Latest news with #DanDouthwaite
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Somerset cruise to six-wicket Blast victory in Wales
Vitality Blast: Glamorgan 130-9 lost to Somerset 131-4 by six wickets Somerset continued their remarkable form in the Vitality Blast, cruising to a six-wicket win against Glamorgan, writes Blake Bint, ECB Reporters' Network. Advertisement After restricting Glamorgan to 130 for 9 courtesy of 4 for 21 from Australian overseas Riley Meredith, Somerset knocked off a sub-par total to remain top of the South Group and head into the mid-competition break with seven wins from eight while Glamorgan's symmetrical win-loss record makes them likely to drop outside the all-important top four. Top order contributions throughout the Somerset innings set up the win comfortably in the run chase for the middle-order to wrap up risk-free. Dan Douthwaite caused troubles taking three for 32 in an attempt to give the hosts a glimmer of hope. Somerset won the toss and opted to bowl after scoring in excess of 200 three times in their last four games with the anomaly being a chase of 136 with time to spare. Kiran Carlson and Will Smale got off to an explosive start, bringing memories of their record-breaking win over Somerset in Cardiff last year, the captain scoring 135 on that occasion while Smale had a half-century of his own. Advertisement On this occasion the flair was short-lived. Smale took Josh Davey's first three balls for boundaries including a typical Smale ramp. However, 30 for no loss from 2.1 overs became 42 for 4 from seven with both openers outclassed by Matt Henry. Ben Kellaway fell for a duck after a T20 best last time out, slapping to Will Smeed at point, extra pace of Meredith proving too much. Veterans Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke continued to struggle, undone by the ever-consistent Lewis Gregory, both falling victim attempting a glide to deep-third; Ingram chopping on, Cooke gliding only as far the wicket-keeper. In a familiar story for Glamorgan it came to Asa Tribe and Douthwaite to drag Glamorgan back into a battle from 49 for five. Read more: Tribe found a way to up the rate and keep stability contributing 38 in a 49-run partnership before an attempted ramp found him bowled. Douthwaite with Glamorgan's hope left on his responsibility picked out the deep-mid-wicket fielder on the first ball of Meredith's return. Advertisement A couple of late boundaries from Imad Wasim and a top-edged six from Timm van der Gugten managed to save embarrassment of a double-figures total for the hosts but at 130, still very much under-par. Somerset's pursuit began with form continuing, showcasing why the rule the league. Tom Banton and Will Smeed watchful in the opening two overs before being proactive and typically brutal taking 41 from the next three. Competition second top run-scorer, Smeed picking up sixes over the leg-side a particular eye-pleaser. While the chase wasn't faultless, the visitors found their way with comfort, starts found for the entire top order albeit unable to kick-on. Tom Abell was bogged down temporarily scoring at just a-run-a-ball for his 10 before Douthwaite dismissed the number four in an impressive over conceding just one run at 88 for 2 from 10 overs proceeding it. With a low total required the starts attempted seek the win quickly came as no surprise, Tom Kohler-Cadmore evidence to the contrary looking to blast Douthwaite over extra-cover to bring a third wicket for the all-rounder, caught on the cover boundary. Despite the loss of four wickets and some trickier spells to endure, from Douthwaite and former Somerset seamer, Ned Leonard who returned economical figures, the visitors nurdled their way to victory professionally in 16.4 overs.
