England seal comfortable win over Afghanistan after Eoin Morgan heroics
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England faced Afghanistan in the Cricket World Cup at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
England are finally hitting form at this tournament with Friday's eight-wicket win over the West Indies coming fresh from a thrashing of Bangladesh early last week. And they continued their fine run with Eoin Morgan the star of the show with a record-breaking hundred in a comfortable win over the tournament minnows.
Here's how it played out.
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I would imagine that Mujeeb will take the new ball this morning, which means Jonny Bairstow and James Vince will be tested early doors with spin, a tactic that has been somewhat successful against England's openers so far in the tournament.
Vince could do with a score. His List A career returns are impressive but he has yet to truly show the ability to step up to ODI level, with similar issues to that of his faltering test career: bright, brisk and beautiful to 20, 30, or 40, but not producing the innings of substance. There are runs to be had on this Old Trafford pitch.
WEATHER
Can you believe I haven't even mentioned the weather yet?
Pleasingly, it is sunny in Manchester, blue skies all around and few signs of rain. Yay!
Anthem time...
Not the best crowd of the tournament, certainly, but a healthy smattering of people all around Old Trafford, now one of the very best grounds in the country after significant redevelopment since the turn of the century.
The anthems have been sung. It's time for cricket.
Out to the middle stride Jonny Bairstow and James Vince, and it will be new-ball spin specialist Mujeeb Ur Rahman to begin. He doesn't turn the ball a mile and has a tendency to bowl to straight and a touch short, but he's a bag full of tricks and flicks and will test their concentration early on.
Here we go...
1.0 - England 4-0, J Vince 4, J Bairstow 0, Mujeeb 0-4 (1)
A quickly scampered turn to leg brings the first runs of the day, two of them, in fact, while Vince flicks two more wide of the man on the long-on fence. Forward square leg is the other man out.
A bit of turn and bounce already as Mujeeb cycles through his variations. Four runs from the over.
Dawlat Zadran will share the new ball. An actual seam bowler! Just the two wickets in the tournament so far. Bairstow to face his first ball.
2.0 - England 11/0, J Vince 9, J Bairstow 2, D Zadran 0-7 (1)
Crunch! Bairstow nurdles a single to fine leg before Vince pulls a short ball from about belly-button height firmly to the fence. Zadran isn't quick enough to bowl that length on this pitch. Down to one slip already as square leg drops back.
A typically elegant on-drive outfoxes the fielder at mid-on, who just about manages to get a toe to it and keep it to one. Another single for Bairstow, a block from Vince, seven from the over, England are away.
3.0 - England 14/0, J Vince 9, J Bairstow 5, Mujeeb 0-7 (2)
A good start to the over from Mujeeb, five dots as Bairstow looks to settle in.
But a slightly over-pitched ball wide outside off stump allows Bairstow to drive, and a half-stop means England can collect three.
4.0 - England 15/0, J Vince 9, J Bairstow 6, D Zadran 0-8 (2)
Tidy enough from Zadran, but there's nothing really happening for him with the pitch even of bounce and tepid in terms of movement. Mind you, he isn't really searching for swing, content to hit just back of a length.
A solitary single from the fourth over. Better from Zadran.
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