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A stunning onslaught from captain Leus du Plooy lifted Derbyshire Falcons to a thrilling six-wicket Vitality Blast win over Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston.After the Bears piled up 203 for 7, du Plooy smashed an unbeaten 66 from 25 balls to see his side to 207 for 4 with three balls to spare.Sam Hain’s unbeaten 79 from 36 balls in the Bears innings contained some breathtaking hitting but was trumped by du Plooy’s masterclass.After openers Luis Reece (57) and Haider Ali (48) added 96 in ten overs to set the perfect foundation for the big run chase, du Plooy built a memorable victory on it with an exhilarating display of hitting which brought him five sixes and four fours.England all-rounder Chris Woakes was socked for 51 in his four overs as the Falcons side completed a quickfire double over the Bears and handed them their third successive defeat.The first half of the Bears innings did not go to their plan after they chose to bat. Rob Yates made a perky 21 but leg-spinner Mattie McKiernan bowled potential big-hitters Moeen Ali and Glenn Maxwell through indeterminate shots before they could inflict any damage and also castled Alex Davies for a sketchy 26.Hain batted beautifully but needed support and found it from Dan Mousley and, after Mousley was bowled through a lap by Zak Chappell, from Woakes, who transformed the innings with 23 from 11 balls in a dazzling stand of 48 in 18 balls with Hain.Woakes was yorked by Zaman Khan but Hain was at his most destructive in the closing overs, thumping 36 from his last eight balls faced.The Falcons faced a testing target but, after riding their luck early on, Reece and Haider Ali played sweetly to raise 50 from 33 balls. They set down the perfect platform before being parted in scruffy fashion when Haider Ali charged and missed at Danny Briggs. Davies missed the stumping at the first attempt but, with the batter down the track, had time to complete it second time round.Moeen, playing his penultimate game for the Bears before he departs on Ashes duty, applied a brake with an astute spell which brought the wicket of Reece, bowled through a slog sweep. As the required rate escalated, and Wayne Madsen suffered a rare failure when he holed out to Mousley, the pressure increased on the Falcons.Du Plooy went to the crease with that pressure at its height. He needed to hit brilliantly from his first ball – and did so to take his side to a victory which tightens the North Group table right up.

Paul Stirling and allrounder Curtis Campher struck their nation’s third and fourth Test hundreds respectively, as Ireland stormed past their previous highest Test score early in the day, and on to a mammoth 492 by tea. Although the sheen of Ireland’s excellent first innings was dulled somewhat by the Sri Lanka openers progressing to 81 for no loss by stumps, the hosts will still have to mount a huge score of their own to put pressure on the visitors. In the last match, Ireland had been rolled for 143 and 168.It was the 64-run sixth-wicket stand between Stirling and Campher that kicked off Ireland’s day-two march, before Campher took the lead in a seventh-wicket partnership worth 89 with Andy McBrine. Although these partnerships delivered Ireland to within sight of 500, the tail fell quickly.The hosts’ primary destroyer was once again Prabath Jayasuriya, who bowled a mindboggling 26.3 of Sri Lanka’s 55.3 overs on the day – essentially only taking a break of one over between marathon spells. For those efforts, he completed what already feels like his customary five-wicket haul in Galle – the sixth time he has got a five for, in his seven-Test career. He finished with figures of 5 for 174 from 58.3 overs all up. The seamers, Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando, took two apiece.It was Vishwa who struck the day’s first blow, producing perhaps the delivery of the Test so far, to dismiss Lorcan Tucker in the first over. Pitching on a length, he jagged one back in sharply at Tucker, batting on 90, to slip between bat and pad, and clatter into off stump. That dismissal brought Stirling back to the crease. He had retired hurt on 74 on the first afternoon after suffering from debilitating cramps. However, Stirling appeared fairly fluent shortly after his day-two arrival, driving Vishwa for two off-side boundaries early in the day.But he had some nervous moments after he had progressed into the nineties. Asitha delivered an especially intense over to him when he was on 97, hitting him on the shoulder, before getting him to fend another short one away – with his gloves – next ball. At the other end, Campher got to his maiden Test fifty with a slog over deep midwicket off Jayasuriya, before the action returned to Stirling, still on 97.Paul Stirling became the second Ireland batter to have a century in all formats•Getty Images

