ICC World Cup 2015

World Cup 2015: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq completes 5000 ODI runs without a century

March 7, 2015 by Nasheman

Misbah-ul-Haq needed just seven more runs at the start of Pakistan’s World Cup match against South Africa. The veteran player now is the only batsman to score 5000 runs but not have a single century in his career.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq in action during the match against South Africa. ©Getty Images

by Agence France-Presse

Auckland: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq became the first batsman to score 5,000 one-day international runs without any individual century when he reached the landmark against South Africa in a World Cup match in Auckland on Saturday.

The 40-year-old Misbah was only seven runs shy of 5,000 before the start of the Pool B clash at Eden Park.

A single steered through midwicket off Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir saw Misbah, batting at number four, go to 5,000 ODI runs in his 147th innings in 160 matches at this level.

Misbah, often criticised for slow scoring, came into this match averaging over 43 in ODIs with a highest score of 96 not out against the West Indies at The Oval during the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.

However, he belied his reputation by equalling West Indies’ great Vivian Richards’s all-time record for the fastest Test century with a 56-ball ton against Australia in Abu Dhabi in November last year.

Scotland's Cricket World Cup hopes ended by Bangladesh

March 5, 2015 by Nasheman

by BBC Sports

Kyle Coetzer scored Scotland’s first World Cup century but their tournament hopes were ended with a six-wicket loss to Bangladesh in Nelson.

Scotland can no longer qualify for the knockout stages after losing their fourth match out of four in Pool A.

Coetzer’s 156 was the best World Cup score by an associate nation batsman and helped his team post 318-8 – their highest score against a Test side.

But Tamim Iqbal (95) led Bangladesh to victory with 11 balls to spare.

It was the second-highest successful run chase in a World Cup game after the 329-7 Ireland managed against England at Bangalore in 2011.

The result means England must beat Bangladesh when the two sides meet on Monday if they are to keep alive their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

Scotland, meanwhile, face the daunting task of taking on Sri Lanka and Australia in their remaining group matches.

Their chances of a first World Cup victory looked promising after Coetzer brought up his record-breaking century in style by hitting his second six.

The 30-year-old Northamptonshire batsman finished with 17 fours and four sixes in his 134-ball innings.

Scotland were reduced to 38-2 in the 10th over after being asked to bat but Coetzer put on 78 with Matt Machan (35) and then 141 with captain Preston Mommsen (39).

His stand with Mommsen was Scotland’s first century partnership in 12 matches at World Cups.

After Coetzer was dismissed in the 45th over with Scotland 269-5, Richie Berrington (26) and Matt Cross (20) combined for a quickfire 39 that saw their side past 300 for only the third time in ODIs.

While Saxton Oval is a high-scoring ground, the total was made tougher for Bangladesh when opening batsman Anamul Haque appeared to dislocate his right shoulder when diving to stop a boundary and was unable to bat.

Scotland seamer Josh Davey took an early wicket but Tamim and Mahmudullah (62) made excellent progress before the latter was dismissed in bizarre circumstances.

The batsman was bowled by Iain Wardlaw for 62 after deflecting a leg-side delivery on to the stumps off his back foot.

Tamim was closing in on Bangladesh’s first hundred in a World Cup match but was trapped leg before wicket by Davey to renew Scotland’s hopes.

But Mushfiqur Rahim made a rapid 60 from 42 balls and then Shakib Al Hasan (52 not out) and Sabbir Rahman (42 not out) completed the victory with no further alarms as Scotland’s bowlers struggled.

Cricket World Cup 2015: Record-breaking Australia thump Afghanistan for second Cricket World Cup win

March 4, 2015 by Nasheman

by Pascal Lemesre, SportsMole

Cricket World Cup co-hosts Australia recorded the biggest-ever one-day international score on their way to a 275-run victory over Afghanistan on Wednesday.

Led from the front by David Warner’s 178 runs from 133 balls, which included 24 boundaries, Australia posted 417-6 from their 50 overs, with Warner aided by 95 from Steven Smith and a rapid 88 off just 39 balls by Glenn Maxwell.

