England thumps a lacklusture Afghanistan by a mammoth 150 runs. The match will be remembered for Eoin Morgan's blistering 148 off just 71 balls, a knock that included 17 towering sixes and five fours. He also shared a 189-run partnership with Joe Root, who helped himself to 88 after Jonny Bairstow set the tone at the top of the order with a fine 90, missing his first World Cup century by 10 runs.
Rashid Khan had a forgettable outing getting hit for 110 runs in his nine overs.
Chasing a huge 398, Afghanistan was never in the hunt and could only muster a modest 247 in its 50 overs.
AFG 247/8 in 50 overs: That's all Afghanistan can manage. It has gone down by 150 runs. A massive learning curve for the minnows.
AFG 239/7 in 48 overs: It is all a formality now. 12 balls remain and we are off to drafting our closing lines!
AFG 234/7 in 46.2 overs: Mark Wood sends Najibullah back to the hut with another slower delivery. Najibullah is committed to the heave, misses it and the ball hits the wickets. Ikram Ali Khil is the new man in. The required rate has crossed the 50-run mark!
AFG 234/6 in 45.5 overs: Hashmatullah Shahidi perishes as Jofra Archer hits the timber. Shahidi is out for 76 (100 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes). It was a slower ball from Archer and Shahidi shuffled across and wanted to play it to the fine leg area but missed it completely and the timber is rattled. The Old Trafford crowd in claps as he walks out! Rashid Khan walks in.
AFG 227/5 in 45 overs: 171 runs off 30 balls is what Afghanistan needs and England is all set to seal a big win. Hashmatullah Shahidi is on 71 off 97 balls and Najibullah Zadran is giving him company on 13.
AFG 210/5 in 42.4 overs: Adil Rashid gets another wicket. Ben Stokes settles under this skier comfortably as Mohammad Nabi has to walk back to the hut. He is out for 9 and Afghanistan is sinking deeper. Najibullah Zadran walks out.
AFG 198/4 in 40.5 overs: Adil Rashid breaks the 94-run partnership. Asghar Afghan is caught in the slips by Joe Root after he just dangled his bat across to a sharp turning leg break. Afghan is out for 44 (48 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes) and that brings Mohammad Nabi in.
AFG 196/3 in 40 overs: We are now into the final 10 overs of the game. Afghanistan needs 202 runs. Asghar Afghan and Hashmatullah Shahidi have added 92 in 91 balls so far. The batsmen are having a torrid time negotiating the line and length of the England seamers and the spin of the slower bowlers.
AFG 185/3 in 37 overs: 213 runs off 78 balls is what Afghanistan needs. Asghar Afghan on 39 off 40 balls and Hashmatullah Shahidi is on 56 off 73 balls as the partnership is 81 off 73 balls.
AFG 172/3 in 35 overs: Hashmatullah Shahidi sends Adil Rashid to the deep square leg fence to bring his 9th ODI fifty. It has come in 68 balls with three fours and two sixes. England needs 226 runs in 90 balls at more than 15 runs per over. Difficult by T20 standards too!!
Related: CSK, SRH engage in twitter banter over England's run-glut
AFG 153/3 in 33 overs: 13 runs off the Adil Rashid over. First Afghan smacks it over cow corner for a six and then Hashmatullah clubs it over the long off region for another six. First intent of fight from Afghanistan, but it is too late. It needs 245 more runs in 17 overs to win.
AFG 140/3 in 32 overs: Mark Wood bowls short and Hashmatullah pulls it down the ground, rather clubs it down the ground, for a six.
AFG 132/3 in 31.3 overs: It is all happening at the Old Trafford. Afghan hit the ball straight past the bowler and called for a quick single. Hashmatullah was a tad late to react and Adil Rashid got to the ball and had a shy at the striker's end. The ball just pitched in front of the stumps and spun away, an off spinner, and misses the stumps. Had the ball held its line, Hashmatullah would have been on his way!
