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Cricket World Cup 2015: Australia v Bangladesh washed out by rain

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Australia’s World Cup Pool A match against Bangladesh in Brisbane was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

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by BBC Sport

Heavy rain overnight and throughout the day prevented any play at the Gabba.

Both sides took one point from the game and are level on three points in the group, three behind leaders New Zealand.

It is only the second World Cup match to be washed out completely, after Sri Lanka against West Indies at The Oval in 1979.

The weather prevented captain Michael Clarke from making his return from a hamstring injury, the Australia captain having missed the co-hosts’111-run win over England on the first day of the tournament.

Bangladesh have won only one of their 19 completed ODIs against Australia

Clarke has not played a competitive international since having surgery in December, but made 64 in the World Cup warm-up win over the United Arab Emirates.

Bangladesh, who beat Afghanistan in their World Cup opener, face Sri Lanka in Melbourne on Thursday, while Australia play unbeaten New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday.

West Indies beat Pakistan by 150 runs

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West Indies reduced Pakistan to 1-4 as they secured a crushing 150-run victory and their first win of the World Cup.

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by BBC Sport

Jerome Taylor dismissed three batsmen for ducks and captain Jason Holder also struck in Pakistan’s first 19 balls.

It was the worst start to an innings in World Cup history and Pakistan were all out for 160 in 39 overs in Christchurch, with Taylor taking 3-15.

Andre Russell smashed 42 not out off 13 balls as West Indies hit 115 from the final 10 overs to finish on 310-6.

After such an entertaining display of big hitting at Hagley Oval, few would have expected the drama that followed.

Shahid Afridi drops a catch – one of five that Pakistan failed to take

Fast bowler Taylor dismissed Nasir Jamshed with the second ball of the innings, Younus Khan with the sixth and Haris Sohail with the 18th in a devastating spell of three wickets for one run that left Pakistan’s hopes in disarray.

Holder added to Pakistan’s misery by removing Ahmed Shehzad – the only Pakistan player to have scored a run – next ball.

Russell soon sent Misbah-ul-Haq on his way for seven before Sohaib Maqsood (50) and Umar Akmal (59) stopped the collapse.

Sammy ended their stand of 80 and wickets continued to fall before Pakistan were all out with 11 overs remaining.

“It was a wonderful performance,” said West Indies skipper Holder. “We batted really well.

“Russell, Lendl Simmons and Darren Sammy added impetus at the end of the innings, then Taylor was excellent with the new ball.”

The defeat leaves 1992 champions Pakistan, who face Zimbabwe on 1 March in their next match, bottom of Pool B after two emphatic defeats.

“It was a tough day, especially after we won the toss,” said Pakistan skipper Misbah. “The guys batting up front have been struggling a bit, and that made it very difficult for us, especially on a pitch like that, with the ball seaming a bit. We just have to pick ourselves up.”

West Indies will go into their next game on Tuesday, also against Zimbabwe, on a high having eradicated the memories of their humiliating defeat by Ireland.

The only downside to their victory was an injury to Darren Bravo, who had to retire hurt on 49 after tearing a hamstring.

Denesh Ramdin (51) and Lendl Simmons (50) picked up the pace after Bravo was helped off, with Simmons striking his team’s first six in the 37th over.

Ramdin departed at the end of the 40th over with the score 195-4 but Simmons and Sammy (30) pressed the accelerator, helped by Mohammed Irfan dropping a fifth catch of the innings.

Russell only started his incredible innings in the 48th over but hit his first ball for four and fired three massive sixes in the next over.

Another mighty six came in the final over to bring up the 300 and, although Simmons was run out off the final ball, West Indies had seized the initiative.

England crushed by New Zealand in World Cup Pool A

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England suffered a humiliating eight-wicket thrashing by New Zealand as Tim Southee became only the fourth man to take seven wickets in a World Cup match.

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by Stephan Shemilt, BBC Sport

Southee’s 7-33 saw England blown away for 123, the last seven wickets falling for 19 runs.

Brendon McCullum then smashed an 18-ball half-century, the fastest in World Cup history, to propel New Zealand to their target in just 12.2 overs.

