Round-up for the week ending 25th February: PSL underway with plenty of Sussex interest

The last time Jofra Archer and Tymal Mills featured in Winter Watch they were playing on the same team. On Friday, however, they were on opposite sides as Jofra’s Quetta Gladiators came up against Tymal’s Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League. Jofra took 2-30 and Tymal clubbed an unbeaten five from two deliveries as the Kings posted 149-9 from their 20 overs. Tymal’s 2-27, including snaring Kevin Pietersen with his first ball, was a major factor in the Gladiator’s then restricting the Kings to 130-9 to record a 19 run win. Batting at number ten, Jofra made five from four balls.

Jofra didn’t have to wait long to get back to winning ways as the Gladiators romped to a nine-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars on Saturday. The Sussex man took 3-23 from his four overs as the Qalandars were restricted to 119-9, a total that the Gladiators knocked off in just 14 overs with nine-wickets in hand.

Tymal made it two from two on Sunday, as the Kings beat a Peshawar Zalmi side containing Chris Jordan. Tymal’s 1-28 helped keep the Zalmi to 131-9, with CJ making one at number nine. Despite CJ taking 2-29, the Kings were able to chase that total down with five wickets and two balls in hand.

Chris Jordan started the tournament with a seven-wicket defeat against Multan Sultans on Thursday. CJ made one not out from number eight as the Zalmi made 151-6 from their 20 overs and took 0-31 from his four overs as the Sultans reached their target with five balls remaining.

CJ was back to winning ways on Saturday when Peshawar beat Islamabad United by 34 runs. He wasn’t required to bat as the Zalmi racked up 176-6, and his 1-33 helped keep the Islamabad to 142-9.

Australian club cricket has been full of Sussex players making an impact this winter, but the numbers are declining quickly as the boys return home ahead of the county season. Still flying the Sussex flag Down Under last week, however, were Phil Salt and Delray Rawlins.

In Adelaide University CC’s second white-ball final in as many weekends on Sunday, Phil took two catches and whacked a 27-ball 41 at the top of order. Sadly, his efforts were in vain as Port Adelaide won the West End One-Day Cup grand final by 16 runs.

In the second grade of the New South Wales Premier Cricket competition, Delray was in the Sydney side taking on Randwick Petersham in the first day of a two day match on Saturday. Batting at number five, he made 23 off Sydney’s first innings total of 112 all out. At the close, Randwick Petersham had reached 155-4 in reply.

Rashid Khan started the week in which he became the world’s best bowler in both ODIs and T20Is with another match-winning performance. In the final game of Afghanistan’s five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, Rashid took 3-13 from 5.1 overs as Zimbabwe were skittled for just 95. This was 146 runs short of the 241-9 that Afghanistan had made batting first, during which Rashid reminded everyone that he can also be a highly destructive batsman. Batting at number 10, he hit three fours and three sixes on his way to a 29-ball 43.

Sussex’s other overseas signing for the forthcoming season, Ishant Sharma, captained Delhi against Andhra in the quarter finals of India’s Vijay Hazare one-day competition on Thursday. Batting first, Delhi were bowled out for 111, with Ishant making one from nine. He then bowled four very tidy overs, taking 1-11, but Andhra had little trouble in knocking off the runs. They reached their target inside 29 overs for the loss of four wickets.

Stuart Whittingham was in action for Scotland this week as they warmed-up for next month’s World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe with two warm up matches over the border in South Africa. On Tuesday, Stu took 0-43 off six overs in Scotland’s match against Ireland, which ended without a result after rain intervened in the nineteenth over of Scotland’s reply to Ireland’s 259-8. Scotland then secured a seven-wicket win against the Netherlands in a high-scoring affair on Thursday. Stu took 2-87 from his ten overs during the Netherlands’ innings of 289 all out, before Scotland chased their target with an over to spare.