ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 ongoing games results & news diary 2nd edition
Monday 3rd June.
England were stunned by Pakistan at Trent Bridge in their second game in the World Cup, as an inspired batting performance from The Men in Green set up a run chase of 348 for 8 in 50 overs, that proved a knock too far for the favourites who lost by 17 runs.
The home team were below par in the field, a display littered with errors which only served to encourage Pakistan’s charge with the bat as well as their highly vocal supporters, out in force at the Nottingham ground. The tension inherent to the contest, which almost boiled over at one point, coupled with the high energy crowd only added to the occasion, bringing the World Cup to life.
Roy put down the easiest of chances from Mohammad Hafeez, on 14 at the time who went on to make 84. At least Woakes showed some form equalling a World Cup record with four catches, three of them taken on the boundary in splendidly athletic fashion, however he figured among a number of unworthy bowlers. Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer were easily tamed and expensive, while only Moeen, who picked up 3 for 50, and Mark Wood, replacing Liam Plunkett, exercised any vestige of control.
Openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq put on 82 in 14 overs, and then Babar dominated Adil Rashid in his focused 63. Overall, Hafeez’s 84 proved the most aggressive knock including 8 fours and two sixes, while captain Sarfaraz Ahmed stroked away at the leg side for 55.
England at the crease were in an altogether better place but by no means in perfect tune. Pakistan elected to open the session with spin, a spell which saw Shadab Khan trap Jason Roy lbw for 8, then Hafeez clean bowl Eoin Morgan for 9. Suddenly Ben Stokes edged Shoaib Malik to be caught behind by the ever sharp Sarfaraz, and Jos Buttler was walking out to bat at 118-4 with 231 required from slightly less than 28 overs.
Buttler immediately swung into his customary big-hitting rhythm, hoisting sixes over leg side and driving through the covers. At the other end, Root, dropped by Babar Azam on 9, was accumulating runs with deft pushes and angled glances. As long as this pairing remained in place, England looked like they were heading towards the win. However, the pivotal point of the match came as both key players fell shortly after passing three figures and momentum switched to Pakistan.
Root sliced Shadab to Hafeez at short third man on 107, while Buttler went for 103 with an almost identical shot snapped up by Wahab off the pace Mohammad Amir.
Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali managed to convert a requirement of 61 from 39 balls into 29 from 14, but when Wahab Riaz grabbed both their wickets in successive deliveries, it was the end of the road. England fell 17 runs short on 334 for 9 in 50 overs.
Tuesday 4th June
Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan in a rain-hit but exciting contest in Cardiff, Wales, albeit a low scoring affair.
Another a woeful batting cave-in by Sri Lanka saw them sink to just 201 all out in 32.4 overs, yet while Afghanistan were given a modest rain-revised target of just 187 from 41 overs they were beaten by 34 runs.
Sri Lanka had earlier collapsed from 144 for 1 to 201 all out, a slump precipitated by a flurry of three sharp wickets taken by Mohammed Nabi in the 22nd over.
However, Afghanistan’s chase faltered in the early stages as they slipped to 57-5 (four of those wickets lost for just 24 runs). Then a partnership of 64 between Najibullah Zadran and captain Gulbadin Naib offered some hope until Gulbadin was snared lbw by Pradeep (in a career-best of 4 for 31) on 23, and Najibullah’s innings ended prematurely in a direct-hit run out. Shortly thereafter Afghanistan were all out for 152 in 32.4 overs; and a genuine golden chance for winning points had escaped.
Wednesday 5th June Game 1
Rohit Sharma racked up an unbeaten 122 to navigate India to a straightforward six-wicket victory over South Africa as the Men in Blue opened their World Cup account at the Hampshire Bowl.
After a third straight defeat, the Proteas’ mission to make the semi-finals had just got much harder evolving into what is now a virtually must-win string of remaining matches, with no further margin for error.