Afghanistan, who won the toss and chose to field first, didn’t stand a chance of chasing the mammoth total down, but still put in a respectable batting display in what is their first World Cup showing.

The Aussies’ first wicket didn’t arrive until the seventh over when Mitchell Johnson got rid of Usman Ghani for 12.

Johnson took a game-high four wickets and also removed Afghanistan’s highest-scorer Nawroz Mangal (33), with the minnows losing all 10 wickets for 142 in the 38th over.

After winning one, losing one and having one of their first three games abandoned, Australia now sit third in Pool A on five points behind New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan remain on two points with one win and three defeats to their name.

Cricket World Cup 2015: Pakistan cruise past UAE in Napier

March 4, 2015 by Nasheman

by Stephan Shemilt, BBC Sport

Pakistan kept up their push for a place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a routine 129-run victory over the United Arab Emirates in Napier.

Ahmed Shehzad hit 93 and both Haris Sohail (70) and captain Misbah-ul-Haq (65) weighed in with half-centuries as Pakistan ran up 339-6.

UAE were reduced to 25-3 early in their reply and though in-form Shaiman Anwar made 62, they fell well short on 210-8.

Pakistan join Ireland and West Indies on four points in a congested Pool B.

Ireland meet Pakistan on 15 March, the final day of the group stage, in a match that is looking increasingly likely to decide qualification for the last eight.

For Pakistan, a second win in four days represents a build of momentum after heavy defeats by India and West Indies in their opening two matches.

The 1992 champions will almost certainly earn a place in the next round if they win their final two games against South Africa and the Irish.

They were rarely troubled in this comfortable win against a UAE side who did not disgrace themselves, particularly by sticking to their task with the ball on a good wicket with one very short square boundary.

Indeed, the Associate side will rue two missed opportunities off Shehzad, the opener put down on two and nine.

Reprieved, he compiled a 160-run stand with Haris, missing out on a century when his dive to complete a second run was not enough to prevent a run-out.

With Haris being caught at mid-on off Mohammad Naveed soon after, Pakistan were in danger of wasting a good platform, but Misbah steadied with Sohaib Maqsood (45).

When the time came, they opened their shoulders, beginning a blitz that would see 124 runs added in the final 10 overs. In that time, Shahid Afridi’s 21 from seven balls made him only the second man, after Sanath Jayasuriya, to score 8,000 runs and take 300 wickets in one-day internationals.

If they were to pull off an unlikely chase and a great World Cup shock, the UAE needed a solid start with the bat, but their top order could not handle the Pakistan pacemen.

Rahat Ali bowled Amjad Ali before Sohail Khan had both Andri Berenger and Krishna Karate caught behind to effectively end the contest.

Anwar and Khurram Khan shared a defiant partnership of 83 until Khurram flicked Maqsood to square leg for 43.

The match meandered to its inevitable conclusion, but for Anwar, an innings that ended when caught at long-off off Afridi took him to a total of 270 runs, the highest of the tournament so far.

Cricket World Cup 2015: South Africa beat Ireland by 201 runs

March 3, 2015 by Nasheman

by Justin Goulding, BBC Sport

South Africa condemned Ireland to their first defeat of the World Cup as they cruised to a 201-run win in Canberra.

Hashim Amla hit 159, Faf du Plessis 109 and Rilee Rossouw a rapid unbeaten 61 in South Africa’s 411-4, the second time in two Pool B games they have passed 400.

Ireland collapsed to 48-5 as they were bowled out for 210 in 45 overs despite Andrew Balbirnie’s 58.

Kyle Abbott finished with 4-21 and fellow pace bowler Morne Morkel 3-34.

South Africa need to win only one of their remaining two group games, against Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, to reach the quarter-finals.

Ireland remain well placed to qualify, although the margin of defeat at the Manuka Oval will have a negative impact on their net run rate before Saturday’s clash with Zimbabwe in Hobart.

This game served as another illustration of South Africa’s immense power with the bat, albeit on a placid surface and against an attack lacking penetration.

Perhaps more alarming for their rivals, captain AB de Villiers – the star of their 257-run win over West Indies with 162 not out off 66 balls – played a negligible role with 24 off nine deliveries.