AFG 124/3 in 29.5 overs: Ouch! Hashmatullah Shahidi gets hit on the head and is grounded. Shahidi took his eye off a bouncer from Mark Wood and was struck on the back of the visor, back of his head, while trying to duck. He is back on his feet as the players, officials and the medicos are all around him. The Old Trafford breaks into an applause as Shahidi gets up. England's physio was the first to come running out as Shahidi fell down. He has some juice and we are all set to play.
AFG 110/3 in 28 overs: Asghar Afghan and Hashmatullah Shahidi have a huge task on hands. Afghanistan needs 288 runs in 22 overs at 13.09 runs per over.
AFG 104/3 in 24.5 overs: Adil Rashid gets the breakthrough. Rahmat Shah holes out in the deep, to Jonny Bairstow, after scoring 46. Rashid sends in a full toss and Rahmat latches on to it well, he gets the elevation but doesn't get the distance Bairstow at deep midwicket just had to run a few steps to his left to pouch a regulation catch. Asghar Afghan joins Hashmatullah Shahidi in the middle.
AFG 102/2 in 24 overs: The 50-run partnership between Rahmat and Shahidi has come up in 73 balls, extremely slow given the target Afghanistan is chasing.
AFG 100/2 in 23 overs: The 100 comes up for Afghganistan. It needs 298 more runs in 27 overs. The partnership is now 48 between Rahmat and Shahidi.
A fan has some fun
AFG 94/2 in 21 overs: Rahmat Shah plays a good glance, that gets a boundary, as Moeen Ali fires down the leg side. It is these odd-deliveries that are getting the runs for Afghanistan. Should England tighten up its bowling, Afghanistan will have more pressure coming its way. But for now, England should break this 42-run partnership.
AFG 83/2 in 19 overs: 10.16 is the required run rate for Afghanistan and we aren't even 20 overs old in the chase. Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi have added 31 off 43 balls and need to do more.
AFG 75/2 in 17 overs: The required rate is climbing like the autorickshaw meter of the yore. It will breach the 10 runs per over mark pretty soon and Afghanistan is going nowhere with this chase. The batsmen have showed minimum intent barring the odd boundary or the six that comes.
AFG 66/2 in 15 overs: The asking rate is more than 9.5 runs an over now. Flamboyant cricket from Afghanistan is the need of the hour.
AFG 52/2 in 11.5 overs: Mark Wood strikes in his first over. He gets rid of Gulbadin Naib for 37 (28 balls, 4 fours, 1 six). A pacy short delivery from Wood and Naib is hurried into the pull; the top edge lobs up and Buttler sprints towards fine-leg to complete a diving catch.
Watch: Best of Eoin Morgan's record-breaking 148
AFG 44/1 in 9 overs: After the early wicket of Noor Zadran, Gulbadain Naib and Rahmat Shah have added 40 off 46 balls as Afghanistan needs 354 more runs in 41 overs (246 balls). A tall order!
AFG 28/1 in 6 overs: Gulbudin Naib takes 15 runs off Jofra Archer's over. A pull over midwicket to start the over and then clobbered a length ball over deep mid for a six and the next ball finds the ropes on the bounce at the long-off region.
AFG 13/1 in 4.3 overs: Jonny Bairstow drops Rahmat Shah at first slip. The all takes the outside edge off a length delivery as Rahmat looks to poke at it and travels quickly and hits Bairstow on the chest and bumps down. Joe Root's dive form second slip is in vain!
AFG 6/1 in 3 overs: Chris Woakes has been on the money as Rahmat Shah and Gulbudin Naib struggle to come to terms with the line and length. The runs aren't anywhere close on the horizon and with every passing ball, Afghanistan's chances get slimmer!
AFG 4/1 in 1.1 overs: Jofra Archer strikes. Extra pace and not much movement from Noor Zadran and the ball takes the inside edge and disturbs the timber. Zadran doesn't trouble the scorers and England has struck early.
