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ScorecardTom Westley passed 200 for the first time in his career•Getty Images

“It’s not very often I bat a whole day,” said Tom Westley, as he mopped the sweat away from his reddened face and scratched a beard that may not have been there when he began this innings. He is, at the time of writing, unbeaten on 238 from 361 balls. His maiden double hundred arrived from 319 balls and provided Essex with the brunt of a dominant performance that saw the hosts hammer Worcestershire for 401 runs in the day.Talk of Tom Westley’s feats this season bring with it the caveat of Division Two cricket. And that is right up to a point: James Vince’s Test form may have put the feats of second-tier stylists into context. But Westley’s is a case that deserves to be heard. He is a player in the form of his life, with an appreciation of his batting that has matured from flaky to reliable without any loss of indulgence.Yesterday’s portion of his innings saw him bring up four figures in the Championship for the first time in his career. If that surprises somewhat, then factor in that this is the first season in which Westley has struck more than two red-ball centuries. And he only previously managed multiple centuries in 2012, both in Championship cricket. When he reached 100 today, from 182 balls – his fifth of 2016 – he became the third Essex batsman to score three Championship hundreds, alongside Alastair Cook and Dan Lawrence.Even as early as the start of May, Westley knew he was onto something: runs came better and quicker than they ever have. Even abject failure from now until the season’s end will leave him with his best season average. Currently, only Jonny Bairstow has more first-class runs in 2016.He cannot quite put his finger on what has given him this extra push, but he does credit age – at 27, this is his 10th season of first-class cricket – and a winter spent working with Andy Flower, Graham Thorpe and Gary Kirsten on the England Lions tour in the UAE. There were not too many adjustments but enough to allow him to embrace his leg-side game, without leaving him susceptible outside off.Having started the season well, with a notable century against Sri Lanka, he dipped through the middle but was buoyed by a one-day hundred and “quite a few fifties” to reassure himself that the purple patch was still going. Once the previous personal best of 185 was out of the way, thoughts turned to the double hundred.Westley’s ability to find midwicket is unparalleled in the domestic game and often sees him spoilt for company when new to the crease. In the corresponding fixture at New Road earlier this year, he was greeted with four midwicket fielders in the second innings after reeling off 125 in the first. Aided by a bottom hand that wraps all the way around his bat handle, he is able to punch and drive through the region with ease. Today, even his forward defence seemed to send the ball in that direction. Fittingly, on 199, he beat the three fielders stationed there for the boundary that took him to 203.The number of balls he sent in that particular direction made Chelmsford seem like a slanted pool table, as the majority of his 37 boundaries were collected from the midwicket rope. Try as they might, Worcestershire could not find the appropriate book or folded bit of paper to level things up.What success they had was erased by what followed. Cook nicked off for 66 after bringing up his second fifty of the season, which made way for a 213-run partnership between Westley and Ravi Bopara. When Worcestershire then took two wickets for one run, Ryan ten Doeschate ran them – and Westley – ragged to score his fifth Championship half-century in a row. A real salt-in-the-wounds partnership brought up 100 in 101 balls.If there was one blot for Essex, it was a 99 for Bopara. After 18 Championship innings, he is still without a century this season, despite six fifties including a previous season-best of 94. He looked as good as he has done, playing with time and panache – the sort of innings you expect from Bopara. In among the 16 crisp boundaries was a six off George Rhodes that cleared the sight screen and cannoned off a house at the Hayes Close end and into its garden. However, the pursuit of three figures is proving a struggle for a man weighed down by his sheer volume of nineties in the past three seasons.”You know I’m not going to get a hundred, right?” he joked to Westley, as the landmark loomed. A short ball from Jack Shantry was smashed to square leg for four, to take him to 99. The very next delivery, Bopara plopped forward, perhaps looking for a single into the off side, and edge through to Ross Whiteley. “He was right,” remarked a sympathetic Westley. Should Bopara not complete the journey to three figures with his remaining innings, it will be the first time since 2004 that he has not scored at least one first class hundred in a season.