He backed away, played a T20-style cut, and nailed it. Striking Asitha way over deep point, Stirling became the second Ireland batter to own a century in all three formats, after Kevin O’Brien. Asitha would soon get him with that short ball though. He hurried Stirling into a hook next over, and the top edge settled in the hands of Dhananjaya de Silva at fine leg. Stirling had made 103 off 181 deliveries.Campher, though, found a more-than-capable partner in McBrine, and took the lead in the partnership that truly grew Ireland’s total into a giant one. Jayasuriya bowled some menacing deliveries through this period, but was occasionally flat, perhaps reflecting the difficult nature of the surface he was working with too. Campher increasingly used his feet as he strode towards a hundred, and swept beautifully as well.He was ecstatic when he got to the milestone, roughly midway through the second session, gesturing animatedly to the dressing room. Not ordinarily known for big innings, and in the team largely for his seam bowling, this was Campher’s first century in any competitive senior cricket, List A and first-class included. In fact, his previous best score had been a 72 not out in a T20I.With the wicket of McBrine, who on 35 threw his bat at a Vishwa delivery he needn’t have, Sri Lanka began to reimpose themselves. Jayasuriya took Campher’s edge a few overs later, the chance flying low and to the right of Dhananjaya, who took a spectacular diving catch. Jayasuriya would then get Graham Hume lbw, before debutant Matthew Humphreys holed out slogging.Sri Lanka’s openers then made smooth starts. Nishan Madushka was tight with his defence, but unleashed some rasping cut shots when the seamers strayed wide of off stump. Dimuth Karunaratne picked up his usual leg-side boundaries to get himself moving, and had little trouble picking up runs into the outfield in between. He had sauntered to 39 off 45, and Madushka was 41 off 64, before dark clouds descended on Galle, and forced the close of play an hour earlier than scheduled.

Big picture: Rematch of T20 World Cup final

In one way, Friday’s T20I between South Africa and India is a grudge match. The last time these two sides met was in Barbados, in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. India had no business winning that match when South Africa needed 30 off 30 balls with six wickets in hand. But Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Co snatched the win, and the trophy, from South Africa’s grasp, leaving them heartbroken.In another way, it is not. Many protagonists of that final will not be in action in this series. From India’s XI for the final, only four – Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh – are part of the current squad. South Africa, too, are without Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi.Therefore, this four-match series might look inconsequential. But don’t forget, the next T20 World Cup is only 15 months away, and the teams have already started preparing for it.Related

• Sanju Samson century, spinners hand India big win in T20I series opener

• Suryakumar: 'If Test comeback has to happen, it will happen'

• Stage set for another Abhishek-Samson audition

India recently faced a shock whitewash at home at the hands of New Zealand, but that was in Test cricket. Their T20I side, which has never been more different from their Test team, is coming on the back of a thumping 3-0 series win against Bangladesh. Continuing their attacking template from the World Cup, they posted a gigantic 297 for 6 in their most recent T20I.South Africa are yet to recover from their defeat in the final. Since then, they have lost 3-0 to West Indies and drew 1-1 against Ireland in the format. Playing at home now, can they bounce back?