Express Tribune
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Nepal take cricket to new heights with T20 league
Nepal Cricket gets a major boost with NPL which is an effective ground for its domestic talent. PHOTO: REUTERS Glamorgan all-rounder Dan Douthwaite was not alone among the foreign players in being unsure what to expect when he headed to the Himalayas to take part in the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL) late last year. Taking up a playing contract in the mountainous nation of 30 million was always going to be a novel challenge for the Englishman, not least because the Twenty20 league was staged at a ground some 1,350 metres above sea level. "I thought I was going to be constantly out of breath or struggling, but it wasn't actually as bad as I thought it was going to be," the 28-year-old recalled of his time playing for the Kathmandu Gurkhas. "I think I noticed it more so with sixes. When they got the ball it absolutely went miles. A lot of balls ... kept going and going and going. "When you think you've hit one straight up and it's a 70-metre six." Apart from the extra flight of the ball at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground near Kathmandu, Douthwaite's other big takeaway from the experience was the enthusiasm of the Nepali fans. "Cricket in Nepal is probably like the Premier League in England ... there's a kind of almost Indian cricket feel about the way people appreciate and love the game," he told Reuters. The NPL hopes the passion of the fans, combined with the country's unique geography and society, will carve out a niche in a landscape dominated by the likes of the IPL and Australia's Big Bash League. "We're rich in terms of nature," said Sandesh Katwal, the chief executive of the Gurkhas, one of eight NPL franchises. "It's a beautiful country and we're a friendly, welcoming people. The weather, the hospitality suits international players." Former England batting all-rounder and IPL veteran Ravi Bopara, who turned out for Chitwan Rhinos, said it was a great experience, even if he turned down the offer of a helicopter trip to Everest Base Camp. A modest budget meant the NPL could not attract the really big names in the sport. All eight NPL franchises fetched a combined price of under 169 million Nepali rupees ($1.23 million) at an auction held last September. Prize money for the champions, Janakpur Bolts, was around $81,000. A rushed first season also made it difficult to recruit international players, Katwal said. Nevertheless, the NPL proved to be an effective proving ground for Nepal's domestic talent. Katwal said he hoped the NPL would provide that valuable competitive experience, as the IPL has done for young Indian talents.
South China Morning Post
29-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Nepal Premier League: playing in the mountains takes T20 cricket to new heights
Glamorgan all-rounder Dan Douthwaite was not alone among the foreign players in being unsure what to expect when he headed to the Himalayas to take part in the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL) late last year. Taking up a playing contract in the mountainous nation of 30 million was always going to be a novel challenge for the Englishman, not least because the Twenty20 league was staged at a ground some 1,350 metres (4,430 feet) above sea level. 'I thought I was going to be constantly out of breath or struggling, but it wasn't actually as bad as I thought it was going to be,' the 28-year-old recalled of his time playing for the Kathmandu Gurkhas. 'I think I noticed it more so with sixes. When they got the ball it absolutely went miles. A lot of balls … kept going and going and going. 'When you think you've hit one straight up and it's a 70-metre six.' Glamorgan's Dan Douthwaite played for the Kathmandu Gurkhas side. Photo: Handout Apart from the extra flight of the ball at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground near Kathmandu, Douthwaite's other big takeaway from the experience was the enthusiasm of the Nepali fans.
Khaleej Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Nepal takes game to new heights with Twenty20 league
Glamorgan all-rounder Dan Douthwaite was not alone among the foreign players in being unsure what to expect when he headed to the Himalayas to take part in the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL) late last year. Taking up a playing contract in the mountainous nation of 30 million was always going to be a novel challenge for the Englishman, not least because the Twenty20 league was staged at a ground some 1,350 metres above sea level. "I thought I was going to be constantly out of breath or struggling, but it wasn't actually as bad as I thought it was going to be," the 28-year-old recalled of his time playing for the Kathmandu Gurkhas. "I think I noticed it more so with sixes. When they got the ball it absolutely went miles. A lot of balls ... kept going and going and going. "When you think you've hit one straight up and it's a 70-metre six." Apart from the extra flight of the ball at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground near Kathmandu, Douthwaite's other big takeaway from the experience was the enthusiasm of the Nepali fans. "Cricket in Nepal is probably like the Premier League in England ... there's a kind of almost Indian cricket feel about the way people appreciate and love the game," he said. This was the third attempt by Nepal, which became an ICC associate member in 1996 and has qualified for the T20 World Cup twice, to follow in the path of the Indian Premier League (IPL) by launching its own Twenty20 league. The NPL hopes the passion of the fans, combined with the country's unique geography and society, will carve out a niche in a landscape dominated by the likes of the IPL and Australia's Big Bash League. "We're rich in terms of nature," said Sandesh Katwal, the chief executive of the Gurkhas, one of eight NPL franchises. "It's a beautiful country and we're a friendly, welcoming people. The weather, the hospitality suits international players." Former England batting all-rounder and IPL veteran Ravi Bopara, who turned out for Chitwan Rhinos, said it was a great experience, even if he turned down the offer of a helicopter trip to Everest Base Camp. A modest budget meant the NPL could not attract the really big names in the sport. All eight NPL franchises fetched a combined price of under 169 million Nepali rupees ($1.23 million) at an auction held last September. Prize money for the champions, Janakpur Bolts, was around $81,000. By contrast, India's Rishabh Pant, the highest-paid player in the IPL, commanded over $3 million in the league's player auction for the 2025 edition. A rushed first season also made it difficult to recruit international players, Katwal said. "Everything happened within a one to two-month period ... most international players were already occupied. Many didn't know about this tournament," he added. "Since Christmas was near, many overseas players were in a hurry to return. From the second season I think we can plan to start a bit earlier, October or November." Nevertheless, the NPL proved to be an effective proving ground for Nepal's domestic talent, Bopara said. "There was a group of players who were full of potential but lacked experience," he added. Katwal said he hoped the NPL would provide that valuable competitive experience, as the IPL has done for young Indian talents. "It's a dream come true for Nepali players ... sharing practice sessions with the foreign players, they definitely learned a lot. We also had coaches from India, Sri Lanka, England and elsewhere," he said. "Since the IPL has started, you can see young players getting opportunities and it has paid off. The NPL is also an opportunity for Nepali players, a starting point."
