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Joe Root made an unbeaten 92 off 60 balls as Paarl Royals chased a tournament-high 213 to beat Pretoria Capitals by eight wickets in the SA20.

Root hit 11 fours and two sixes and was supported by Rubin Hermann (56 off 33) and David Miller (48* off 24) as Paarl won with two balls to spare.

It beats the previous highest chase of 204 by Joburg Super Kings against Durban's Super Giants in 2024.

Root, who has not played a T20 for England since 2019, is the second highest run-scorer in this year's SA20 with 195 runs, at an average of 97.5 and strike-rate of 146.62.

Asked if he was enjoying the tournament, Root told Sky Sports: "I am. It is a great tournament, great to be a part of and great to play some T20 cricket."

Root will play in the majority of the group stage before joining England's 50-over squad for their tour of India and the Champions Trophy that follows.

Capitals had posted 212-5 with Will Smeed making 54 off 34 balls, but Will Jacks was out for nine off eight balls.

Saturday's other game saw MI Cape Town thrash Joburg Super Kings by seven wickets.

Ryan Rickelton crashed 89 off 39 balls as Cape Town chased 173 in 15.5 overs to secure a bonus-point win.

Joburg had posted 172-5 with Faf Du Plessis making 61 off 38 and Jonny Bairstow 43 not out off 27.

Cape Town lead the six-team table from Paarl and Joburg. Pretoria and Durban's Super Giants are fourth and fifth with two-time winners Sunrisers Eastern Cape bottom.

• SA20 fixtures & table

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England trio Dan Lawrence, Alex Hales and Sam Curran all made important contributions as Desert Vipers continued their 100% start with a 53-run win over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the International League T20.

Hales made 58 off 36 balls, Lawrence 49 off 32 and Curran 35 off 29 as Vipers posted 193-5.

Curran is the second highest run-scorer in the tournament with 155, while Lawrence (124) and Hales (122) sit fourth and fifth on the list.

Vipers, who are now four from four, then bowled Knight Riders out for 140 with Nathan Sowter claiming 3-44 and Lawrence 1-15.

Saturday's other game saw Gulf Giants chase 166 against Dubai Capitals for their first win.

They were wobbling at 53-3 and 88-4 but Namibia's Gerhard Erasmus (50*) and West Indies' Shimron Hetmyer (41*) shared an unbroken 80 off 44 balls to seal the win with 11 balls to spare.

Capitals had posted 165-7 with Dasun Shanaka top-scoring with 33 not out.

• ILT20 fixtures & table

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Perth Scorchers kept their Big Bash League knockout hopes alive with a five-wicket win over Adelaide Strikers.

They needed to chase 162 in 18 overs or less to overtake Melbourne Renegades, who won earlier on Saturday, on net run-rate and move into fourth position.

The five-time winners got there in 16.2 overs with Cooper Connolly making an unbeaten 39 off 21 balls.

Their place in the knockouts will be decided by the outcome of Melbourne Stars' game against Hobart Hurricanes on Sunday (08:15 GMT). A win for Stars would see them claim fourth and the final knockout spot.

Strikers, who are now eliminated, were bowled out for 161 in 19.1 overs with Liam Scott top-scoring with 67.

The defeat also eliminates Renegades, while defending champions Brisbane Heat went out in Saturday's early game.

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Jake Fraser-McGurk hit a stunning 95 to keep Melbourne Renegades' Big Bash knockout hopes alive and eliminate defending champions Brisbane Heat.

Chasing 197, Fraser-McGurk smashed five fours and eight sixes in his 46-ball innings.

He was dismissed with 16 needed from 19 balls but Fergus O'Neill came in and hit 16 off six balls to seal a three-wicket win with 12 balls to spare.

Heat had posted 196-4 with Jack Wood making 45 and Sussex's Tom Alsop 42 not out off 26 balls.

The win moves Renegades into fourth - the final qualifying spot - but they could still be eliminated.

Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers, who play on Saturday, could both overtake them on net run-rate, while a win by any margin for Melbourne Stars over Hobart Hurricanes on Sunday would mean they finish fourth.

