ICC World Cup 2019 - Australia vs New Zealand

Reigning Champions Australia, having already booked a place in semis, displayed their innate 'big match temperament', by dislodging neighbours New Zealand by 86 runs at Lords, & clock their 7th victory in the tournament.
Electing to bat after winning the toss, the idea of giving the top order some good batting practice backfired, as Australia ran into trouble against the sustained Kiwi pace attack, losing wickets regularly, & the top order was back in the pavilion with score reading a dismal 92 for 5 in the 22nd over. Coming in at the fall of Capt Finch, in the 5th over, Khawaja, dropped anchor after enjoying an early reprieve, as Guptill floored a difficult nick, & along with wicketkeeper Carey who has been in rich form, stitched a brilliant partnership of 107 runs in a turning track to steady the innings. When the flamboyant Carey finally got out in the 43rd over for run a ball 71 runs, Cummins joined in for some lusty hitting, scoring 23 vital runs & adding 44 runs for the 7th wicket with Khawaja. Coming into bowl the last over, Boult, first removed Khawaja for 88 runs, & then scalped Starc & Behrendorff with perfect yorker length deliveries, to claim the first ever hattrick for the Kiwis. The Aussie innings ended at 243 for 9, a competitive total, after a rather dismal start.
In reply, New Zealand were tied down by the nagging pace of Starc, Cummins & Behrendorff, as was the spin of Lyon, & the batting stuttered, as wickets fell regularly. Capt Williamson & Taylor did try to stem the rot, but Starc was simply unplayable, as he claimed his 3rd 5 wicket haul in World Cup, for just 26 runs to end the Kiwi innings at 157 runs all out in the 44th over. Behrendorff claimed 2 wickets, while Cummins, Smith & Lyon plucked one each. It was a clinical display of 'big match temperament' by the Aussies, simply demolishing a hapless New Zealand.
David Warner, despite a blip today, heads the batting charts with 516 runs, with Aaron Finch a close second with 504 runs. In bowling, Mitchell Starc tops the chart with 24 wickets, way ahead of no 2 Ferguson of NZ with 17 scalps.
New Zealand are now left pondering nervously at 11 points from 8 matches, with must win game against England next week to qualify for the semis. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - Pakistan vs Afghanistan

In a battle of fraying nerves at Headingley Leeds, Pakistan looked down in the dumps & then miraculously huffed & puffed to cross the line with just two balls remaining & win by 3 wickets over a resilient, but inexperienced Afghanistan. This was the third successive win for Pakistan, to keep them firmly on track for a place in the semis. They now need to win their last game against Bangladesh to secure that.
Winning the toss & electing to bat, Afghanistan lost three quick wickets within 12 overs for just 57 runs, before a 64 runs partnership steadied the ship, but once again lost two quick wickets with score at 125 for 5 in 27 overs. Some late order flourish got them to a respectable total of 227 for 9, as Zadran & Asghar top scored with 42 runs apiece. For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi was the pick of the bowlers, getting 4 wickets for 47 runs.
Chasing a modest total, Pakistan lost Fakhar Zaman in the 2nd ball of the innings, but Babar Azam & Imam Haq steadied the innings adding 72 runs, before both perished in quick succession, leaving the score at 81 for 3 in the 18th over. With spin introduced, Pakistani batsmen struggled against the line & length of especially Nabi, alongwith Mujeeb & Rashid & were left tottering at 156 for 6 in the 38th over. At that stage, Pakistan looked out of sorts & Afghanistan looked in control in the centre, as runs were hard to come by & the asking rate crept up over 8. With 46 runs required & just 5 overs left, & run rate over 9, it was Afghanistan's game to lose. Strangely enough, in probably the worst decision of his life, Capt Gulbadin held back his spinning options & decided to bowl - this cost them the match, as his gentle paced dollies & full tosses were despatched across the field for 18 invaluable runs, as Asghar, looking clueless, dropped a dolly catch in the middle. In the next over, though Shadab was run out, Rashid gave away 9 vital runs & Pakistan had managed to squeeze out of a hole. It was 18 runs required of 18 deliveries. Imad, who was lucky to survive a clear LBW decision, when on just 1 run, in the 37th over due to an umpiring error, went on to score unbeaten 49 runs, & along with Wahab, who clobbered a six and a four to remain unbeaten at 15, finished the game for Pakistan, with two balls to spare. Imad Wasim was the obvious choice for Man of Match.
Just when Afghani spinners had held Pakistan by the scruff of their necks, Gulbadin gave away the easiest 28 runs in 10 deliveries to hand Pakistan a victory on a platter !! With this Afghanistan remain winless after 8 games, & would rue their chances, having come sniffing distance to victory. Poor umpiring at crucial stage of the game also hurt them bad.
Pakistan have clawed into 4th place on the points table, & now face Bangladesh in their last game, & both sides would need nothing short of a victory to be in contention for a place in semis - that should be a humdinger of a match, as both teams, on their day are capable of destroying any opponent. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - Sri Lanka vs South Africa

Needing a win to stay in contention, Sri Lanka dished out a moderate & below par performance against already vanquished South Africa to lose by 9 wickets & in the process putting their own chance of a semi final spot in jeopardy.
Put into bat, Lankans were in trouble right away, as Rabada removed capt Dimuth Karunaratne in the very first delivery & the batting never really revived from there on, as the side collapsed in a heap to be all out for meagre total of 203. There were a few starts by the batsmen with almost all front line batters getting into double figures, but none could convert into a big innings, as the Proteas pacers made mince meat of the Lankan batting. Pretorious, coming into the team in place of Ngidi, justified his selection by picking up 3 wickets for 25 runs & getting adjusted the Man of Match. he was ably supported by Rabad who took 2 wickets & Morris who claimed 3. The match was held up for a brief while around the 48th over of the innings, when a swarm of bees buzzed into the ground, forcing the players & umpires to lie flat on the turf - luckily no one was hurt or stung !!
Chasing, South Africa lost de Kock early, but Hashim Amla & capt du Plessis, ensured no further losses, stitching up a 175 runs unbeaten partnership, to romp home victorious with 76 balls to spare. Amla stayed unbeaten with 80, while du Plessis stranded at 96, narrowly missed a century. It was a resounding victory for them, but too late in the tournament to have any impact.
Sri Lanka still have a mathematical possibility of qualifying for the semis, but for that they have to win their last two games against West Indies & India, & then wait for favourable results from other teams - a tall order. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - India vs West Indies

India continued its firm march towards the semis, demolishing the once mighty West Indies by 125 runs to remain the only unbeaten team in the tournament, & send the former Champions crashing out of contention, at the Old Trafford, Manchester.
On a sluggish wicket, where run scoring was a challenge, India managed to put up a formidable total of 268 runs for 7 wickets, despite batsmen losing wickets at regular intervals. Capt Virat Kohli scored a fluent 72, becoming the fastest to reach 20000 international runs, while Pandya hit a quickfire 46 & Dhoni, lucky to survive a stumping chance when at just 8 in the 34th over, slugfest towards the end for an unbeaten 56, after a rather slow start. KL Rahul wasted another opportunity to score big, falling after a well made 48 runs, while Shankar & Jhadav too gave away their wickets, rather cheaply.
In reply, the Windies were rocked by Md Shami, who forced Chris Gayle to spoon a catch at long on in the 5th over, with score at 10, & the flamboyant men in Maroon did not recover, as India throttled them down to a dismal 143 all out in less than 35 overs. Shami, the hattrick hero from India's last game, ripped the batting line up with figures of 4 for 16, while Bumrah was dead accurate unplayable, with figures of 2 for 9, - it was a sad sight to see batsmen after batsmen parade back clueless to the fiery Indian attack.
India are now second on the points table, with their 5th win in 6 matches & almost assured of a semis slot. However, the brittle middle order remains a concern for the team management. The bowlers, however have been top class, in decimating opponents.

ICC World Cup 2019 - New Zealand vs Pakistan

In an upset of sorts, New Zealand's World Cup campaign suffered a jolt at Edgbaston, as they lost to a recharged Pakistan by 6 wickets, allowing them to sneak back into contention. After a scratchy win against South Africa last sunday, Pakistan were far more organised today, climbing upto 6th position on the points table & giving themselves a real chance to reach the last four.
Incidentally, the win loss sequence in the first seven matches for Pakistan in this tournament, has been exactly similar to their 1992 campaign, when under Imran Khan, they eventually went onto win the tournament - an uncanny resemblance, which is doing the rounds across all popular social media & raising hopes of the Pakistani fans.

Choosing to bat after winning the toss, New Zealand ran into trouble losing wickets in a heap as left arm Amir clipped Guptill in the 2nd over, while Shaheen gobbled three wickets, claiming Munro, Taylor & Latham, as the score read 46 for 4 in the 13th over. Capt Williamson dug deep to revive the innings, but when he too was consumed by the spin of Shadab, caught behind in the 27th over at 83 for 5, the game looked snuffed out from the Kiwis. However, Neesham & Grandhomme hit back with a brutal counter attack for the 6th wicket, stitching a 132 runs partnership, before Grandhomme was run out in the 48th over, for blistering 64 runs. Neesham remained unbeaten for a marvellous 97 runs, missing his century, as New Zealand innings ended at 237 for 6, & the contest was on.
Chasing a tricky 238 runs, Pakistan lost both the openers within 11 overs for jut 44 runs, with the Kiwis pace attack looking menacing, as Babar Azam & Md Hafeez survived a period of close calls, as the ball beat the bat consistently, but somehow eluded the snick behind, as the fielders looked for some providential help. Santner, baffled the batsmen with his guile without luck, as the pitch responded to spin & the Kiwis, seemed to have erred at not including leg spinner Ish Sodhi, to the playing eleven, who would've added much needed bite on this slow surface.   
Hafeez holed out to Williamson in the deep for 32 runs in the 25th over, but next in Haris Sohail & Babar Azam ensured there were no more hiccups, as the pair added 126 undefeated runs to take Pakistan to victory. Babar Azam was sublime, getting to his 10th ODI hundred, while Sohail scored a solid 68 runs.
With this win, Pakistan now have 7 points from 7 matches & they would now fancy their chances against relatively easier opponents in Afghanistan & Bangladesh for the last two matches of their round robin, to make their way to semis. New Zealand on 11 points from 7 matches, have tougher opponents to face in Australia & England. They will need to win at least one to ensure smooth passage to the last four. - the tournament is moving towards its final phases, as the competition is heating up. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - Australia vs England

In a blockbuster showdown between the oldest rivalries of this game of cricket, Reigning Champions Australia showed signs of peaking at the right time for this tournament, when they steamrolled past England at Lords today by 64 runs, as the English quest for the elusive title seems to be stuttering & going downhill, after a blazing start against South Africa in the opening encounter.

