Pakistan have made it two wins from two, beating Sri Lanka by six wickets with batters Mohammad Rizwan and Abdullah Shafique both hitting centuries in a World Cup record run-chase in Hyderabad.
Chasing a daunting 345 after Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama smashed tons to put Sri Lanka in a commanding position, the 1992 champions got over the line in 48.2 overs thanks to Rizwan’s 131 not out and Abdullah’s 113.
Ireland had held the previous record for the highest run chase in World Cups with 329 against England in the 2011 edition.
“Always proud when you perform like that,” Rizwan said. “It was difficult and when you chase like that, it’s always special. Every player in the dressing room had the belief we can chase that.”
Mendis dominated Pakistan’s bowlers earlier with 14 fours and six sixes to score 122 off 77 balls. He was supported by Samarawickrama who made 108 off 89 as Sri Lanka posted 9-344 in 50 overs.
It could have been more but they were restricted at the end by Hasan Ali (4-71) and Haris Rauf (2-64).
“We should’ve finished stronger in the end,” Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said. “The way the wicket behaved, we were 20-25 runs short. … I can’t ask too much from the bowlers.”
Mohammad Rizwan. (Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Mendis reached his century in 65 balls – the fastest by a Sri Lankan at the World Cup – flicking pacer Ali for a six off his legs to eclipse former skipper Kumar Sangakkara, whose ton had come off 70 balls against England in the 2015 tournament.
Opener Pathum Nissanka also hit 51 off 61 as Mendis featured in two century partnerships.
Pakistan got off to a shaky start as Dilshan Madushanka dismissed Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam inside eight overs. Shafique was cautious early on before cutting loose to build a superb 176-run partnership with Rizwan.
Shafique, who replaced the out-of-form Fakhar Zaman, cracked 10 fours and three sixes in his 103 balls on his World Cup debut before falling to Matheesha Pathirana after a stunning catch by substitute Dushan Hemantha.
Rizwan was hit on his face and battled cramps after getting into the eighties but soldiered on for 121 balls. With Iftikhar Ahmed adding late acceleration with 22 off ten Pakistan ultimately won with ease.
Malan, Topley star as England thrash Bangladesh
England have revived their Cricket World Cup title defence with a 137-run hammering of Bangladesh.
Dawid Malan smashed a career-best 140 and Reece Topley wreaked havoc with the ball as England bounced back from their nine-wicket thrashing by New Zealand in the tournament opener.
Put into bat England made 9-364 after their top order fired with Malan forging century-plus partnerships with Jonny Bairstow, who made 52 on his 100th appearance, and Joe Root, whose 82 took him past Graham Gooch as England’s all-time leading run-scorer in the tournament.
Playing his first match of the tournament, left-arm quick Topley (4-43) wrecked Bangladesh’s top order in the first six overs to set England up for an easy victory.
Bangladesh were all out for 227 in 48.2 overs, and it could have been a bigger loss but for battling knocks by Litton Das (76) and Mushfiqur Rahim (51).
Malan clobbered five sixes and 16 fours in his 107-ball blitz, which was eventually ended when he lost his off-stump to spinner Mahedi Hasan (4-71).
Despite averaging 63.15 in 50-over cricket, with a strike rate of 98.44 and six hundreds in 23 matches Malan always seems to have plenty of doubters, and he knows it.
“I feel like every series I’m under pressure,” he said. “For me to keep silencing people is all I can do. If I can score as many runs as I can and help contribute to wins hopefully eventually people’s opinions might change.
I’m just hungry, hungry to play, to play well, hungry to score runs and win games of cricket.
“I’ve wanted to be part of this team for so long and it’s been impossible to break into with players that have been so good. I’m desperate to do well in this format and prove a point that I deserve to be in there.”
When he departed England looked set to pass 400, but a flurry of wickets prevented them making the most of their final 10 overs.
Shoriful Islam (3-75), having sent back Jos Buttler in his previous over, dismissed Root and Liam Livingstone off successive deliveries, but Sam Curran denied him a hat-trick.Nevertheless it was still England’s biggest World Cup total on foreign soil and easily enough to get the job done.
Topley had come in for spinning allrounder Moeen Ali and made the most of his World Cup debut having been injured, and ruled out, on the eve of the T20 tournament.
He took two in two balls in his opening over then clean bowled captain Shakib Al Hasan with a wonderful ball.
England step up in Dharamsala to garner their first #CWC23 win
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 10, 2023#ENGvBAN ????: https://t.co/5YbMGSEr8G pic.twitter.com/oL2N4fiViz
When Chris Woakes nicked off Mehidy Hasan Miraz it was hard to see a way back from 4-49 and Bangladesh never really attempted to tackle the spiralling required rate.
Liton Das and Mushfiqur made England work before Woakes and Topley returned to add to their hauls, but the sense of any danger had long disappeared.
“I think a really good performance to bounce back from a disappointing first game and we still feel there are areas to improve,” England captain Jos Buttler said. “We could’ve got more at the back end.”
“We didn’t start well enough,” Shakib said of Bangladesh’s bowling. “If you give them a sniff, they will always come hard.”
Newshttps://https://ift.tt/tdgJH8L tons in record run-chase propel Pakistan past Sri Lanka in thriller, England bounce back by belting Bangladesh
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