Franchise Cricket

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Defending champions Hobart Hurricanes edged to a four-wicket win over Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League.

Defending champions Hurricanes were chasing 151, but slipped to 39-3 before Tim David crashed 42 off 28 balls in a stand of 63 with Nikhil Chaudhary (34 off 30).

However, David had to retire hurt with an apparent hamstring injury that will cause concern to Hurricanes for the rest of the tournament and Australia with February's T20 World Cup in mind.

Hurricanes needed 48 off 33 balls when David retired and then lost England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed for seven.

They required 31 from the final three overs and Macalister Wright (22 not out) shared 35 in 18 balls with Chris Jordan (15).

Jordan was dismissed with two required but captain Nathan Ellis came to the crease and hit his first ball for four to seal the win.

Scorchers posted 150-8 from their 20 overs with New Zealand's Finn Allen making 43 off 23 balls, while Bangladesh's Rishad Hossain claimed 3-33.

The win sees Hurricanes join leaders Melbourne Stars on six points, while Scorchers are fourth despite a second successive defeat.

• Big Bash League fixtures & table

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Sam Harper clubbed a maiden domestic T20 century as Melbourne Stars cruised to a seven-wicket win over Sydney Sixers to maintain their 100% record in the Big Bash.

The Stars won the toss and their decision to bowl first paid off after they restricted the Sixers to a total of 144 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Tom Curran finished with 3-26 - including the wicket of Pakistan opener Babar Azam for just two - while evergreen seamer Peter Siddle claimed 3-23.

Daniel Hughes top-scored for the Sixers with a 42-ball 60 but when he was dismissed by Curran, they stumbled from 90-2 at the start of the 12th over to a modest total.

The Stars lost opener Joe Clarke for a duck to Sean Abbott, but a 54-run stand for the second wicket between Campbell Kellaway and Harper gave the chase momentum.

Harper was the main aggressor as he brought up his half-century off 28 balls then went up through the gears.

The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batter reached three figures for the first time in domestic T20 cricket, eclipsing his previous best of 89 for Melbourne Renegades in 2023, off 50 balls.

Left-arm spinner Joel Davies removed Kellaway and Jonathan Merlo, both for 14, en route to 2-16, but Harper got the Sixers over the line with 15 balls to spare.

Harper finished unbeaten on 110 off 60 balls in an innings which featured 12 fours and six sixes.

The Stars have now won all three of their games and sit top of the BBL standings on six points while the Sixers are fourth.

• Big Bash League fixtures & table

Image source, SA20

The SA20, South Africa's franchise T20 league, returns on Friday, 26 December for its fourth edition.

The tournament, which was established in 2022, is South Africa's equivalent of the Big Bash or Indian Premier League and features some of South Africa's and the world's biggest cricketing names.

It has been brought forward by a few weeks this year because of February's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

There are six teams involved, with all of them owned by IPL franchises. The teams are: Durban's Super Giants, Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals, Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

The tournament begins with defending champions MI Cape Town against Durban's Super Giants in Cape Town. It runs for four weeks and concludes on Sunday, 25 January.

The teams will play each other twice in the group stage, with the top four progressing to the play-offs. They work as follows:

21 January: Qualifier 1 - first v second

22 January: Eliminator - third v fourth

23 January: Qualifier 2 - loser of Qualifier 1 v winner of Eliminator

25 January: Final - winner of Qualifier 1 v winner of Qualifier 2

Image source, SA20

Former captain Jos Buttler is the star English name in the fourth edition of the SA20.

Buttler will play for Durban's Super Giants, having previously scored 799 runs in two seasons for Paarl Royals.

Top-order batter Jonny Bairstow has moved to Sunrisers Eastern Cape - a franchise he has represented in the Indian Premier League - from Joburg Super Kings.

Batter Jordan Cox will hope to push his case to be included in February's T20 World Cup squad after signing as a replacement for Pretoria Capitals.

Other names hoping to boost their profile are Somerset's Thomas Rew and Will Smeed.

All-rounder Will Jacks and pace bowlers Saqib Mahmood and Craig Overton have all had to pull out of spells with the Capitals.

England-qualified players in the SA 2026

Durban's Super Giants: Jos Buttler

Joburg Super Kings: Richard Gleeson, James Vince, Reece Topley, Dan Worrall

MI Cape Town: Tom Moores

Paaral Royals: Dan Lawrence, Thomas Rew

Pretoria Capitals: Jordan Cox, Tymal Mills, Will Smeed

Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Jonny Bairstow, James Coles, Chris Wood, Lewis Gregory

Image source, SA20

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, New Zealand's Kane Williamson and West Indies duo Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran are among the overseas stars signed up to play in the fourth edition of the SA20.