Put into bat under overcast conditions & a green tinged surface, Australian openers in red hot form, neutralised the famed English pace attack with considerable ease, clocking yet another century partnership, before Warner fell in the 23rd over for a solid 53 runs & score at 123 runs, as Khawaja walked in to join his captain. The scored card showed an imposing 173 for one in the 32nd over, raising visions of a 350 + score, when the Aussie battings started to falter. Dropped at backward point by Vince when on 15, Finch went on to register his 15th century off just 115 deliveries, but got out next ball, while Khawaja & Maxwell got out after promising starts & Stoinis got himself run out in a horrible mix up with Smith. Wickets fell at regular intervals, putting a brake to the free flow of runs, & the innings ended at 285 for 7 - Smith got out, livid with himself after another pleasing cameo, while Carey stayed unbeaten, both scoring 38 crucial runs. At that stage, it looked as if the Australians had lost the initiative with a below par score.

However, coming into chase, England found the left arm pace of Starc & Behrendorff too hot to handle, & made the worst possible start, losing opener Vince in the 2nd ball of the innings. In form batsmen Joe Root, Eoin Morgan & Jonny Bairstow, all fell cheaply, as the score read a dismal 53 for 4 in the 14th over, as England were staring into the barrel of defeat. Ben Stokes & Jose Butler stuck a purposeful 71 runs partnership, but Khawaja caught Butler at deep square leg boundary in the 28th over, with England requiring another 162 runs at more than 7 runs an over. Ben Stokes then partnered with Woakes to add another 53 runs, before Finch brought back Starc into the attack in the 37th over. The burly left hand pacer virtually ended the contest, conjuring up, arguably the best yorker of the tournament, to scream the ball under the astonished bat of Ben Stokes, dislodging the bails, as Stokes, stunned by the delivery, dropped his bat & then kicked it in exasperation - It certainly was a dream delivery & England were left tottering at 177 for 6. The rest of the tail could not wag much, with Chris Woakes getting caught on the boundary line via a relay catch between Maxwell & Finch, as England were all out for 221 in the 45th over & Australia victorious by 64 runs. Behrendorff had claimed 5 wickets for 44 runs, while Starc had scalped 4 for 43.

David Warner captures the top spot in batting with 500 runs, Aaron Finch a close second with 496 runs & Shakib of Bangladesh third with 476 runs. In bowling Mitchell Starc tops the chart with 19 wickets, with Jofra Archer second with 16, & Md Amir third with 15.
Australia becomes the first team to qualify for the semis with six wins now & are looking good in all departments of the game, as England, outplayed in almost all parts of the match today, are in a spot of bother with back to back losses. They now face a very difficult match against the marauding India & then another tricky match with New Zealand. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - Bangladesh vs Afghanistan

Needing a win to stay in contention, a determined Bangladesh swept past minnows Afghanistan by 62 runs at Southampton.
Put in to bat on a slow track, Bangladesh posted a decent score of 262 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs, with veterans Shakib & Mushfiqur bearing the brunt of scoring & essaying solid partnerships. Shakib scored a solid 51 runs, while Mushfiqur gathered 83 runs, as there were handy contributions from Tamim getting 36, Mahmudullah 27 & some late lusty hitting by Mosaddek to get 35 runs. Afghanistan spinners were accurate & economic, with Mujeeb Rehman being the pick of the bowlers, with figures of 3 for 39, but Shakib & Mushfiqur ensured that they reach a respectable total, for their bowlers to put pressure.
Afghanistan, in reply needed a big score at the top, but barring Gulbadin's 47 & an unbeaten 49 by Shinwari in the middlle, there was little contributions from others. Rahmat chipped in with 24, while Asghar scored 20 & Zadran got 23, - all had a start, but could not capitalise a big one. Shakib was the wrecker in chief, claiming 5 wickets for just 29 runs, breaking the backbone of Afgani innings. He has been in rich sublime form this World Cup, now topping the batting charts with 476 runs, while in bowling too he's got the best World Cup figures - this has enabled him one more record, emulating Kapil Dev & Yuvraj Singh to have scored a century & a 5 wicket haul in the same edition of the tournament - he certainly is the best allrounder in World Cricket today. 
With this win Bangladesh now have 7 points from 7 games & brimming with confidence to take one India & Pakistan in their remaining games. Afghanistan are still without a point, but gaining invaluable experience from matches here. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - Pakistan vs South Africa

After three days of blistering & combative cricket, we witnessed a below par, boring game between Pakistan & South Africa at the Lords. Both the team were dismal & Pakistan being the lesser one, prevailed in the final outcome.

Electing to bat, Pakistan started strongly against an insipid SA bowling, putting up 81 runs, before Fakhar Zaman perished in the 15th over for a well made 44. Imam followed soon for a similar score, as Imran Tahir rolled back years to dismiss both of them, including a stunning one handed catch. However, South African could not benefit from this, as Babar Azam & Haris Sohail, coming together after Hafeez departed, played with assurance & fluency, especially Haris, who was brutal with his willow, carving out 89 runs off just 59 deliveries, before getting out to the penultimate delivery of the innings, as Pakistan put up a commendable 308 for 7. Earlier, Babar Azam, oozing class, had scored 69 runs. For the South Africans, it was one more time an insipid, lifeless display on field.
Chasing without any real intent or belief, South Africa immediately ran into trouble with veteran opener Hashim Amla, declared LBW out on review in the 2nd over itself. Skipper du Plessis & de Kock tried hard to consolidate by adding 87 runs for the second wicket, & for a while it looked like a good contest on cards. But when de Kock departed in the 20th over for a rather timid & uncharacteristic 47 runs & Markram followed soon after in the 24th over with score at 103, the required run rate well above seven & the game slipping away for the Proteas. du Plessis made a laborious 63, while Dussen got 36 & Miller grafted for 31runs - all struggling with timing & flow. Phehlukwayo managed some hits to remain unbeaten with 46 of 32 deliveries, while Morris slogged 16 of 10, as the pitiable South African innings folded at 259 runs for 9 wickets, leaving Pakistan victorious by 49 runs - it was a sorry display of insipid batting by a team that was feared by opponents for its fearless approach in yesteryears.
With this loss, South Africa are now out of contention, while Pakistan live to fight another day, having a slender mathematical possibility of making to the semis.
For Pakistan, barring the batting of Babar Azam & Haris Sohail, & the bowling of Md Amir & Shabad Khan, it was a very average game - atrocious fielding saw numerous catches go down & runs leaked. Against any other opponent, they would be taken to cleaners, if they dont improve.
South Africa are in the midst of a torrid time, failing to impress in either batting, bowling or fielding - the team probably needs a complete overhaul of talent as well as belief for future to come. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - West Indies vs New Zealand

After Sri Lanka upset favourites England, & a sprightly Afghanistan came close to upsetting India, it was another nail biting match at Old Trafford Manchester, as former Champions West Indies came agonisingly close to overhauling their target of 292 runs, before losing by just 5 runs to New Zealand - the World Cup is now really heating up.

West Indies, chasing an uphill target of 292 runs, recovered from an early loss of two wickets to be well on course, with 142 runs on board for 2 after 22 overs. Simron Hetmyer scored a quickfire 54 before getting bowled by Ferguson, while BossMan Chris Gayle went on to score 87 runs. Against the run of play, wickets fell in a heap at this stage, as they were reduced to 164 for 7 in the 27th over. However, Carlos Braithwaite had other ideas, as he paired with the tailenders to raise hopes of an improbable Windies victory. In a smart sensible display of controlled batting, he put up 47 runs with Roach, & with Cottrell 34 runs to take the score to 245 for 9 at the end of 45th over, when last man in Oshane Thomas joined him at the centre, still 47 runs adrift of target. Braithwaite, then showing immense batting maturity, saw off the last overs from Boult & Ferguson, as 33 runs were needed in the last 3 overs. He then tore into Matt Henry, smashing three consecutive sixes & a four to score 25 runs in the 47th over, as the Windies needed just 8 runs from 12 deliveries. He duly competed his maiden ODI century in the next over, but in trying to hit Neesham out of the ground, holed out to a sprinting Boult, inches away from the ropes, as the Kiwis managed a jailbreak, winning the contest by 5 runs & stay on course for a semi final spot.
Braithwaite brought back memories of the last T20 finals in 2016, when he had staged a Windies victory, blasting four sixes of Ben Stokes in the final over. Today too, he pulled the Windies up from a precipitous downfall, bringing them to jaws of victory, getting his century in just 81 deliveries, before getting out - Crestfallen, he slumped on his knees, as the Kiwis celebrated in relief. Trent Boult was the wrecker in chief, claiming 4 wickets for just 30 runs, while Ferguson chipped in with 3 for 59.

Earlier, put into bat, the Kiwis were shell shocked, as Sheldon Cottrell removed both the openers Guptill & Munro for first ball ducks, as the score read 7 for 2 at the end of first over. Veteran Ross Taylor & capt Williamson, then dug deep at the crease for a 160 runs partnership to steady the innings, before Taylor fell for a composed 69 runs in the 35th over. Williamson continued, pacing his innings nicely to reach his 2nd hundred of the tournament, before getting out, caught behind to Cottrell for a splendid, match winning innings of 148 runs. Low order Neesham 28, Gandhomme 16 & Santner 10, all slogged to good effect, as New Zealand ended their innings at 291 for 8. Cottrell bowled with venom to pick 4 wickets, while Braithwaite claimed 2. It was a slightly below par, but competitive score at that stage & then the drama followed.

The Windies innings stuttered, then recovered, then fell in a heap & then Braithwaite slugfest happened, as fans from both sides swung from ecstasy to despair to hope - the match moving towards a nail biting finish.
In the end Kiwis remain undefeated & on top of the table with 11 points from 6 games, almost assured of a semifinal slot, while West Indies stay languishing at the bottom half with just 3 points from 6 games - they are virtually out of reckoning, after starting the tournament with such flourish - they still play for pride.  