Amla and Du Plessis shared 247, a South Africa record for the second wicket, before Rossouw and David Miller plundered an unbroken 110 off the last 8.3 overs.

Five South Africa batsmen have now scored centuries in this competition.

Ireland were left to rue two costly misses, Amla put down on 10 by Ed Joyce, and Du Plessis edging between wicketkeeper Gary Wilson and Kevin O’Brien at slip when on 19.

Thereafter, they were barely troubled, rotating the strike almost at will while rarely wasting a chance to punish Ireland’s increasingly wayward attack.

Having seen Quinton de Kock fall in the third over, Amla – typically strong through point and mid-wicket – batted with his usual fluency as he became the quickest player to reach 20 ODI centuries.

Du Plessis, whose hundred was equally measured, was finally bowled making room to Kevin O’Brien, and the departure of Amla and De Villiers in the space of three balls merely gave Rossouw and Miller the freedom to mount a late-innings assault.

An improbable Ireland chase became nigh on impossible as Dale Steyn and Abbott shared five wickets in the first 11 overs.

Balbirnie and O’Brien’s sixth-wicket stand of 81 helped Ireland avert the heaviest defeat in ODI history, but the remainder of the innings was no more than an exercise in limiting the damage to their net run rate.

Although South Africa employed eight bowlers – including part-timer De Villiers, who removed John Mooney – Morkel mopped up the tail with two wickets in successive overs.

Cricket World Cup 2015: England thrashed by Sri Lanka

March 2, 2015 by Nasheman

by Stephan Shemilt, BBC Sport

England slipped to a third crushing defeat in four World Cup games as Sri Lanka comfortably chased 310 to win by nine wickets in Wellington.

Lahiru Thirimanne hit an unbeaten 139 and Kumar Sangakkara 117 not out to seal victory with 16 balls to spare.

Earlier, Joe Root made 121 as England accelerated late on to post 309-6.

If opening defeats by Australia and New Zealand and victory over Scotland were expected, then this fixture was supposed to be the best indicator of England’s chances of progressing far into the World Cup.

As it turned out, a third one-sided reverse at the hands of Test opposition leaves England clinging to their hopes of reaching the last eight.

But Sri Lanka showed that to be nowhere near enough and England will almost certainly be eliminated if they lose either of their final two games against Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Indeed, if Bangladesh beat Scotland on Thursday, then England will go out if they lose either of their remaining group games.

While their previous game in Wellington, an eight-wicket thrashing by New Zealand, was humiliating for its rapid nature, this latest loss was perhaps more dispiriting.

England put in their best batting display of the tournament thanks to Root’s accumulation and creativity and Jos Buttler’s late power.

But Thirimanne and Sangakkara made a mockery of the chase as England’s pace-dominated attack struggled to make chances on a sluggish wicket.

When they did create opportunities, they were not taken. Thirimanne was dropped on three by Root at slip, although the edge off Stuart Broad should have been claimed by wicketkeeper Buttler.

The left-hander also had a let-off on 98, Moeen Ali failing to take a low chance in the covers off James Anderson.

After that, Thirimanne, whose innings was laced with classy cover drives, became the fourth Sri Lanka batsman to score a hundred in this World Cup.

He shared an unbroken stand of 212 with Sangakkara, who moved third on the list of World Cup run scorers with a 70-ball century, scoring through 360 degrees.

On the completion of the chase, Sri Lanka – 10-wicket winners against England in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup – became only the second team to overhaul a score of 300 or more with nine wickets in hand.

It also cemented England’s unwanted record of being the least successful of all the Test nations when defending a target in excess of 300.

That Eoin Morgan’s side posted their highest total of the tournament came as a result of 24-year-old Root becoming the youngest England batsman to score a World Cup century.

Given a good start by Ian Bell’s 49, England were pegged back as Sri Lanka’s attack improved by taking pace off the ball, Tillakaratne Dilshan having Gary Ballance caught and bowled to extend the left-hander’s poor sequence to only 36 runs in four innings.

