England and New Zealand claim victories in their final warm-up matches ahead of the start of the World Cup on Thursday.
England appeared in decent touch as the defending ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup champions claimed a four-wicket victory (DLS method) over Bangladesh in their final warm-up clash for this year’s tournament in Guwahati on Monday.
It was the last hitout for England before their World Cup opener against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Thursday and the reigning champions got an even contribution from a handful of players in the rain-interrupted clash with the Asian side.
Towering pacer Reece Topley (3/23) impressed as did David Willey (2/26) and Adil Rashid (2/27), as Bangladesh were restricted to 188/9 from their 37 overs and that was never going to be enough with England’s deep batting order.
Jonny Bairstow (34 from 21 deliveries) and skipper Jos Buttler (30 off 15 balls) were in a savage mood, as experienced duo Moeen Ali (56) and Joe Root (26*) put the finishing touches on a strong performance ahead of their first match against the Kiwis.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz (74) batted well for Bangladesh and Mustafizur Rahman (2/23) picked up a pair of wickets with the ball, but England proved too strong with an excellent all-round effort with both bat and ball.
While England will return to action in the World Cup opener against New Zealand on Thursday, Bangladesh will wait until Saturday to take on Afghanistan in Dharamsala.
New Zealand triumph in tight clash against South Africa
New Zealand registered a seven-run victory (DLS method) over South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram as another match was affected by rain.
The Black Caps posted a respectable total of 321 runs from their allotted 50 overs and the Proteas were 211/4 in reply when the heavens opened.
New Zealand’s dominant showing at the crease was set by Devon Conway who scored an outstanding 78 runs before retiring.
Kane Williamson, the New Zealand captain, scored 37 runs before retiring as well.
Williamson’s capacity to control the strike zone and anchor the innings was essential in helping his squad establish a strong foundation.
Tom Latham contributed to the scoreboard to produce 52 runs and Glenn Philips showed off his aggressive purpose with a useful knock of 43.
By scoring 25 quick runs at the end of the innings, Mitchell gave the team’s total a much-needed boost and helped them surpass the 300-run threshold.
With three wickets each, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen effectively led South Africa’s bowling attack.
Their methodical bowling applied constant pressure to the Kiwi batters, preventing them from seizing control of the match.
Quinton de Kock, South Africa’s opening batter, demonstrated tremendous talent and tenacity in response to New Zealand’s demanding target, finishing unbeaten with an impressive 84 runs when rain stopped play.
De Kock’s innings was an example of powerful yet controlled batting, with a variety of shots and perfect timing.
Rassie van der Dussen made a vital contribution to South Africa’s pursuit of the target by scoring a substantial 51 runs before departing.
His collaboration with de Kock prepared the field for a possible South African triumph.
With his solid 39 runs, Henrich Klassen added to the support and demonstrated the strength of South Africa’s batting order.
With the ball, Trent Boult stood out for New Zealand, showing perfect line and length to take two wickets in his five-over session.
The South African batters were challenged and put on the back foot by his ability to swing the ball both ways.
Unfortunately, rain forced match authorities to halt play with de Kock and David Miller in the middle.
Courtesy: ICC