Posted on 20th March 2007 by admin in Group C Match Reports
England beat Canada by 51 runs in their World Cup Group C clash on Sunday, but the game was overshadowed by the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer and Andrew Flintoff being dropped.
Ed Joyce hit 66 and Paul Collingwood an unbeaten 62 to help England to 279 for six and put their World Cup campaign back on track.
Canada, who lost their first match to Kenya on Wednesday, could only manage 228 for seven in reply but it was their highest ever World Cup score and they never looked like being bowled out against a limp England attack.
England all-rounder Flintoff was omitted and stripped of the World Cup vice-captaincy after a late night drinking binge following Friday’s defeat by New Zealand.
The well-known drinker was one of six players to be fined for the breach of team discipline but James Anderson, Ian Bell, Paul Nixon and Liam Plunkett remained in the side.
Joyce, who formerly played for Ireland and watched their victory over Pakistan on St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, was dropped twice but came back into form after struggling so far in the West Indies.
Posted on 20th March 2007 by admin in Group B Match Reports
India face the prospect of an early exit from the World Cup after a shock five-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in their opening Group B match in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Saturday.
Electing to bat, India put on an insipid batting display and were bowled out for 191 in 49.3 overs.
Man of the match right-arm pacer Mashrafe Mortaza did the bulk of the damage, picking four wickets for 38 runs. He was well-supported by left-arm spinners Abdur Razzak (3-38) and Mohammad Rafique (3-35).
Bangladesh had little difficulty chasing down the paltry target after 17-year-old opener Tamim Iqbal put them on course with a superb 51 from 53 balls. Mushfiqur Rahim was unbeaten with 59 when the winning runs were scored.
Posted on 20th March 2007 by admin in Group D Match Reports
Former champions Pakistan were eliminated from the World Cup when they lost a thrilling Group D match against part-timers Ireland by three wickets, at Sabina Park, on Saturday.
The result is one of the biggest shocks in the nine-tournament history of the World Cup, the first of which was played in 1975.
Ireland, requiring a rain-revised target of 128 to win to keep alive their hopes of a passage into the Super Eight stage, won with a six over mid-wicket by captain Trent Johnston off Azhar Mahmood, with 8.2 overs to spare.
Kevin O’Brien was 16 not out after his brother Niall had earlier scored a crucial 72 on St Patrick’s Day, the Irish patron saint.
In another upset of the day, 1983 champions India were shocked by Bangladesh by five wickets.
Ireland were coasting to victory at 113-5 but the 35th over of the innings bowled by Rao Iftikhar saw two wickets fall and that created a tense finale.
Pakistan were earlier dismissed for just 132 in 45.4 overs as seamer Boyd Rankin claimed 3-32, including 13 wides. Pakistan’s top scorer was extras with 29.