Cricket

Birmingham Bears' bowlers put on a dominant display to secure a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Durham in their Vitality Blast opener at the Seat Unique Riverside.Hasan Ali and Richard Gleeson led the charge, claiming five wickets between them to restrict Durham to a paltry 101 all out. Alex Lees and Graham Clark provided a promising start for the hosts, but the Bears' bowlers quickly turned the tide.Dan Mousley dismissed Clark for 14, while Hasan accounted for Colin Ackermann and Ollie Robinson. George Garton and Jake Lintott also chipped in with wickets, leaving Durham reeling at 64 for 6.Ashton Turner and Michael Jones offered some resistance, but Briggs and Gleeson struck again to leave Durham on the brink of collapse. Hasan wrapped up the innings with the wickets of Jones and Matthew Potts, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 20.In reply, Birmingham's openers Rob Yates and Alex Davies got off to a solid start. Yates hit three fours off Callum Parkinson before being dismissed for 29. Davies was run out for 13, while Dan Mousley fell lbw to Ben Raine.However, Sam Hain remained unbeaten on 27 to guide Birmingham home with plenty of time to spare. Jacob Bethell contributed 18 before being dismissed by Potts, but Hain ensured a comfortable victory for the Bears.Durham's batting woes continued after their poor performance against Lancashire, while Birmingham's bowlers showed their class. The Bears will look to build on this victory when they host Derbyshire Falcons on Saturday, while Durham will aim to improve their batting against Leicestershire Foxes next Friday.

Devon Conway Ruled Out of IPL 2024, Richard Gleeson Named ReplacementChennai Super Kings (CSK) have suffered a major setback with the news that star batter Devon Conway has been ruled out of the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 due to an injury. The New Zealand international had missed the first six games of the tournament due to the injury, and his absence will be a significant blow to CSK's title hopes.Conway has been a key player for CSK in recent seasons, helping them win the title in 2023. In 23 matches for the franchise, he has scored 924 runs, including nine half-centuries and a highest score of 92 not out. His ability to anchor the innings and provide stability at the top of the order will be sorely missed.To replace Conway, CSK have signed veteran England pacer Richard Gleeson. The 36-year-old has yet to make his IPL debut, but he has impressed for England in T20Is, taking nine wickets in six matches. He is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways and generate pace, which could be a valuable asset for CSK in the middle overs.Gleeson has played 90 T20s in his career, taking 101 wickets. He will join CSK for his reserve price of Rs 50 lakh.CSK are currently third in the IPL 2024 points table with four wins from six matches. They will be hoping that Gleeson can make a quick impact and help them maintain their title challenge.