ICC World Cup 2019 - India vs Afghanistan

Tournament favourites India survived a nerve wracking, near upset at Southampton, going past a spirited Afghanistan by 11 runs, in a victory of experience over exuberance.
Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, India were expected & predicted far & wide to put up a total closer to 400 if not beyond - & why not with such a heavyweight & in form batting line up. However, the much vaunted batting faltered with Rohit Sharma getting out very cheaply & almost all batters, barring Capt Virat who got a fluent 67, struggled against the Afghani spin attack. Runs came at a trickle as the track slowed down, & when Virat got out in the 31st over with score reading a dismal 135 for 4, it was left upto Dhoni & Jhadav to consolidate at the centre. Both dug deep, but failed to step up the tempo & finally Dhoni was stumped in the 45th over, only for the second time in his long ODI career, attempting a rather frustrated pull. Jhadav completed his laborious fifty, as the rest of Indian batting crawled to 224 for 8 at the end of 50 overs - Having bled 397 runs to England in their last match, the spin dominating Afghan bowling had fared brilliantly in restricting the Men in Blue. Rahul & Shankar at the top had starts that they could not convert, & later Dhoni & Jhadav too fumbled after building a 57 run partnership. In all, despite a slow track to bat on, it was a poor batting display for a team known for their exploits against spin.
In reply, Afghanistan started tentatively, but resolutely & despite losing early wickets were well poised for an upset win at the end of 28 overs, with score reading 106 for 2, needing another 119 with required run rate at 5.40 per over. Its at this stage, that experience won over exuberance, as Bumrah, World's no 1 bowler, sniped the two settled batsmen at the crease, Rahmat Shah & Hashmatullah, for a maiden over & the score slid to 106 for 4, halting the Afghani momentum. Nabi then, partnered with Asghar, Zadran & Rashid in succession to take the score tantalisingly closer to target. Chahal scalped Zadran & Rashid in between to fray the batting nerves, as score read 193 for 7 after 46 overs, with 32 required of 24 deliveries & Nabi standing tall at the centre. A six off Bumrah in the next over, sent shivers down the spines of Indian supporters, but the bowlers held their line & nerves, as the match reached a razor's edge with 16 needed off the last over, & Nabi on strike with three wickets in hand. Nabi drilled Shami's first delivery for a boundary raising Afghani hopes, decided against running a single next, but failed to connect the 3rd ball better & lofted out to Pandya at long on bringing to an end an enterprising knock of 52 runs in just 55 deliveries. A charged Shami came up with successive searing yorkers to bowl out the remaining two tailenders & India had sneaked in their 50th World Cup win. Md Shami, playing his first match, replacing an injured Bhuvi, became the 2nd Indian after Chetan Sharma, & 10th bowler to achieve World Cup  hattrick. The Indian bowlers had managed to squeeze in a victory, & avert a big upset. Bumrah, Shami & Chahal, were glorious in throttling the inexperienced Afghani batting.
This win will give India a world of confidence going into he next match against host England, while Afghanistan will run the missed opportunity of an upset - the learnings however, would make them stronger as an outfit.  

ICC World Cup 2019 - England vs Sri Lanka

In the biggest upset of the tournament till now, overwhelming favourites & host England made a mess of a relatively easy chase to hand Sri Lanka an improbable victory by 20 runs, throwing the competition wide open.
Chasing a seemingly easy target of 233 runs, England were jolted right at the beginning, losing openers Bairstow in the second ball of the innings, & then Vince in the 7th over, with just 26 runs on board. Root & Morgan steadied the innings, & though Morgan left in the 19th over with score at 73, Root dug deep to reach his 5th fifty plus score in 6 innings in this tournament - his calm & composed presence held the English chase well on course, despite slow progress. However, once he departed in the 31st over for a well made 57 runs, it triggered a dramatic collapse, as the Lankan bowlers conjured & consumed wickets at steady intervals. When Jofra Archer skied Udana only to be caught at long on in the 44th over, the score read 186 for 9, & suddenly England were staring into the barrel, still needing 47 runs in six overs, with Ben Stokes at the other end batting on 57 runs. More drama followed, as Stokes, surviving a drop catch at midwicket off Malinga in the very next over, decided to take charge & smote 2 sixes, as Udana was taken for 15 runs. In the 47th over, Pradeep went for two boundaries, as the gap reduced to just 21 runs off 19 deliveries, & Ben Stokes looked in command to win single handedly. But that was not to be, as the famous English Lady Luck deserted, & Mark Wood nicked behind, to leave England all out for 212, & Ben Stokes stranded for unbeaten 82 runs. English batting, which had gone past 300 runs eight times in their last nine innings, stuttered today to end up losers by 20 runs, as the home crowd looked aghast.

Earlier, Sri Lanka, electing to bat first. lost both openers with just 3 runs on board, before Fernando & Mendis did the repair work. Both missed deserving fifties, while others perished cheaply, as veteran Mathews held one end up with a fighting innings of unbeaten 85 runs, to take the team total upto 232. It was certainly a below par score & at that stage, looked a simple task for the in form English batting unit. Jofra Archer & Mark Wood took 3 wickets apiece, while Rashid took 2, as the Lankan batting struggled for runs throughout. Archer now joins Starc at the top of the wicket taking tally with 15 wickets.
For the Lankans, today, there were many heroes. Lasith Malinga conjured his old magic to claim 4 wickets, while part time spinner, de Silva pinched three crucial wickets within 9 deliveries, Udana picked up two wickets with his disguised left handed pace & also grabbed to sharp catches, as Pradeep bowled frugally throughout & then picked up the last wicket, as the Lankan supporters erupted in joy. Man of Match, Malinga became the 4th bowler to claim 50 + wickets in World Cup, after McGrath, Murali & Wasim Akram.
England face a tricky situation, as they are up against Australia, India & New Zealand in their last three games - teams whom they have not defeated in World Cup for the last 27 years !!!! - Sri Lanka on the other hand face a depleted South Africa in their next game & would certainly fancy their chances - funny how things can change in cricket - a game of uncertainties

ICC World Cup 2019 - Australia vs Bangladesh

At the shortish Trent Bridge grounds, reigning Champions Australia were pushed to the hilt by a sprightly & 'never say die' Bangladesh, before the Men in YellowGreen, prevailed by 48 runs. It was certainly a hard fought victory, as Bangladesh chasing a mammoth & near impossible target of 382 runs, did not throw in the towel, but hit back belligerently to reach a commendable 338 runs.

Deciding to bat first, the most prolific opening pair of this tournament, Warner & Finch, crafted out yet another century pair of 121 runs before the more aggressive & eager Finch went out for a fine 53 runs in the 21st over. Warner, enjoying an early reprieve in the 5th over when on just 10 runs, struggled for rhythm early in the innings, but once he he settled into his groove, he smashed 166 runs in just 147 deliveries, juiced with 5 long sixes & 14 boundaries. Partnering with Khawaja, he put on 192 runs for the 2nd wicket, the highest run partnership of this tournament till now. When he left in the 43rd over, Australia score card read 313 for 2 with slog overs still to come. Next man Maxwell launched into attack immediately, but his brief assault of 32 runs in just 10 balls, ended in an unfortunate run out. Khawaja meanwhile, was sublime with his timing & placements, scoring an enterprising 89 off just 72 balls. The Aussie innings stuttered a bit & lost the momentum here, losing 3 quick wickets in seven deliveries for just 8 runs, but Stoinis & Carey drove ahead after a brief rain hold up to take the score upto 381 for 5.
It looked all over the bar shouting for Bangladesh at the lemon break, but the fighting Tigers had other ideas. Openers, Saumya Sarkar & Tamim started with belief, but unfortunately, in the 4th over, Saumya was run out by a direct throw from Finch, as the score stood at 23 runs. Inform Shakib came in next & together with Tamim started to dictate terms, as the Aussie attack was carted to all parts of the ground. Just when apprehension was looming large amongst the Aussies in the field, Shakib miscued a Stoinis slower & spooned a catch to Warner at long off for a well made run a ball 41, with score at 102 at the beginning of the 19th over. Next man Liton Das & Tamim looked good briefly, but got out in quick succession with score reading 175 for 4 in the 30th over - target a long distance away as the run rate was going up rapidly. Tamim went for 62 off 74 deliveries, while Das perished for 20 quick runs - good starts, but disappointing the final cause.
However, Mushfiqur & Mahmadullah, put up another lively partnership, clobbering 127 runs for the 5th wicket, before Mahmudullah was caught on the boundary for a rapid 69 in just 50 deliveries, as the score went past 300 in the 45th over. Wickets fell in a heap at the other end as Mushfiqur completed his century, & Bangladesh finished with 338 for 8 wickets in their quota of 50 overs. It was indeed a very credible performance by the Bangla Tigers, who've been a revelation in this tournament with outstanding wins over much fancied rivals, South Africa & West Indies. That they chased down 322 against mighty Windies with more than 8 overs to spare in their last game, gave the fans a whole lot of hope, who turned up in huge numbers for support. They would certainly rue the missed chance of getting Warner out cheaply & that in the final outcome cost them the match. It was a good competitive encounter, as Bangladesh fought every inch & had their moments of superiority in the game, albeit briefly, before eventually fading out. They still have an outside chance for the semis slot with three more games to go, & look in red hot form to surprise stronger opponents.
Warner, now heads the batting tally with 447 runs, with Finch running third on 396, behind Shakib at 425 runs; while Starc tops the bowling chart with 15 wickets, as Australia go on top of the table with 10 points from 6 games & look good to qualify for the semis.

ICC World Cup 2019 - New Zealand vs South Africa

South Africa clashed with New Zealand at Edgbaston needing a win to stay alive in the tournament, but, somewhere the intent, the application, the attitude et all was woefully missing, as the Kiwis, despite being put into a spot of bother, managed to conjure up a victory in the final over of the match.

