The Race to World Champions

[IGetOutToFullTosses]

The Race to World Champions

This story will highlight the 'race to world champions,' as all nations compete to etch their names in the World Test Championship, ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup. It will be like a news feed (similar to my England: Kings of Bazball story' but for all nations. I will be controlling England but will be simulating all their matches and will only change squads and XI's when I see fit. I am aiming to have this go 3-5 years into the future, giving each nation a chance to compete for a period of time.

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TAIJUL'S FIVE HELP BANGLADESH TOPPLE IRELAND IN ONLY TEST

Taijul Islam has taken 5/66 and 4/47 in a MOtM performance to help Bangladesh get over a fighting Irish outfit. Mominul Haque scored a century while Mushfiqur Rahim chipped in with 50 in Bangladesh's 1st Innings (2nd of the match), meaning Bangladesh could win by 9 wickets.

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NEW ZEALAND SWEEP SRI LANKA 3-0 TO SEND POWERFUL STATEMENT ACROSS THE WORLD

Sri Lanka were just not good enough, losing by 8, 5 and 7 wickets respectively across the 3 match T20i series. Tom Latham was New Zealand's leading run-scorer, with 220 runs @ 110 including 3 50s and one 89*, while T20i debutant Henry Shipley had a series to remember, taking hauls of 2-34 and 6-29 in the series.

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ALL AROUND EFFORT GETS SRI LANKA A 1-0 WIN OVER IRELAND IN 2 TEST MATCH SERIES

After a drawn first test, in which Andy Balbirnie scored a monster 237 (386), Sri Lanka fought back with an innings and 75 run win, thanks to centuries from Dinesh Chandimal and Sadeera Samarawickrama and a 5fa from Prabath Jayasuriya.

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IRELAND SHOCK BANGLADESH IN HISTORIC ODI PERFORMANCE

A 3-0 sweep over Bangladesh from Ireland is perhaps one of their greatest achievements in white ball cricket. Veteran Paul Stirling scored 2 centuries and a fifty to be awarded Man of the series, while Curtis Campher took a handy 11 wickets for the series.

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TECTOR, MCBRINE ALMOST LEAD IRELAND TO TEST WIN OVER ENGLAND

England has been challenged, but not beaten by an Irish outfit in some good form. Harry Tector scored 91 and 104, while McBrine took 8 for the match, but Bazball prevailed in the end, a quickfire 91 from Zak Crawley along with Harry Brook's 68* in the 4th innings led England to a 6 wicket win.

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LOW-SCORING THRILLER SEES INDIA CROWNED WORLD TEST CHAMPIONS

An inspired performance from India left Aussie batters with no answers, as they were bowled out for 294 and 118, leaving India needing 228 to win, which they chased down with 3 wickets remaining. Jaydev Unadkat's 9 wickets saw him awarded MOtM honours.

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POPE DROPPED AFTER RUN OF POOR FORM FOR FIRST ASHES TEST

After only scoring 2 50s in 8 FC matches this year, Ollie Pope will not play in the first Ashes test, with Jack Haynes (723 runs @ 80.33, SR 67.7 3x100, 3x50 - this year) named to replace him.

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AUSTRALIAN CAPITULATION GIVES ENGLAND 1-0 LEAD IN ASHES

After leading by 14 runs when they bowled England out for 172, Australia would have backed themselves in to win the 1st Ashes Test. However, they capitulated to 47 all out, Matt Renshaw 26* (52) the only batter to reach double figures. Jimmy Anderson took 6, including the first 5 wickets of the innings in a historic low for Australia.

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AFGHANISTAN THRASH BANGLADESH IN ONLY TEST

An incredible victory from Afghanistan has stunned the cricketing world, winning by an innings and 145 runs over a shellshocked Bangladesh. They bowled them out for 95 in the first innings, piled on 427 in their first, thanks to centuries from Ibrahim Zadram (144) and debutant Mohammed Sabir (112), before again running through them for 187.

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ENGLAND MAKE HUGE CALL FOR SECOND ASHES TEST

Ben Stokes has been rested by England for the second Ashes Test, with youngster Dan Douthwaite awarded for an impressive County season to replace him.

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BAZBALL FAILS IN SECOND ASHES TEST, AUSTRALIA LEVEL SERIES 1-1

Matt Renshaw was again amongst the runs batting at 6 for Australia, scoring 31 (73) and 137 (265) in a MOtM performance. England needed 429 runs in the last innings and despite fighting knocks from Jack Haynes 86 (173) and Jonny Bairstow 62 (128), they couldn't get it done, falling short by 90 runs.

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NEW ICC TEST PLAYER RANKINGS SEE BAIRSTOW, DAS RISE AS MARNUS AND SMITH FALL

Test Match Batting Rankings - Daryl Mitchell (856 points), Babar Azam (854), Dinesh Chandimal (850), Kane Williamson (839), Jonny Bairstow (815), Travis Head (814), Usman Khawaja (810), Temba Bavuma (809), Tom Blundell (800), Liton Das (797)

Test Match Bowling Rankings - Kagiso Rabada (1030 points), Ravichandran Ashwin (1012), Oliver Robinson (1011), Patrick Cummins (993), Nathan Lyon (905), Shaheen Afridi (902), Akshar Patel (899), James Anderson (890), Jasprit Bumrah (871), Lungi Ngidi (863)

Test Match All-Rounder Rankings - Akshar Patel (451 points), Ravindra Jadeja (371), Ravichandran Ashwin (324), Kyle Mayers (295), Shakib Al Hasan (273), Ben Stokes (269), Babar Azam (259), Jason Holder (246), Joe Root (235), Marco Jansen (233)

Notable Absences - Marnus Labuschagne (14th - Batting, 720 points), Steven Smith (20th - Batting, 658 points), Stuart Broad (25th - Bowling, 736 points), Cameron Green (13th - All-Rounders, 212 points)

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AUSTRALIA ONE STEP CLOSER TO RETAINING THE ASHES AFTER 157 RUN WIN IN 3RD TEST

A shock selection call was made by Australia, who chose to drop the in-form Matt Renshaw for Cameron Green, but the choice worked, with Green scoring 71 and 21 runs along with 2 scalps. Jimmy Anderson once again led the English attack, taking 9 wickets for the match in a losing effort. English batters Ben Duckett (96 runs @ 16), Zak Crawley (130 runs @ 21.67) and Joe Root (132 runs @ 26.4) this series have been severely out of form, with a change sure to come from England.

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INDIA BEAT WEST INDIES IN 1ST TEST

Shubman Gill (81 and 85), along with Kuldeep Yadav (9 wickets in the match) have put India up 1-0 in a 2 Test Match series against the West Indies. Surprisingly, Kyle Mayers was named MOtM despite only taking 2 wickets and scoring 1 half century.

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SURPRISE NAMES IN ENGLISH SQUAD FOR DO-OR-DIE 4TH ASHES TEST

English Squad: Jack Haynes, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Rory Burns, Jonny Bairstow, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Jack Leach, Jimmy Anderson, Dillon Pennington

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MIDDLESEX DEFEAT SURREY TO WIN VITALITY BLAST

Strong campaigns from Stevie Eskinazi (363 runs @ 33, SR 151.9), Toby Roland-Jones (39 wickets @ 12.85, SR 9.2), Nathan Fernandes (20 wickets @ 23.15, Econ 7.23), and Thilan Walallawita (16 wickets @ 24.37, Econ 7.09) have lift the 20 over trophy in 2023, with Toby Roland-Jones named Player of the Tournament.

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ENGLAND SHAKE-UP CONFIRMED AS FOURTH TEST XI NAMED

England XI - P. Salt R. Burns J. Haynes J. Root H. Brook J. Bairstow B. Stokes O. Robinson M. Wood D. Pennington J. Anderson
Australia XI - U. Khawaja D. Warner M. Labuschagne S. Smith T. Head C. Green A. Carey M. Starc P. Cummins J. Hazlewood N. Lyon

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ASHES SET UP FOR 5TH TEST THRILLER AFTER AUSSIE CHASE FALLS JUST SHORT

Twin tons for inspiring English captain Ben Stokes has breathed life back into England's Ashes chances, with England walking out of Manchester with a 2-2 series and chance to win back the Ashes. The Aussies didn't make it easy though, needing 377 runs to win in the 4th innings, Steve Smith hit 164 (278) but lacked any support and they fell 21 short.

