Cricket news round – September 22: Harmer stars as Essex win maiden T20 Blast after thrilling Finals Day

Having seen off Derbyshire first and then Worcestershire in the final, Essex won their maiden T20 Blast title after a dramatic Finals Day in Birmingham. Elsewhere, Afghanistan lost two in a row in the tri-series, there was a washout in the CPL 2019, and some surprises in Pakistan’s squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs.

Essex win last-ball thriller to claim maiden T20 Blast title

Simon Harmer’s all-round display helped Essex win their maiden T20 Blast title after a thrilling Finals Day in Birmingham.

Worcestershire, who had earlier snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against the Notts, posted a 146-run target, largely thanks to Riki Wessels (31 off 34), Moeen Ali (32 off 26), and scores of 19 each from Wayne Parnell and Daryl Mitchell. It was hard work, though, with Harmer excelling on a dry pitch to return 3/16.

Essex lost Cameron Delport early with just nine runs on the board, but Tom Westley’s 35 held them in good stead. However, the wickets kept coming, and no batsman could hang around to guide the innings – Adam Wheater scored a run-a-ball 15 and Dan Lawrence an 18-ball 23.

Eventually, Ravi Bopara played the star turn, scoring a 22-ball 36*, along with Harmer, whose 7-ball 18* helped Essex seal victory off the last ball.

Shakib stars as Afghanistan lose two in a row

Having lost to Zimbabwe in their previous match, Afghanistan suffered two defeats in a row, with Shakib Al Hasan leading Bangladesh to a four-wicket victory.

Put in to bat, Afghanistan were restricted to just 138/7, despite getting off to a good start via Hazratullah Zazai’s 35-ball 47. The opening stand yielded 57 within the first 10 overs, but a slide thereafter meant they were reduced to 96/5 in the next four overs.

It was Shafiqullah’s 17-ball 23* that got them to their target, but it was no match for Bangladesh, who began their chase poorly, being reduced to 12/2.

However, Shakib scored a 45-ball 70, and with Mushfiqur Rahim partnering him in a 25-ball 26, Bangladesh crossed the line with an over to spare.

Zouks, Trinbago share points after washout

St Lucia Zouks needed a washout to pick up their first points after a three-match losing streak. They were reduced to 99/4 by Trinbago Knight Riders when rain intervened and play was made impossible.

Colin Ingram was on a 34-ball 52* after three team-mates had made single-digit scores. Ali Khan, Jimmy Neesham and Kieron Pollard shared the wickets.

The Zouks remain second from bottom on the table, while the draw meant Trinbago are at No.2 after six games.

Iftikhar earns Pakistan recall after four years

Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Nawaz were all included in the squad as Misbah-ul-Haq named his first squad as Pakistan coach and chief selector.

Iftikhar last turned out for Pakistan in a T20I in 2016, and his last ODI was against England in Sharjah in 2015. However, good form in the domestic one-day competition – he scored back-to-back hundreds – has prompted a recall.

Mohammad Rizwan, who missed out from the World Cup squad despite impressing against Australia in the UAE in the build up to the tournament, has been given his outing as well, while Nawaz’s two half-centuries in the Pakistan Cup made his case for him.

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali missed out through illness and injury respectively, while Mohammad Hafeez has been dropped altogether.