Lyon omitted as Boland strikes in rain-hit SA Test; Brown out of WBBL — cricket digest 19 Oct 2026
Australia go all-pace in Gqeberha as Boland grabs two in rain-wrecked start
Australia left Nathan Lyon out of a red-ball Test for the first time since 2013, opting for an all-seam attack in the second Test against South Africa at Gqeberha, with Scott Boland coming in. South Africa brought Kagiso Rabada back but Keshav Maharaj missed out as the hosts looked to level the series.
Only 12.2 overs were possible on the opening day as rain dominated, but Boland still made an immediate impact, striking twice in his second over to remove Aiden Markram and David Bedingham and leave South Africa 20 for 2.
Darcie Brown ruled out of the entire WBBL with back injury
Adelaide Strikers and Australia fast bowler Darcie Brown has been ruled out of the whole WBBL after a disc injury sustained on the Australia A tour of India last month. The 23-year-old has not returned to training since coming home.
Cricket Australia said that, following assessment and a period of de-loading, Brown’s injury has not recovered enough for her to resume training, meaning she won’t be fit in time for the tournament.
Nahida Akter appointed Bangladesh women’s T20I captain for one-year term
Left-arm spinner Nahida Akter has been named Bangladesh’s T20I captain on an initial one-year appointment, with next month’s ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2026 set to be her first assignment. She replaces Nigar Sultana, who led the side in 82 matches before stepping down after Bangladesh’s struggles in the Asia Cup and Asian Games.
Nahida is Bangladesh’s leading T20I wicket-taker with 132 wickets at an average of 17.38, and has also taken 81 ODI wickets. Middle-order batter Sobhana Mostary has been named vice-captain.
Rizwan set to lead SNGPL in President’s Trophy finale as Imam cleared to play
Mohammad Rizwan will captain Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in the seventh and final round of Pakistan’s first-class President’s Trophy, starting on Monday, October 19. It will be Rizwan’s first appearance in the competition this season after initially being deemed ineligible, with the situation later linked to an ongoing NCCIA investigation.
Imam-ul-Haq, who is also being investigated by the NCCIA, has been granted permission to play the last round for Oil & Gas Development Company Limited. SNGPL, last season’s finalists, are bottom of the eight-team table ahead of their final-round match against third-placed Khan Research Laboratories in Rawalpindi.
Abhimanyu Easwaran keeps India ambition alive as he leads Bengal’s Ranji push
Abhimanyu Easwaran says the ambition of playing for India remains intact as he continues to pile up domestic runs for Bengal. The 31-year-old, who was part of the India Test squad on the 2025 tour of England but has not been picked since, spoke after top-scoring with 56 against Services on a spin-friendly pitch at Palam.
Easwaran has played 118 first-class matches, including 32 for India A since July 2018, and has 1909 India A runs at 38.18 with six hundreds. Bengal began their Ranji Trophy campaign with a nine-wicket win over Delhi and reached last season’s semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions Jammu & Kashmir.
In brief
- Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs after Salman Agha’s 107 set up 305 and the quicks held their nerve despite half-centuries from Pavan Rathnayake (79) and Janith Liyanage (60) in the chase.
- Sri Lanka chose to bowl against Pakistan in the tri-series opener in Rawalpindi, with Pakistan reuniting Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf in their pace attack and handing a debut to Baig while Sri Lanka picked Colombage.
- South Africa were 20 for 2 against Australia at stumps on a rain-hit first day in Gqeberha, with Scott Boland striking twice in his second over.
- Nathan Lyon’s latest omission has fuelled a wider debate about Australia’s balance, with Scott Boland’s case and the depth of their pace options keeping selection pressure on the long-time offspinner.
- Ellyse Perry’s 52 helped Australia chase 163 to beat New Zealand by two wickets and take a 1-0 lead, after New Zealand made 162 for 2 with Georgia Plimmer 85* and Maddy Green 56*.
- Australia sent New Zealand in at North Sydney Oval and brought Tahlia McGrath into the XI after Phoebe Litchfield was ruled out of the T20I series opener through injury.
- Zimbabwe chose to bat against India in Raipur in the second women’s T20I, with both sides unchanged on another pitch expected to be slow and grippy.
- Taskin Ahmed said Bangladesh’s 99-run ODI defeat to Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi exposed a lack of game awareness and a tendency for the batting to collapse under pressure, despite the bowlers showing more consistency.
- Left-arm seamer Gurjapneet Singh led a new-look Tamil Nadu pace group by cutting through Uttarakhand in his tenth first-class match on a red-soil Chepauk surface.
- Australia chose to bowl first against South Africa on a damp day in Gqeberha, going without Nathan Lyon as Scott Boland came in, while South Africa welcomed back Kagiso Rabada and left out Keshav Maharaj.
- St George’s Park in Gqeberha was in focus as one of South Africa’s most historic Test venues, noted for its age, charm and significance.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo