I played in England have helped me a lot with just learning my own game in T20 cricket and it's shown that if there's that sort of role that (selectors) need (to be filled), then I'm available,” he was quoted saying to cricket.com.au It was not only his batting, but his part-time leg break did its good thing as well and the STS (Stranger than Smudge) believes that he has done everything he could to get the selector’s attention. "Pretty much everything I could've done (for T20 World Cup selection), I did in England. I played eight games in the Blast and that was really fun, just to play that role at three and four and bowling a lot of overs,” he said. The 27-year-old hasn’t yet debuted for the Kangaroos in the shortest format yet. With Mitchell Marsh in good nick and Steve Smith getting back from injury, it is going to be a tough competition for him to get into the team at the number three and four positions. However, his ability to pick spin from the hand could be handy in the turning conditions and with 24 T20s under his belt in which he also has 20 wickets, the South Africa born is hoping that tides would turn in his favour. "I think it (play against spin) is certainly in my favour, but I'm not a selector so it's hard to judge how they're viewing it. But I certainly think where we're playing in the UAE, and with conditions being more spin-friendly, it might be an option,” he said. Australia have had a horrid time in T20 cricket, losing both their five-match series against West Indies and Bangladesh away from home 4-1.

England batsman Ollie Pope is suffering from a grade three quadriceps tear which he picked up during the T20 Blast. He might miss the first Test against India if not declared fit and the Surrey player is worried about it. The right-handed batsmen blamed the tight scheduling of the T20 Blast games in which he had to play five games in just eight days, and the top of which he was returning after 10-day isolation being a close contact of someone who had tested Covid positive. "With the schedule, I think we played five T20s in seven [eight] days after I had to do 10 days sitting on the couch isolating as a close contact. Going from 10 days on a couch to five games in seven days is always going to provide a little risk. It is frustrating but hopefully, I'll sort this quad out and that's the end of it,” Pope was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. Talking about his current situation and whether he will be able to take part in the first Test starting Thursday, August 4th, Pope said, "I've been hitting a lot of balls just trying to get as much running as I can do. I guess in a day or two a decision will be made.” "I'm hopeful, but I guess it's up to physios and management to manage the risk of it,” he added. The 23-year-old is even ready to miss the first game so that he can be available for the rest of the four matches. “It's just trying to make sure if I did play this one there's not going to be an issue for the next four if selected,” said Pope. Now that Ben Stokes is not available, the English middle order needs stability and Pope is a key member in consideration for that number five spot.

Should a batsman going down while running be run out? Especially if he swivels and moans in pain crutching his one leg and a physio is asked to come out and treat him? Your cricketing spirit would say that he must not be run out, but practicality says that he must, especially if the batting team needs 15 off 18 balls and the players batting in the middle are the last recognised batters. Joe Root, the England Test captain and Yorkshire CCC captain in the Vitality T20 Blast, England and Wales’ domestic 20-over competition, chose cricketing spirit over practicality as he refused to run out Lancashire’s Steven Croft when he twisted his back heel and fell down while going for a run in the 18th over. However, when the physio attended the player, then instead of going to the dressing room, as many expected, he rather decided to continue. It was at this moment that the Sky Sports commentators Rob Key and Mark Butcher had different viewpoints and controversy was sparked. According to Butcher, Yorkshire and Root should have run Crodft out and let the umpires decide the best course of action, but Key on the other hand resorted to the spirit of cricket and complimented Root for the path he took. The 36-year-old Croft, who remained there batting on the crease as the ball on which this bizarre incident took place was declared dead, went on to see his team home by four wickets at the end. With this win, Lancashire qualified for the Quarterfinals of the 2021 season of the Blast. Yorkshire, who had already made it to the last eight even before this match began, would go back home once again without a win at the Old Trafford in a Roses clash eight years in a row. Apart from Yorkshire and Lancashire, Nottinghamshire have also qualified from the North Group of the Blast. There is still one place remaining from this group which would be decided after Worcestershire play their match against Leicestershire and Birmingham play its game against Northamptonshire. Booth these games take place on Sunday, July 18th.