Form guide

South Africa LWLLL (last five T20Is, most recent first)
India WWWWW

In the spotlight: Aiden Markram and Tilak Varma

Aiden Markram has crossed 25 only once in 14 T20I innings this year. His tally in the format is 201, at an average of 16.75 and a strike rate of 118.23. This is in complete contrast to his career numbers: average 32.17, strike rate 144.62. On the eve of the first T20I against India, he said he was in a good space mentally. Both he and South Africa would want that to be converted into runs.Can Aiden Markram turn his form around?•Getty Images

A couple of freak hand injuries earlier this year had put Tilak Varma’s career on hold. While he is back in the mix now, the competition has got intense. He was drafted in for the Bangladesh T20Is as an injury replacement for Shivam Dube but did not get a match. After that, he led India at the Emerging Asia Cup in Oman where his returns were unglamorous: 117 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 120.61. Can he step up against a much tougher opponent?

Team news: Debuts for Simelane and Ramandeep?

South Africa could hand a debut to allrounder Andile Simelane. Simelane plays his domestic cricket at Kingsmead, which could come in handy.South Africa (probable): 1 Reeza Hendricks, 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen/Gerald Coetzee, 8 Andile Simelane, 9 Nqabayomzi Peter, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Ottneil BaartmanIndia are likely to hand batting allrounder Ramandeep Singh his T20I cap. Axar Patel should also get a chance after warming the bench during the New Zealand Test series.India (probable): 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Ramandeep Singh, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Pitch and conditions: Runs ‘n Rains

South Africa do not have happy memories of Durban. Last year, Australia whitewashed them in a series of three T20Is, all played at this venue. It’s a high-scoring venue; the average first-innings total in the last seven T20Is here is 184. However, the weather could spoil things – there is a 40% chance of rain on Friday. The last time India were supposed to play a T20I here, in December 2023, rain did not allow even the toss.

Stats and trivia: Suryakumar’s strike rate

• India have a strong head-to-head record against South Africa in South Africa: six wins and three losses in nine T20Is.
• Among those who have scored at least 1000 T20I runs, Suryakumar has the highest strike rate (169.48).
• Arshdeep Singh is India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is this year, with 28 scalps in 14 games.
• In nine T20I innings against India, Heinrich Klaasen has three half-centuries and a strike rate of 168.09.

Quotes

“It has been a testing few months now. Obviously, we have addressed the reasons behind it, growth opportunities, things that are going to make cricketers better in South Africa over a long period of time. But as a captain, it hurts your pride and I have got a lot of pride wearing this badge and want to carry it forward and want to win games and win series for South Africa. But you lock into the bigger picture, you lock into how much it is going to help cricket in South Africa moving forward. Sometimes you have to go through these tough times and hopefully there will be some light at the end of the tunnel.”
“It has always been challenging playing against South Africa, be it in the T20 World Cup or any bilateral. The last time when we were here, we had a good series. Hopefully, we will have a game [tomorrow]; last time we missed out on the game here. But yeah, it’s always fun and challenging and both sides enjoy having that great competition.”

Big picture: Pakistan confident, Australia shorthanded

Australian soil has mostly been the site of nightmares for Pakistan over decades. But ignited by fiery bowling from quick Haris Rauf, Pakistan are on the verge of a rare series victory in Australia and go into Sunday’s decider at the Optus Stadium highly confident after a nine-wicket hammering of the world champions in Adelaide.It can, of course, be fraught with danger to feel any type of certainty over such a volatile team but Pakistan deserve to enter the third and final ODI in Perth as favourites. They probably should have already wrapped up the series if not for Pat Cummins’ late heroics with the bat at the MCG.Pakistan bounced back superbly with a masterclass in the second ODI, blowing away Australia’s batters with skilful pace bowling before impressive young opener Saim Ayub treated Australia’s frontline attack with disdain.It’s hard to recall a more clinical performance by a visiting team in Australia. Pakistan, whose white-ball coach Gary Kirsten quit amid upheaval just a week before the tour, can almost sniff an unlikely series victory and they will face a weakened Australia.Cummins, Steven Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Marnus Labuschagne won’t play as they start preparing for the first Test against India.Josh Inglis will become Australia’s 30th ODI captain and has the tough task of galvanising a new-look team in conditions that will once again test their batting-order preaching all-out attack. There will be considerable pressure on misfiring openers Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk, who have both copped criticism for their shot selections across the two games.While the series is viewed as an entrée to the blockbuster Test summer, as underlined by modest crowds in Melbourne and Adelaide, there is added significance for both teams ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