• Big Bash fixtures & table

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Tom Abell made 57 as defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape beat Durban's Super Giants by 58 runs for their first win of the 2025 SA20.

Eastern Cape, who had lost their first three games, posted 165-5 with Abell's 57 supported by Zak Crawley's 38 off 29 balls and Marco Jansen's 36 not out.

Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad was superb in picking up 4-25.

Durban struggled throughout their chase falling to 54-4 and then losing their final six wickets for just 13 runs to be bowled out for 107 in 18.1 overs.

Richard Gleeson claimed 2-12, Ottneil Baartman 2-17 and Liam Dawson 2-18.

Eastern Cape remain bottom of the six-team table despite the bonus-point win while Durban are fifth.

Saturday sees a double-header between Pretoria Capitals and Joe Root's Paarl Royals (11:00 GMT) and MI Cape Town v Joburg Super Kings (15:30 GMT).

• SA20 fixtures & table

Image source, International League T20

Avishka Fernando hit a 16-ball half-century as Sharjah Warriorz beat Dubai Capitals by five wickets in the International League T20.

Fernando's fifty is the fastest in the tournament's history, beating Azam Khan's 18 balls.

The Sri Lankan was eventually dismissed for 81, but his 27-ball knock, that contained six fours and eight sixes, swung the game firmly in Warriorz's favour.

Lancashire's Luke Wells made an unbeaten 31 off 17 balls to get Warriorz's over the line as they chased 202 with 11 balls to spare.

Capitals had posted 201-5 with West Indies batter Shai Hope making an unbeaten 83 off 52 balls.

Warriorz move second in the six-team table, while Capitals sit fifth with two defeats in three games.

• ILT20 fixtures & table

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Only 5.1 overs were bowled before the Big Bash League match between city rivals Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers was washed out.

After rain stopped play in the second over, the players returned and Thunder reached 36-1 with David Warner unbeaten on 22, before another downpour arrived.

Further breaks in the rain were short-lived and the umpires eventually called off the game at 21:40 local time.

The teams take a point each so Sixers finish second in the table and will face leaders Hobart Hurricanes in Qualifier 1 on 21 January.

Thunder are guaranteed third and will host the team that finishes fourth in the Eliminator on 22 January.

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After 36 games the group stage of the 2024-25 men's Big Bash League is nearly over.

Just four games remain and there's still things to be decided.

The top four progress to the knockouts, with first playing second for a place in the final (21 Jan) and third playing fourth (22 Jan) to stay in the competition.

The loser of first v second then faces the winner of third v fourth (24 Jan) for the second final spot. The final takes place on 27 January.

Remaining fixtures (all times GMT): Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder (17 Jan, 08:15), Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat (18 Jan, 06:00), Perth Scorchers v Adelaide Strikers (18 Jan, 09:15) & Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes (08:15).

Hobart Hurricanes are guaranteed to finish in the top two and have two opportunities to reach the final. A win in their last game would confirm top spot.

Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder have also both progressed and the winner of their match will finish in the top two. The loser will play in the Eliminator. A washout would see Sixers finish second.

The other five teams are all still in contention to seal the fourth and final place.

Melbourne Stars, who lost their opening five matches, play last but a win over Hurricanes seals fourth regardless of other results, but the pressure could be on.

Defending champions Brisbane Heat are best placed to capitalise on any slip ups but they must beat Melbourne Renegades, who, alongside Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers, must win and then rely on net run-rate.

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Sam Curran and Alex Hales both made important contributions as Desert Vipers beat MI Emirates by five wickets to continue their unbeaten start to the International League T20.

Chasing 160, Hales made 34 off 22 at the top of the order and Curran 28 off 23 coming in at five.

Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman hit 67 off 52 balls as Vipers won with five balls to spare.

MI Emirates had posted 159-6 with West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard top-scoring with 36 off 23, including hitting his 900th six in T20 cricket.

He is only the second player to reach that landmark alongside compatriot Chris Gayle, who has hit 1,056.

Curran was again expensive, conceding 28 from his three overs.