That equalled the shortest ODI chase against England, in a match that lasted just 45.4 overs in total.

Only when McCullum was bowled by Chris Woakes for a 25-ball 77 did England avoid the ignominy of being beaten before the scheduled tea interval.

A third win in as many games has all but secured New Zealand’s place in the quarter-finals, while two defeats from two means England can perhaps afford only one more from their remaining four matches if they are to qualify.

They face Scotland in Christchurch next from 22:00 GMT on Sunday before matches against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Eoin Morgan’s team attracted criticism from the likes of Geoffrey Boycott and Graham Gooch following their opening loss to Australia, but this most one-sided of hammerings was far more abject.

Defeats against both co-hosts were probably expected before start of the tournament, but it is the manner in which England surrendered in Wellington that suggests their World Cup is already in disarray.

On a blameless surface, they were taken apart by Southee, who was as brilliant as England were woeful, pitching the ball up at good pace and finding late swing.

Some resistance came from Joe Root, the last man out for 46, his stand of 47 with captain Morgan the only period of calm in the match.

Morgan, who had managed only two runs in his previous four ODI innings, at least made a rather nervy 17, but his needless loft down the ground to be brilliantly caught at long-on by Adam Milne off Daniel Vettori began the carnage.

Southee, who had earlier bowled the flat-footed opening pair of Ian Bell and Moeen Ali, ran through the England middle and lower order.

James Taylor and Chris Woakes were bowled either side of Jos Buttler edging behind, while Stuart Broad looped a catch to mid-off before Steven Finn was held at first slip.

Southee was denied the chance of the first World Cup eight-wicket haul when Root top edged Milne to long leg, ending England’s innings in 33.2 overs.

They had to field right away, with McCullum then piling on the misery in a violent assault on a bowling attack that had no answers.

He cut the second ball he faced, from Broad, for six, the first of seven maximums carved over the off side.

Using his feet to both advance and make room, the New Zealand captain hit Finn for four sixes in an over, the pace bowler conceding 49 runs from his spell of two overs.

The fastest one-day hundred of all time was still possible when McCullum missed a Woakes full toss to depart with a strike-rate of 308.00, beating his own record for the highest in any World Cup innings of 50 or more.

It ensured the bizarre sight of the players leaving the field for 45 minutes when New Zealand required only 12 runs to win.

In the 20 legitimate balls after they returned, Woakes bowled Martin Guptill, but, in what was supposed to be a day-night match, the floodlights went unused.

In winning in 12.2 overs, New Zealand equalled the record against England set by Australia when they chased 118 at Sydney in 2003.

Afghanistan lose to Bangladesh on World Cup debut

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Afghanistan’s debut World Cup match ended in defeat as Bangladesh were victorious by 105 runs in Canberra.

Mushfiqur Rahim (71) played the crucial innings for Bangladesh, adding 114 with Shakib Al Hasan (63)

Mushfiqur Rahim (71) played the crucial innings for Bangladesh, adding 114 with Shakib Al Hasan (63)

by Stephan Shemilt, BBC Sport

Chasing 268, the Afghans did not recover from being 3-3 after three overs and were bowled out for 162.

They had earlier acquitted themselves well with the ball, reducing Bangladesh to 119-4 and claiming six wickets for 34 runs at the end of the innings.

Mushfiqur Rahim (71) and Shakib Al Hasan (63) helped the Test side to 267 and ensured they avoided an upset.

For Afghanistan, becoming the 20th team to take part in a World Cup is the continuation of a remarkable journey that has been set against the backdrop of continuing conflict in their homeland.

In 2008 they were playing in the fifth and bottom tier of the International Cricket Council’s world league but have since qualified for this tournament, two World Twenty20s and will soon have the chance to earn Test status.

Here, their pace bowlers showed that they possess the quality to compete in Pool A, where England and Scotland also await.

The only previous one-day international between these two sides was won by Afghanistan and there were occasions in the Bangladesh innings that hinted at a repeat.

Asked to bowl on a slowish pitch, the Afghan accuracy was rewarded as the economical Merwais Ashraf found seam movement to dismiss both Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque, while the lively Shapoor Zadran ended a stand of 50 between Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah.