Chasing a tricky target of 242 runs, the Kiwis hobbled a bit at 80 for 4 & then it was 137 for 5 in the 33rd over, raising hopes of a South African fightback. But agonisingly, the Proteas fielding let go of chances after chances, as if it was buttery fingers !! When Imran Tahir came to bowl his final over, with 72 runs required of 12 overs, the very first ball had Grandhomme spoon the ball at midwicket, with David Miller full stretched & missing. Two balls later it was Williamson spooning & Miller again missed despite a desperate dive; & then in the last delivery it was the faintest of the touches(as it showed up on slo-mo replays), but the wicketkeeper did not appeal & chance of a Proteas comeback faded away. Again in the 40th over, Rabada & Miller combo spilled another gilt edged chance of a run out - too many slips, with too little to defend. Grandhomme stitched a 91 run partnership with Williamson, before holing out in the deep in the 48th over, with another 14 runs required. Capt Williamson then calmed the nerves in his camp with a six & a four in the last over to take his side over the line & also reach a fantastic unbeaten century - a masterclass display of icy cool nerves & intelligent run accumulation, through jabs, fine cuts, late placements & occasional drives. Colin de Grandhomme also contributed richly to the cause with a scintillating 60 off just 47 deliveries, on a slow, two paced wicket, where almost every batsman on both sides, struggled for runs.
Earlier, South Africa, put into bat, struggled to get going, losing de Kock very early, & were hobbling at 136 for 4 in the 33 over, when Miller joined Dussen in the middle to raise some momentum. Together they added 72 for the fifth wicket, but it was not enough, as South Africa ended at 241 for 6, with Dussen unbeaten at 67. Hashim Amla scratched for a snail paced 55, while du Plessis got 23, Markram scored 38 & Miller raced hard for his 36 - all got some start, but could not really capitalise for a winning total.
It was a good contest, but clearly the Kiwis were ahead in most part of the game.
The South African outfit looks dazed & defeated, being virtually out of the tournament with this loss, while the Kiwis would be very much on target for a semis slot - & are playing extremely well to their tag of the underdogs. They will be a tough nut to crack for all opponents ahead.

ICC World Cup 2019 - England vs Afghanistan

At Old Trafford, Manchester, in a lop sided game of raining sixes & records, Cup favourites & host England decimated bottom placed minnows, Afghanistan to register the biggest win of the tournament uptill now by 150 runs.
Choosing to bat after winning the toss, England, without the hard hitting Jason Ray, began the innings  rather sedately, scoring just 46 runs in the first 10 overs, losing Vince. Opener Bairstow then started to build with next in Joe Root, & together they added 120 runs, before Bairstow got out for 90, missing a deserving century, as in walked Capt Eoin Morgan in the 30th over - game at that stage looking fairly balanced.
However, things changed dramatically, & as if some savage beast had been unleashed, Morgan went hammer & tongs at the Afghani bowlers hitting them out of the park with regular ease, reaching his hundred in just 57 deliveries. The carnage ended in the 47th over, when Root got out for 88 runs & Morgan too departed in the same over for a 71 ball blitzkrieg of 148, as the score had reached a mammoth 359. Moeen Ali joined the party in the death overs & plundered 31 runs in just 9 deliveries, as England went on to post a record 397 runs, missing the 400 run mark just narrowly. Morgan, who was uncertain with a stiff back before the match, enjoyed a dropped chance at 28, when Zadran spilled him in the deep. He went onto clobber 17 sixes, the most by an individual in a ODI, surpassing the likes of Gayle, Rohit Sharma & deVilliers. The normally economic & difficult to hit Afghani spinner Rashid, conceded 74 runs in his last 4 overs, & 110 runs totally to cap the ignominious record of giving away maximum runs in a World Cup match.
Records tumbled galore - most sixes by an individual in ODI (17); most sixes by a team in ODI (25); most sixes conceded by a bowler in a World Cup match (11); most runs conceded by an individual bowler in World Cup (110runs). Also for England, Morgan scored the fastest century in World Cup; 397 was the highest total posted by England in World Cup; Joe Root & Morgan stitched a 189 run partnership, the highest by England in a World Cup match..... & some more !!
With the match virtually out of their hands, Afghanistan batted with purpose & showed signs of resilience, by reaching a World Cup best of 247 runs for 8 wickets in their quota of 50 overs. They would take a few positives from the match, despite their heaviest defeat by 150 runs.
Hashmatullah scored a sedate 70, while Gulbadin with 37, Rahmat Shah with 46, & Asghar with 44, came up with useful contributions, to deny the English attack from blowing them away.
As a team they are still in the T20 mode & are a dangerous outfit in that format of the game. They will definitely benefit from the learnings & have good talent as well as intent within to score upsets ahead. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - West Indies vs Bangladesh

In arguably one of the biggest upsets of this tournament, Bangladesh pulled off the second highest run chase ever of the World Cup to thrash the once mighty West Indies by seven wickets on a batting friendly pitch of Taunton.
Inviting West Indies to bat first, Bangladesh tasted immediate success when Boss Man, Chris Gayle departed for a duck, edging behind in the 4th over, as the Bangla pacers bowled with intensity & purpose, making the Windies batsmen toil hard for runs. However, Evin Lewis & Shai Hope then started to build the innings laboriously, but definitely. The pair added 116 runs for the second wicket, before Shakib had Lewis caught at long off for a well made 70 runs. Pooran in next, departed after a good start & then Hetmyer came in to up the tempo along with Hope & took the score to 242.  Blasting a quickfire 50 off just 26 deliveries, Hetmyer looked promising for a long haul, & with 7 wickets in hand the Windies looked good for a huge total. But just then, in the 40th over, Hetmyer miscued a slog to get out & then the big hitting Andre Russell too departed in the same over for no score to Mustafizur - the Windies run feast derailed. Capt Holder & Bravo along with Hope did get some lusty hits in, but the last five overs yielded just 33 runs, & the innings folded at 321 runs for 8 wickets. Holder smashed the longest six of the tournament thus far with a 105 meter long hit, scoring 33 in just 15 deliveries, but could not stay till the end, which would have probably got them another 30-40 crucial runs. The two big hitters Gayle & Russell had gone without score, which in the end would come to haunt the former Champions. The Bangladesh bowlers stuck to a plan & did not allow the Windies to break shackles, despite getting tonged on occasions.
In chase, Bangladesh openers Tamim & Soumya were subjected to a barrage of bouncers by the Windies pace bowling, but they repelled the attack with well placed slashes & spot jumps to punch on the rise, while scoring at more than run a ball, as 50 run mark came up in the 8 overs, before Saumya was caught by Gayle in the gully. In form Shakib walked in next & immediately settled in as the West Indies pacers started to look jaded & out of ideas. Tamim got out against the run of play, as Cottrell caught the ball in his bowling follow through & broke the stumps at the striker's end, in the 18th over with score reading 121 for 2. Mushfiqur got out cheaply to raise some hopes for the floundering Caribbeans, but next man Liton Das settled easily in the middle with Shakib & the two tore apart the Windies attack to smithereens, stitching a 189 runs partnership in just 22.3 overs, to take Bangladesh home to victory by 7 wickets, with more than 50 balls to spare !!
Bangladesh, having slayed two top teams South Africa & West Indies in this tournament, & are now looking good to compete for a semis slot - the fans can certainly hope, as the gallant tigers of Bengal come of age in the big stage.
The West Indies pace battery which had given rousing hopes to their fans at the beginning of the tournament, were without a plan B, & once attacked back, looked amateurish & toothless - frustrated as they were, the fielding also looked dismal, with Russell struggling to even run & the field placing lacked imagination, as Shakib & Liton clobbered them at ease all around the ground. Shakib produced one of his best batting performance, hitting an unbeaten 124 runs from 99 balls, while Liton Das, on his World Cup debut, remained non out for a whirlwind 94 off just 69 deliveries - sad he missed on a well deserved century.
Records tumbled for Shakib, as this was his 2nd century on the trot in this tournament & also his fifth consecutive fifty plus score, taking his ODI total past 6000 runs, & becoming highest run getter for Bangladesh in World Cups. He also currently tops the chart of run getters in this tournament, with 384 runs, ahead of Aaron Finch with 343 & Rohit Sharma at 319 runs.

ICC World Cup 2019 - India vs Pakistan

Billed as the 'Mother of all Contests', & fraught with bitter rivalries over generations of cricket, this match between India & Pakistan at Old Trafford, Manchester was expected to be a humdinger, but it turned out to be quite a damp squib, as Pakistan surrendered to a much superior Indian outfit, under overcast conditions.
The match did have some tense passage of time, when Pakistan showed signs of an able contest, but those were far flung & had very little outcome on the final results, as India romped home with a 89 run victory by the D/L method, in a rain curtailed saga.

Winning the toss, Pakistan Capt Sarfaraz surprisingly put India into bat, expecting his bowlers to exploit the overcast conditions on a flat track, which promised loads of runs. Md Amir held one end up with some excellent length & pace, beating the bat consistently, but the other bowlers eased the pressure spraying short length freebies & the Indian openers Rohit & Rahul exulted in scoring freely without having to take any risks. Rohit scored breezily at more than run a ball reaching his fifty in just 35 balls, while Rahul, having replaced the injured Shikhar, was more sedate, lacing the innings with some fine drives & pulls. When Rahul finally spooned Wahab to mid off for a well constructed 57 runs in the 24th over, India had already laid a solid foundation with a 136 runs opening partnership, & Pakistan were left facing a long leather hunt. They would rue the missed chance of running Rohit out in the 11th over, when the Indian opener was caught in a misunderstanding with Rahul stealing a single.
Next in Virat, a master of such situations, stitched another 104 runs partnership with Rohit, without really accelerating, as Rohit, batting beautifully, raced to his century in just 85 deliveries in the 30th over. With scorecard reading 234 runs in the 39th over, India looked in complete command & Pakistan in prayers for some redemption, when Rohit, gave away his wicket, trying to scoop past short fine leg, but not before a fantastic innings of 140 runs - he was livid with himself, having given away an opportunity to score a possible double hundred !!
In walked Pandya, as Virat stepped up the tempo, but despite some flourish, the innings stuttered a bit, as Md Amir, coming back into the attack, yet again put brakes in the scoring, & the Indian middle order could muster only 38 runs on the last five overs. Stoppage of play due to rains, seemed to affect the Indian rhythm, as Pandya went for a quickfire 26, while Dhoni edged behind for one & Kohli in trying to step on the pedal, went out caught behind for a finely crafted 77 runs(not sure he had nicked, as also confirmed by the replays !!). Vijay Shankar & Kedar Jadhav, slogged some, as India ended the innings at 336 for 5 - a huge target for Pakistan to climb.

