England hammer Bangladesh by 137 runs thanks to Dawid Malan’s superb 140 and four wickets from Reece Topley… as Jos Buttler’s side bounce back from opening defeat to New Zealand
- England won their first World Cup game as they beat Bangladesh by 137 runs
- Dawid Malan scored 140 while Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow hit half centuries
- Reece Topley took four wickets in reply as England secured a thumping victory
After crash-landing in Ahmedabad last week, England found themselves cruising at altitude as their World Cup took flight with a 137-run thrashing of Bangladesh in the Himalayas.
A second defeat to accompany the mauling by New Zealand would have left their hopes of defending the trophy they won four years ago hanging from one of the local cable cars.
But a powerful hundred from Dawid Malan and another half-century from Joe Root set up a total that was 140 more than Bangladesh had ever knocked off to beat England.
When Reece Topley, who was unfortunate to miss out in the opening match, marked his World Cup debut with three wickets in his first three overs – all left-handers – a mountainous task grew steeper.
As Jos Buttler’s side eased their way off the bottom of the embryonic table, pre-match concerns about the outfield were all but forgotten, even if the quick bowlers kicked up sand with every step of their approach.
England thrashed Bangladesh by 137 runs as they won their first game of the World Cup
Dawid Malan was immense for England as he hit 140 from 107 balls to help them post 364-9
Reece Topley – who replaced Moeen Ali in the XI – then bowled superbly to pick up four wickets
The next distraction will be whether Ben Stokes is fit in time for Sunday’s clash with Afghanistan in Delhi. For now, though, it is enough that England are on the board.
They had entered this game promising to exploit Dharamshala’s bouncy track and thin air, and so it proved after Bangladesh – perhaps hoping a spectacular overnight storm had made the outfield even more sluggish – stuck them in.
From the first over, when he drove Mustafizur Rahman through the covers, Malan looked transformed from the man who had scratched 14 off 24 balls against New Zealand last Thursday.
Jonny Bairstow, playing his 100th one-day international, was no slouch either, but it was Malan who caught the eye, twice launching Mustafizur for leg-side sixes as England’s openers raced away.
Not long after bringing up a 39-ball fifty, Malan lost Bairstow for 52, bowled by Shakib Al Hasan, to end an opening stand of 115 inside 18 overs. But that was the prelude to a big partnership with another Yorkshire colleague, as Root – ramping Mustafizur for six – helped him put on a further 151 in less than 20. To think England used to fret they couldn’t play both men in the same side.
By the time Malan missed a slog-sweep off Mahedi Hasan, he had thrashed 140 off 107 balls, with 16 fours and five sixes. It was his sixth ODI century in just 24 innings, which have produced an average of 63 and a strike-rate of 98. Of Jason Roy, little was heard.
Only Andrew Strauss, Roy himself and Eoin Morgan have made more for England at a World Cup. But Malan did beat Virat Kohli’s ground record of 127 – and no matter that this was just Dharamshala’s sixth ODI.
Root added a 68-ball 82 to the 77 he made against New Zealand, taking him past Graham Gooch’s tally of 897 to become England’s leading World Cup run-scorer of all time.
Joe Root scored a second successive half century as he made a classy 82 off just 68 balls
England were guilty of collapsing towards the end of their innings as they lost regular wickets
Woakes shook off some rustiness from his opening spell to finish up with two wickets
If there was one criticism of the England innings it was the tame finale. From 296 for two in the 40th, they might have done better than 364 for nine.
But that was a quibble on a day when all that mattered was the result. Bangladesh had beaten England in two of their four 50-over World Cup meetings, but the already slim prospect of a third victory evorapted in the early-afternoon sunshine as Topley proved his class.
After Chris Woakes was spanked for three fours in a row in the first over by Litton Das, Topley struck had Tanzid Hasan caught by Bairstow at second slip from his fourth ball, and Najmul Hossain Shanto steering to Liam Livingstone at backward point with his fifth.
Shakib survived the hat-trick delivery, but didn’t get much further, bowled by a peach in Topley’s third over to leave Bangladesh teetering at 26 for three.
It was tempting to wonder how Topley, with his natural bounce and movement away from the left-handers, might have fared against New Zealand’s Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. Belatedly, perhaps, England decided he was a better option than Moeen Ali.
Amid some hittable fare, Woakes then had Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught behind for eight to make it 49 for four, and Bangladesh were kept afloat only by Litton, who somehow carved out a 38-ball fifty with the total not yet beyond 65.
It was a crucial win for Jos Buttler’s side as they bounced back from defeat to New Zealand
They put in an impressive and professional performance and now face Afghanistan on Sunday
Litton eventually moved to 76 before Woakes had him caught behind from the sixth ball of his second spell, and Topley returned to claim his fourth when Mushfiqur Rahim upper-cut him straight to Adil Rashid at deep third man after a well-crafted 51.
From there, it was simply a question of whether Bangladesh could limit the margin of defeat and massage their net run-rate.
Liam Livingstone had Towhid Hridoy caught behind for 39 with his first ball (earlier, Livingstone had made a golden duck), and Rashid – during a lovely spell – flummoxed Mahedi Hasan with a googly.
Wood, who looked sharp all night, and Sam Curran returned to finish off the innings for 227, and England could suddenly celebrate a positive net run-rate. Finally, they feel part of this World Cup.
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