The Star
29-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Cricket-Nepal takes game to new heights with T20 league
(Reuters) -Glamorgan all-rounder Dan Douthwaite was not alone among the foreign players in being unsure what to expect when he headed to the Himalayas to take part in the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL) late last year. Taking up a playing contract in the mountainous nation of 30 million was always going to be a novel challenge for the Englishman, not least because the Twenty20 league was staged at a ground some 1,350 metres above sea level. "I thought I was going to be constantly out of breath or struggling, but it wasn't actually as bad as I thought it was going to be," the 28-year-old recalled of his time playing for the Kathmandu Gurkhas. "I think I noticed it more so with sixes. When they got the ball it absolutely went miles. A lot of balls ... kept going and going and going. "When you think you've hit one straight up and it's a 70-metre six." Apart from the extra flight of the ball at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground near Kathmandu, Douthwaite's other big takeaway from the experience was the enthusiasm of the Nepali fans. "Cricket in Nepal is probably like the Premier League in England ... there's a kind of almost Indian cricket feel about the way people appreciate and love the game," he told Reuters. This was the third attempt by Nepal, which became an ICC associate member in 1996 and has qualified for the T20 World Cup twice, to follow in the path of the Indian Premier League (IPL) by launching its own Twenty20 league. The NPL hopes the passion of the fans, combined with the country's unique geography and society, will carve out a niche in a landscape dominated by the likes of the IPL and Australia's Big Bash League. "We're rich in terms of nature," said Sandesh Katwal, the chief executive of the Gurkhas, one of eight NPL franchises. "It's a beautiful country and we're a friendly, welcoming people. The weather, the hospitality suits international players." Former England batting all-rounder and IPL veteran Ravi Bopara, who turned out for Chitwan Rhinos, said it was a great experience, even if he turned down the offer of a helicopter trip to Everest Base Camp. GROWING PAINS A modest budget meant the NPL could not attract the really big names in the sport. All eight NPL franchises fetched a combined price of under 169 million Nepali rupees ($1.23 million) at an auction held last September. Prize money for the champions, Janakpur Bolts, was around $81,000. By contrast, India's Rishabh Pant, the highest-paid player in the IPL, commanded over $3 million in the league's player auction for the 2025 edition. A rushed first season also made it difficult to recruit international players, Katwal said. "Everything happened within a one to two-month period ... most international players were already occupied. Many didn't know about this tournament," he added. "Since Christmas was near, many overseas players were in a hurry to return. From the second season I think we can plan to start a bit earlier, October or November." Nevertheless, the NPL proved to be an effective proving ground for Nepal's domestic talent, Bopara said. "There was a group of players who were full of potential but lacked experience," he added. Katwal said he hoped the NPL would provide that valuable competitive experience, as the IPL has done for young Indian talents. "It's a dream come true for Nepali players ... sharing practice sessions with the foreign players, they definitely learned a lot. We also had coaches from India, Sri Lanka, England and elsewhere," he said. "Since the IPL has started, you can see young players getting opportunities and it has paid off. The NPL is also an opportunity for Nepali players, a starting point." (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
