ICC Cricket World Cup – July 2019 Round-Up

That said, there was plenty to remark upon in an action packed competition. 

Not least the capricious British weather which as ever played a significant, frequently frustrating part in the event. A record four wash-out matches were rained off completely. Plus the number of rain affected games in which play commenced, but the result had to be decided using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, as well as those having to be played with reduced complement of overs, also increased. 

Yet in terms of playing statistics there were some truly fantastic performances.

Starting with Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan, who became the only cricketer in World Cup history to score 600 runs and take 10 wickets. 

The top run scorers in the competition were Rohit Sharma of India with 648 in nine innings, followed by Australia’s David Warner with 647 in ten innings. Shakib Al Hasan came third with a total of 606 in just 8 innings.

Highest individual scores came from David Warner of Australia with 166 in 147 balls, England’s Jason Roy with 153 in 121 balls and Australia’s Aaron Finch also 153 but in 132 balls.

Not forgetting the most prolific partnerships: David Warner and Usman Khwaja of Australia with 192 for the 2nd wicket against Bangladesh. Then an unbeaten 189 from Shakib al Hasan and Liton Das of Bangladesh for the 4th wicket against West Indies. Followed by a 3rd wicket stand between England’s Joe Root and Eoin Morgan for the 3rd wicket against Afghanistan, a total shared with KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma of India for the 1st wicket against Sri Lanka. 

Australian Mitchell Starc took the most World Cup wickets by some distance with 27 in 10 innings, followed by his team mate Lockie Ferguson on 21 in 9 innings, then came Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman and Jofra Archer of England sharing third place, each taking 20 wickets in 8 and 11 innings respectively.

The best bowling figures were delivered by Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi with 6 for 35, followed by those men Mitchell Starc with 5 for 26  and Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan close behind on 5 for 29.

An outstanding tournament which was enjoyed by spectators around the globe and most certainly a superb advertisement for cricket, certain to have attracted many new fans and most importantly a mass of youngsters wanting to get involved in the sport. Hopefully tomorrow’s stars in the making. 

The Semi-Finals

New Zealand shock India to reach ICC World Cup final

New Zealand reached the World Cup final in a rain-dictated game spread over two days. Their remarkable bowling performance represented the tournament’s highlight up to that point in time, edging out a despondent India by 18 runs in a high-octane contest at Old Trafford.

Day one, Tuesday 9th of July and typical Manchester weather; cloudy, humid and overcast.  In fact it felt like a perfect day to bowl, but New Zealand captain Kane Williamson did exactly the opposite, choosing to bat after winning the toss.

Being brutally honest New Zealand’s batting had not, Williamson aside, been firing on all cylinders throughout the group stage, and opener Martin Guptill was close to getting out first ball, rapped directly in front of the stumps by a delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. 

Fortune shone briefly on Gupthill for the umpire’s verdict was “not out” and India lost a review, but his innings was brief, dismissed shortly thereafter for one, caught by Virat Kohli at second slip.  

However, runs were coming at a snail’s pace throughout the day. New Zealand literally failed to either put a score on the board until the 17th ball of the innings or manage a boundary until the eighth over. Henry Nicholls and Kane Williamson crept through their overs, nevertheless their 68-run partnership steadied a shaky innings. Then Nicholls was bowled out of the blue by Ravindra Jadeja and the stand was broken.

Williamson and Taylor were then contained by the Indian spinners, the score progressing entirely through singles for the next 14 overs, not a solitary boundary. Regardless with Williamson still at the crease, New Zealanders remained hopeful, yet it was India who regained the initiative as he tried to accelerate the run rate and was caught at backward point.

Kiwi fans still had faith, Ross Taylor, now with 227 ODIs under his belt, started well and struck the first six of the match to reach his half-century, then the heavens opened at 2pm local time forcing the players from the field.

Four and a half hours later the umpires concluded that while the rain was not heavy there was no sign of it stopping and the Black Caps would have to resume their innings the following ‘rest’ day, with Taylor more than capable of pushing the score to a competitive total in the remaining 3.5 overs. Disappointing the thousands of vociferous India supporters in the crowd, convinced their team was on top on a slow pitch.

Day two, Wednesday 10th of July and as play resumed Kiwi hopes were dashed as Taylor was run out on 74 shortly thereafter, leaving them on 225 for 6 in 47.6 overs. Tom Latham was only able to add 10 before he was caught and the New Zealand innings ended on 239 for 8, with Mitchell Santner 9 not out and Trent Boult on 3.  

As India, opened their account chasing 240 to win, the Black Caps bowling was on fire from the off, reducing the Men in Blue to 24 for 4 and later 92 for 6. Matt Henry had KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma both caught behind for 1 by Latham three overs in, while Trent Boult trapped captain Virat Kohli lbw for the same score. Henry then had Karthik caught in the tenth for 6 leaving the top order in ruins.

 Mitchell Santner continued the rout, tempting Pant (32) to play at a delivery which carried to Colin de Grandhomme, going on to tease a further catch out of Pandya also on 32, this time pouched by New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson. 