Form guide

Australia LWWLL (last five ODIs, most recent first)
Pakistan WLLWWJosh Inglis will lead Australia for the first time•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Josh Inglis and Haris Rauf

Josh Inglis, 29, will make his captaincy debut for Australia and also will lead his team in the subsequent T20I series against Pakistan. Given his heavy workload with the gloves, Inglis has never taken the reins of Western Australia or Perth Scorchers in the BBL, but his leadership credentials and tactical nous are widely regarded. He did captain a very strong Prime Minister’s XI in a first-class match against West Indies two years ago. The England-born Inglis started the season in sublime form and was even bandied around as a possible left-field option to solve Australia’s Test opening dilemma. Inglis continued to look in good touch in the opening two games but failed to convert starts. On a ground he has long dominated in the BBL, Inglis looms as Australia’s key batter as he bids to start his captaincy on a winning note.Haris Rauf has been undoubtedly the standout performer so far this series with eight wickets to rattle Australia. He’s been unplayable at times on helpful surfaces and he has created doubt over whether Australia’s batters can handle rapid pace. Rauf should relish the extra bounce at the Optus Stadium, but he will need to not get carried away. He should strive to replicate the discipline he showed in Adelaide marked by a superb line and length delivery – reminiscent of Test cricket – to nick off Labuschagne. If he can finish off the series in style, then his performances across the three games will go down in Pakistan’s fast-bowling lore.

Team news: Mass changes for Australia

Quick Sean Abbott, who played in the series opener, is likely to return for Australia along with experienced allrounder and Perth local Marcus Stoinis. Hometown heroes Lance Morris and Cooper Connolly will be in consideration, while quicks Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett are also in the squad.Australia (probable): 1 Matt Short, 2 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3 Josh Inglis (capt, wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Aaron Hardie, 7 Cooper Connolly, 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Spencer Johnson/Xavier Bartlett, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Lance MorrisAfter such a comprehensive victory in Adelaide, Pakistan are set to remain unchanged.Pakistan (probable): 1 Saim Ayub, 2 Abdullah Shafique, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), 5 Kamran Ghulam, 6 Salman Agha, 7 Irfan Khan, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Mohammad HasnainSaim Ayub treated Australia’s attack with disdain in the second ODI•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

A fast and bouncy surface is expected at a ground that aims to mimic the famous conditions at the nearby WACA. But runs usually flow at the ground in white-ball cricket as batters target the relatively short straight boundaries.”The same three principles… pace, carry and bounce but more of a batter’s wicket. Lots of runs,” WA Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald told ESPNcricinfo.It has been a relatively mild spring in Perth and pleasant temperatures in the mid-20s are expected throughout the day fixture.

Stats and trivia

• Salman Agha has the fifth-highest strike rate (94.86) in Pakistan’s history of batters who have faced at least 500 deliveries.
• Glenn Maxwell needs 50 runs to reach 4000 in ODIs.
• The teams have never played an ODI at the Optus Stadium. Pakistan held a 4-3 edge at the WACA.
• Only two ODIs have been played at the Optus Stadium. In front of more than 53,000 fans, England’s 12-run victory over Australia in January 2018 was the first official sports event at the Burswood ground, while South Africa beat Australia by six wickets later that year.

Quotes

“We go to Perth with a clear plan, a clear method. We’re committed to the style we want to play.”

