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Australia allrounder Marcus Stoinis surprised many with his extraordinary innings at Eden Park last month. He will be hoping to surprise many more by contributing to Australia’s Test tour of India over the next three weeks after being called up to replace Mitchell Marsh despite an underwhelming Sheffield Shield season.Entering into this week’s match for Victoria against Western Australia in Alice Springs, Stoinis had cobbled a mere 126 runs at 12.60 in six games. A first innings of 46 on Wednesday was his highest score of the season so far, but it remains a meagre base from which to launch an Indian campaign.However the current Australian selection panel is nothing if not clear in its convictions, and as the interim chairman Trevor Hohns stated, Stoinis’ greater heft as a bowler vaulted him ahead of the New South Welshman Moises Henriques, who has enjoyed a prolific summer with the bat. The Auckland performance helped too.”When we looked at the various options we had to replace Mitch, there were two or three people who came to mind, and certainly Marcus was one, Moises was another, another young man by the name of Jack Wildermuth was considered as well, he’s had a terrific season too,” Hohns said.Marcus Stoinis has struggled in this season’s Sheffield Shield•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

“Marcus got over the line because a couple of years ago here with Australia A he performed very well, secondly we consider to give us as many options as we possibly could have in this series, we considered the stronger bowler to be the best option at this stage. That’s what got him across the line.”[Auckland] was very impressive, there’s no doubt about that. What he showed there was his ability to perform under extreme pressure as well so that obviously was taken into account, albeit it was a different form of the game.”As a seam bowler, Stoinis has developed greater accuracy and subtle variation over the past 18 months since his international debut in a T20 in England. He is not as fast as Marsh at his fittest, but will present a strong seam and extract bounce or movement if any is available.Stoinis’ visit to India earlier in 2015, when he played in both first-class matches for one substantial score, now takes on greater significance. Pondering his chances of succeeding on the tour, Stoinis said it was vital that he knew his game and its limitations in difficult conditions – more so than worrying about the unsteady Shield ground on which he stands.”There’s no such thing as form really,” he said. “I went in and made a hundred for Australia recently and hadn’t made many runs before that. You just have to get involved and trust you know what you are doing.”Like most others in Australia, Stoinis has watched the events of the first two Tests closely. He said the touring team appeared to be doing a lot of things right, whether in preparation and strategy, or tactics and match play. What had gone right in Pune, Stoinis felt, had gone awry in Bengaluru – mastery of the key moments.”I think emotions are running high and the series is on the line … it’s a big time for Australian cricket,” he said. “Like every game of cricket there are critical moments and you just have to back yourself that you know what you are doing when you are out there.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellPeshawar Zalmi survived a spell of fierce new-ball fast bowling from Mohammad Amir as they beat Karachi Kings by seven wickets. It was England’s limited overs skipper Eoin Morgan who steered Peshawar to a modest chase of Karachi’s 118, which looked anything but when he came in after two overs with his side wobbling at 2 for 2.In the end, Kumar Sangakkara’s team could never quite recover from a horror start, falling to 12 for 4 inside five overs after being sent in at the toss. Mohammad Hafeez, who mystifyingly didn’t bowl on Thursday in Peshawar’s defeat to Islamabad, opened the attack and dismissed Shahzaib Hasan in the first over to place Karachi under immediate pressure.Babar Azam, Sangakarra and Gayle followed swiftly before veteran allrounders Shoaib Malik and Ravi Bopara helped Karachi regroup. However, that came at the cost of a run rate under six throughout the partnership, and the 118 Karachi mustered by the end didn’t look nearly enough. An exquisite opening spell from Amir temporarily delayed the inevitable and the Kings were ultimately powerless against a superb T20 knock by Morgan, who scored over two-thirds of Peshawar’s runs to end unbeaten on 80.Where the match was wonThis one is straightforward: the first five overs of the contest gave Peshawar an advantage that ultimately proved unassailable. Much has been made of Karachi’s high-profile batting lineup, but contests are not played on paper. With the Kings’ celebrated top four falling inside the first twelve runs, it was all they could do to ensure defeat didn’t turn into humiliation. The lower order did well to take the side past 100 and see to it that they batted their full allotment. But Peshawar, still licking their wounds from a contest one night earlier that they should probably have won, are too good a unit to let two games in a row go by. Once they had their foot on Karachi’s throats, they never quite let go.The men that won itMorgan dominated every aspect of Peshawar’s chase. After seeing off a menacing spell from Mohammad Amir in which the Karachi seamer repeatedly beat Morgan’s outside edge in the third over, the Irishman settled in. He was quick to dispatch any short balls and particularly sublime in cutting late through backward point. At the same time, he let his experience shine, not taking any risks while Imad Wasim and Abrar Ahmed bowled a tight line even as the run rate began to climb. Dawid Malan and later Haris Sohail were content to play second fiddle in a mature, clinical Peshawar batting performance.The double ducksWhile Morgan demonstrated his class – and, as he admitted afterward, a little bit of luck – to see off Amir with the new ball, it was more than Hafeez could manage. The Pakistan opener, who departed for a golden duck on Thursday against Islamabad, nearly befell the same fate as umpire Ahsan Raza turned down an extremely close lbw appeal on the innings’ first ball. Three deliveries later, Amir got another one to angle in to the right-hander and this time Raza had no hesitation determining that the ball would hit leg stump, sending Hafeez to the pavilion for his second duck in as many matches.In the second over, Kamran Akmal – who made an exhilarating 88 on Thursday – was caught off the bowling of Sohail Khan for a duck trying an ugly slog that went straight up. It completed a dismal day for the Akmals; his brother Umar also fell for nought in the afternoon game for Lahore Qalandars playing an equally ungainly shot that was snared by mid-off.The moment of the matchPeshawar Zalmi captain Darren Sammy doesn’t drop many, but in letting an edge from Dwayne Smith slip through his hands at first slip 24 hours earlier in the opener against Islamabad, the lanky West Indian probably cost his side the match. On Friday he made amends for that, diving to his right from first slip to hold on with one hand to a thick edge from Babar in an early contender for the catch of the tournament. If he had lost some goodwill with the Peshawar fans for dropping Smith on Thursday, his catch off Babar made up for it and then some.Where they standPeshawar Zalmi join Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators on two points, though Peshawar have played one more game than the other two. Karachi and Lahore keep each other company at the bottom of the table with both yet to register any points. The same two sides finished last year’s PSL fourth and fifth respectively and so far that hasn’t changed in 2017.