Match facts

August 31, 2016
Start time 1430 local (0900 GMT)Adam Zampa has troubled Sri Lanka through the series with his six wickets•AFP

Big picture

Sri Lanka had lost key players to injury right through the Test series, but continued to thrive on dwindling resources, as the opposition appeared in slight disarray. In the ODIs something of a reversal has occurred. Australia have lost Steven Smith, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and most recently, Shaun Marsh, yet lead the series 2-1. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have made alterations to the squad three times already, and have had a retiring batsman take a veiled dig at the present captain. For this match, spin-bowling allrounder Sachith Pathirana comes into the side, replacing Tillakaratne Dilshan.Like in the Tests though, it is at the top of Sri Lanka’s innings that the hosts have lost the most ground, and where Mitchell Starc has been at his most imperious. He has taken a wicket within his first two overs in each of the three matches, in which Sri Lanka have been 45 for 2, 12 for 2 and 23 for 2. And like Australia had espoused changing theories on how to counter spin in the Test series, Sri Lanka also appear to be reshaping their strategy against Starc. “We will try to play him out safely and score off the others,” captain Angelo Mathews had said ahead of the first and second ODIs. Most recently, he has advocated being “positive in Starc’s first four overs.”Australia’s limited-overs specialists have also steeled the middle order, and have looked more comfortable against spin than their Test counterparts. George Bailey swept and reverse-swept in his match-winning 70 on Sunday. Matthew Wade has made strong contributions through the series, and Travis Head has been involved in useful partnerships in the second and third matches. Sri Lanka have made early breakthroughs in each game too, but will want the likes of Seekkuge Prasanna and Dilruwan Perera to pose more menace through the middle overs, in support of Amila Aponso, who has easily been their bowler of the series so far.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

Australia WLWWW
Sri Lanka LWLLL

In the spotlight

Dilshan now out of the ODI picture, Sri Lanka must set about the tricky business of finding an opening combination for the 2019 World Cup. The man on immediate trial is Danushka Gunathilaka. In 14 ODI innings so far, he has dazzled in patches, though has not strung together enough significant scores to embed himself in the XI. Having had his middle stump removed in Starc’s first over on Sunday, he will want a half-century in this match to make his place safe.Adam Zampa went wicketless in the first match, but has imposed himself on the series since then, taking three wickets in each of the next two matches. His straighter delivery has caused the most trouble (half of his dismissals have been lbws), but he has also beaten batsmen in the air. With 19 wickets at an average of 23.15 from 10 ODIs so far, he appears to have a bright ODI future.

Teams news

Pathirana – a bowling allrounder who delivers left-arm spin – has been drafted in, but appears unlikely to play, for now. Sri Lanka may push Dhananjaya de Silva up the order to open, as he does for his club team, and push Angelo Perera into the middle order.Sri Lanka (probable): 1. Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Dhananjaya de Silva, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Angelo Perera, 7 Kusal Perera, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Seekkuge Prasanna, 10 Dilruwan Perera, 11 Amila AponsoWith Marsh now unavailable, Usman Khawaja is likely to enter the XI in his place. Nathan Lyon may also play in place of Josh Hazlewood, as the Dambulla track will have worn since Sunday.Australia (probable): 1 David Warner (capt.), 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 George Bailey, 5 Travis Head, 6 Matthew Wade (wk), 7 James Faulkner, 8 John Hastings, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Nathan Lyon

Pitch and conditions

With Sunday’s pitch being used again for this match, the spinners’ threat is likely to be further heightened. There is often a strong breeze from the south in the evenings, in Dambulla, but rains are not forecast.

Stats and trivia

• In 11 ODI innings in 2016, Dinesh Chandimal has crossed 50 eight times, including two hundreds, and averages 72.22. He needs a further 196 runs to make this his most productive ODI year.
• David Warner averages 22.10 from 10 ODI innings in Asia. He has scored 19 runs across the three innings in the series so far.
• Australia have batted second in each of their six international games of the tour so far, having lost five of those tosses.

