England cricket team
England thrash India by eight wickets in 1st T20
Chasing a modest 125, England romped home in 15.3 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
Some pundits slammed the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for giving breaks to key players including Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali during the India Tests.
After losing three quick wickets before the overnight close, Bairstow and Lawrence steadied the innings and scored the required 36 runs in less than 10 overs on the final day.
England's tour was called off on Monday after two members of the touring party initially tested positive for Covid-19.
A statement from Cricket South Africa said that Kagiso Rabada had suffered a right hip strain which would take about three weeks to heal.
South Africa have not played an international match since March but six of their squad played in the IPL, with captain Quinton de Kock and former captain Faf du Plessis joining Rabada and Nortje in having successful tournaments.
England will play two Twenty20 internationals in Karachi on 14 and 15 October 14 - the first time they have played on Pakistan soil since 2005.
The Warriors’ Glenton Stuurman has received his maiden international call-up. He and the rest of the named squad will be eligible for selection for both series. The 28-year-old from Oudtshoorn has 10 franchise matches to his name, with 35 wickets under his belt.
Fast bowler Jofra Archer spent 87 days in the England bubble, although he was ruled out of the second Test against the West Indies in Manchester in July after breaching Covid-19 regulations.
CSA launched the domestic season on Thursday, with professional domestic cricket set to get underway early next month.
Pakistan, who saw veteran Mohammad Hafeez (86 not out) and teenage debutant Haider Ali (54) share a partnership of exactly 100, won a last-ball thriller by five runs to square a three-match series at 1-1, with one no result, in the final fixture of their tour of England.
England beat the West Indies 2-1 and Pakistan 1-0 in a rain-hit series which, coupled with their success in South Africa at the start of the year, continue an upward trajectory with new players in the team.
The tourists reached 187 for four in their second innings at the close, batting for 27.1 overs on the short final day, still 123 runs short of England’s massive 583 for eight declared.
Officials will meet along with Ageas Bowl groundstaff at the end of the first day's play (Friday) and if the weather forecast is good for the following morning they can start play half an hour earlier than normal.
In a match refereed by his father Chris Broad, bowler Stuart Broad was fined 15% of his match fee and given a demerit point for his behaviour on Saturday as England went on to clinch the series opener in Manchester by three wickets.
The 34-year-old Broad is only the seventh bowler in history to have taken 500 Test wickets and the fourth quick.
The hosts are spoilt for choice ahead of Friday’s start of the third test at Old Trafford with Anderson, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood all looking to return to the team.
England dropped Archer from the team for the second test against West Indies, announcing the decision hours before the start of the match at Old Trafford on Thursday.
The match is being played in a “bio-secure environment” with daily health checks for everyone in the ground. There are home umpires - the first time in England since 2002 - and because of that each team have three referrals instead of the usual two per innings.