Only thirty overs gone and India had been decimated, but the spectacular collapse was arrested when Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni diligently set about building a 116-run partnership that pulled the 2011 champions back into contention.

Jadeja in particular batted superbly, however, with 37 runs needed from the final 18 balls, he uncharacteristically lofted a delivery from Boult high into the air and Williamson took another vital catch toppling India’s colossus for 77.

Dhoni then assumed frontline responsibility with the bat, hammering a glorious six off the first ball of the 48th over, but he was soon run out by Martin Guptill in superb fashion to evaporate India’s last wafer thin chance. A mission-critical wicket swiftly followed by that of last man Yuzvendra Chahal out edging behind. India suddenly all out, as a stunned partisan crowd, watched New Zealand gathering in a victory huddle.

New Zealand 258 for 8 in 50 overs [Taylor 74, Williamson 67, B Kumar 3 for 43]

India 221 all out in 49.3 overs [Jadeja 77, Henry 3 for 37, Santner 2 for 34]

New Zealand won by 18 runs 

England crush Australia to make ICC Cricket World Cup final

A majestic England side swept into their first World Cup final for 27 years, with an eight-wicket demolition of Australia at Edgbaston. It was the host nation’s first victory in a World Cup knockout match since 1992, as well as their first opportunity to lift the trophy, all the more memorable as they beat the defending champions.

Australia won the toss and decided to bat first; a strategy which had proven to offer a distinct advantage in the tournament thus far. However, this was to be an innings that did not go to plan, as Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer went to work with the new ball and cut the Baggy Green’s top order to pieces in the opening seven overs, reducing them to 14 for 3.

The Birmingham crowd went wild, a deafening wall of  noise as Finch (0), David Warner (9) and Peter Handscomb (4) were dismissed for a dismal return.

Only the chorus of boos that greeted Warner and Smith equated to the volume of cheering. Nevertheless it was Steve Smith, with his unerring ability to deal with new-ball pace bowling, who held Australia together, helping his side to a total of 223. Firstly in partnership with wicket keeper Alex Carey, caught off Adil Rashid for  a sterling 46, then alongside Glenn Maxwell (22) and Mitchell Starc (29), resulting in a score that at least gave the cup holders something to bowl at.

Probably England’s most complete display; awe-inspiring with the ball, keen in the field and commanding with the bat.Woakes (3 for 20) and Archer (2 for 32) whipped the new ball this way and that on a full length. 

Archer had Finch lbw with his first ball, a viciously rising delivery from Woakes saw Warner ward off a ball to first slip, he then bowled Handscomb through the gate. Archer also left Alex Carey requiring stitches courtesy of a side-on blow to the chin that knocked his helmet off, as he took evasive action. Symptomatic of Australia’s lack of luck perhaps, was Smith’s bizarre run out  via a direct hit by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler’s that somehow shot between the batsman’s legs toward the stumps.

A straightforward England innings

Although Smith had ensured a run chase which a temporarily subdued crowd knew might present some difficulties en route, the decibel level was soon rising again as Jason Roy adroitly navigated Starc’s first over.  Then Roy, with masterful timing, gave England supporters a rush of belief with a scornfully flamboyant flick for six off the left-armer.

Any vestige of home nerves stemming from the legendary menace of Mitchell Starc were soon dissipated by openers Roy and Jonny Bairstow with a prodigious opening partnership of 124 for the first wicket. The more it became apparent that England were enjoying a stroll in the park, the greater the party momentum amongst the crowd.

Starc was serenaded with the same lyrical number which had persecuted Mitchell Johnson, and the Hollies Stand bayed like a pack of bloodhounds as Roy hammered three monstrous sixes in succession off the bowling of Smith.

In the meantime Bairstow, undoubtedly out lbw to Starc on 34 appeared to selfishly waste a review with the 3rd umpire. This allowed Jason Roy’s wicket to fall unchallenged for 85, wrongly adjudged to have been caught behind by Carey off a delivery from Cummins which had clearly made no contact with either glove or bat. Roy was later fined 30 percent of his match fee and docked two demerit points for an ugly display of discontent at the decision.

A hiccup in an otherwise flawless performance, which left Joe Root and skipper Eoin Morgan unbeaten on 46 and 45 respectively, having literally glided England to their target with 17.5 overs left.

At the end, as the rain came down, a collective Edgbaston was bellowing to the world that cricket was coming home.

The hosts would start the final as firm favourites in their bid to be crowned world champions for the first time against New Zealand at Lord’s on Sunday 14th of July.

England triumph over New Zealand to win ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

Ben Stokes starred in a dramatic victory over New Zealand as England lifted the ICC World Cup for the first time, a feat that followed one of the most incredible games of cricket ever played. The scores were tied twice, both at the conclusion of normal play and the end of one extra over apiece designed to break the deadlock, before the winner was decided based on the side that hit the most boundaries.