David Wiese, the South Africa allrounder, is the latest player in line for a county Kolpak deal with him nearing a move to Sussex.Wiese has made 26 appearances in ODIs and T20s – he has a career-best of 5 for 23 in T20Is – without ever being seen as a regular. He played in last year’s series win over England, and at the World T20, but his performances have not reflected his reputation for finishing games.He has played at the IPL and CPL and remains an important part of the Titans’ team but, at 31, and with the amount of young talent coming through, an international future is unlikely. He would join batsman Stiaan van Zyl at Sussex after he signed November.ESPNcricinfo understands Wiese has already informed Titans that he is looking for a deal but CEO Jacques Faul said they have “no official confirmation” that he has secured one. Wiese is represented by Weber van Wyk, the same agent who secured deals for Abbott and Rossouw.Wiese joining Sussex – who are coached by South African-born Mark Davis – would not swell the numbers of non-England qualified players in the squad with them having lost Ed Joyce – who is now on a part-time deal linked to his return to Ireland – and Craig Cachopa who returned to New Zealand.

Canterbury staved off a fightback from Northern Districts to clinch a two-run win with three balls to spare at Hagley Oval. Defending 275, Canterbury’s bowlers, led by Tim Johnston (3-47), reduced Northern Districts to 98 for 5 in 24 overs. But a 104-run partnership between Daryll Mitchell and Tim Seifert kept the batting side in the game. Todd Astle broke the stand in the 41st over but Seifert stuck around, bringing up his maiden List A century off 85 balls.He shepherded the chase to a point where they needed five runs off the last over. Pacer Logan van Beek, however, dismissed Ish Sodhi off the first ball and had Seifert caught behind off the third ball to seal the win. Seifert’s 87-ball 104 had 11 fours and two sixes. Van Beek finished with 4 for 55, while Andrew Ellis also chipped in with two wickets. Earlier, Canterbury’s innings was anchored by Henry Nicholls’ 125-ball 140. The knock helped override a late wobble triggered by Scott Kuggeleign, who finished with 3 for 29. The innings received a lift courtesy cameos from Cole McConchie (28 not out) and Tim Johnston (27 not out).Michael Rippon top-scored with 83 and then snared two wickets to help Otago beat Auckland by 33 runs in Invercargill. Otago’s second win in six matches helped them steer four points clear of sixth-placed Central Districts.Otago, sent in to bat, made 340 for 7. Rippon, who opened the innings, set the platform for a strong total courtesy a second-wicket stand of 83 with Sean Eathrone (41) before R Sandhu’s triple-strike reduced them to 227 for 5. Josh Finnie led the revival, striking five fours and five sixes in his unbeaten 73 to take them close to the 350-mark.Auckland openers Jeet Raval (63) and Glenn Phillips (41) put on 91 in 13.1 overs to keep them ahead of the asking rate. Sean Solia, the No. 3 batsman, made 64 to further strengthen their position. But the wickets of Mark Chapman and Solia in the space of four overs set them back. Rob Nicol kept the chase alive, striking a 45-ball 48, but a middle-order wobble escalated the asking rate and left them with too much to get. They finished with 307 for 7.A washout at Basin Reserve ensured Wellington remained on top of the points table. Central Districts were well placed at 150 for 2 in 30 overs when the rain came down. In limited play that was possible, George Worker had moved to 80 not out. He built the innings with a 100-run stand for the second wicket with Will Young (44).