Quotes

“We may try out another couple of options against Starc, but the only thing is that you have to be positive in his first four overs. Don’t lose wickets, but be positive and look for the loose one. We’ve been a bit tentative up front, and that’s where we’ve been giving him a lot of wickets. It’s put a lot of pressure on the No. 3 and No. 4.”
“That’s just what happens with cricket. Sometimes you’re in form, sometimes you’re not. I feel like I’m hitting the ball well. I’ve had some good dismissals, I’ve had a couple of poor shots here and there.”

St Lucia Zouks batsman Gidron Pope made the most of a pair of lives early in his innings to hammer USA’s bowling attack, finishing with seven sixes in his 62 off 27 balls as a CPL Invitational XI defeated a USA XI by seven wickets with two balls to spare.In a match reduced to 13 overs a side due to 75-minute lightning delay, USA XI won the toss and batted first with their innings anchored by opener Fahad Babar, who peppered the leg side boundary to top-score with 59 off 35 balls, in a knock that included seven fours and two sixes. Babar brought up his 50 off 28 balls in the 10th over and played a chanceless innings to help USA XI to a more-than-respectable 129 for 5.Despite several other batsmen making starts, nobody else was able to get to 20 on a good batting deck. USA XI had been motoring along with Babar in control, taking the score to 65 for 1 after five overs, but mystery spinner Nikhil Dutta, of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Canada, took 3 for 16 in three overs including the wicket of Babar to rein USA XI back in.In reply, Pope and Steven Taylor put on 99 for the first wicket, inside eight overs, for CPL XI, though USA XI’s sloppy fielding aided them greatly. A top edge from Pope, batting on 5, off Jessy Singh was spilled by Elmore Hutchinson at third man in the second over. Three balls later, with Pope on 9, the batsman was beaten in flight by Usman Rafiq’s offspin but wicketkeeper Akeem Dodson botched a regulation stumping.Pope found his groove in the fourth over, clattering Singh for 17 runs including a four and six over the leg side and another maximum over long off. After scoring just 10 off his first eight balls, he made it to 50 in 22 balls in the seventh over when he punished Adil Bhatti for three sixes straight down the ground as part of a 25-run frame.Ambidextrous spinner Prashanth Nair struck in the eighth over to remove Pope, having him caught at long off. He then used clever variations in flight to strike twice more, nabbing Taylor at short third man for 35 and Hamza Tariq for a second-ball stumping to finish with 3 for 24 in three overs. Alex Ross and Kyle Corbin took CPL XI over the line, finishing unbeaten on 16 and 12 respectively.The full 30-man USA national squad will commence with three 50-over trial matches starting on Monday after which the squad will be trimmed down to a final 14 ahead of WCL Division Four in Los Angeles from October 29-November 5.