Sam Curran says he was a “bit gutted” to be overlooked for a Test recall in the wake of Ben Stokes’ hamstring injury this summer, but hopes that a central role on England’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean will restate his credentials across formats.Despite being named Player of the Final and Tournament during England’s T20 World Cup triumph in Australia two years ago, Curran’s international career is at something of a crossroads at the age of 26 – both because he has lacked the role clarity in white-ball cricket that has been a feature of his success on the franchise circuit, but also because he senses he doesn’t quite “fit the mould” of what England are looking for now that Brendon McCullum has taken over as head coach in all formats.Curran struggled to make an impact in England’s disappointing T20 title defence in the Caribbean earlier this year, taking three wickets at 38.33 while batting for a total of 11 balls in five matches, and he hasn’t featured in the ODI format since December 2023, having been a fall-guy for England’s doomed World Cup campaign earlier that winter.In red-ball cricket, meanwhile, Curran’s most Test appearance came against India in August 2021, meaning he hasn’t featured in any of the 30 matches to date of McCullum’s England tenure. This is despite his uncanny knack of contributing to winning causes, with 16 victories in his 24 caps to date, including seven in a row from the start of his breakthrough summer, as a 20-year-old, also against India in 2018.Partly that is a consequence of Stokes’ status as England’s senior allrounder. But Curran also suspects that his physical limitations are not helping his cause. Though his left-arm line is a point of difference, his 5ft9in medium-pacers do not chime with the zeitgeist, as shown when Leicestershire’s 20-year-old left-armer, Josh Hull (6ft7in and high-80s pace) was called up for a surprise Test debut at Curran’s home ground, the Kia Oval, last month.”The way the teams are being set up now, guys are getting picked for certain skills and a bit out of the unknown,” Curran told talkSPORT. “As a county player, it’s an interesting one, because you’ve got to hope that you fit that mould right now. And if you don’t, you’ve just got to crack on and win games for your franchise and your counties, and just hope that that call comes.”There’s actually nothing you can do about it. If you fit what they’re looking for, you’re great. But if you don’t, it actually might not be an ability thing.”That sense that Curran’s face doesn’t currently fit was exacerbated by his omission for the recent Test series against Sri Lanka. When Stokes tore his hamstring during the Hundred in early August – an injury that has also kept him out of the ongoing first Test against Pakistan in Multan – Curran allowed himself to believe his chance for a Test recall had arrived.Curran got the better of Kohli, among others, during his breakthrough Test summer in 2018•Philip Brown/Getty Images

“I’ll be totally honest, when Stokesy got injured, I did probably think that was my way back into the Test team,” he said. “A couple of weeks back, I had a meeting with Keysy [Rob Key, director of cricket] just to get a bit of understanding of where the group is, and how I see myself getting back into the Test side.”Being a young player who experienced Test cricket so young, I feel like I had an advantage to know what it’s about, to know what winning a Test match is, and the grind and the grit and attitude that you need … so I was a little bit gutted. Selection is selection, but I thought that was my way back into the side at the minute.”They’ve got their own structure at the minute, and they’re picking the guys that fit that environment, and there’s a big thing going on at the minute about extra pace and stuff like that. And I guess for 12 months’ time, and the Ashes, these are the guys they want, so you can’t question it until the plan comes to an end.”For the time being, however, England’s eight-match tour of the Caribbean offers Curran an opportunity to take centre stage – not least because the timing of the tour, between the end of the Pakistan Test series and the start of the subsequent tour of New Zealand, may give him the chance to bat up the order in the absence of several multi-format stars.”At the Oval Invincibles and Surrey, and a couple of the franchise teams, I feel like my role has been pretty nailed on, whereas with England, there’s been myself, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone … Woakesy [Chris Woakes] as well, all these allrounders at 6, 7, 8 and 9, and it can be confusing.”Sometimes you take the new ball, and then [the selectors] go to four seamers, and you’re the one to lose out, so it’s a frustrating role. My strongest role in most teams is batting in the top six and bowling, but I love playing all sorts of roles.”My goal is always to try and get back into the England sides, and there’s only one way of doing that … scoring runs, taking wickets and winning games for England or the franchises. There’s no doubt I’d love to be on an Ashes tour or in a Champions Trophy victory. I’m someone who likes to prove a point, so fingers crossed the next couple of months go well.”