Eoin Morgan leads his team out into the middle. Its bowlers have a huge backup. Chris Woakes with the new ball. Noor Zadran and Gulbadin Naib to open for Afghanistan.
Records galore
25 - Most sixes by a team in an innings
397/6 - Highest total for England in World Cups
189 - Highest partnership for England in World Cups
17 - Most sixes in an innings by a player
We'll be back with the chase in a bit.
Read: England smashes 25 sixes, breaks World Cup record
ENG 397/6 in 50 overs: England falls three short of the 400-run mark, finishes on 397. Eoin Morgan was clearly the star of the show with his blistering hundred but not to forget Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root who were equally clinical with the bat, if not as devastating. The Afghan bowlers were taken apart, one over at a time with star leggie Rashid Khan recording the worst figures ever in a World Cup match. Afghanistan needs 398 to win.
ENG 378/5 in 49 overs: Well, a forgettable for Rashid Khan. He has been milked for 9-0-110-0 at an economy rate of 12.22 per over. After Eoin Morgan, another southpaw, Moeen Ali carts him for two sixes in the penultimate over.
ENG 362/5 in 47.4 overs: Jos Buttler departs. Dawlat Zadran picks up an easy catch in the circle, at midon. The damage, however, has already been done. There is no celebration in the Afghanistan camp, though. Moeen Ali joins Ben Stokes.
Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler are in the middle to play out the remaining 18 balls.
ENG 359/4 in 47 overs: The carnage ends. Eoin Morgan holes out in the deep after slamming 148 off just 71 balls with 17 sixes and four fours and a strike rate of 208.45. These stats will be in the record books for a long long time. Morgan goes straight down the ground, flat and straight into the hands of Rahmat at long-off. The Old Trafford and the news room gives a standing ovation. What an innings we had just witnessed. One of the best in ODIs and it will remain there for ages!
ENG 353/3 in 46.4 overs: Another England batsman misses out on a 100. Joe Root slams this straight down the ground and Rahmat takes an easy catch. Joe Root departs for 88 (82 balls, 5 fours, 1 six) and the partnership of 189 off just 101 balls is broken by Gulbadin Naib.
ENG 340/2 in 46 overs: While all eyes are on Eoin Morgan, Joe Root at the other end is nearing a 100 too. He is 12 short of the three figure mark and the partnership is 176 runs off just 98 balls.
ENG 323/2 in 45 overs: Rashid Khan gets the ball again and Eoin Morgan doesn't shy away from sending it to the crowds again. Three times in the over, long-on, deep square leg and long-off. Where else is Morgan targetting? 13 sixes for Eoin Morgan and counting! 21 runs off the over and Rashid Khan has figures of 8-0-96-0.
ENG 300/2 in 43.5 overs: This stat will give you an insight on the carnage. England has got to 300, with the last 100 runs coming in just 52 balls.
ENG 293/2 in 43 overs: Eoin Morgan. Take a bow. What an innings. 101 off just 57 balls with 11 sixes and 3 fours. This is the fourth-fastest World Cup century. Rashid Khan has now figures of 7-0-75-0. He his simply been taken to the cleaners. Morgan first clears his front leg and clears the boundary with ease, then a six over deep square leg and then over long-on. 21 runs off the Rashid Khan over and Afghanistan's blues continue!
ENG 268/2 in 40.3 overs: 0, 6, 6 and the partnership is now 103 off 65 balls. Morgan is sending Afghanistan on a leather hunt. He first hits it straight down the ground and then targets the deep midwicket area. Eight sixes for Morgan now and he is on 80 off just 48 balls.
ENG 255/2 in 40 overs: Eoin Morgan and Joe Root are going hammer and tongs by treating almost every alternate ball with disdain. The duo has added 91 off 62 balls and what is in store in the last 10? Meanwhile, Eoin Morgan has hit his sixth six of the innings, a record for England in a World Cup.