Seamer Chris Mpofu is in line for an international recall as Zimbabwe look to bolster their ranks ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, which starts from August 6. With more than half the squad afflicted by the illness that kept Sean Williams off the field for the entire New Zealand innings, changes to the current 15-man group are expected and ESPNcricinfo has learned that Mpofu is being seriously considered.The seamer has not played a Test in five years, since New Zealand last toured Zimbabwe in 2011. He was part of the XI that took the one-off game to the wire and finished with five wickets in the match. Mpofu has since been plagued by a lower back injury but has played international cricket in shorter formats, with his last ODI and T20 both coming in 2015. Mpofu also played throughout last season, including three matches in the Logan Cup where he claimed 11 wickets at 23.81, and it is understood his wicket-taking ability is what Zimbabwe are after.”We don’t have a powerhouse of seamers which you can pick and choose from,” Makhaya Ntini, Zimbabwe’s interim head coach, said. “For this match, we thought if we have more power in the batting line-up, we’ll have time to be able to take wickets.”However, on a slow, low Bulawayo surface, Zimbabwe’s attack of two seamers, one specialist spinner and four part-timers was only able to take six New Zealand wickets and, of those, the frontline seamers only took two. A lack of experience in the pack is also a problem – the four quicks had only two Test caps between them before this match.Their inexperience showed when both Donald Tiripano and Michael Chinouya wasted the new ball and did not make New Zealand’s openers play enough. They also stayed away from the short ball, which had worked well for Neil Wagner in Zimbabwe’s innings. The pair improved with the second new ball, tightened their lines and asked some questions and Ntini has been working with them on applying pressure for longer periods.”They need to search more, they need to hit one side of the wicket, they need to be able to bowl to fields and they must not be greedy,” Ntini said. “But they are learning. From a fast bowler’s point of view, what we had to mention to them is to pay attention to which ball gets hit for four and then try to correct that. You want to cut off the boundaries. If the boundary ball becomes a single, you are able to understand where you need to improve so when you get hit, you have to think – which ball was that. Then you will understand what not to do.”Apart from Tiripano and Chinouya, Ntini has also been teaching this to the other members of his squad which include Njabulo Ncube, who also played in the 2011 Test, and Taurai Muzarabani, neither of whom were picked for the first Test. Zimbabwe also have the option of calling up Shingi Masakadaza, who topped the Logan Cup wicket-taker’s list and performed well against South Africa A.At the other end, changes are also expected in the batting line-up, especially the top order, although Ntini was careful not to be too harsh on his young top two. Chamu Chibhabha was on debut and Brian Chari had just two caps to his name before this Test. Chari then had to keep wicket as well. “We can’t judge a person by one single game,” Ntini said. “For example, with Chari, he kept for two days and he is not a wicketkeeper and then he got out. But yes, Tino (Mawoyo) has also showed signs of being one of the top-order players. Whatever changes we do, they have to be needed, we won’t just do them.”Mawoyo, who suffered bruising around his right thumb after being hit by Tim Southee in the three-day warm-up match, is hopeful to be fit for the second Test. Although scans did not reveal a fracture, Mawoyo was unable to hold a bat after suffering the blow and did not hit any balls during this Test. He will resume training on Tuesday.

New Zealand fast bowler Hamish Bennett has said that the opportunity to lead an attack in all three formats influenced his move from Canterbury to Wellington. The bowler, who represented Canterbury for 10 years, admitted the decision was difficult but fit in with his aspirations of an international comeback.”That’s the opportunity Wellington were offering, being able to lead the attack in all three forms,” he told . “If you’re doing that for an association and doing it well, if there is an injury or form drops in the Black Caps, they look around at who’s leading the attacks and you hope your name is at the top of the pile.”Bennett was approached by Cricket Wellington in early May and said it was the first time he considered leaving Canterbury.”I don’t want to look back when I’m 40 and if I didn’t take the opportunity which is on my plate now, I would have regretted it. It wasn’t an easy decision. It was bloody tough. At the end of the day, I looked at what’s best for my family and making the move was the best thing for me.”Bennett was part of the New Zealand squad in the 2011 World Cup but has not played international cricket since January 2014. He has played only one Test and 14 ODIs after his international debut in October 2010, and has 23 international wickets with a best of 4 for 16 against Kenya in the World Cup.His international stint was dotted with absences due to injury. He played only four matches in the 2011 World Cup before being ruled out due to an injury to the ankle and Achilles tendon. The following year, he underwent surgery in an attempt to overcome a persistent back injury. Bennett returned to international cricket after a gap of almost three years when he was called up to replace Adam Milne in the ODI home series against India in January 2014. He played the last two matches of the series, taking three wickets.Overall, Bennett has played 51 first-class matches since his debut in the 2005-06 season, taking 158 wickets at an average of 32.48. During his stint with Canterbury, Bennett took 154 wickets in 48 matches. He has 92 wickets from 73 List A matches and nine wickets from 25 T20 games.