And, in the final overs, Hamid Hassan and Aftab Alam returned to bowl full and straight to run through the tail.

But, in between, Afghanistan became ragged as Mushfiqur, strong square of the wicket, and Shakib, who scored through 360 degrees, first rebuilt and then accelerated in a stand of 114.

Still, the target did not seem out of reach at the interval, only for a horrible start to the Afghanistan chase to effectively end the contest.

Javed Ahmadi got a leading edge to be caught and bowled, while Ashgar Stakikzai flashed to first slip, both off Mashrafe Mortaza, either side of Rubel Hossain shooting one through to pin Afsar Zazai lbw.

Captain Mohammad Nabi made 44 and Samiullah Shinwari 42 to ensure respectability, but the final five wickets fell for 26 runs.

Cricket World Cup 2015: New Zealand sink Scotland in Dunedin

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New Zealand made it two wins out of two in Pool A with a bizarre three-wicket victory against Scotland in Dunedin.

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by Jamie Lillywhite, BBC Sport

The Scots were reduced to 12-4 in the fifth over before Matt Machan (56) and Richie Berrington (50) put on 97.

Four batsmen fell first ball, a World Cup first, and only the third such instance in a one-day international, as they were 142 all out in the 37th over.

But New Zealand had more alarms than expected in a curious run chase, before winning with 25.1 overs to spare.

The Scots are in their third World Cup campaign and are yet to win a match in nine attempts, but came closer at the University Oval than anyone could scarcely have believed after such a destructive start.

The Kiwis were determined to reach their target as quickly as possible to boost their net run-rate

They thrashed their higher ranked fellow qualifiers Ireland by 179 runs in a recent warm-up game yet it quickly became apparent they would not be emulating the Irish team’s victory over West Indies on Monday.

Facing an in-form New Zealand on their own patch was a rather different proposition to a fragmented Windies, and the co-hosts, six times semi-finalists, justified their position as one of the leading contenders for the trophy with a fine display in the field after winning the toss.

Left-arm seamer Trent Boult expertly exploited the conditions, swinging the ball back into the right-handers at pace to claim wickets with his opening two deliveries in the second over.

Tim Southee also struck with consecutive deliveries and there was concern the lowest World Cup total of 36 by Canada was in jeopardy.

But Sussex left-hander Machan played with calm assurance in a 79-ball innings to restore some respectability with the purposeful Berrington.

However, wily spinner Daniel Vettori wrapped up the innings with successive wickets and the Kiwis had almost 40 minutes of batting before the official lunch interval.

Skipper Brendon McCullum and opening partner Martin Guptill appeared to want to reach the target in the nine overs bowled before the break, with number of wickets lost not affecting a team’s overall run-rate in the group table, and both were caught behind in the mini-session.

The prolific Kane Williamson top-scored with 38 but edged seamer Josh Davey in the 18th over, one of four wickets to fall for 31 in a surprisingly ragged batting display from the Kiwis, who next face England in a day-night fixture in Wellington on Friday.

Scotland’s next match is also against England, in Christchurch on Monday.

IPL 2015 Player Auctions: Delhi Daredevils buy Yuvraj Singh for record Rs. 16 Crore

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Yuvraj Singh was bought for Rs. 16 crore by Delhi Daredevils at the IPL-8 player auction. Photo: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Yuvraj Singh was bought for Rs. 16 crore by Delhi Daredevils at the IPL-8 player auction. Photo: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

by ESPNcricinfo

For the second successive year, Yuvraj Singh attracted a record bid in the IPL auction, this time from Delhi Daredevils who purchased the allrounder for Rs 16 crore (approx. $2.67 million).

In the 2014 auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore had purchased Yuvraj for Rs. 14 crore (approx. $2.33million) and the franchise was involved in a bidding contest with Daredevils that pushed the bid for the allrounder past the Rs 10-crore mark. Incidentally, Yuvraj was one of the players released by Royal Challengers before the auction.