Vipers are top of the table while MI Emirates sit third, but have now lost two of their three matches.

• ILT20 fixtures & table

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Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Gujarat Giants in the opening game of the 2025 Women's Premier League.

The tournament will begin on 14 February and is scheduled to run until 15 March.

The group stage will run until 11 March, before the Eliminator - between the teams that finish second and third - on 13 March.

The winner of that game will play the team who topped the group stage in the final on 15 March.

Four venues will be used in the tournament: The new BCA Stadium in Vadodara (six games between 14-19 Feb), M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru (eight games between 21 Feb-1 March), EKA Arena in Lucknow (four games between 3-8 March) and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai (four games between 10-15 March).

All 22 matches are scheduled to start at 14:00 GMT (19:30 Indian Standard Time).

• Full 2025 Women's Premier League schedule, external

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Matthew Wade hit the final ball for six to give Hobart Hurricanes a five-wicket win over Brisbane Heat and secure a top-two place in the Big Bash League.

Chasing 202 Hurricanes, who already secured a knockout spot, needed 11 from the final over.

Jake Doran hit the third ball for four and Hurricanes needed one from the final ball but Wade swept over square leg for six to secure a seventh straight win.

Caleb Jewell made 76 off 49 balls and Mitch Owen 44 off 20 at the top of the order.

Defending champions Heat had posted 201-6 with Marnus Labuschagne, playing for the first time this season, making 77.

Heat spinner Matthew Kuhnemann suffered a right thumb injury in the chase, which will concern Australia going into their two-Test tour of Sri Lanka later in January.

Finishing in the top two ensures that Hurricanes, who have never won the competition, will get two chances to reach the final on 27 January.

Heat need to win their final game and hope that Melbourne Stars lose.

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England spinner Charlie Dean has signed for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women's Premier League as an injury replacement for Australia all-rounder Sophie Molineux.

Dean, 24, has not played in the first two seasons of the Indian competition, but has taken 46 wickets in 36 T20s for England, at an average of 18.19.

Molineux, 26, is ruled out with a knee injury, which has also seen her miss the Women's Ashes this month.

Dean will join England pair Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Kate Cross at defending champions RCB.

Other England players involved in the competition include Alice Capsey (Delhi Capitals), Dani Gibson (Gujarat Giants), Nat Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians) and Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz).

The dates for the 2025 tournament are yet to be announced.

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Joe Root's Paarl Royals cruised to a six-wicket win over MI Cape Town on the back of teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius' superb 83 from 52 balls in the SA20.

Having been set 159 to win, Root scored a run-a-ball 15 for the Royals as he played second fiddle to Pretorius in a 50-run opening stand.

While the former England skipper, who also took 1-24 with the ball, was dismissed by Trent Boult in the last over of the powerplay, 18-year-old Pretorius powered on and hit eight fours and three sixes.

The left-hander was eventually run out with the Royals 25 short of their target but captain David Miller's 24 not out got them over the line with an over to spare.

South Africa international Rassie van der Dussen had earlier batted through the innings for MI Cape Town, finishing unbeaten on 91 from 64 balls with five fours and five sixes.

However, support was limited and while the away side kept wickets in hand, spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-27) was the pick of a Royal bowling attack that ensured Cape Town never got away from them.

A total of 158-4 proved to be insufficient thanks to Pretorius' second blistering half-century of the tournament.

MI Cape Town remain top of the table despite a second loss in four games, a point clear of the Royals, who have won two of their first three.

• SA20 fixtures & table

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Jason Holder took 4-23 as Abu Dhabi Knight Riders claimed a comfortable 30-run win over Sharjah Warriorz in the International League T20.

Former England bowler David Willey also played a key role for the Knight Riders as he claimed 3-19, including the wicket of Jason Roy for six.

Englishmen Laurie Evans (39* from 31 balls) and Joe Clarke (32 from 27) top-scored for the Knight Riders and Andre Russell's unbeaten 24 from 12 balls took the home side up to 159-5.

England leg-spinner Adil Rashid was the pick of the Warriorz bowlers with figures of 2-14 from his four overs.