The rise of James Vince to England’s Test team has left his county, Hampshire, looking for a replacement captain, with Sean Ervine named as the man to take charge in T20 and 50-over cricket.Ervine, 33, is one of Hampshire’s longest-serving players and captained the team on their pre-season tour of Barbados, when Vince was away at the World T20.”It feels great to be captain,” Ervine said. “Whilst we’re disappointed Vince can’t be with us, it’s brilliant he’s been selected for England.”I’ll bring calmness, and try and use my experience from over the years to counter certain situations – it can get quite manic out there. I captained in Barbados during pre-season and I really enjoyed the experience. Jimmy [Adams] has been a brilliant example and Vince has done an amazing job. It’s just about making sure we continue the success we’ve had over the last few years.”Vince was named Hampshire’s T20 captain in 2014, then took over in 50-over cricket at the start of last season. Adams’ decision to relinquish the Championship captaincy midway through 2015 saw Vince elevated in all three formats but this has coincided with his England career taking off and the club may not see much of him this year.A former Zimbabwe international, Ervine has played a key part in Hampshire’s limited-overs success, helping them to lift the C&G Trophy in 2005, as well as T20 titles in 2010 and 2012. He was the first Hampshire player to make 100 T20 appearances and has helped them to a record six successive Finals Days.His first match in charge will come next Friday, when Hampshire begin their NatWest Blast campaign with a fixture away to Middlesex at Uxbridge.

England were left “frustrated” and “disappointed” after dropping three catches in the first 15 overs of India’s second innings at The Oval, as the fifth Test threatened to slip away from their grasp.India finished the second day with a lead of 52 and eight second-innings wickets in hand on a lively pitch, with the young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal riding his luck to reach a 44-ball half-century. Jaiswal was dropped twice, on 20 by Harry Brook at second slip and on 40 at long leg by Liam Dawson, while Zak Crawley shelled a chance at third slip off Sai Sudharsan.Both drops in the slips were genuine chances but hit firmly, but Dawson – on as a substitute fielder for the injured Chris Woakes – had one hit straight to him. He did not have to move as Jaiswal hooked Josh Tongue to him, but he lost the ball in either the sunlight or the floodlights – his sunglasses were on his cap – and was lucky to avoid a serious injury.Related

• 'That was the plan' – Prasidh on verbal duel with Root

• India get a thrilling dose of the Zak Crawley experience

• Siraj, Jaiswal and Prasidh put India ahead on 15-wicket day

• Stats – The breathtaking Crawley-Duckett opening salvo

“You’re always frustrated when you miss opportunities,” Marcus Trescothick, England’s assistant coach, said. “Of course, we pride ourselves on being very good in those sorts of areas, but it just didn’t happen. We all know how important they are and we all know how tough catches can be – especially in the slips – so [we are] disappointed, but it is what it is.”Crawley’s drop was England’s 15th of the series, per ESPNcricinfo’s logs, compared to India’s 20. Their catching cost them in Manchester last week, with Shubman Gill put down by Dawson and Ollie Pope on his way to his century, and Joe Root putting Ravindra Jadeja down off the first ball of his match-saving unbeaten hundred.England looked weary in the field on Friday evening after batting for just 51.2 overs in their first innings but Trescothick refused to blame their drops on physical and mental fatigue. “I don’t think that’ll be anything to do with it,” he said. “It just happens over the course of some days and some games. It’s just the game, as we see it.”Trescothick believes that the Test is “evenly poised” after two days, and expects the pitch will continue to be “lively”. “There’s more life in it,” he said of the surface. “There’s more pace, more seam movement, and we’re at the extreme version of what we see in those types of pitches, but it’s definitely what we like.”We want pace on the ball, we want the ball to bounce and we want the ball to carry through so that when we’re batting, we can be aggressive, we can attack, and we can put pressure back on the bowlers; and when we’re bowling, if we get opportunities and we catch the edge, hopefully it will carry through… We’re very happy with how [the pitch] has performed so far.”