Coming out to chase, Pakistan were delivered with some unexpected good news, as strike Indian bowler Bhuvi, hobbled out with a hamstring pull during the 5th over. But the cheers in the green camp died immediately, as change bowler Vijay Shankar, coming into complete the over, got opener Imam out LBW, - his very first delivery in a World Cup, as Pakistan lost their 1st wicket. Next man Babar Azam, along with Fakhar Zaman, then steadied the innings, with some intelligent & purposeful batting, taking the fight to the opposition camp. However, though they stitched up a 104 runs partnership, to raise some hopes for Pakistan, they never really threatened, as the disciplined Indian bowling did not give them anything loose & the asking run rate kept creeping up under the D/L method. Pakistan's best moment was when they reached 113 for 1 at the end of 23 overs, marginally behind the DLS par score. But just when they looked like causing some concerns to India, left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav spun a beauty, to clean bowl Babar Azam, leaving him stranded at 48 runs - stuff that dream deliveries are made of & the floodgates opened up.
Fakhar reached a well made fifty, but was taken out next, again by Kuldeep, luring into a false sweep & lobbing a simple catch at leg slip, as the Indians fielders were cock a hoop. Pandya followed this up with two wickets in the very next over, Hafeez holing out in the deep & Shoaib out to a golden duck, as Pakistan were left tottering at a dismal 129 for 5 at the end of 27 overs, needing another 173 runs in just 78 deliveries, with the asking rate well over 9 runs.
Viajay Shankar took out the Pakistan Capt Sarfaraz in the 34th over, caught behind, with score at 165 for 6, as the skies opened up to save further ignominy. The game was finally abandoned after 40 overs, as D/L method declared India as winners by 89 runs - it was the seventh consecutive victory over bitter neighbour rivals in World Cup !!. HitMan Rohit Sharma was the deserving Man of Match.

Indian camp have some to worry but a lot to cheer;  - injury to Shikhar & Bhuvi is some concern, but the reserve bench gives a whole lot of hope & encouragement; batting looks good & elegant, with the top order firing all cylinders & middle order looking compact; the lethal bowling of Bumrah & Bhuvi & the spin combination of Chahal & Yadav assures wickets, while the fielding looks sorted & sprightly - all augurs well for the Men in Blue, as they surge ahead. Vijay Shankar, despite debut in World Cup in such a pressure match, was a revelation & looks a promising prospect for India ahead. Amidst all this, Virat has reached the milestone of 11K ODI runs in just 230 matches, becoming the fastest to do so, eclipsing Sachin to take the pole position.
For Pakistan, it was a rather poor performance, as they never really looked assertive & in the game, barring splendid bowling by Amir & a brief period of batting by Babar & Fakhar. Having won only one game till now, they have an uphill task ahead, needing to win all their remaining matches, if they were to look at a semis spot.

On a lighter note, some snippets for the laughs -

• Virat lost the toss 
• In form Shikhar was out with injury
• Bhuvi also came off early with a hamstring
• Rohit gifted his wicket (also gave an early chance to run him out)
• Virat walked off without being out
• Babar was out, but we did'nt ask for review

On a Father's Day, What else can we do for our neighbours in "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas ??" 👀💦💦💦😂😂😂😂😂

ICC World Cup 2019 - South Africa vs Afghanistan

At Cardiff, South Africa finally registered their first win of the tournament against minnows Afghanistan, winning an easy encounter by 9 wickets.
Put into bat in overcast conditions & a rain truncated match, Afghanistan started with promise putting up 39 runs for the opening pair in 8 overs, before Rabada had Zazai caught in the deep & the batting then gradually imploded in between a couple of rain delays, as they lost four wickets in two overs to Imran Tahir & Phehlukwayo, slipping to 77 for 7 in just the 26th over. A cameo of 35 crucial runs in just 25 deliveries by late order Rashid saved them the blues of a below 100 score, as the Afghanistan batting collapsed to a 125 all out in just over 34 overs. Imran Tahir was the wrecker in chief with 4 wickets, while Phehlukwayo snapped 2 wickets & Morris took 3 - the South African bowling, along with Rabada did look menacing for once.

In chase, it was an easy win for the Proteas in the final outcome, with 21 overs to spare & losing only the wicket of Quinton de Kock, but not before he scored a sedate 68 off 72 deliveries.
It was despairing to watch veteran of many battles, Hashim Amla scratch for runs up the order & that too against a not so menacing Afghani bowling- his timing was completely off initially & so was his confidence. But he stuck on, grafting runs at one end, while de Kock batted with much more ease to keep the scoreboard ticking. de Kock raised his fifty in the 17th over, & the pair went onto put 104 runs, their first century partnership in almost two years. Amla used the opportunity grittily to spend time at the crease & get back some form, remaining unbeaten at 41, as Phehlukwayo, promoted up the order, scored freely & then smacked the only six of the match to mop up the win.

Despite this big win, South Africa though, have a lot to ponder. Their top order needs to soak up the pressure & score big, either batting first or chasing, & it will be upto de Kock & Amla to give a solid foundation. Then in the middle order, the likes of du Plessis & Dussen have to play anchor, while Miller, Phehlukwayo, Morris & others have to score briskly & consistently. The bowling which is now looking weak in the absence of injured Steyn & Ngidi, will have to rely heavily on Rabada & Tahir, with assistance from Phehlukwayo & Morris to get wickets, if the Proteas have to sniff any chance of a comeback in this tournament. The fielding also has to improve considerably. The players have looked out of sorts, & too pressurised to perform & retain their places, & the gay cavalier attitude seems ruefully missing.
For Afghanistan, its a lot of learning from all these losses, as they have the potential to upset & derail the top contenders. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - Australia vs Sri Lanka

A buoyant Australia took on a plucky Sri Lanka at the Oval, a game that had a loads of ups & downs, & eventually ended in a tame victory for the Aussies.
Put into bat on overcast conditions, Finch found his rhythm with some crisp drives early on, while Warner struggled to score, as the Australian opening pair put on 80 runs, before Warner got out for a patchy 26 off 48 deliveries. Khawaja too scratched for runs before holing out in the deep & in came Smith to provide reassuring calm at the middle & along with Finch make merry of the Lankan attack, laying the foundation with a fluent 173 run partnership in just 118 balls - Smith was creative & busy on his toes while Finch was simple yet brutal. Finch eventually got a big hundred scoring 153 runs before getting caught in the deep, while Smith was bowled by a Malinga yorker after scoring a pleasing 73 off just 53 deliveries. Next in, Maxwell blazed from the word go, & at 302 fo 4, with five overs remaining, Sri Lankans were staring at a score in access of 350. But the batting stuttered surprisingly & Lankan left arm pacer, Udana effected two run outs & also claimed two wickets, as the Aussie innings ended at 334 for 7 with Maxi missing his half century, remaining unbeaten at 46 runs off just 25 deliveries. The last five overs had yielded only 32 runs, which in any other game could have proven disastrous for the Champions.

Chasing a big total, the Lankan opening pair of Capt Karunaratne & Kusal Perera surprised everyone by going hammer & tongs against the fiery Aussie pace attack, as boundaries came fast & thick and the score raced to 115 in just 15.3 overs, before Perera was bowled by Starc. By then he had scored a breezy 52 off just 36 deliveries, as the Lankans looked threatening to overhaul the target. Karunaratne, kept one end tight with emphatic batting, while Thirimanne & then Mendis kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end. The Lankan Captain survived & profited through an umpiring error, as the Aussies had lost their DRS call earlier & could not enforce a review - replays showed a clear LBW.
At 186 for 2 after 32 overs, the game was alive, with Lankan supporters in the stands raising the decibels, as Aussies looked to tighten the screws with Maxwell & Richardson bowling tight overs. Runs started to dry, as Karunaratne, looking certain for a well deserved century, got plucked out at gully by Maxi, for a superb 97, triggering a slide. Four wickets tumbled soon as Starc & Co applied pressure to take controls, & eventually the innings folded at 247 all out in the 46th over. The Lankans, after raising hopes of an improbable upset win, faltered to deceive losing their way to the ever increasing run rate. Starc picked up 4 wickets taking his tournament tally to 13, while Cummins bagged 2 & Richardson bagged 3.
For Australia, now on top of the table with four wins, their batting is looking ominous, with top order firing, but there are visible chinks with middle & late order yet to show confidence, while the bowling looks heavily reliant on Starc & Cummins to deliver - they too leak runs, as demonstrated by the sprightly Lankan openers in this match.
For the Lankans, with just one win & two split points, its going to be an uphill task ahead. The team does show spark, but only in patches. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - England vs West Indies

After three washouts in four days for this tournament, the skies relented at Southampton despite dark clouds in the horizon, as England faced West Indies, in what was expected to be a close contest.
However, the Windies in a T20 frame of mind, making generous mistakes, were in the end, routed by a more clinical England.
Put into bat, the Windies folded for a paltry 212, despite laying a decent platform & reaching 144 for 4 around the 30th over mark. With powerhitters in their line up, it was expected that they will come close to a 300 or 300+ total, but instead of patiently trying to build & then go for a final assault, the batsmen went for expansive hits, resulting in getting out cheaply. Barring NIcholas Pooran & to some extent Hetmyer, who consolidated after the top three had fallen cheaply, none applied themselves in a batting friendly track.  Both Gayle & Russell, arguably the biggest hitters in this tournament, could not capitalise on dropped chances &were caught in the deep after getting aggressive starts - such a shame, as the West Indies paid a heavy price in losing a match that they had a good chance to win.
Even Joe Root picked up two crucial wickets in the middle, as pacers Jofra Archer & Mark Wood picked up 3 apiece to derail the much expected Windies slog.
In reply, England cruised past the target with ease, as Joe Root went on to get his 2nd hundred of the tournament. Opening with Bairstow, who scored a fluent 45, they put on 95 runs & then Chris Woakes, surprisingly promoted up the order, made a solid 40  runs snuffing out any sting that the Windies pace attack had.  England romped home in a 8 wicket victory, with more than 16 overs to spare. Roe Root was the unanimous choice for the Man of Match award.
The West Indies will have to do a lot of introspection & bring in discipline if they have to progress ahead - they have the potential as well as the talent - question is, will they work with a plan & its application ??
England, on the other hand are looking solid & secure to go the distance. Despite having injury scares, they look sorted in their game plan. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - India vs New Zealand