Warriorz were in trouble early in the chase as Willey removed Tom Kohler-Cadmore second ball and then dismissed Roy in his next over.

Holder went on to remove his fellow West Indian Johnson Charles as the Warriorz slumped to 45-4 and then 83-7.

It was only some late hitting from Tim Southee (24 from 11) that gave the score a slightly more respectable look for the visitors, who were bowled out for 129 with three ball of the innings remaining.

Both sides have now won one and lost one of their opening two matches.

• ILT20 fixtures & table

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Adelaide Strikers hopes of making the Big Bash League knockout stages suffered a blow as they fell to a three-wicket loss to Sydney Sixers despite the best efforts of Ollie Pope and Jamie Overton.

England Test vice-captain Pope top-scored with 57 from 39 balls, adding 97 for the fourth wicket with Alex Ross (48 from 37), before Overton added an unbeaten 32 from 14 late in the innings as the Strikers posted 182-5.

However, Steve Smith's half-century got the Sixers chase off to the ideal start before he was dismissed by Overton having made 52 from 31 balls.

Overton, who ended with figures of 2-35, trapped Jordan Silk lbw in the same over and when Moises Henriques fell to wrist-spinner Lloyd Pope at the start of the next, the Sixers were 92-5.

But Lachlan Shaw and Ben Dwarshuis' 55-run stand got them back in contention and Hayden Kerr's cameo of 18 from nine balls got the away side over the line with a ball to spare.

While the Sixers return to the top of the table, the Strikers stay sixth and progressing to the knockout phase is no longer in their own hands.

• Big Bash fixtures & table

Image source, International League T20

England all-rounder Sam Curran made an unbeaten 42 to guide Desert Vipers to a six-wicket win over Gulf Giants in the International League T20.

Chasing 120, Curran came to the crease at 7-2 but shared 49 with Alex Hales (20), 10 with Azam Khan and then an unbroken 55 with Sherfane Rutherford (40* off 18).

Curran's 42 came off 43 balls with four fours and one six.

Giants had posted 119-9 with James Vince making an unbeaten 76 off 62 balls. Aayan Khan was the only other Giants batter to make double figures.

Vipers are top of the table with two wins from two, while Giants are fifth after two defeats.

• ILT20 fixtures & table

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Pretoria Capitals recovered from 61-4 to inflict a third straight defeat on defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20.

Chasing 114 to win, Will Jacks made 27 at the top of the order before being dismissed by Richard Gleeson (2-31).

But Liam Livingstone (14* off 14) and Marques Ackerman (39* off 30) shared 54 for the fifth wicket to see Pretoria to a six-wicket win with 24 balls to spare.

Eastern Cape had recovered from 26-5 to be bowled out for 113 in 19.4 overs.

All-rounder Marco Jansen hit 51 off 35 balls and Daryn Dupavillon claimed 3-32.

Tuesday's other game saw Joburg Super Kings beat Durban's Super Giants by 28 runs.

Joburg posted 169-7 with Leus du Plooy top-scoring with 38 and Jonny Bairstow adding 26.

Durban were then bowled out for 141 in 18 overs for their first defeat of the season.

• SA20 fixtures & table

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England's Jacob Bethell produced a brilliant all-round display but could not prevant Melbourne Renegades suffering a four-wicket defeat by Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.

Renegades were 23-3 but Bethell, 21, smashed 87 off 50 balls before being run out in the final over as they posted 154-7.

The left-hander hit eight fours and four sixes in his first half-century of the tournament.

He then opened the bowling and dismissed Charlie Wakim in his second over as Hurricanes, who had already qualified for the knockouts, slipped to 50-3.

Small partnerships saw them require 24 from 24 balls but Bethell removed Matthew Wade to turn the game again.

Renegades squeezed to leave Hurricanes needing eight from the final over but Tim David (24* off 15) hit the third ball for six before taking a single to seal the win.

Hurricanes go top of the table and a win in their final game would see them secure top spot and two chances to reach the final.

Renegades are no longer able to qualify for the knockouts.

• Big Bash fixtures & table