India soar, England crash, South Africa cruise

Defending champions England continue to make the headlines for all the wrong reasons at the 2023 World Cup as their campaign continues to plunge into disarray and chaos after 100-run thrashing by hosts India in Lucknow on Sunday.

A much improved bowling performance restricted the unbeaten tournament favourites to a modest 229-9 with captain Rohit Sharma holding the innings together with a measured 87 but England collapsed to a miserable 129 all out in the face of brilliant fast bowling from Mohammad Shami (4-22) and Jasprit Bumrah 3-32.

The week began with an equally emphatic victory for Afghanistan who thrashed neighbours Pakistan by 8-wickets replying a daunting 282-7 with captain Babar Azam contributing 74 and opener Abdullah Shafique 58.

But Pakistan’s bowlers were helpless in the face of an opening stand of 130 between Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65 from 53 balls) and Ibrahim Zadran (87). Rahmat Shah (77*) and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (48*) completedvictory with an over to spare to the Afghans their second victory and genuine belief that they can still reach the semifinals.

The Proteas completed the first of two victories during week three with a resounding 149-run thumping of Bangladesh with Quinton de Kock coming tantalisingly close to completing his ambition to score an ODI double century before he retires from the format after the tournament.

De Kock blasted 174 from 140 balls (15x4, 7x6) while Heinrich Klaasen (90) was just a couple of blows away from his second century of the World Cup having moved from 50 to 90 in 15 balls including two fours and eight sixes. Aiden Mrkram (60) steadied the innings after two early wickets and David Miller (34* of 15 balls) applied the finishing touches to a total of 382-5.

Mahmadullah Riaz made a defiant, run-a-ball 111 but Gerald Coetzee (3-62) and two wickets apiece for Marco Jansen, Lizaad Williams and Kagiso Rabada ensured a straightforward win.

Australia embarrassed the Netherlands by 309-runs with a 22nd ODI century for David Warner while Glenn Maxwell broke Markram’s World Cup record, 49-ball century by reaching three figures from just 40-balls.

Australia’s game against New Zealand three days later was a thriller with the Black Caps falling just five-runs short of Australia’s 388 all out in which Travis Head, who spent the first two weeks at home in Brisbane nursing a broken finger, scoring 109 from just 67 balls.

Rachin Ravindra (116) recorded his second century and Jimmy Neesham (58 from 39 balls) kept the Black Caps in the hunt but a requirement of 19 from the last over proved just beyond them.

England’s wretched week included another resounding defeat to Sri Lanka before the debacle against India when they were bowled out for a feeble 156 before Pathum Nissanka (77*) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (65*) wrapped up an 8-wicket victory with a whopping 24.3 overs to spare.

Pakistan’s Director of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, described the thriller in Chennai which South Africa won by just one wicket as “the game the tournament needed to kickstart the World Cup”. It was literally the first close after 25 largely one-sided matches.

Marco Jansen (3-43) again took early wickets before Tabraiz Shamsi (4-60) bossed the second half of the innings to bowl Pakistan out for 270. De Kock (24) and Temba Bavuama (28) gave the Proteas a flying start and Markram’s 91 from 93 balls kept them ahead of the required run-rate despite the loss of regular wickets.

Miller (29) added 70 for the fifth wicket with Markram and Jansen struck two fours and a six in his 14-ball 20 but when the eighth wicket fell another 20 runs were still required. Keshav Maharaj opted for an entirely different approach as there were still five overs remaining.

Maharaj struck the winning runs to finish on seven not out from 21 balls while Lungi Ngidi (4 from 14 balls) and Shamsi (4* from six balls) did their bit to clinch a nail-biter which took South Africa briefly to the top of the table, ahead of India on run-rate. India’s subsequent win against England maintained their unbeaten record and moved them back to first place.

The Netherlands put their Australian humiliation behind them with a famous victory by 87-runs against Bangladesh, their second of the tournament following the equally famous 38-run mugging of South Africa.

Captain Scott Edwards (68) top-scored in a modest total of 229 but it proved far too many for the Bangla Tigers who crashed to 142 all out with seamer Paul van Meekeren claiming 4-23 and allrounder Bas de Leede 2-25.

India, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia are four points clear of the other six teams and seem the most likely semifinalists although a myriad of mathematical possibilities are still possible, if unlikely.