Cricket

Heavy rain has hindered Kerala's pursuit of an outright victory and boosted Uttar Pradesh's chances of salvaging a draw in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C encounter at the KCA-St. Xavier's College ground.After conceding a massive 233-run first innings lead, Uttar Pradesh was 66 for two when a drizzle forced the players off the field half an hour into the post-lunch session. The drizzle intensified into a heavy downpour with thunder and lightning, leading the umpires to call off play at 2.30 p.m.UP lost its captain, Aryan Juyal, and Priyam Garg in the second innings, and was in a spot of bother before the skies opened up.Earlier, Mohammed Azharuddeen attacked the Uttar Pradesh bowling, striking four crisp boundaries as Kerala sought quick runs. Salman Nizar (93, 202b, 9x4, 3x6) struggled with his timing and was also affected by a hamstring injury, forcing him to leave the field for treatment. Basil Thampi's stay was brief, lasting only two deliveries before Saurabh Kumar trapped him in front.Aaqib Khan's delivery struck K.M. Asif on the helmet, forcing him to retire hurt. Salman returned to continue his innings. He nudged Saurabh Kumar to fine leg and ran three, which aggravated his injury.Azharuddeen, who had been batting fluently up to that point, lost his composure and top-edged a hook off Aaqib, which was well caught by Aryan behind the stumps.Salman smashed Saurabh for a maximum over long leg but was dismissed while attempting to play another big shot off Aaqib Khan in the following over.

Queensland Trails New South Wales in Rain-Hit Sheffield Shield ClashUsman Khawaja's resilient half-century provided a beacon of hope for Queensland on a rain-marred second day of their Sheffield Shield encounter against New South Wales at Cricket Central in Sydney.Despite the inclement weather, Khawaja, a Test opener, showcased his unwavering form, guiding Queensland's response to New South Wales' first-innings total of 239. However, the match was severely disrupted by persistent rain, with only one delivery bowled across the final two sessions.By the time play was abandoned late on Saturday, Queensland had reached 96 for 2, trailing by 143 runs. Khawaja's contribution of 58 runs, including two towering sixes, was the highlight of the day's play.However, Khawaja's innings was not without controversy. New South Wales' Ryan Hadley believed he had caught Khawaja at fine leg off Tanveer Sangha's bowling, but the umpires ruled in favor of the batsman after consulting with each other. Khawaja had also survived an lbw appeal from Josh Hazlewood earlier in his innings.Hazlewood and Jack Edwards combined to bowl six consecutive maiden overs at the start of the day, but Matt Renshaw finally broke the shackles with a thick edge to the boundary. However, Renshaw's bid to reclaim his Test spot was cut short when he was trapped lbw by Sangha for 25.The wet conditions forced the second session to be delayed, and only one ball was bowled before rain halted play once again. That crucial delivery saw Khawaja edge Edwards to Ollie Davies in the slips, leaving Queensland with a mountain to climb in the remaining days of the match.

India on the Cusp of Historic Test Series Victory Against BangladeshIndia is on the verge of extending its remarkable home Test series winning streak to 18 as it faces Bangladesh in the second Test in Kanpur. The hosts secured a comprehensive 280-run victory in the opening Test in Chennai, and a draw in Kanpur would seal the record-breaking achievement.India's dominance in Test cricket has been unwavering, and they currently lead the World Test Championship standings. The team is aiming to qualify for the WTC final for the third consecutive time.However, the second Test has been marred by rain, with the third day being washed out without a ball being bowled. Bangladesh resumed their innings on Sunday at 107-3 off 35 overs, with Mominul Haque (40) and Mushfiqur Rahim (6) at the crease.With no rain forecast for Monday, the fourth day is expected to witness a timely start of play. India will be eager to wrap up the series victory, while Bangladesh will be determined to salvage a draw.The Indian bowling attack, led by Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, has been in scintillating form, while the batting lineup has also performed admirably. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will need to show resilience and determination to avoid a series defeat.The match is poised for an exciting finish, with both teams having a chance to create history. India is on the cusp of a record-extending Test series victory, while Bangladesh is aiming to break their losing streak in India.

Southern Brave secured their spot in The Hundred Eliminator at the Kia Oval on Saturday, thanks to rain intervening at Utilita Bowl against an already-eliminated Welsh Fire. The Brave needed just a point to guarantee their presence in Saturday's showdown, but at the halfway stage, with 181 posted by the Fire, they would have feared losing control of their destiny.Two quick wickets - Alex Davies for a duck and then James Vince for 19 - further set the Brave back. But on the stroke of Vince's dismissal, with rain falling steadily, the umpires took the players off. The rain never abated, and with just 16 balls having been bowled of the Brave's innings - a minimum of 25 balls are required to deliver a result - the game was duly abandoned.It was a bitter pill for the Fire to swallow. With the bat, they were irrepressible, with Luke Wells and Glenn Phillips especially destructive, sharing a 76-run partnership from just 30 balls to propel the Fire to their highest-ever score in the tournament's history.Wells, registering just his second fifty in the competition, took just 28 balls to reach the milestone, while Phillips was spectacular, clubbing five sixes - including one hit over square-leg against Jofra Archer that sailed 102 metres - from just 19 balls. In all, 10 sixes were struck across the Fire's innings.For the Brave, only Akeal Hosein escaped punishment, the West Indian left-armer conceding just 21 from his 20-ball quota. Ultimately, it was immaterial. Brave are through to face either Northern Superchargers or Birmingham Phoenix, with the latter's game against Manchester Originals tomorrow determining the final placings at the top.Brave skipper, James Vince, said: "Bowling first, things probably got away from us a bit. We were sloppy. Some good players got going and we weren't able to shut them down, so it was always going to be a tough ask to chase that down."We had a few messages saying the weather might be on its way so it we had a few discussions about how to approach those first 25 balls; thankfully the rain came just in time."On the whole, across the tournament, the bowling group gets a lot of credit. They're quality, experienced bowlers. Our batting goes under the radar a bit. We'd like a few more guys in form, but on the whole we've been reasonably consistent."

Pakistan vs New Zealand 2nd T20I: Rain Washes Out Second Match of SeriesThe highly anticipated second T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand was unfortunately washed out due to persistent rain, leaving fans disappointed and the series opener still undecided.The match, scheduled for Saturday at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, was delayed by 30 minutes due to rain. New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell won the toss and elected to bat, but only two deliveries were possible before the heavens opened up again.Pakistan had made three changes to their team, handing T20I debuts to batsman Usman Khan, spinner Abrar Ahmed, and all-rounder Muhammad Irfan Khan. New Zealand also made one change, with Robinson making his debut.Veteran pacer Mohammad Amir, who had announced his retirement in 2019, made a surprise return to the Pakistan team. However, he was unable to make an impact as rain intervened after he dismissed Tim Robinson on the second ball of the match.The rain continued to pour for over two hours, forcing the umpires to abandon the match. The series now stands at 0-0, with the third T20I scheduled for Sunday at the same venue.Key Details:* The Pakistan vs New Zealand 2nd T20I was washed out due to rain.* The match was delayed by 30 minutes before being abandoned.* Only two deliveries were possible before the rain returned.* Pakistan made three changes to their team, while New Zealand made one.* Mohammad Amir made a surprise return to the Pakistan team.* The series now stands at 0-0, with the third T20I scheduled for Sunday.