Two players from United Bank Limited, a Pakistan first-class team, were injured in a fire that broke out at the Regent Plaza Hotel in Karachi on Monday.In an accident that left at least 11 people dead and 45 injured, allrounder Yasim Murtaza fractured his heel while 20-year-old legspinner Karamat Ali suffered a hand injury in a bid to save themselves. Ten players from UBL, along with Umar Amin, who plays for Sui Southern Gas Corporation, were staying at the hotel for the ongoing super-eight round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament.UBL were playing Habib Bank Limited, and were set to resume their first innings on 20 for 0 on the third day, in response to Habib Bank’s 486. Having received a request to abandon the match from UBL manager Nadeem Khan, the PCB’s domestic committee agreed to do so, awarding both teams a point each.According to Nadeem, the players woke up to fire and smoke at around 3.30am in the fourth floor of the building. According to reports the fire broke out in the kitchen, which is on the ground floor of the four-star hotel located on the city’s Shahrah-e-Faisal, and swept through the building. Cricketers were trapped between the second and fourth floors and were rescued from the hotel after three hours.”I got a call from a player for help,” Nadeem told ESPNcricinfo. “When I rushed to the hotel, I saw them screaming for help in the windows. They were naturally suffocating after the smoke entered their rooms through the central air-conditioning system. They tried to make their way outside to escape, but couldn’t go beyond the second floor.”Yasim, however, jumped from second to first floor and broke his heel bone, while Karamat Ali suffered a hand injury. The rest of the boys are fine and didn’t suffer any life-threatening injury at all, but they were given oxygen as they were suffocating with the smoke.”The affected cricketers, after a check-up, were temporarily residing at UBL captain Shan Masood’s house in Karachi.”All the players have been evacuated and moved to a safer location now,” Nadeem said. “They are shocked, however, and are not in state to carry on with the match. With two of our boys getting injured, all are in severe shock. Our team is mentally handicapped and can’t play the match any more.”GMT 1030 The story was amended after the PCB domestic committee decided to abandon the match.

Sri Lanka have named Upul Tharanga as captain of the ODI side for their tri-series in Zimbabwe, which includes West Indies, as regular captain Angelo Mathews and vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal are both absent through injury. Kusal Perera will fill the role of vice-captain, while veteran seamer Nuwan Kulasekara has been recalled to the 15-man squad.Tharanga scored a century in Sri Lanka’s victory in the first Test against Zimbabwe at Harare this week – his first in more than a decade. He made a comeback to the one-day team earlier in the year, during the tour of England and Ireland, but was dropped for the home series against Australia, only playing in the fifth ODI after the series was lost.Mathews pulled out of the Zimbabwe tour with “multiple leg injuries” and was replaced as captain for the Tests by Rangana Herath. Chandimal has been recovering from a thumb injury but was not deemed fit enough to take part in the series with Zimbabwe and West Indies. Nuwan Pradeep has, however, recovered from a hamstring strain and returns to contention.Kulasekara’s last ODI came on the tour of New Zealand at the start of the year. He announced his retirement from Tests in June, in order to prolong his limited-overs career, and took 2 for 65 for Sri Lanka A against West Indies A last week.Jeffrey Vandersay is also back in the squad after a finger injury, having last played for Sri Lanka at the World T20. Allrounder Asela Gunaratne and seamer Lahiru Kumara, who both made their Test debuts in Harare, were included and could win their first ODI caps; Kumara, 19, has yet to even play a List A game.There was no place for left-arm spinner Amila Aponso after an impressive debut series against Australia. Sachith Pathirana, Lakshan Sandakan, the chinaman bowler who has played ODI previously, and the recalled Shehan Jayasuriya make up the spin options alongside Vandersay.Sri Lanka’s first match in the tri-series is against Zimbabwe on November 14.Sri Lanka ODI squad: Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella, Upul Tharanga (capt), Kusal Mendis, Shehan Jayasuriya, Asela Gunaratne, Sachith Pathirana, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dasun Shanaka, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Lakshan Sandakan, Jeffery Vandersay

ScorecardNic Maddinson thumped 112 off 89•Getty Images

Centuries by Nic Maddinson and Daniel Hughes propelled New South Wales to a six-wicket victory over Victoria in the day-night Matador Cup match at North Sydney Oval.Maddinson and Hughes were able to do what the Bushrangers could not, going on from their starts to reach three figures and leave the Blues’ middle order with a simple task after both were dismissed.Victoria’s captain Matthew Wade perhaps erred also by not calling the left-arm spinner Jon Holland into the attack until the 34th over. Holland went on to take three wickets, but they arrived too late.The Bushrangers had earlier seemed set for a far bigger score than they ultimately managed, but the inability of any of the batsmen to go on to a truly substantial score counted against them. Only 52 runs were taken from the final 10 overs of the innings, as Doug Bollinger proved particularly effective.