For those privileged enough to have been able to watch the match at Lord’s, Fanzones in eight city centres and cricket clubs spread throughout England and Wales, witnessed the greatest World Cup final of all-time and one of the most definingly memorable moments in British sporting history.

As spectators poured out of London’s St John’s Wood station on the morning of Sunday 14th of July heading towards Lord’s Cricket Ground, they were welcomed by drummers, jugglers and dancers on roller skates.

Once inside the ground, they were treated to parachutists landing on the Nursery Ground before that tingling expectation and surge of emotion brought on by the national anthems. This was the day that English cricket had been working for, over the past four years since their catastrophic first-round exit in the last World Cup.

New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat, opting for a total built from patient perseverance. Martin Gupthill who had been out of sorts throughout the group stages was trapped lbw for 19 in the seventh over by a cunning delivery from Woakes and a fizzer from Liam Plunkett removed captain dangerman Kane Williamson, caught behind, for by his standards a miserly 30. However, Henry Nicholls with a dogged 55, and 47 tenacious runs from Tom Latham, held the side together confronted with some searching England bowling. Plunkett then clean bowled Nicholls in the 27th over, Woakes went on to first tempt Colin de Grandhomme into an easy catch on 16, followed by the wicket of Latham who mistimed a shot which Root caught with ease.

Sticky start for England

However, the value accrued from the Black Caps’ careful  approach to reaching their final score of 241 for 8, rapidly became apparent when it came to England’s turn to bat on a tricky surface.

Suddenly England were on the brink of being out of the game at 86 for 4, caught in the jaws of a vice created by New Zealand’s fluent bowling, pinpoint fielding and intelligent tactics.

Matt Henry had Roy caught behind for a paltry 17, the frugal Colin de Grandhomme lured Joe Root to a similar fate for ten less, Lockie Ferguson pushed Jonny Bairstow to play on having made a promising 36, he then gathered a glorious catch to dismiss Eoin Morgan at deep point for 9.

Yet little by little, the hosts were pulled back into contention by the skills of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, both calmly concise, playing with patience, and with a modicum of good fortune running their way.

Buttler was the most elegant of the pair, scooping and driving with style, however when he managed to hole out, caught at deep point for 59, England still needed big-hitting capability with 46 required from 31 balls.

Enter Stokes the titan taking control, a man  emerging from three horrible years which had included  giving away four sixes bowling the last over in England’s 2016 World T20 final defeat and being judged not guilty of affray only 11 months earlier.

A setback, Trent Boult somehow hung on to a hard hit boundary shot from Liam Plunkett in an astonishing take at long-off, as Neesham bowled the 49th over. Then a less coordinated Boult managed to drag the ball over the boundary for six as Stokes went big, before Archer was bowled.

Another 15 needed from Boult’s final set of six. Two dot balls, followed by an anything-goes heave by Stoke’s over deep mid-wicket, then came an almost Shakespearian moment of outrageous fortune.

As Stokes dived for his ground bat-first to validate a second run and avoid the run out, his bat was inadvertently struck by a shy at the stumps which deflected the ball for four overthrows, amounting  overall, according to the rulebook, to a total of six runs from the single.

But the final twist, with three runs needed from two balls, Adil Rashid was run out on his way back to the striker’s end trying to turn a single into two. Mark Wood too went the same way, dashing in search of a second run off the final ball to win, and the match was tied.

England 241 all out with Stokes unbeaten on 84 – sport at its most dramatic – the first tie in a World Cup final ever. Yet nothing compared to the emotion of the final two extra overs that followed to decide the title.

The Extra Overs 

It was a beautiful sunny evening, the home crowd, now at fever pitch, were roaring their heroes on and even sang “Sweet Caroline” at the interchange.

Stokes and Buttler strode to the crease to face the first super over against New Zealand’s nominated bowler Trent Boult. Stokes was still focused and produced a knock of 8 runs, including a four from three balls, while Buttler ended on 7, also including a four, in 3 balls. And so it was a final score of 15 for the Black Caps to beat.

When New Zealand replied, Jimmy Neesham was in fine form hitting Jofra Archer’s second ball for six, and had scored 13 off 5 balls leaving Martin Guptill needing two from the last delivery. He was forced to scramble madly for his second run, but Jason Roy’s superb throw from deep mid-wicket overtook the diving Guptill, whose bat was visibly short of the line when Buttler whipped off the bails, sending the England team and the whole of Lord’s into rapturous celebration.

Now a tied decider at 15 each, but England had won the game based on an ultimate tie-breaker criteria of boundaries scored (fours and sixes) during the entire match. They were crowned world champions accordingly with 26 boundaries against New Zealand’s 17, but for the Black Caps a cruel way to lose such a wonderfully competitive match.  

Nonetheless, as expected, the stadium erupted when England sealed victory, the noise deafening as the trophy was held aloft, and the crowd and Barmy Army were justifiably able to sing, “It’s coming home, it’s coming…. Cricket’s coming home.”