Only two other players – Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Karthik – attracted million-dollar bids in the marquee round of the auction in Bangalore. Mathews was purchased by Daredevils for Rs 7.5 crore (approx. $1.25 million), while Karthik was signed by Royal Challengers for Rs 10.5 crore (approx. $1.75 million). In last year’s auction, Karthik was purchased by Daredevils for 12.5 crore (approx. $2.08 million).

Sunrisers Hyderabad purchased Kevin Pietersen for his base price of Rs 2 crore ($0.33 milion) and Eoin Morgan for Rs 1.5 crore (0.25 million). Sunrisers also purchased New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson for Rs 60 lakh ($100,000).

Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and South Africa Test captain Hashim Amla were unsold in the first round of the marquee-player auction.

Player auction: a snapshot

Player and team Price (in Rs.)
Murali Vijay – Kings XI Punjab 3 crore
Angelo Mathews – Delhi Daredevils 7.5 crore
Kane Williamson – Sunrisers Hyderabad 60 lakh
Yuvraj Singh – Delhi Daredevil 16 crore
Kevin Pietersen – Sunrisers Hyderabad 2 crore
Dinesh Karthik – Royal Challengers Bangalore 10.5 crore
Aaron Finch – Mumbai Indians 3.2 crore
Eoin Morgan – Sunrisers Hyderabad 1.5 crore
Michael Hussey – Chennai Super Kings 1.5 crore
S. Badrinath – Royal Challengers Bangalore 30 lakh
James Neesham – Kolkata Knight Riders 50 lakh
Ravi Bopara – Sunrisers Hyderabad 1 crore
Praveen Kumar – Sunrisers Hyderabad 2.2. crore
Trent Boult – Sunrisers Hyderabad 3.8 crore
Jaydev Unadkat – Delhi Daredevils 1.1 crore
Sean Abbott – Royal Challengers Bangalore 1 crore
Adam Milne – Royal Challengers Bangalore 70 lakh
Pragyan Ojha – Royal Challengers Bangalore 50 lakh
Rahul Sharma – Chennai Super Kings 30 lakh
Brad Hogg – Kolkata Knight Riders 50 lakh
David Wiese – Royal Challengers Bangalore 2.2 crore

Cricket World Cup 2015: Ireland stun West Indies in Nelson

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Ireland added West Indies to their list of World Cup scalps with a four-wicket win in their opening match in Nelson.

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by Jamie Lillywhite, BBC Sport

Lendl Simmons (102) shared 154 with Darren Sammy as the Windies recovered from 87-5 to post 304-7.

But Ireland openers Will Porterfield and Paul Stirling put on 71 and Stirling (92) added 106 with Ed Joyce.

Joyce hit 10 fours and two sixes in 84 and Niall O’Brien 79 not out as Ireland won with 25 balls left, their fourth World Cup triumph over a Test nation.

Having beaten Pakistan in their first World Cup in 2007 and England in the 2011 tournament, Ireland were almost considered favourites from the outset at the picturesque New Zealand venue.

The Windies, winners of the first two World Cups in the 1970s, now languish eighth in the ODI rankings, were skittled out for 122 by England in a warm-up match and are rumoured to be in disharmony following the omission of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo from their squad.

Ireland, ranked 11th, reached the second group stage in 2007 and now have matches against the UAE, Zimbabwe, India and Pakistan to try and secure a top four spot in Pool B and a place in the quarter-finals.

Their intrepid fielding and accurate seam bowling after choosing to field quickly led to two wickets falling in the eighth over.

Big hitting Gayle and Marlon Samuels both launched towering straight sixes before both were dismissed by 22-year-old George Dockrell in the 22nd over, the left-arm spinner with figures of 3-23 at one point.

Sammy unleashed some innovative strokes, often with ferocious power, in a thrilling partnership with Simmons, who accelerated stylishly as West Indies became the fifth successive team in the tournament to post in excess of 300 when batting first.

But far from overawed, the Irish openers punished some loose bowling in a fluent 13 over stand.

Man-of-the match Stirling hit three sixes in his pugnacious innings and was within eight of his sixth ODI hundred when, suffering from severe cramp, he edged behind in the 28th over with 128 still needed.

With the Windies looking ragged and forlorn, Joyce effortlessly guided the Irish within 32 of the target and despite three wickets in 17 balls, John Mooney, just as he did against England four years ago, struck the winning runs.