The upcoming two Vitality Blast T20 matches involving Derbyshire has been called off as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday (14 July) that Derbyshire CCC is left with very limited resources and won’t be able to field a team of strength in order to maintain the integrity of their last two matches. As per the COVID-19 protocols in place, as many as 14 players from the Derbyshire squad have been asked to self-isolate as an unnamed player from the squad had tested positive earlier this week. In addition, six members of the squad are already nursing injuries and it became almost impossible for them to field a playing XI in their last two matches. The Derbyshire Falcons were slated to play their last two clashes against Northamptonshire Steelbacks on 16 July and the Yorkshire Vikings on 18 July. These two matches stands cancelled and under the playing condition 16.11.4.5, the North Group will be decided on an ‘average points per completed match’ basis. The two matches will be treated as a draw and both teams have been awarded eight points each for a draw plus the bonus points which they had collected before the match was called off.

Ravi Rampaul has been resigned by Derbyshire for the final three group games in this year’s Vitality T20 Blast and also the Royal London Cup. Rampaul who was the leading wicket-taker in the 2019 edition of the T20 Blast has spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons at Derbyshire as Kolpak registration players. However, he didn’t return last summer for the T20 Blast owing to the strict covid restrictions in place. Rampaul has been going through a purple patch in the recent past and was the leading wicket-taker in the Regional Super50 competition. He also plied his trade for the Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10 League. He was snapped up by the Trinbago Knight Riders and will play for them in the upcoming edition of the tournament. This is the first time, the fast bowler has received a CPL contract since 2017. Speaking on his association with Derbyshire, Rampaul said, "I loved my first spell with Derbyshire and I'm looking forward to getting started again in familiar surroundings. I know most of the players still, and there's a few new faces who are really exciting young players. If I can help them along in training and in games, I will do that, and hopefully we can get on a roll and challenge for the knockouts." Derbyshire director Dave Houghton said that Rampaul will add variety to the squad having had great success with the county in earlier editions. He said that having someone of Rampaul’s abilities will be highly beneficial for Debyshire. "I've always felt that we had some unfinished business. Ravi had such a good season in 2019 - he was club player of the year - but we lost him for a year due to the pandemic. Our bowlers have come on leaps and bounds this year, but to have someone of Ravi's ability and class opening and closing the innings for us, which is something we've missed this season, is going to be fantastic, “Houghton said.

Swashbuckling West Indies batsman Kyle Mayers has been roped in by the Birmingham Bears for a short stint in the Vitality T20 Blast. He has been signed to play the final three games of the T20 Blast. His participation was confirmed by Warwickshire on Wednesday. The left-handed batsman will be available to play in their next game against Worcestershire on Friday. "I'm very excited by this opportunity to join up with the Bears and I hope that I can contribute with the bat and ball during these final three important games of the Blast," Mayers was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. "I understand that the Bears have enjoyed a good association with West Indies cricketers and I'm very proud to join this list of players. Hopefully, I can make some important contributions, which secure our path through to the knock-out stages,” he added. Mayers hogged the limelight earlier in the year when the southpaw tore apart Bangladesh with an unbeaten double century on his Test debut. He scored an unbeaten 210 to ensure West Indies chased down the target of 395. Mayers who is a skilful medium pacer as well has been quite impressive in the CPL last year. Warwickshire sports director Paul Farbrace feels that Mayers’ inclusion will be a great boost to the team. "Kyle played superbly in last year's CPL, which helped him to break into the Windies ranks across all formats," Director of Cricket Paul Farbrace said. "Being able to add Kyle, as a hard-hitting batsman and skilful seam bowler, to our squad as we bid for a quarterfinal place is a great boost. We also recognise how motivated Kyle is by this opportunity to feature in another leading T20 tournament with an ICC T20 World Cup just around the corner."