Another washout match, as India & New Zealand watched rains play the spoilsport. Without a ball being bowled, the two teams split the points, staying unbeaten in the tournament thus far.
Its getting a bit too much to have so many matches washed away in rains for such a major tournament, as there are no reserve days, & the points table now shows New Zealand in pole position with 7 points, followed by Australia at 6 & India at 5. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - Australia vs Pakistan

In a high voltage game at Taunton, champions Australia & unpredictable Pakistan, competed hard & at the end of a see saw battle, it was the Men in Yellow that prevailed over the Men in Green.
Put into bat, Aussie openers Finch & Warner profited from a sloppy Pakistani fielding, full of crucial dropped catches, overthrows, et all, & scored at will to race at more than run a ball, & reached 146 in only 22 overs, before Finch holed out for a well constructed 82 off just 84 deliveries. Warner, breaking all shackles, went on to reach a fabulous 107, but the next batsmen could not capitalise on this fantastic platform, despite starts. From 277 for 4 in 42 overs & promising a score of around 350, they faltered, & stuttered to a 307 all out in 49 overs, as Mohammad Amir claimed his first 5 wickets haul in an ODI, with figures of 5 for 30 in his 10 overs, with 2 maidens. Australia seemed to have lost the initiative & ended with at least 30-35 runs short.
In reply, however, Pakistan lost Fakhar in the 3rd over & Babar Azam in the 11th over, as the Aussie pace bowlers started to control the game. A 80 run partnership between Imam & Hafeez for 3rd wicket gave some hope, but the batsmen to follow faltered as another collapse followed. Capt Sarfaraz & Wahab Riaz batted with purpose & took Pakistan to reaching distance, with around 50 runs needed at around 7 runs an over - very gettable, but then they imploded again as Wahab got out in the 43rd over & the last 3 wickets went down for just 3 runs, as the innings folded for 266 runs, giving Australia a resounding victory by 41 runs.
Warner was the deserving Man of Match, as we witnessed a close match. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka

At Bristol, it was drizzle all day, as the match between Bangladesh & Sri Lanka fizzled out into a no result wash out, making it three matches in this World Cup till now, where points had to be split between the teams.
For Sri Lanka, it was their second match as wash out, as they now await the mighty Aussies in their next match coming Saturday.

Meanwhile, there are unfortunate news in the Indian camp, as Shikhar Dhawan has been detected with a hairline fracture on his left thumb, which means he will certainly be out in the next two matches for India against New Zealand & Pakistan. Shikhar got hurt, while encountering a Cummins bouncer in the previous match against Australia, where he scored a match winning century. This is a serious blow, as Shikhar was in sparkling form & his opening partnership with Rohit gave India solidity at the top.

ICC World Cup 2019 - South Africa vs West Indies

Rains played spoilsports for the match between South Africa & West Indies at Southampton, after a brief start. South Africa put into bat, were wobbling at 29 for 2 in 7.3 overs, when skies opened forcing the players back into the dressing rooms. Making use of the overcast conditions, Sheldon Cottrell plucked the two wickets, as the Windies looked good to tear into the Proteas batting.
After a wait for more than six hours play was called off & points split between the two teams.
South Africa have finally opened their points score, but it will be a miracle for them to come back into the tournament from here on - & the team as of now is not looking in any shape to recover.
West Indies are in the middle of the table & face hosts England in their next match - a big one for both the teams to establish dominance in the tournament. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - India vs Australia

Two heavyweights for the tournament, India & Australia slugged it out at The Oval, with the Men in Blue winning convincingly over the Men in YellowGreen in a blockbuster weekend match.

Winning the toss & electing to bat on a flat surface, Indian openers, Shikhar & Rohit were up against a tight length & line of hostile bowling by Starc & Cummins, managing only 41 runs in the first 10 overs - but they weathered the storm before chancing their arms against the next change bowlers. Coulter Nile was despatched for three boundaries in one over, as the flood gates opened up - the opening pair yielded 127 runs, before Rohit got out for a well made 57 runs. Meanwhile, Dhawan, rapped hard on his left thumb by a Cummins bouncer, braved the pain & raised 93 runs with Capt Kohli, to lay a solid foundation for India & also get to his 3rd century at Oval, before getting out for a fabulous 117, as Hardik Pandya made way to the crease. Kohli & Pandya identified the weak spot in Aussie bowling & plundered Stoinis & Zampa for 112 in 13 overs. Capt Kohli got to his 50th ODI half century, getting 82 runs, while Hardik blitz yielded 48 runs. Dhoni & Rahul too chipped in with short cameos, as India scampered to a mammoth total of 352 for 5, as the hapless Aussies gave away 116 runs in the last 10 overs - it was one too many. A masterclass batting performance for sure.

In reply, Australia seemed to have luck on their side, when in just the 2nd over of the innings, opener Warner dragged a Bumrah delivery to his stump, without disturbing the bails - however, this did not spur the Aussie batting, as runs came in a trickle. Finch got run out for 36 when he was looking good in the 14th over & Smith walked into the cauldron. Along with Warner he put up 72 runs, but the chase was getting out of hands gradually, as Warner scratched to his slowest fifty ever, before holing out in the deep, as the required run rate kept climbing. Khawaja tried his best with a run a ball 42, as Maxwell was next in, with Smith keeping one end tidied up. Sensing the urgency, as now or never, Maxi & Smith threatened to cut loose, but Bhuvi, in the 40th over got Smith LBW & then bowled Stoinis to virtually kill the chase. Maxi got out in the very next over, trying to haul Chahal, & Jadeja, substituting for Dhawan, ran from the deep, taking an excellent running & tumbling catch - three big wickets gone in the space of seven deliveries, as Australia stared into an ominous defeat. Carey, tried boldly with some lusty hitting & reaching the fastest fifty of the tournament till now, but it was too late in the final outcome. Coulter Nile, who had smacked a record breaking 92 off 60 deliveries in the match against the Windies, could not read the cleverly bowled slowers by Bumrah & holed out eventually. Tailenders could not contribute, as Cary was left unbeaten for a superb 55 off just 35 deliveries & the mighty Australians were bowled out for 316, leaving the Men in Blue, victorious by 36 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was outstanding with the ball claiming 3 crucial wickets for just 50 runs in his 10 overs - in a match where 668 runs were scored, to manage runs at 5 an over was priceless.
I think, Aussies missed the plot, allowing too many runs in the death overs, & then while chasing, let the asking rate pile up - Warner's slow batting hurt, as also Maxwell & Smith getting out when they were threatening - every one in the top order barring Stoinis got a start, but could not convert into a big hundred. Also, the fielding was below par for the normally resolute Aussies, especially dropping Pandya on nought, who went onto score 48 runs.
Shikhar Dhawan was the obvious choice for the Man of the Match award.
India will take home a whole lot of positives, while the Aussies will be ruing this loss for a while. 

Rafael Nadal - The King of Clay, 12th French Open title

Someone said, "To Death & Taxes being Life's only two certainties, we can now add a third - Rafa Nadal winning French Open."
Defying age & injury niggles, that has been a bother of late,  33year old Rafa Nadal crushed Dominic Thiem in the finals 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 to lift the coveted French Open Cup at Roland Garros, Paris for the 12th time - a feat never ever achieved & probably would never be ( closest was Margaret Court at US Open with 11 wins) !!

Thiem fought hard, playing with aggression & purpose, & the first two sets were a see saw battle, but the marauding Mallorcan could not be tamed. Thiem won the second set at 7-5, raising hopes of a stupendous fightback for his fans, but Rafa just upped the tempo, ruthlessly going for the kill, & wrapping up the third & the fourth set in an emphatic win with minimum fuss.
It was vintage Nadal, picking at the rear of his shorts, mopping his brow while eyeing his opponent, aligning his water bottles with labels facing out at his chair with obsessive devotion, & then finally biting the trophy lovingly after winning - ruthless on court, but disarmingly humble, applauding & praising his vanquished opponents with childlike genuine affection - all idiosyncrasies that stands him out as a loveable Champion.
His Grand Slam cabinet now boasts of 12 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon & 1 Australian Open, - a total of 18 titles in 26 Grand Slam final appearances, standing second to none other than Roger Federer, who has 20 titles.
At 15, he turned professional & at 19, on his debut in 2005, he won his first French Open title, defeating top seeded Federer in the semis & Mariana Puerta in the finals - announcing to the world that a Champion has arrived. Other than Andre Agassi, Nadal is the only player to boast a career Grand Slam along with an Olympic Gold in men singles. Incidentally, Nadal has won Grand Slam titles in his teens, 20s & 30s, a feat managed only by Pete Sampras & Ken Rosewall in the past.
At French Open, he has an incredible win ratio of 98%, having lost only two matches, one to Robin Soderling in 2009 & then in 2016 he withdrew in the 3rd round owing to a wrist injury. - carving out statistics that will surely remain legendary for years to come. 🏆

If he can overcome injury issues, something that has been a bother for the past few years, we look forward to Rafa Nadal scaling further heights in tennis, especially in Clay.
Bow to the Champion🏆🙏🙏👏👏👍👍

ICC World Cup 2019 - New Zealand vs Afghanistan

New Zealand went past minnows Afghanistan at Taunton, with a seven wicket victory, hardly breaking into a sweat.
Put into bat, Afghanistan actually made a decent start, as openers Zazai & Zadran, thwarted the pace attack of Trent Boult & Matt Henry, enjoyed a couple of dropped chances before putting up 66 runs in their opening stand, in just over 10 overs. However, Neesham, coming into bowl the 11th over, induced Zazai to mistiming & getting caught at the boundary - wickets fell in a heap from here, as Afghanistan were reduced to 71 for 4 in the 15th over. Neesham ripped through the batting, picking up his career best figures of 5 for 31, as Lokie Ferguson supported ably by claiming 4 for 37. From a position of strength initially, when they were looking good to score 240-250 runs at the least, Afghanistan folded their innings in the 42nd over for a paltry 172 runs. Hashmatullah Shahidi topscored with a patient 59 runs, & was the last man out.
In reply New Zealand lost Guptill for no score, & Munro too fell cheaply, but the target was too little to bother them, as capt Williamson along with Ross Taylor eased the tensions with a 89 run stand, before Taylor departed for a pleasing 48 runs. Latham joined Williamson in the centre & the pair scampered past the target without much fuss. Williamson topscored with a delightful, unbeaten 79 runs. Neesham was the deserving Man of the Match, as the Kiwis top the table with three wins on the trot. They are looking good, as the team is combining well, & promise to go the distance. Afghanistan are still looking for their first win & face South Africa next, who too are reeling with three losses till now. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - England vs Bangladesh

In a dominant display pre-tournament favourite England romped home to victory over a spirited Bangladesh at Cardiff with proverbial ease, notching a 106 run victory, which will do their NRR a world of good.