ENG 238/2 in 38.1 overs: 47th ODI fifty for Eoin Morgan. He gets to the landmark in style by dispatching Mohammad Nabi for a six over deep midwicket.
ENG 217/2 in 36 overs: Root and Morgan have taken Rashid Khan to the cleaners. 18 runs off it. Dawlat Zadran drops Morgan at deep midwicket and the ball ran away to the fence. The life must have spurred on Morgan as he smashed the next ball in the same area for a six. Zadran just remained a spectator. The last ball of the over was sent easily into the crowds at the deep square leg area. England on fire! Figures of 6-0-54-0 for Rashid Khan .
ENG 199/2 in 35 overs: Eoin Morgan and Joe Root have added 35 in 32 balls so far and are motoring along. The gaps in the field gives the batsmen the opportunity to not take risks and rotate strike. The England batsmen are also putting pressure on the fielders by converting ones into twos.
ENG 184/2 in 32.1 overs: A single gives Joe Root his 33rd ODI fifty . In the last six outings, Root has scored five half-centuries. Talk about consistency!
ENG 183/2 in 32 overs: Gulbadin Naib, after a great catch, is taken to the cleaners by Eoin Morgan. 15 runs off the over which included two sixes — one over deep midwicket that went 96 m and the other that just managed to clear the ropes straight down the ground.
ENG 168/2 in 31 overs: England has its experienced duo — Joe Root and Eoin Morgan — in the middle. If the duo bat out about five overs and get their eye in, another leather hunt will be in the offing for Afghanistan.
ENG 164/2 in 29.5 overs: Gulbadin Naib removes Jonny Bairtsow for 90 . The change of pace does the trick. Bairstow stands on his toes and just punches it back to the bowler and Naib takes a scintillating catch on his follow through. Excellent balance from the bowler and Bairstow misses on a 100 by 10 runs. The 120-run partnership is broken. Naib flexes his muscles for the camera, celebrating. Eoin Morgan joins Joe Root.
ENG 145/1 in 26 overs: 100 run partnership between Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root. The duo have taken 99 balls for the landmark and it is advantage England.
ENG 132/1 in 24 overs: 14 runs off the Rashid Khan over as Jonny Bairstow is stepping up on the gas. He slogs the second ball of the over to the deep midwicket boundary and then follows it up with a monstrous shot for six over long on.
ENG 118/1 in 23 overs: Mohammad Nabi is back into the attack but that doesn't make a difference as he gives away six runs off the over as Root and Bairstow have added 74 so far for the second wicket.
ENG 106/1 in 20 overs: 50 for Jonny Bairstow. After a splendid IPL in subcontinent, Bairstow is carrying the form into the World Cup. He gets to his fifty with a four by driving Gulbadin Naib spectacularly to the left of mid-off. The Old Trafford applauds and England is gaining a stronghold on the match.
ENG 98/1 in 19 overs: Six runs off Rashid Khan's first over. Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow look in no trouble negotiating the slower bowlers.
ENG 94/1 in 18.2 overs: The 50-run partnership between Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow is up when Root cuts Rashid to the backward point for a brace.
Rashid Khan is into the attack.
ENG 86/1 in 17 overs: Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root have added 42 runs off 45 balls for the second wicket as England is motoring along. The spinners are bowling in tandem but for the odd ball that is troubling the batsmen, it is looking all good for England.
ENG 72/1 in 15 overs: Mohammad Nabi has a change of ends and does well, just 4 runs conceded after a horrendous first over, which went for 11.
ENG 68/1 in 14 overs: Rahmat Shah, off-break bowler, starts of well with a peach of a delivery to Bairstow that had the batsman baffled. It was a leg-break and Bairstow had no clue and the ball missed the off-stump by inches. The batsman then reads Rahmat well and responds with a mighty six, straight down the ground in the fourth ball of the over.