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INDIA SWEEP WINDIES 2-0 AFTER KULDEEP'S 7 WICKET HAUL

A seven wicket-haul from Kuldeep Yadav in the West Indies' first inning has lead India to a series sweep. Shubman Gill was named Player of the Series after scoring 322 runs @ 107.33, with 1 century and 2 50s.

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PAKISTAN AND SRI LANKA SHARE HONOURS IN DRAWN TEST SERIES

Both countries were able to win a Test Match, but the entire series was incredibly close, neither side giving an inch until right at the end of each match, where one side took their chances. Dinesh Chandimal's good form continued, scoring 156 runs @ 78 including two gritty half-tons.

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MASSIVE INJURY THREATENS ENGLAND'S ASHES DREAMS

English wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow has suffered a fracture and will miss the 5th Ashes Test at The Oval. Ben Foakes has been named as his replacement. Aussie bowler Mitchell Starc has a cold but will play in the test.

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AUSTRALIA WIN ASHES AFTER SPECTACULAR FIRST INNINGS

A 413 run first inning from the Aussies has ensured they go home with the Urn. Steve Smith 97 (196), Cam Green 96 (170), Alex Carey 70 (109), and Mitchell Starc 57* (109) led the charge, with English bowlers conceding way too many runs. England faltered with the bat twice, only managing 225 and 163, losing the match by 283 runs.

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ASHES PLAYER OF THE SERIES NAMED + ASHES STATS

Player of the Series: Mitchell Starc (27 wickets @ 23.81, SR 41.6, BB 5-56)

Australia Stats

Most Runs - S. Smith (474 @ 47.4), A. Carey (363 @ 40.33), T. Head (335 @ 33.5), U. Khawaja (276 @ 27.6), C. Green (223 @ 37.17), M. Renshaw (199 @ 66.33)
Most Wickets - M. Starc (27 @ 23.81), P. Cummins (22 @ 22.91), J. Hazlewood (21 @ 17.62), N. Lyon (18 @ 28.78)
Most Catches (non-keeper) - M. Labuschagne (10), S. Smith (9), P. Cummins (6), U. Khawaja (6)

England Stats

Most Runs - H. Brook (341 @ 34.1), B. Stokes (283 @ 47.17), O. Robinson (250 @ 31.25), J. Root (226 @ 25.11), J. Haynes (208 @ 20.8) J. Bairstow (193 @ 38.6)
Most Wickets - J. Anderson (33 @ 22.33), M. Wood (25 @ 25.4), O. Robinson (24 @ 26.67), J. Leach (8 @ 35.37)
Most Catches (non-keeper) - B. Stokes (9), H. Brook (6), R. Burns (5), J. Root (4)

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WORLD RANKINGS UPDATE - AUGUST 2023

Test Team Rankings -

1. India - 118 pts
2. Australia - 112 pts
3. New Zealand - 108 pts
4. England - 104 pts
5. South Africa - 100 pts
6. Pakistan - 86 pts
7. Sri Lanka - 85 pts
8. West Indies - 76 pts
9. Bangladesh - 51 pts
10. Zimbabwe - 15 pts
11. Ireland - 15 pts
12. Afghanistan - 15 pts

ODI Team Rankings -

1. Australia - 109 pts
2. Pakistan - 106 pts
3. India - 104 pts
4. England - 102 pts
5. South Africa - 94 pts
6. New Zealand - 91 pts
7. Sri Lanka - 76 pts
8. Bangladesh - 76 pts
9. Afghanistan - 70 pts
10. West Indies - 62 pts
11. Ireland - 52 pts
12. Zimbabwe - 35 pts