Ireland, coached by former West Indies batsman Phil Simmons, uncle of Lendl, next face the UAE in Pool B on 25 February.

India beat Pakistan by 76 runs as estimated one billion viewers tune in to World Cup clash

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Victorious: India made it six wins out of six in their World Cup encounters with Pakistan Photo: AFP

Victorious: India made it six wins out of six in their World Cup encounters with Pakistan Photo: AFP

by Scyld Berry, Telegraph

India made it six victories out of six against Pakistan in World Cup encounters as they won the mela-cum-melee in Adelaide by 76 runs.

The result is almost irrelevant as both countries are sure to qualify for the quarter-finals. But a lot of bragging rights went to India, again, as the television audience was estimated at one billion viewers.

The fragility of Pakistan’s batting was painfully exposed as they collapsed to 103 for five in pursuit of India’s 300. Such a target was no more than par for this tournament as the first three matches had resulted in totals of more than 300 when New Zealand, Australia and South Africa had batted first.

Pakistan’s batting has long been shown in its worst light when chasing 250-plus targets, and on hard pitches in Australia, not that they had played there for the last five years. Put the two factors together and it was no surprise that their captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, was left holding the babies.

One by one Pakistan’s batsmen were bounced out. First it was Younis Khan, a great Test batsman, but his highest score as an ODI opener was four before this strange promotion. He barely improved upon it before gloving a bouncer.

Ahmed Shehzad and Haris Sohail kept Pakistan in the hunt briefly. But India have a variety in their bowling which England can only envy, and they won the game by taking key wickets in mid-innings, with Pakistan’s unwilling compliance.

Ravi Ashwin began with two maidens – gold-dust in ODIs – in his first three overs, and the wicket of Sohail, caught at slip off an offbreak which bounced.

When Umesh Yadav – pacier than anyone England have – was brought back for a second spell, he too illustrated the frailty of Pakistan’s batting in the face of bounce.

Shehzad square-cut to point without rolling his wrists. He had done exactly the same in the warm-up game against England, instead of shelving an idiosyncracy that he could get away with at home but not in Australia.

Sohaib Maqsood steered a ball that bounced, his second, to slip. It was only his 19th ODI innings and, again, his first in Australia: no sort of preparation for this World Cup.

India’s batsmen, on the other hand, have had time to adjust to Australian pitches after two to three months in the country, even if they had failed to win a competitive game. Virat Kohli, in particular, has adjusted to Adelaide: he had scored a century in both innings of the December Test, and followed with another, his 22nd in ODIs.

Not pressing too hard against the new ball, almost cautious, India reached 42 for one from ten overs without any extravagant shots. But Kohli and Shikar Dhawan got on top of a varied attack by running hard between wickets and exploiting Pakistan’s inferior fielding.

Kohli and Dhawan added 129 for India’s second wicket before Dhawan was sent back and run out by a direct hit from Misbah at midwicket. It would have been so different if Yasir Shah had caught Kohli at long-on early, a hard chance off Shahid Afridi.

Kohli was dropped a second time, when 76, off a regulation chance to the wicketkeeper. But this was Umar Akmal, a stop-gap, not their proper keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed: a second experiment which, like Younis opening, failed.

Suresh Raina supplied the improvising and accelerating with his 74 off 56 balls. Along with MS Dhoni and Kohli, he is one of three survivors of the Indian team that won the World Cup in 2011. This time they shape as semi-finalists, alongside Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Cricket World Cup 2015: Australia beat England by 111 runs

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mitchell_marsh

Melbourne: Australia beat England by 111 runs in their World Cup opener at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. Earlier, Aaron Finch scored a glittering century to fire Australia to a near-record one-day international total of 342 for nine in the first innings.

Spilled by Chris Woakes on the second ball he faced, opening batsman Finch blasted 135 and combined with stand-in skipper George Bailey for a 146-run partnership to help steady the co-hosts after they had slumped to 70-3 in the 11th over.

With England putting in an abysmal fielding display, hard-hitting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell blasted 66 off 40 balls in the final overs to ensure their opponents will need to set a new record to win, with no team chasing down more than 299 at the venue.