At 101-3 in the 21st over, Root arrived to stabilise the innings with Morgan, with the Yorkshire batsman – dropped on two at slip – then dominating a stand of 98 with James Taylor.

Strong square of the wicket, Root reached a fourth ODI hundred at a run a ball, then accelerated by inventively reverse-sweeping the seamers.

After Root fell, England were pushed past 300 by Buttler. Their total seemed competitive, Thirimanne and Sangakkara proved that it was not.

Cricket World Cup 2015: Pakistan beat Zimbabwe to keep hopes alive

March 2, 2015 by Nasheman

by Steve Canavan, BBC Sport

Former champions Pakistan survived a scare to pull off a dramatic 20-run victory over Zimbabwe and record their first win at the 2015 World Cup.

Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq’s stubborn 73 and a fiery half-century from pace bowler Wahab Riaz helped the 1992 winners recover from 4-2 to reach 235-7.

Brendan Taylor’s 50 looked to have put Zimbabwe on course for a famous win.

But Mohammad Irfan, with career-best one-day international figures of 4-30, and Riaz (4-45) won it for Pakistan.

Riaz became the first Pakistani to score a fifty and take four wickets in the same World Cup match – and only the eighth cricketer to achieve the feat.

And victory was important for Misbah’s men, who, after heavy defeats by India and the West Indies, would have faced an uphill battle to progress to the quarter-finals had they lost again.

“It was really tough because it was a make or break game for us,” said the Pakistan captain. “You can’t believe how happy we are because we were out of the tournament if we’d lost this game.”

Despite a backdrop of fierce criticism from the public and former players back home – and with chief selector Moin Khan forced to return from the World Cup after visiting a casino – Pakistan posted their highest score of the tournament so far, though their innings got off to a wretched start.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Pakistan were rocking at 1-1 and 4-2 as Tendai Chatara claimed the wickets of openers Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad.

But skipper Misbah played a vital innings, steadying the ship as wickets regularly fell around him – including two in one over when Williams dismissed Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi in the space of three balls. Afridi, celebrating his 35th birthday, went for a duck.

Only a late flurry from Riaz – his 54 coming from 55 balls – injected some urgency into the Pakistan innings and gave them a meaningful total to defend.

Zimbabwe lost Sikander Raza and Chamu Chibhabha cheaply – Irfan taking both – but Taylor’s half-century and Sean Williams’ 33 from 32 balls took them to 128-3 and appeared to put them on course for victory.

However, Riaz repeated his batting heroics with the ball, sharing eight wickets with fellow left-arm paceman Irfan as Zimbabwe crumbled.

Injured captain Elton Chigumbura, who was helped off the field with a suspected quadricep tear while fielding, tried valiantly to steer Zimbabwe to victory but was last man out for a run-a-ball 35.

“It is always disappointing to lose a game like this when you feel you have a chance to win,” said Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura.

“Our weakness has been that we have not had one guy scoring a hundred or batting through the innings.”

While Zimbabwe will be frustrated not to have registered only a fourth ODI win over Pakistan, Misbah’s team now head into their next Pool B game against the United Arab Emirates on 4 March with renewed hope of making the last eight.

Cricket World Cup: Rampant India too strong for UAE in Pool B

February 28, 2015 by Nasheman

by Steve Canavan, BBC Sport

Defending champions India maintained their perfect start at the World Cup as they outclassed United Arab Emirates in a one-sided contest in Perth.

India were on top throughout and dismissed UAE for 102 – the lowest total at the World Cup so far, behind England’s 123 against New Zealand.

Only a spirited 35 from Shaiman Anwar spared UAE from real embarrassment.

India lost just one wicket as they raced to their target in 18.5 overs, Rohit Sharma hitting a half-century.

“The bowlers have really stepped up and that has led to improvements in other parts of the side,” said a satisfied India captain MS Dhoni.

“We are getting wickets with the new ball and as a bowling unit they are doing well and showing they can do it game after game.”

The part-timers of the UAE won the toss and opted to bat, but lost wickets on a regular basis as a confident-looking India quickly took control.

Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers, taking four wickets and registering his best one-day-international figures as the underdogs were reduced to 71-9.

Only a fighting last-wicket stand of 31 between Shaiman Anwar (35) and Manjula Guruge (10 not out) – the highest partnership of the innings – took UAE past three figures.

But the total was never going to be enough to trouble an Indian side who, after a run of poor form coming into the tournament, now look a force to be reckoned with.

UAE did have one magical moment in the field – Rohan Mustafa taking a superb one-handed catch off the bowling off Mohammad Naveed to dismiss Shikhar Dhawan for 14.

But otherwise it was a routine victory for the Indians, with Sharma (57 not out) and Virat Kohli (33 not out) guiding the team home without alarm.

“We were outplayed by the Indian bowling, because what we got was not a par score on this wicket,” said UAE captain Mohammad Tauqir.

“We should have scored 200 plus but Ashwin bowled brilliantly and we couldn’t cope.”

India, who beat Pakistan and South Africa in their opening Pool B games, face West Indies next in Perth on Friday.

UAE are still waiting for a first World Cup win for 19 years, since beating Netherlands in 1996.

World Cup 2015: New Zealand beat Australia by one wicket

February 28, 2015 by Nasheman

by Justin Goulding, BBC Sport

New Zealand survived a late collapse to beat Australia by one wicket in a thrilling World Cup Pool A game.

Chasing a meagre 152 to win, the Kiwis slipped from 131-4 to 146-9 as Mitchell Starc claimed 6-28.

However, Kane Williamson (45no) hit Pat Cummins for six to seal victory with 26.5 overs to spare in a wonderfully tense climax at Eden Park in Auckland.

Earlier, Australia lost eight wickets for 26 runs as they were bowled out for 151, with Trent Boult claiming 5-27.

New Zealand, who have won all four of their Pool A matches, need only one win from their remaining two group games – against Afghanistan and Bangladesh – to secure their place in the quarter-finals.

This was only the sixth one-wicket win in World Cup history, although such a slender margin of victory appeared unlikely in the extreme as Brendon McCullum flayed a 21-ball fifty to lead the Kiwi pursuit.

Even after he fell in the eighth over to spark a collapse of three wickets in five balls, few doubted the outcome.

World Cup 2015: South Africa World Cup thrash West Indies

February 27, 2015 by Nasheman

by BBC Sport

AB de Villiers hit the fastest ever 150 in one-day internationals as South Africa condemned West Indies to a crushing 257-run defeat in Sydney.

De Villiers took 64 deliveries to reach 150, beating the previous best, set by Australia’s Shane Watson, by 19 balls.

He finished 162 not out from 66 balls as South Africa made 408-5, the second-highest total in World Cups.

Imran Tahir took 5-45 as West Indies were 151 all out, equalling the heaviest World Cup defeat by runs.

Only last month, De Villiers hit the fastest-ever ODI hundred against the same team in Johannesburg, from 31 balls.

In that same innings, South Africa’s captain also set the record for the fastest fifty in ODIs, from 16 balls.

The Proteas made a sluggish start and were 87-1 after 20 overs, before De Villiers came to the crease in the 30th over with his side 146-3.

De Villiers put on 134 with Rilee Rossouw (61 from 39) and South Africa scored 222 from the last 15 overs.

West Indies captain Jason Holder’s last two overs went for 64 runs, with one over going for 34. De Villiers finished with 17 fours and eight sixes, more than he had dot balls.

South Africa’s total was the highest by any team in Australia and only India’s 413-5 against Bermuda at Port of Spain in 2007 (which also finished in a 257-run victory for India) is higher in World Cups.

Hashim Amla (65) and Faf du Plessis (62) also made fifties for South Africa, while Holder, who conceded just nine runs in his first five overs, finished with figures of 1-104 off 10, the most expensive in World Cup history.

West Indies opener Chris Gayle, who scored the first double-hundred in World Cups against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, scored only three before he was bowled by Kyle Abbott.

Only Dwayne Smith (31) offered any resistance as leg-spinner Tahir tore through the West Indies batting, becoming the first South African spinner to take five wickets in a World Cup match.