Winning the toss, Bangladesh invited England to bat first - a strange decision, considering, that it was a batting friendly pitch & the only way Bangladesh could put pressure was to put up a formidable score & challenge the English, pretty much as Pakistan had done earlier with winning results.
Opener Jason Ray along with Bairstow motored England past 100 runs in just 15 overs, & when Bairstow got out after completing his fifty, in the 20th over, the score read 128 for 1, as Bangladesh faced an ominous onslaught. More carnage followed, as Butler, made a quickfire 64 & Morgan got a run a ball 35, while Jason Ray completed his century in the 27th over & went on to blast 153 runs. Woakes & Plunkett also threw their bat around in the final slog overs, blowing 45 runs in just 17 deliveries, taking the score to a massive 386 for 6. England had breached the 300 run mark for a record seven consecutive ODI matches, as they reached their highest World Cup total. Jason & Bairstow had registered their 8 century stand in only 29 innings, threatening to become the most potent opening pair at present - exciting news for the English dressing room indeed.

In reply, chasing for an improbable win, Bangladesh were up against red hot pace of Jofra Archer, bowling well past 150kph, as he clean bowled Soumya Sarkar, the ball hitting the stumps & flying off to the boundary - such was the velocity !! Tamim was then cleaned by Wood, before the veteran pair of Shakib & Mushfiqur again started to repair the innings, adding up 106 runs to steady the ship. Shakib went onto get a brilliant century, scoring 121 runs, while Mushfiqur chipped in with a useful 44 runs. However, Bangladesh were never in the race really, though they kept fighting bravely & eventually folded for 280 all out in the 49th over. Archer & Stokes, both clipped 3 wickets each, while Wood picked 2, as England exorcised the ghost of 2015 World Cup, when Bangladesh had knocked them out of the tournament with a 15 run victory.
For England it was sweet revenge as well as consolidating their position in the points table, while for Bangladesh, the only consolation was the spirited century by Shakib. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - Pakistan vs Sri Lanka

What was touted to be a close encounter at Bristol, between the two Sub continent giants, ended is a boring whimper, as rains played the spoilsport & the match was abandoned, without a ball being bowled. Persistent rains & a damp outfield forced the first complete washout match of this tournament - rain wasn't heavy, but persistent. Both the team benefit with split points, which may become crucial as the tournament proceeds. Sri Lanka have never defeated Pakistan in a World Cup match, & their wait continues.

ICC World Cup 2019 - Australia vs West Indies

Defending champions Australia have struggled at Trent Bridge in the recent past & today was no exception, as Aaron Finch's side weathered a resolute & gusty West Indies to win the match by 15 runs, in a battle of nerves, that went their way at crucial junctures of the game. It was certainly the most entertaining & closely contested match of the tournament thus far.

Asking the Aussies to bat first, the Windies pace attack sprayed wayward in the first over, giving away wides & no ball, but quickly settled into a deadly line & fiery bounce to rattle the Australian top order - by the 8th over, the score read a miserable 38 for 4, with Warner, Finch, Khawaja & Maxwell back in the dugout. Smith held one end dourly, absorbing the pressure, while Stoinis & Carey both put in small but meaningful contributions in an attempt to rebuild the innings. When Carey left in the 31st over after a well made 45 & the team total read 148 for 6, in walked Coulter Nile to join Steve Smith at the crease. He looked clueless initially against the battering Windies pace, & survived a few close calls, but hung onto dear life, allowing his nerves to settle & get his batting to find rhythm. At that stage, the Australian innings did not look capable of crossing 200 runs mark, but, things started to change dramatically, as Smith held one end, reaching his fifty in the 36th over, & Coulter Nile started to smack the ball to boundaries with regular ease. Smith finally got out for a resolute & painstaking 73, but by then Australians were breathing much easy. Coulter Nile, dropped again at 61, went on to clobber 8 boundaries & 4 sixes to reach a career best score of 92 off just 60 deliveries - the highest score for a no 8 in the World Cup. The Australian innings folded at 288 runs in the 49th over - a far respectable total, after the initial wobble. The West Indian pace battery of Thomas, Cottrell, Russell, Braithwaite & Holder regularly clocked over 140kmph, extracting nasty bounce from the wicket to rattle the Aussie batting, but Smith along with Coulter Nile, scoring the innings of his life & useful contributions from Carey, managed to post a fighting total.
I felt that the Windies attack eased after claiming 6 wickets, & somehow allowed the Aussies to escape the stranglehold, which eventually went on to haunt them in defeat.

In reply, one expected Gayle to fire big, but he faltered to deceive after a flourishing start, as the score read 31 for 2 in just 5 overs. Shai Hope started to rebuild the innings with Pooran in an enterprising partnership, followed by another one with Hetmyer & then with capt Holder - all floundering after a promising start, as Aussies kept coming back each time claiming a wicket. Hope perished for a patient, but well crafted 68, in the 35 over with score reading 190 for 5, as Andre Russell walked in the middle to join Capt Holder. The target, still well under control with 99 needed of 90 deliveries, but Russell's brief cameo ended, as he unnecessarily mishit Starc, & Maxwell took a stunning catch running yards behind him to pocket the skier - Windies were slowly digging a grave for themselves. Holder got his fifty, but the pressure of chase kept building & Starc removed both Braithwaite & Holder in the 46th over to demolish any resistance that the Windies had, as the Aussies rejoiced. In the final outcome, they fell short by 15 runs.
West Indies were in a position to win, but failed to complete the job - first, they let the Aussies crawl back from a hapless 148 for 6 to a commanding score of 288, allowing Coulter Nile to counter attack, dropping him twice, & also dropping Smith when on just 26 - very costly misses in the end. Then in the run chase, they could not hold their nerves, losing wickets at crucial stages, & the worst offender was Russell who unnecessarily gave away his wicket, allowing Aussies to again bite back. It was disappointing for them to end up losers after such a bright start, but they certainly take a lot of positives into their next match.
For the Aussies, it was a reassuring victory, as capt Finch used his bowling resources superbly, aiming at attacking, rather than containing, to scrape home a victory.
On the field Umpiring, was surprisingly below par in this match, as a number of reviews were taken to revoke decisions, with both Chris Gaffaney & Ruchira Palliyaguruge making mistakes.

ICC World Cup 2019 - New Zealand vs Bangladesh

In a tightly contested match between New Zealand & Bangladesh, both able dark horses of this tournament, the Kiwis, after heavy jitters midway into run chase, finally prevailed by 2 wickets. Both the teams had come into this game, having won their opening matches & brimming with confidence.

Put into bat first, Bangladesh openers Tamim & Soumya started well on a batting friendly Oval pitch, thwarting the aggression of Trent Boult upfront. However, both left after strong starts & then Mushfiqur & Shakib dug deep into building a partnership - things were looking good, when Mushfiqur got run out in a mix up, & with that the hopes of a 300+ score faded away. Shakib got to his second successive fifty, scoring 64 runs, & there were a couple of cameos from batsmen lower down the order, as Bangladesh folded for 244 all out in 49.2 overs. Matt Henry was the wrecker in chief with 4 wickets, while Boult scalped 2, as Santner chocked the scoring with excellent left arm spin bowling. - A steady total, but below par score for this batting pitch.
In reply, the Kiwis started in whirlwind fashion, as Guptill tore into the Bangla attack along with Munro. But both got out after early promise & it was left to veterans Taylor & Williamson to staedy the ship. Williamson, then on just 8 runs had a lucky reprieve, when keeper Mushfiqur made a mess of an easy run out, which would have put Kiwis in serious trouble. Williamson eventually scored 40 & the pair went onto add 105 crucial runs, as the hapless Bangladeshi fielders looked up for redemption. At 160 for 2 after 31 overs & needing just 85 runs to victory, the game looked all wrapped up, when Williamson, lost his cool, underestimated the spin from Mehidy Hasan & holed out an easy catch to deep midwicket. Next man in, Latham got out for a duck in the same over, caught brilliantly, again at deep mid wicket, & suddenly the game had opened up for Bangladesh. Taylor, who had gone past his fifty by then, started to lose his momentum, dabbing hesitantly & patting back simple half volleys, & finally perishing for a well made 82, caught behind to a faint tickle. At 191 for 5 in the 39th over, suddenly the Kiwis batting looked dreadful - as if a cat was let loose amongst pigeons. Saifuddin bowled with renewed vigour along with Hossain, as New Zealand lost three more wickets, inching towards the target. It was finally the cool batting of Santner, with 17not out off 12 deliveries, that took the Kiwis over the line - scraping through a victory by 2 wickets.

It was an evenly contested match, where both the teams had their chances - & also missed chances, which Bangladesh would rue the most, which proved decisive in the final outcome.
The tournament is now surely heating up.....

