Neesham, de Grandhomme rescue New Zealand innings
New Zealand lifts to 237-6 from 83-5 after sensational start from Pakistan
Birmingham, June 26: Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi rattled the top and middle order in a fiery spell but combative half centuries from James Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme helped New Zealand post 237 for six in a World Cup match, here Wednesday.
Reduced to 83 for five after electing to bat, New Zealand looked up to skipper Kane Williamson for yet another rescue act but it was Neesham (97 not out) and de Grandhomme (64), who revived the Kiwi innings with their 132-run partnership.
De Grandhomme's run out ended the fighting stand but Neeham stayed till the end and finished the innings in style by hitting a six off Wahab Riaz.
He missed out on getting his maiden ODI century but his crucial knock, which came off 112 balls with five fours and three sixes, helped New Zealand stay in the game.
Pakistan were off to a cracking start as Mohammed Amir (1/63) struck with his first delivery. Martin Guptill (5) played that ball on to his stumps.
Left-arm Afridi then swung into action, ripping apart the middle order. He began by dismissing Colin Munro (12), who was caught by Haris Sohail in slips, and then returned to send back dangerous Ross Taylor (3).
Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was called a pig by a fan, took a one-handed blinder, diving full-stretched on his right to hold an edge from Taylor.
The combo of Sarafaraz and Afiridi was at it again and this time Tom Latham (1) was consumed.
Williamson (41) and Neesham added 37 runs for the fifth wicket before leg-spinner Shadab Khan (1/43) beat the Kiwi skipper and his edge was smartly taken by Sarfaraz.
Nothing seems to work for Pakistan after that with Neesham and de Grandhomme building the innings bit by bit.
They worked the ball around, stayed patient until it was time to accelerate.
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Israel launches first airstrike on Lebanon since ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of breaching truce
Beirut, Nov 28: The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah members are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, the second day of a ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