However, if truth be told, South Africa were very average with bat in hand in the 1st innings. Both Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock were sent back to the dressing room victims to Bumrah’s pace, within 28 minutes of arriving in the middle, for a combined total of 16 runs. Faf du Plessis started well enough but was clean bowled for what would prove a pivotal 38, by the excellent Chahal who went on to repeat himself shortly thereafter, taking the wicket of the effervescent Rassie van der Dussen on 22.
Quite simply nobody from the Proteas’ camp managed to reach 50, which was never going to be enough to set a realistically challenging run chase at this level: Miller (31), Phelukwayo (34) Morris (42) and Rabada (31). South Africa ended on 227 for 9 with leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal taking 4 for 51 in the 50 overs.
Two-time World Cup winners India, were the final team to get their campaign under way, a week into the tournament and after losing the toss they appeared to be in pretty good shape with both bat and ball in front of a sell-out crowd of 18,500 at Southampton.
Charismatic captain Virat Kohli only managed 18, bundled out of the game by a sublime wicketkeeper’s catch produced by Quinton de Kock. Nevertheless, Rohit Sharma stepped into the space demonstrating impeccable temperament as he calmly assembled his 122 in 144 balls faced, including 13 fours and two sixes. His only fault a regulation catching opportunity, which David Miller, as if to prove how difficult the day was for South Africa, dropped at extra cover off the bowling of Kagiso Rabada. It was undoubtedly Rohit, assisted by Rahul (26), Dhoni (34) and Pandya (15 not out), who got the team over the line. India 230 for 4 in 47.3 overs won by 6 wickets.
Wednesday 5th June Game 2
New Zealand gratefully accepted their second World Cup win in a row, courtesy of a tight two-wicket victory over a feisty Bangladesh side, in a match that drained nervous energy both on and off the field at The Oval in South London.
Bangladesh, a tough side to beat on their day, put up more than a fight throughout and the runs were spread right down the order. Sadly the individual scores were all under 30, bar a polished 64 from Shakib al Hasan fortuitously caught by Colin de Grandhomme off the in-form bowling of Matt Henry, who ended up with 4 for 47. As we’ve said before a good high run chase target is generally built around two individual knocks in the high-nineties to three-figures, and 244 all out in 49.2 overs did not put Bangladesh in a strong position.
But it was a shaky start for New Zealand, openers Martin Guptill (25) and Colin Munro (24), were both caught off Shakib for bland scores. Then the vastly experienced pairing of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, were running between the wickets like amateur club players and might well have left the team in deeper trouble. Skipper Kane Williamson should have definitely been run out for eight, if wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim had not inadvertently broken the stumps with his elbow before gathering the ball.
However the duo then began to steady the ship, Williamson clocking up a regular supply of runs, while Taylor reached his 50 off 40 balls, at this point Bangladesh’s chance appeared to have slipped through their fingers.
But always a twist, Williamson chipped a rare attacking shot to Mosaddek at mid-wicket to depart for 40, then wicketkeeper Tom Latham was out for a duck, to a tremendous diving catch by Mehedi Hasan at deep mid-wicket.
Bangladesh then manage to stifle Taylor’s run supply before he edged Mosaddek Hossain down the leg side to Mushfiqur but his 82 was invaluable. De Grandhomme and Neesham, who survived a close run-out call, had just started to hit the boundary rope, as Bangladesh stayed in touch.
De Grandhomme’s was then caught by Mushfiqur in a dazzling one-handed take above his head and Neesham chipped straight to Soumya at long-on.
The game was back on tenterhooks, but a few fortuitous glances off the edge dropping just beyond outstretched fielders, two wides from Saifuddin just after he’d bowled Henry, and Santner’s exquisite winning cover drive proved enough to allow the nervy Kiwis to squeeze their way home. New Zealand, reached a final total of 248 for 8 in 47.1 overs, and won by 2 wickets.
Well with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 now in full swing across England and Wales, and with the majority of participating nations having played their first match, and in some cases a second, Expat Sport does a rapid round up of results and news so far for the period from Monday 3rd to Wednesday 5th of June. The 10 teams involved play each other once in the competition to determine the semi-finalists.
That said within these roundups, there are some potentially pivotal games worthy of a closer look, and we will drill down a little further into the detail on those.
