England thrash Sri Lanka in T20I opener, NSW hand captaincies to Maddinson and Shaw — cricket digest 16 Sep 2026

· Cricombo Editorial

England pile on 254 and hammer Sri Lanka as Donald debuts in T20I opener

England began their T20I series against Sri Lanka with a crushing 119-run win at the Utilita Bowl, running up 254 for 4 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 135. Harry Brook struck an unbeaten 114 and Jos Buttler added 80 as the hosts’ top order set the tone, with Sonny Baker leading the way with 3 for 12 in the chase.

The match also marked a first international appearance for Aneurin Donald, who was handed his cap by Kevin Pietersen. Sri Lanka had chosen to bowl first and went with a three-spinner attack that included Dunith Wellalage, with Dasun Shanaka back in the XI.

New South Wales reshuffle leadership: Maddinson to captain in Shield, Shaw to lead one-day side

New South Wales have split their captaincy duties for the coming summer, naming Nic Maddinson as Sheffield Shield captain and Lachlan Shaw as their One-Day Cup leader after Jack Edwards stepped back from both roles. Maddinson, 34, returns to full health after treatment for testicular cancer earlier this year and will take up a second stint in charge, having previously captained NSW in 2015-16.

Shaw, a wicketkeeper and noted fielder with 14 List A games, will lead the defending One-Day Cup champions as part of new coach Brad Haddin’s push to develop emerging leaders. Edwards said he wanted to focus on performance and workload management; he will also miss the start of the domestic season while with Australia A in India, while Shaw is part of the 50-over leg of that trip and is likely to miss NSW’s one-day match against Tasmania on October 13. Haddin’s first season has also brought a refreshed coaching group, including assistants Peter Siddle and Johan Botha.

Renshaw’s maiden ODI century caps rapid rise as Australia start Zimbabwe tour with a win

Matt Renshaw’s first ODI hundred helped Australia beat Zimbabwe by 59 runs in the opening match in Harare, where Australia made 294 for 8 before restricting the hosts to 235. Renshaw came in with Australia 107 for 4 and accelerated after a measured start, while Nathan Ellis took 5 for 31 to close out the chase despite half-centuries from Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza.

Renshaw said he is still adjusting to an all-format schedule after moving from being outside Australia’s plans a year ago to featuring across formats, and described the challenge of switching roles between opening in Tests and batting through the middle order in ODIs. He also noted he plays best when relaxed, after a mixed early run in the format.

Afghanistan coach Pybus points to dot-ball issue and lack of hitting depth after India series loss

Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus said a high dot-ball percentage and a low strike rate were central to their seven-wicket defeat to India in Delhi, a result that also confirmed a series loss. Afghanistan again finished below 160 batting first, after posting 156 for 8 in the first T20I and 159 for 8 in the second, with India chasing both targets comfortably.

Pybus argued India’s familiarity with the Arun Jaitley Stadium surfaces—dry pitches with true bounce—was a factor, and said Afghanistan’s shortage of power-hitting is also linked to a shallower talent pool and more bowling-friendly wickets at home. He added that trying to manipulate pitches would not help Afghanistan when facing top sides at global events.

Bangladesh inquiry says sports adviser Asif Nazrul made the call to pull out of men’s T20 World Cup

A Bangladesh government investigation has identified Asif Nazrul, the sports adviser during the country’s interim government, as the sole decision-maker behind Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the men’s T20 World Cup in India earlier this year. The three-member committee said the BCB at the time lacked “independent strategic leadership, crisis diplomacy capability and long-term planning” in handling the issue.

After weeks of exchanges between the ICC and the BCB, Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland on January 24 following an ICC board vote, after the BCB refused to play matches in India and a request to move games to Sri Lanka was denied. The report said multiple interviewees cited Nazrul as the key decision-maker; Nazrul later stated in a Facebook post that the decision not to travel was primarily his.

In brief

  • Yuvraj Singh has urged India to avoid late “massive changes” and settle on a core group early as they build towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, with a home series against West Indies starting on September 27.
  • Sanju Samson said he deals with outside noise by “turning my Wi‑Fi off” as competition for opening spots in India’s T20I side continues to build.
  • In County Championship Division Two at Canterbury, Kent reached 151 for 7 with Zak Crawley 68 not out after bowling Lancashire out for 161, leaving Kent 10 runs behind on first innings.
  • Twenty wickets fell on day one at the Kia Oval as Glamorgan made 132 and Surrey replied with 115, leaving Glamorgan 47 ahead at 30 without loss; Surrey seamer Matt Fisher also left the match with a groin injury.
  • Wayne Madsen (151) and Ben Aitchison (106) added 197 for Derbyshire’s seventh wicket to lift them to 372 against Northamptonshire, who closed on 15 without loss.
  • At Headingley in Division One, Yorkshire were bowled out for 212 with Jonny Bairstow top-scoring with 79, before Somerset slipped to 68 for 5 in reply, trailing by 144.
  • Nottinghamshire finished 232 for 9 against Sussex at Hove, with Brett Hutton’s 59 not out and a ninth-wicket stand with Tom Giles helping them recover after Jaydev Unadkat took 3 for 82.
  • Hampshire were dismissed for 214 despite Ben Brown’s 80 not out, with Leicestershire captain Ian Holland taking 6 for 38; Leicestershire then reached 148 for 7, 66 behind, as Kyle Abbott claimed 4 for 41.
  • Middlesex ended day one on 324 for 9 against Gloucestershire in Bristol after tailenders Toby Roland-Jones (44 not out) and Sebastian Morgan added a stubborn 74 for the ninth wicket.
  • Mayank Agarwal’s 177 powered Durham to 437 for 7 on day one against Worcestershire at Chester-le-Street.
  • At Chelmsford, Ethan Bamber took a career-best 6 for 26 as Essex were bowled out for 134, but Warwickshire led by 17 at 151 for 9 with Sam Hain 58 not out.
  • Katie Mack’s unbeaten 83 took Australia A Women to a 30-run win over India A Women in New Chandigarh, sealing the unofficial T20 series despite Niki Prasad’s 54 not out and two wickets.
  • Allrounder Kushal Malla has returned to Nepal’s Asian Games squad, with Dipendra Singh Airee set to lead a 15-man group in his first multi-team tournament featuring Full Members.
  • Australia allrounder Hugh Weibgen, 21, says he has drawn inspiration from Michael Hussey and lessons from Sam Billings as he looks to build on last season’s standout one-day hundred.
  • A column on Pakistan cricket argued the PCB has weathered plenty of chaos before, even as wider debate grows about the potential risks posed by AI.

Sources: ESPNcricinfo