Big picture: T20 World Cup preparation begins amid a farewell

This series marks the beginning of something – the build towards next year’s World Cup in India and Sri Lanka – but the first two matches are also an ending: Andre Russell will retire from international cricket after the Jamaica leg of matches, another member of the powerhouse West Indies T20 era who has called time.Russell was part of both the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cup triumphs for West Indies, one of finest hours coming in the latter of those when he made vital runs against India and claimed nine wickets in the tournament. It took a while for Russell to click in T20Is: until the end of 2015 he averaged 11.52 with the bat (strike-rate 122.01) and 48.90 with the ball from 33 matches. Since then, in 49 matches, he has averaged 28.63 with a strike-rate of 177.11 and claimed 50 wickets at 26.56.Related

• Australia to trial new combinations as T20 World Cup build-up begins

• Russell rates 2016 T20 World Cup innings against India as his best moment

But he won’t be around for an attempt at a third World Cup title, instead opting to bow out on his home ground at Sabina Park where he can expect a hero’s welcome over the next few days.For two matches, Russell will be part of a West Indies’ batting order that, on paper, looks more formidable than the Test line up that recently crumbled for 27 albeit they are also without Nicholas Pooran who recently ended his international career. However, they have won just two of their last 16 T20Is including 3-0 sweeps against Bangladesh and England.Meanwhile, Australia have been light on T20s since the last World Cup with just nine schedule matches (one of which against England was abandoned) but this series begins a run of 16 fixtures leading into the next edition. This isn’t a full-strength squad with Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc rested – all of whom will likely feature in the World Cup – but it retains many of the key T20 personnel and is an important opportunity for captain Mitchell Marsh to bring the side together.4:10

Russell: I want to win and finish on a high

Form guide

West Indies WLLLL
Australia WWWLW

In the spotlight: Evin Lewis and Mitchell Owen

Moving away from Russell for a moment, Evin Lewis will have some fond memories of Sabina Park. In the only other T20I he has played at the venue he hammered 125 not out off 62 balls against India in 2017. His most recent T20I innings brought 91 off 44 balls against Ireland. In four matches against Australia, which all came in 2021, he has made 139 runs at a strike-rate of 182.89 – his highest against any side he has faced more than once.Mitchell Owen has been confirmed for his international debut. There will be a lot of interest in how he performs following a standout BBL last season which included his breathtaking century in the final. A squeeze for batting spots at the top of the order means his chance will come in the middle order. “Just looking at the top order and the talent and the skill and the experience that we have there. If I get given an opportunity, I don’t really care where it is. I’m just happy to be playing for this team,” Owen said.Eighteen-year-old Jewel Andrew is in West Indies’ squad•Global Super League via Getty Images

Team news: Race from Guyana for WI players; Owen to debut

Jewel Andrew and Jediah Blades are uncapped at T20I level while Matthew Forde will become Russell’s replacement. Seven members of the squad have been playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Global Super League, the final of which only finished on Friday night, and it’s understood their journey to Jamaica may involve a private jet so they can reach on Saturday.West Indies squad: Shai Hope (capt), Jewel Andrew, Jediah Blades, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario ShepherdMatt Short has been ruled out of the series with a side strain and Tim David sits out the opening match as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Jake Fraser-McGurk, a late addition to the squad, gets the chance to open and Cooper Connolly slots into the middle order.Australia: 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Cameron Green, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Mitchell Owen, 7 Cooper Connolly, 8 Ben Dwarshius, 9 Sean Abbott, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Adam Zampa

Pitch and conditions

It remains to be seen how the white ball reacts under the Sabina Park floodlights compared to the pink one, but there is unlikely to be as much grass left on the pitch as there was for the Test match. There is the chance of a shower or two.

