The big story: New Zealand flay Bangladesh attack in 1st ODI

New Zealand opener Tom Latham’s cracking 121-ball 137 helped his side set the pace against Bangladesh in the first One-Day International in Christchurch on Monday. Some robust hitting by Colin Munro at the death took the Kiwis to a formidable 341/7 at the end of 50 overs.

The South African-born left-hander took only 61 balls to smash 87 as the Bangladesh bowlers had a tough start. Middle-order batsman Neil Broom made a comeback for the Black Caps after nearly seven years.

Other top stories

  1. Australia shaded the first session against Pakistan in their traditional Boxing Day fixture at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. After electing to bat in the second Test, the visitors were 60/2 at lunch. Nathan Lyon picked up the wicket of Sami Aslam while Josh Hazlewood capped off an inspired spell by snapping Babar Azam at the stroke of the interval.
  2. South Africa, fresh from their series win in Australia, will look to dominate proceedings against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Port Elizabeth. Faf du Plessis, now officially named the captain after AB de Villiers stepped down, stated that his side looked to hit the ground running.
  3. In the Ranji Trophy, Gujarat are on the threshold of sealing a semi-final spot going into the final day. Mumbai have a narrow lead against Hyderabad whereas the Haryana-Jharkhand game is evenly poised.
  4. Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi made a U-turn on his retirement and stated that he was available for selection. The belligerent all-rounder stepped down from captaincy after his side’s disappointing World T20 campaign in March.