ICC World Cup 2019 - India vs South Africa

At the beginning of the tournament, this match was touted to be one of the close humdingers - but sadly on the day, it was not to be, as a depleted South Africa, both in resources & spirit, caved into tournament favourites India & losing by 6 wickets.
Winning the toss & electing to bat, South Africa openers Hashim Amla & Quinton de Kock, known for their cavalier batting, were all at sea against a probing & sizzling pace attack of Bumrah & Bhuvi - Bumrah was a delight to watch, as he toyed with the batsmen, teasing them outside the off stump & then nipping in an occasional bouncer - the ball zipping past the flaying bat time & again. Within the first six overs, he had consumed both the batsmen, as South Africa looked deflated at 24 for 2. According to me, the match was done & dusted there itself, & the Proteas could never recover from that setback. A little resistance from Faf & Dussen raised desperate hopes, but again wickets crumbled in a heap & the score was a dreadful 89 for 5 in just 22 overs. Miller, Phehlukwayo, Morris all played small cameos & so did Rabada towards the end to drag the score past 200 & ended the innings at 227 for 9 - respectable, but not adequate. The only thing they could do from here on was to attack the Indian batting with some fiery pace. Amongst the Indian bowlers, apart from Bumrah, Chahal bowled well picking up 4 wickets, & so did Bhuvi, picking up 2.
As Indian openers came into bat, Rabada greeted them with fearsome pace, cracking the bat of Dhawan & had Rohit poking uncertainly, as Morris too bowled with intent & fire from the other end.  Dhavan went cheaply & so did Virat, as India hung on to the crease in a dour display of batting. It was slow progress, but without much pressure, as the target was easy & the batting line up had depth. Rohit on the other end, survived quite a few close calls including a LBW decision going his way, but he scratched & hung around to absorb the sting of the SA attack. Rohit went onto get a deserving hundred, staying unbeaten with 122 runs & stitching useful partnerships with Rahul, Dhoni & Pandya to take India home for a 6 wickets win, with 15 balls to spare. With this, Rohit went past Saurav Ganguly's tally of 22 ODI centuries, & is now third in the list behind Sachin & Virat for India.
South Africa, had a rather poor day in field once again, as easy catches fluffed out, run outs missed & runs leaked, as the depleted bowling attack could not contain the run flow, despite superb efforts by Rabada, Morris & Phehlukwayo. It was their third consecutive loss & they are out of the race, unless a miracle happens.
Though Rohit Sharma was declared the Man of the Match for his hundred, according to me, it was Jasprit Bumrah, who tore SA apart with his opening spell.

ICC World Cup 2019 - Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan

Sri Lanka fended off a stiff battle against minnows Afghanistan to win a rain truncated match by 34 runs, in D/L method.

Put into bat first the Lankans were off to a flier, with the opening pair of Karunaratne & wicketkeeper Kusal Perera blasting off 92 runs in just 13 overs, before Karunaratne holed out to long on. At that stage, the Lankans were looking good to pile up a huge total, as Thirimane joined Perera at the crease. But the merry run making took a serious jolt in the 22nd over, when Nabi spun a web to snare up three wickets, as the Lankans stuttered at 146 for 4, all taken up by Nabi. Amidst showers, Perera got his fifty & eventually got out for a well made 78, before snicking Rashid behind the wicket, as Lankans slumped to 180 for 8 in the 32nd over, & rains came down hard to stop the play, much to the relief of the batsmen. After resumption of play, the Lankans who expected a score of 300+, were finally bowled out for a paltry 201, in just 37 overs. 

The revised target for Afghanistan in D/L method was set for 187 runs in 41 overs, & at that stage, it looked curtains for the Lankans & advantage Afghanistan. 

However, more drama followed as the Afghani batsmen made a mess of the rather easy run chase, & were reduced to 60 for 5 in just 14 overs, as the Lankans sensed a turnaround. The sixth wicket pair of capt Gulbadin & Najibullah, restored parity & took the score to 121, raising hopes of an upset victory for Afghanistan. But once Gulbadin departed, LBW to a scorcher from Pradeep & Rashid followed bowled out almost immediately, it was curtains for them. The innings folded up for 152 runs in the 33rd over, as Malinga fired a yorker to finish the chase. 

For the Lankans, it was their first ever victory at Cardiff, in seven attempts, & for Lasith Malinga, it was a win after 22 ODI matches, playing for his country - a bogey, he would be relieved to remove. 

For Afghanistan it was too near & yet too far, as MoM, Nuwan Pradeep took away the game from them with career best figures of 4 for 31, ably assisted by old warhorse Malinga. Afghanistan gave away as many as 35 runs in extras, which eventually turned out to be the decisive.
It was a well-contested game, though both the teams made a lot of mistakes & have a lot to improve. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - England vs Pakistan

In the best match of the tournament thus far, against odds Pakistan pipped over their more fancied opponents England to steal a 14 run victory at Trent Bridge. 

Coming into this match after a huge victory over South Africa in the tournament opener, England walked in as red hot favourites, while very few gave Pakistan any reason to hope after the thumping they got against the Windies in their first match. 

However, put into bat by England, Pakistan openers Imam ul Haq & Fakhar Zaman got into the groove soon, finding their shots, as the English pace attack came under some serious belting, & 82 runs were on board by the 14th over, before Fakhar Zaman got stumped by Butler. A good solid start led to flourish from the batsmen to follow, as Babar Azam, Md Hafeez, & capt Sarfaraz Ahmed, all piled half centuries, with veteran Hafeez, making the most of an easy dropped catch, when on 14, went onto make delightful 84 runs from just 62 deliveries. In the end it was 348 runs for 8 wickets - certainly an at par score & enough to give the bowlers ammunition to attack. 

For England it was a tardy day in fielding & the bowling also lacked the necessary sting. Barring Moeen Ali & Wood, all others were belted around, as they leaked 29 boundaries & 6 sixes - certainly an awful lot. After such an intense fielding & bowling performance against SA, this was an aweful display. 

In chase,  England lost three wickets within the first 15 overs, as Pakistani bowling looked sharp, as did their fielding. Joe Root & Jose Butler then steadied the innings, putting up 130 runs for the fifth wicket & raising English hopes, before Root got out, caught in the gully. He became the first batsman to score a century in this World Cup, getting out for a wonderful 107 off 13 deliveries. Butler too reached his hundred in just 75 deliveries, but got out the very next ball, leaving England gasping at 288 for 6 in the 45th over. In the end, despite valiant swings with the bat by the tailenders, England could muster 334 for 9, falling short by 14 runs, as Pakistan scampered to an improbable victory. This was their first win after 11 losses on the trot in ODIs. 

The unpredictable Pakistan had stolen a memorable victory in a tight contest, as England were left to rue their missed chances & also a strong message to the teams that there is nothing to be taken for granted in this tournament. 

ICC World Cup 2019 - South Africa vs Bangladesh

South Africa, 'the perennial chokers' maintained their consistency to this morbid tagline, as underdogs Bangladesh vanquished them by 21 runs at The Oval.
From the very beginning, the Proteas looked jaded, listless & without any intent. Having won the toss, Faf du Plessis surprisingly asked Bangladesh to bat first on a flat surface, relying on his much vaunted pace attack, only to be slapped back by the Bangla openers who put on an enterprising 60 runs, as Soumya Sarkar thumped the short ball all around for a little cameo of 42 runs in just 30 deliveries. This set up the tone for veterans Shakib & Mushfiqur, & they plundered the floundering SA attack for 142 runs, both getting delightful half centuries under their belt. SA bowlers leaked boundaries at will, as the run rate remained consistently over 6 till about 35 overs. After a brief period of quiet cricket, Mahmudullah along with Mosaddek lashed out again, as SA bowling leaked, giving away 54 runs in the final four overs, & Bangladesh raced to their highest ever World Cup total of 330 runs. It was also going to be the highest ever run chase in a World Cup, if the South African were to dare a win. A bad day in bowling apart, the South Africans were butter fingers in their fielding too, with saggy shoulders & poor anticipations - it was hard to believe, that this team had produced the likes of Jhonty Rhodes, de Villiers & others in the yesteryears.
Listless & unimaginative as they were in their bowling & fielding, the Proteas looked completely out of woods in their run chase. de Kock & Markram looked out of sorts as openers, allowing pressure to build up eventually, as runs dried up. Although every batsmen, barring Phehlukwayo got into double figures, with capt du Plessis getting a fighting 62, none really threatened the Bangla attack, as the asking run rate kept creeping up, & in the final outcome, it was a superb victory for Bangladesh by 21 runs.
Some noteworthy achievements for Bangladesh today were - 1) Shakib Al Hasan, becoming the fastest cricketer to reach 5000 runs & 250 wickets in ODI (in just 199 matches), ahead of the likes of Kallis, Afridi, Jayasuriya etc; 2) posting 330 for 6, their highest total on WC history, 3) Shakib & Mushfiqur added 142 runs, their highest runs in any wicket at WC.
South Africa, now have a mountain to climb, with their next match against title contender, India.
The bowling, considered to be one of the best on paper, has looked jaded & ragged - without plan or purpose. The fielding has looked listless & the batting without assurance. They have a lot of injury hassles, with important players nursing niggles - what is the support staff doing ??
The squad has many match winners as individuals, but they have been unable to string up a credible team performance. They will have to conjure up a smart plan & drive a belief within their abilities, & that too quickly, or else, the WC aspirations will fade away, before they even blink - pushing them further down on the dreaded tagline - "the perennial chokers".

ICC World Cup 2019 - Australia vs Afghanistan

As expected, another one sided match virtually, as the mighty Aussies bulldozed past minnow Afghanistan by 7 wickets.
Earlier, Starc, in his comeback match scorched up fiery pace to remove opener Shahzad in the first over itself, which set the tone of the match. Afghani batsmen thereafter, applied hard on intent & courage, with some good contributions from Rahmat Shah, capt Gubadin, Najibullah & Rashid Khan - Najib picking up an enterprising half century as well. However, the Australian bowling had too much sting for them to combat, & Afghanistan folded up for 207 runs within 40 overs - had they managed to hang around till their quota of 50 overs, & scored another 50-60 runs, the game could've been more competitive.
In reply, Warner & Finch had little to worry & they piled up 96 runs, before Finch holed out. Khawaja & Smith got some useful practice in as well, before Maxwell ended the chase with a boundary. Warner remained unbeaten with a workman like 89 - both him & Smith looking in ominous form, in their comeback match after a one year ban & lots of boos from the crowd.
This Australian side, bats deep & has quality strike bowlers to ben in the reckoning. For Afghanistan, its still learning days, but they look confident & composed enough to topple couple of top charter teams, maybe .....

ICC World Cup 2019 - New Zealand vs Sri Lanka

Third successive game of this tournament also ended in a drab one sided win, as the Kiwis steamrolled past the Sri Lankans total of 136 with all their wickets intact - both openers Guptill & Munro getting pleasing half centuries under their belt, in a rather easy run chase.
Barring Capt Karunaratne, who carried his bat through the Lankan innings with a patient unbeaten 52, & a couple of useful efforts from both the Perera's, it was a pedestrian effort in batting, as the whole team folded within 30 overs - in reply the Kiwis raced past in just over 16 overs as the game ended, even before the spectators had warmed into their seats.
Matt Henry was the Man of the Match, picking up 3 crucial wickets upfront for the Kiwis to rock the Lankan batting.
New Zealand are now perched on top of the table, just behind the Windies, with a very healthy NRR, something that might come handy at the later stages of the round robin.