What a start to the World Cup, with hosts England blowing the Proteas challenge away by 104 runs in the opening game of this tournament at the Oval, London. Both formidable teams & pre tournament favourites, both yet to taste the Cup victory, both rich in talent, this match was expected to go the distance as a nail biter - in the end it was the perennial choking South Africa, losing the plot & succumbing to some very disciplined English bowling & a sharp fielding outfit.
Ben Stokes & Jofra Archer, both playing their first ever World Cup match, blew South Africa to smithereens. First, Archer, generating fiery pace out of nowhere in his opening spell claimed two wickets, including that of Faf du Plessis & hit Amla on the helmet forcing him to retire, the momentum breaker that pushed the South African batting to stutter in the 300+ run chase, ending up miserably at being bowled out for 207 in the 40th over - Archer is certainly the X factor in the English bowling attack.
However, the catch by Ben Stokes at the mid wicket boundary, plucking out the ball unbelievably from mid air, to send back the dangerous Phehlukwayo was a mission statement indeed !!!
Stokes was in the thick of action today - highest scorer with the bat, 2 crucial wickets with the ball before that jaw dropping catch, a sequence that will remain etched in the memory of this game for years to come. By any standards, a match winning performance.
England, looking very sharp & organised, will take a lot of positives from this game along with winning momentum, while the Proteas, outplayed completely, will have to rework their strategies quickly to stay in the reckoning.
Somebody will have to anchor the innings to take them past 300+ totals, so crucial in a tournament like this.
The ICC World Cup has indeed begun in style ----
Ben Stokes & Jofra Archer, both playing their first ever World Cup match, blew South Africa to smithereens. First, Archer, generating fiery pace out of nowhere in his opening spell claimed two wickets, including that of Faf du Plessis & hit Amla on the helmet forcing him to retire, the momentum breaker that pushed the South African batting to stutter in the 300+ run chase, ending up miserably at being bowled out for 207 in the 40th over - Archer is certainly the X factor in the English bowling attack.
However, the catch by Ben Stokes at the mid wicket boundary, plucking out the ball unbelievably from mid air, to send back the dangerous Phehlukwayo was a mission statement indeed !!!
Stokes was in the thick of action today - highest scorer with the bat, 2 crucial wickets with the ball before that jaw dropping catch, a sequence that will remain etched in the memory of this game for years to come. By any standards, a match winning performance.
England, looking very sharp & organised, will take a lot of positives from this game along with winning momentum, while the Proteas, outplayed completely, will have to rework their strategies quickly to stay in the reckoning.
Somebody will have to anchor the innings to take them past 300+ totals, so crucial in a tournament like this.
The ICC World Cup has indeed begun in style ----
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