Shropshire Star

Cricket World Cup matchday 34: All on the line for England

India confirmed their semi-final place with victory over Bangladesh – can the Three Lions follow suit?

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England head into their final World Cup group game against New Zealand knowing victory would secure a semi-final place.

If they beat the Black Caps at Chester-le-Street, Eoin Morgan’s men will advance regardless of results elsewhere affecting Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

England will hope for a better showing than when they faced New Zealand in the 2015 tournament and were skittled for just 123 before the Black Caps knocked off the runs in just 12.2 overs.

In Tuesday’s game, India returned to winning ways as a 28-run victory over Bangladesh confirmed their place in the semi-finals and eliminated their Asian neighbours.

Opening batsman Rohit Sharma took centre stage again as he became only the second player in World Cup history to score four hundreds in the same tournament.

Tweet of the day

Jason Roy struck a magnificent hundred on England’s last visit to Chester-le-Street. Can he repeat the trick?

Do not drop Rohit

Bangladesh v India – ICC Cricket World Cup – Group Stage – Edgbaston
Rohit Sharma made the most of his good fortune after being dropped on nine (David Davies/PA)

You do not give Rohit Sharma a second chance. South Africa dropped him on one and he went on to make 122. Pakistan missed two chances to run him out and he punished them with 140. Joe Root spilled him on four in the England game and he made 102. So Tamim Iqbal knew exactly what was coming when he dropped him on nine at Edgbaston.

Tournament tracker

CRICKET WorldCup Wrap
(PA Graphics)

Quote of the day

Captain Eoin Morgan knows exactly what England need to do.

Six of the best

Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan again impressed for Bangladesh (David Davies/PA)

Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan has six scores of 50-plus in his seven World Cup innings. Only India great Sachin Tendulkar has previously achieved that feat in World Cup history.

Top shot

Rohit set out his stall with a pulled six in the very first over of the game and produced plenty of contenders for shot of the day. But his maximum off Mohammad Saiffudin over extra cover was worth the admission price alone.

Bowled over

Bangladesh v India – ICC Cricket World Cup – Group Stage – Edgbaston
India’s Jasprit Bumrah celebrates taking the wicket of Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman to complete a vital World Cup win (David Davies/PA)

They may have been bowled at numbers 10 and 11, but the way Jasprit Bumrah finished the game with his final two deliveries was perfection. All four of his victims were clean bowled and his final two yorkers were almost unplayable.

Lord’s first

Cricket – npower Second Test – Day One – England v Sri Lanka – Lord’s
The pavilion at Lord’s (Anthony Devlin/PA)

MCC are to open the iconic Lord’s pavilion to local schoolchildren for the first time on a major match day.  Some 250 primary and secondary pupils from 14 City of Westminster state schools have been invited to attend the World Cup match between Pakistan and Bangladesh on Friday. The schools are part of MCC’s extensive community outreach programme.

Up next

July 3: England v New Zealand at Chester-le-Street

Table

CRICKET WorldCup Wrap
(PA Graphics)
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