Adding irony for England after a tough day in the field, Steven Finn completed a bizarre hat-trick with the final three deliveries, removing Brad Haddin, Maxwell and Mitchell Johnson to deny Australia the MCG record of 344 scored by an ICC World XI in 2005.

Paceman Stuart Broad had earlier bowled the dangerous David Warner and had Shane Watson caught behind for a golden duck in successive balls but Steven Smith survived the hat-trick ball.

Woakes removed the in-form Smith for five soon after but England released the pressure with some woeful fielding on a day of glorious sunshine.

England captain Eoin Morgan sent his bowlers in after winning the toss, hoping they could extract moisture from the pitch after thunderstorms lashed Melbourne overnight and in the morning.

The move appeared it might pay dividends with paceman James Anderson showing swing and movement off the seam from his first deliveries.

He gave Finch all sorts of trouble and the bulky righthander flicked him straight to midwicket but Woakes put down the easy, head-high chance.

Anderson was fuming again in the fifth over when Moeen Ali spilled a tougher chance, diving to his left at mid-off to put down Warner.

Warner and Finch duly punished England for their profligacy, reaching 50 in 37 balls before Broad broke the partnership in the eighth over.

Though pinned back for a few overs, Finch and Bailey gradually got on top and started blasting the English bowlers over their heads.

Finch tickled a leg-side boundary off paceman Steven Finn to bring up his sixth one-day century and leaped into the air in celebration, with the terraces roaring their approval.

More joy was to come for home fans, with Gary Ballance, replacing Ravi Bopara in the side, failing to commit to a catch in a clear mix-up with incoming fielder Broad when Bailey mishit high over deep midwicket when on 44.

Jeers rang out again when James Taylor, fielding at deep fine leg, missed a run-out chance when Finch was sent back to his crease after attempting a risky single.

A half-decent throw would have had Finch out for 123 but it went high over wicketkeeper Jos Buttler’s head.

Morgan showed his team mates how it was done, swooping in at short cover to run Finch out with a direct hit on the stumps and Bailey was out chopping onto his stumps off Finn.

That only brought a pair of hard-hitting all-rounders to the crease in Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh combined for a quickfire 50-run partnership.

Buttler put down a tough chance when Maxwell was on 42 and the man nicknamed “the Big Show” raised his 50 from 30 balls in a run of four consecutive boundaries off the hapless Finn.

Wicketkeeper Haddin came in to score his 3,000th run in ODIs after Marsh was dismissed for 23.

(Reuters)

Cricket World Cup 2015: New Zealand beat Sri Lanka in opener

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Co-hosts New Zealand got off to a winning start with a 98-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the World Cup in Christchurch.

corey_anderson

by James Gheerbrant, BBC

Captain Brendon McCullum struck 65 off 49 balls as the Black Caps put on a rapid 111 for the first wicket.

Kane Williamson added a composed 57 before Corey Anderson blasted 75 off 46 balls to help the hosts to an imposing total of 331-6 from their 50 overs.

In reply, Sri Lanka subsided to 233 all out, with Daniel Vettori taking 2-34.

New Zealand, who play England next, are one of the favourites for this tournament, and this powerful performance underlined why they are so highly-rated.

Put in under grey skies, the hosts immediately attacked the Sri Lanka bowlers with some explosive hitting in the first powerplay.

Williamson recorded his 13th fifty in his last 17 ODIs, before Anderson, playing in his home city, helped New Zealand to add a crucial 102 in the final 10 overs.

Sri Lanka reached the final of the last World Cup, but they will have to improve on this performance in order to challenge at this tournament.

Influential seamer Lasith Malinga was disappointing, conceding 84 runs in 10 wicketless overs.

Sri Lanka’s chase began well, with opener Lahiru Thirimanne hitting 65, but was soon derailed by the pace of Trent Boult and the spin of Vettori.

They collapsed from 124-1 to 168-6, with Boult, Adam Milne and Vettori, who reversed his retirement from ODIs last year, capturing two wickets each, and their innings never recovered.

They will hope for a rapid return to form when they face Afghanistan on Saturday.

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