ENG 50/0 in 11.2 overs: Baistow gets on his knee and whacks Mohammad Nabi over the mid-wicket for a boundary. He is looking in good touch. And, that brings the 50 for England.
ENG 45/1 in 9.2 overs: Afghanistan has got the breakthrough and its James Vince who has to depart. Dawlat Zadran bangs it short, Vince goes for the pull but gets a top edge and the fielder at short fine leg takes it easily. Joe Root is the new batsman in
ENG 40/0 in 8 overs: After a cautious start, England openers Jonny Bairstow and James Vince have started to accelerate and have given their side a fine start. Both openers being watchful yet playing their shots.
Touch fuller from Mujeeb, Baitswo leans forward and drives it through the covers to pocket his first boundary.
ENG 15/0 in 4 overs: Afghanistan are not letting the England openers free their arms, especially Mujeeb who has been bowling a tight line and bringing his variations into play.
First boundary of the innings as James Vince picks a fraction short delivery and pulls Dawlat Zadran through the mid-wicket and the ball races away to the fence.
ENG 4/0 in 1 over: Good start from Mujeeb as he gives just four runs with James Vince off the mark and Jonny Bairstow yet to open his account.
The Afghanistan team is in a huddle and out walk the England openers - James Vince and Jonny Bairstow. Interesting strategy as its spin straightaway and it will be Mujeeb Ur Rahman who will start the proceedings for Afghanistan with the new ball. Here we go!
Alright we are done and dusted with the anthems and are all set for the action to begin in just a few moments.
Out walk both teams for their respective national anthems and it's a bright, sunny day at Old Trafford.
Toss Report: England won the toss and elected to bat first. Skipper Eoin Morgan is fit and will be leading the side. Jason Roy, as announced earlier, misses out.
Playing XI:
England: Jonny Bairstow, James Vince, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan(c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood.
Afghanistan: Rahmat Shah, Noor Ali Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Ali Khil(w), Gulbadin Naib(c), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Dawlat Zadran
Pitch Report: Michael Atherton says, we are going to have a full game with the sun shining. Meanwhile, Michael Clarke from the other end says, this is a used pitch, the same track on which India-Pakistan match was played. It is very dry, the grass colour is dry, there should be some turn on offer, but it's a great batting wicket.
Shayan Acharya pings in from Manchester. Quite a long queue outside the Old Trafford for the England vs Afghanistan game, he says.
The Preview
Morgan warns against complacency versus bottom side
England will be without opener Jason Roy for Tuesday's Cricket World Cup duel with Afghanistan , but the hosts will remain confident they can boost their semifinal hopes at Old Trafford.
Eoin Morgan's side have made a purposeful start to the tournament on home soil and demonstrated why they top the ICC ODI rankings in Friday's eight-wicket thrashing of West Indies.
It is in stark contrast to the fortunes of their next opponents, who are languishing at the foot of the table without a point from their opening four matches.
After previous concerns over the likes of Jos Buttler and Mark Wood, managing injuries has been England's biggest obstacle.
While Morgan expects to shake off the back problem which forced him off against West Indies, Roy has been ruled out for the next two matches with a hamstring tear and his place will be taken by James Vince.
England coped with those setbacks to deliver a dominant victory against a dangerous opponent, showing the flexibility at their disposal. They will be confident of achieving a similar outcome in Manchester.
Tournament so Far
It has been an impressive start from England, winning three of their opening four matches with South Africa, Bangladesh and West Indies all dispatched. Anything but a place in the semi-finals would be a disappointment.
Afghanistan sit bottom and their task has been made more onerous following the loss during the tournament of wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad. They did give Sri Lanka a scare in Cardiff, however, until eventually being beaten by 34 runs on the DLS method.
What They Said
England skipper Morgan: "I would like to think in a couple of games so far we've been red hot favourites and underlining our preparation is the humility and the gratitude with which we go about things, and that's an important part of trying to beat teams like Afghanistan. They are a strong side. I said previous to the tournament, they will beat teams in this World Cup. They haven't managed to do that yet. So that makes it a tougher challenge."
Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib: "We are trying to do our best in the matches, but if I look at my team, I didn't like how we played last time [in the nine-wicket defeat to South Africa]. England is a strong side, it's a home side, so everything is on England's side. Afghanistan don't play home cricket a lot. We are used to it but it's a tough game."
Key Facts
- England and Afghanistan have met just once before in an ODI; that clash coming at the 2015 Cricket World Cup with England winning by nine wickets.
- England have won eight of their last 10 ODIs at Old Trafford (L2), with their only defeats in that time coming against Australia.
- Moeen Ali has taken more ODI wickets at Old Trafford than any other spinner, with his eight scalps at the venue coming at an average of 13.5.
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World Cup 2019: Afghanistan batting in search of lost touch
Afghanistan, buoyed by some impressive T20 performances, came to this World Cup with a lot of expectations. The team, however, has failed to deliver on those promises as its batting faltered time and again.
Their top-order batsmen have shown little resilience and Afghanistan has crossed the 200-run mark just once – against Australia (207 in 38.2 overs) in its opening match. Failing to attune their game to English conditions – where batsmen must bide their time to score runs – the Afghans have continued to commit hara-kiri, still batting in the T20 mode.
“In a 50-over World Cup, you cannot play like T20s. They just want to play too many shots and that’s hurting the team,” former Afghanistan coach Lalchand Rajput told Sportstar.
The team is yet to bat through its full quota of overs in this edition of the tournament. From 69 for two in the 21st over, the side was bundled out for 125 in the 35th over against South Africa in its fourth match.
Rajput feels that it’s important to play the right shots. “They have to improve their batting mindset. You cannot afford to allow negativity to creep in,” Rajput, who is now associated with the Zimbabwe team, said.
“They have to play close to the body when ball is moving and occupy the crease. Also shot selection is very important – it is about surviving 300 balls.”
After the South Africa debacle, even captain Gulbadin Naib had urged his batsmen to apply themselves better. “We did not play a 50-over game because we did not last. We have played a lot of cricket in the last few years, but there is pressure on the team. We did not take responsibility enough and that was the difference,” Naib had said.
Afghanistan, on the eve of the England game, is hoping to finally find its footing as far as batting is concerned. “We are trying to do well in all the departments, but it’s just that we are being unlucky,” the captain said.
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World Cup 2019: Injured Roy to miss England's next two games
England opener Jason Roy will miss the host's next two World Cup matches with a torn left hamstring, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Monday.
Roy, who suffered the injury while fielding during England's win over the West Indies on Friday, has been ruled out of Tuesday's group fixture against Afghanistan at Old Trafford and Friday's match against Sri Lanka at Headingley.
Meanwhile, England captain Eoin Morgan, who suffered a back spasm in the field against the West Indies, and like Roy did not bat in that match, will be assessed ahead of the Afghanistan clash and could yet play against the tournament minnow.
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Root is the glue that holds England together, says Morgan
England skipper Eoin Morgan has heaped praise on Joe Root, describing the star batsman as the “glue” that holds the team together.
Root hit his second century of the World Cup on Friday to steer the injury-depleted England to a convincing eight-wicket win over the West Indies and captain Morgan could not have been more impressed.
“I am exceptionally pleased,” Morgan said after the match.
“He’s such an important player for us, he is the glue that holds everything together and probably a side of his batting that’s got better over the last two or three years that people haven’t seen a lot of is his expansive game.
“He never seems to be scoring at less than a run a ball. You look up and he’s going at more than a run a ball. It’s exceptional to see him come out and be in this form,” he said.
Hello and welcome to Sportstar's live coverage of the World Cup 2019 match between England and Afghanistan at Old Trafford, Manchester. I am Hari Kishore M, taking you through the game with our correspondent Shayan Acharya getting all the updates live from Manchester.
The match will be streamed live on Hotstar.
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