Spin bowler Rashid Khan is at MI Emirates alongside batter Pooran, who has left MI Emirates in the International League T20 to join up for the start of the tournament.

Batter Williamson is at Durban's Super Giants alongside compatriot Devon Conway, while all-rounder Russell is at Pretoria Capitals.

Other overseas names include pace bowler Adam Milne (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Noor Ahmad (Super Giants) and Akeal Hosein (Joburg Super Kings).

All of South Africa's key white-ball players are involved, but there is no contract for Test captain Temba Bavuma again.

All six sides are captained by Proteas players: Aiden Markram (Durban's Super Giants), Faf du Plessis (Joburg Super Kings), Kagiso Rabada (MI Cape Town), David Miller (Paarl Royals), Keshav Maharaj (Pretoria Capitals) and Tristan Stubbs (Sunrisers Eastern Cape).

Other big names include Heinrich Klaasen at Super Giants, Donovan Ferreira at Super Kings, Lhuan-dre Pretorius at Royals and Quinton de Kock at Sunrisers.

Selected overseas and South African players at SA20 (non-England):

Durban's Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Kane Williamson, Noor Ahmad, Sunil Narine, Kwena Maphaka, Devon Conway, Gerald Coetzee, David Bedingham, Tony De Zorzi, David Wiese, Kane Williamson.

Joburg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Akeal Hosein, Donovan Ferreira, Nandre Burger, Brandon King, Rilee Rossouw, Imran Tahir.

MI Cape Town: Kagiso Rabada, Rashid Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Corbin Bosch, Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi.

Paaral Royals: David Miller, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sikandar Raza, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gudakesh Motie.

Pretoria Capitals: Keshav Maharaj, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Lungi Ngidi, Dewald Brevis, Shai Hope.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Tristan Stubbs, Adam Milne, Marco Jansen, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla, Matthew Breetzke.

Image source, ILT20

England's Jordan Cox made an unbeaten 61 to guide defending champions Dubai Capitals into the International League T20 play-offs with a six-wicket win over Sharjah Warriorz.

Cox hit six fours and one six in his 50-ball innings as Capitals chased 135 with five balls to spare.

He was supported by opener Shayan Jahangir, who made an 51 off 39 balls.

Jahangir and Mohammad Nabi were dismissed by Sikandar Raza, before Leus du Plooy fell cheaply to leave Capitals 114-4 in the 18th over but Cox took over and got his side over the line.

Warriorz, who are now in a three-way battle for the final play-off spot, posted 134-8 from their 20 overs with West Indies batter Johnson Charles top-scoring with 43.

They will battle with Gulf Giants and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for the fourth play-off place, while Capitals could yet finish second and have two chances to reach the final on 4 January.

• ILT20 fixtures & table

Image source, ILT20

Nicholas Pooran made an unbeaten 69 to secure MI Emirates' place in the International League T20 play-offs with an eight-wicket win over Gulf Giants.

Chasing 142, MI slipped to 2-2 with England's Jonny Bairstow and Tom Banton dismissed in the first 10 balls of the innings.

That brought Pooran to the crease and the West Indies batter hit six fours and three sixes in his 69-ball knock.

He put on an unbroken 140 with Muhammad Waseem (59 not out off 42 balls) as MI secured a fourth successive victory with 21 balls to spare.

Giants posted 141-6 in their 20 overs, recovering from 49-4 thanks to 51 off 48 balls by former England all-rounder Moeen Ali.

The win gives MI a four-point cushion in second, although they can still be overtaken and lose the chance to have two opportunities to reach the final.

They join Desert Vipers, who have already secured top spot, in the final four.

The defeat leaves Giants fourth - the final play-off spot - and their final game against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on 28 December could be a straight shootout for qualification.

• ILT20 fixtures & table

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Melbourne Stars moved to the top of the Big Bash League table with a comfortable six-wicket win over Adelaide Strikers.

Chasing 156, Stars won with 11 balls to spare with Marcus Stoinis unbeaten on 32 off 22 balls and Hilton Cartwright 10 not out.

Their chase was set up by 55 from Sam Harper, who shared 67 with Joe Clarke (23) for the opening wicket.

Strikers posted 155-8 after being asked to bat with captain Matt Short top-scoring with 56 off 42 balls at the top of the order.

They were well positioned at 110-3 in the 14th over when Tom Curran, who finished with 3-35, came back to dismiss Short.

From there Strikers struggled for any late-innings momentum, with Pakistan's Haris Rauf picking up 3-28.

Stars are top of the table with two wins in two games, while Strikers are sixth after suffering their first defeat.

The Big Bash now takes a two-day break, with matches resuming on 26 December.

• Big Bash League fixtures & table