Stats and trivia

• These are the first day-night T20Is at Sabina Park following the recent installation of the floodlights which enabled it to host the pink-ball Test.
• The head-to-head between the teams in T20Is is all square: 11-11. However, West Indies have won only one of the last six.
• Former captain Rovman Powell needs 25 runs to overtake Chris Gayle as West Indies’ second-leading run-scorer in T20Is

The Sri Lanka pair of Wanindu Hasaranga and Nuwan Thushara will not be available to play for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in CPL 2024. Both players had suffered injuries during the recent white-ball series at home against India.Patriots have signed Tabraiz Shamsi and Anrich Nortje as replacements for Hasaranga and Thushara.While slinger Thushara was ruled out of the entire series with a finger injury, Hasaranga played all three T20Is and the first ODI before being sidelined with a hamstring injury.Related

• CPL 2024 FAQs: New team, new players, new intrigues

• South Africa call up Under-19 World Cup star Maphaka for West Indies T20Is

• Thushara out of India T20Is with broken finger

Nortje is yet to make his CPL debut but Shamsi is a familiar name at the league, having played 32 games, including 27 for Patriots. Shamsi has taken 33 wickets in those matches for Patriots at an economy rate of 7.06.Nortje and Shamsi will reunite with their South Africa team-mate Tristan Stubbs at Patriots. The side had finished last in CPL 2023, with just a solitary win in ten games.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots squad for CPL 2024

Kyle Mayers, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rilee Rossouw, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Sikandar Raza, Anrich Nortje, Andre Fletcher, Tristan Stubbs, Dominic Drakes, Mikyle Louis, Odean Smith, Joshua da Silva, Veerasammy Permaul, Ryan John, Ashmead Nedd, Johann Layne

Oval Invincibles 113 for 9 (Ferreira 30, Ball 3-24) beat Welsh Fire 103 for 8 (Payne 28, Zampa 3-24) by 10 runsIn a match dominated by the ball, the Oval Invincibles made it two from two, beating the Welsh Fire by 10 runs in an exciting encounter in Cardiff.Although they only posted 113 for 9, the Invincibles’ stellar bowling unit tore through the Fire, with the hosts never looking like chasing down the modest total.Leg-spinners Nathan Sowter (two for 12) and Adam Zampa (three for 24) starred for the defending champions, with the latter picking up his second Meerkat Match Hero award in as many games.Asked to bat by Welsh Fire captain Tom Abell, the Invincibles lost Dawid Malan almost immediately as he flicked David Willey to midwicket. Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye responded well in the powerplay, but the Welsh Fire’s talented seam arsenal stuck to their task. Jacks fell victim to Josh Little, finding the hands of Mason Crane on the long square leg boundary (25 from 15), and Jake Ball and Willey removed Sam Billings and Muyeye respectively to leave the Invincibles struggling at 58 for 4 at the halfway mark.Donovan Ferreira (30 from 23) and Sam Curran (20 from 21) provided some resistance in the face of the Fire onslaught, but the Invincibles never really got going, with wickets continuing to fall at regular intervals, and Ball ending as the pick of the bowlers taking three for 24.Defending 113 was always going to be a tough ask for the Invincibles, and it was made all the more so when Jonny Bairstow was dropped on four by Harrison Ward off the bowling of Saqib Mahmood. Fortunately for Ward, Australian Spencer Johnson cleaned him up a couple of balls later.After Curran bowled Joe Clarke with the first ball of his spell, the Invincibles spinners came to the fore. Zampa continued his good form for the Invincibles, picking up the wickets of Abell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (22 from 33) and Willey, while Sowter removed Glenn Phillips and Luke Wells.Some lusty hitting from David Payne (28 from 15) and Crane took the game to the final few balls, but Curran held his nerve to secure the win.Meerkat Match Hero, Zampa, said: “It was important to start well. We needed some early wickets to get momentum going into the middle overs and the way that Spencer (Johnson) and Saqy (Mahmood) bowled was superb. It was really exciting to watch from mid-off.”Me and Sowts (Sowter) have to play different roles throughout and me bowling more towards the back end with the run rate going up is when I can get into my work.””There wasn’t much pace in the wicket, there was a bit of spin if you gave it some. It was hard to score on it throughout the game.”