T20I Team Rankings

1. India - 112 pts
2. England - 106 pts
3. South Africa - 99 pts
4. Pakistan - 98 pts
5. New Zealand - 96 pts
6. Australia - 95 pts
7. West Indies - 88 pts
8. Sri Lanka - 80 pts
9. Bangladesh - 61 pts
10. Afghanistan - 60 pts
11. Ireland - 38 pts
12. Zimbabwe - 35 pts

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SMEED, ROLAND-JONES TO DEBUT IN 4 MATCH T20I SERIES

Will Smeed and Toby Roland-Jones will debut at the T20 International level in England's 4 match series against New Zealand

English Squad: Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jason Roy, Will Smeed, Jos Buttler, Philip Salt, Sam Billings, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, David Willey, Will Jacks, Toby Roland-Jones, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood
New Zealand Squad: Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Henry Nicholls, Finn Allen, Colin Munro, Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee

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MANCHESTER WIN THE HUNDRED AFTER THRILLING LAST-BALL CHASE IN FINAL AGAINST LEEDS

Needing 165 runs to win off 100 balls, Josh Cobb 69 (33) and Jack Haynes 53 (26) put Manchester on top, before they lost 3-17 in a tricky period. Tom Lammonby 26* (18) and Wanindu Hasaranga 8* (8) were able to steady the ship and guide them home. Jack Haynes (302 runs @ 37.75, SR 193.6, HS 72, 3x50) was named Player of the Tournament.

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NEW ZEALAND TAKE T20I SERIES 3-1

Match Reports: 1st T20I, New Zealand 202-6 (D. Mitchell 68*, D. Conway 39, M. Wood 3-39) beat England 176 (J. Root 81, H. Shipley 5-26) by 26 runs
2nd T20I, New Zealand 102 (D. Mitchell 35, J. Archer 3-10) lost to England 55-0 (W. Smeed 38*) by 10 Wickets (DLS)
3rd T20I, New Zealand 205-8 (F. Allen 65*, G. Phillips 51, S. Curran 3-35) beat England 165-6 (W. Smeed 61, S. Billings 41, M. Henry 2-29) by 40 runs
4th T20I, England 201-7 (P. Salt 51, S. Curran 41, H. Shipley 2-36) lost to New Zealand (H. Nicholls 54, M. Santner 31*, S. Curran 2-30) by 4 wickets

Player of the series: Henry Shipley (8 wickets @ 14.5, Econ 8.39, SR 10.4)

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COUNTRIES RUSHING TO FIND PERFECT ODI LINEUP BEFORE WORLD CUP

Australia are currently 'messing' around with their lineup, trying Jhye Richardson at 7, Marnus Labuschagne at 5 and Travis Head at 3 in their series against South Africa. England have recalled Steven Finn for their 4 match ODI series against New Zealand. Will Smeed, Tom Haines and Will Jacks have also been selected in a much different looking squad. Pakistan's Shadab Khan has taken 18 wickets at an average of 22 this year in ODI's, while Hashmatullah Shahidi from Afghanistan is the format's most prolific batter, having scored 662 runs @ 73.56 in 10 ODI's this year.

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SMEED STARS ENGLAND TAKE ODI SERIES 3-1

Will Smeed has been named Player of the series after scoring 251 runs @ 125.5, with a strike-rate of 96.2 and a high score of 118*. Jonny Bairstow (223 runs @ 55.75, SR 102.8, HS 99), Jos Buttler (161 runs @ 53.67, SR 102.5) and Sam Curran (8 wickets @ 21.75, Econ 4.35) were the other standouts for England, while no one stood out in a poor showing from the Kiwis.

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PAKISTAN KNOCKED OUT OF ASIA CUP IN GROUP STAGE IN CRAZY SCENES

Nepal bowled a full-strength Pakistan out for 189 before comfortably chasing the score down within 38 overs. Kushal Malla was the star, taking 4 wickets, including Fakhar Zaman and Mohammed Rizwan.

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ADIL RASHID 'NOT IN ENGLAND'S WORLD CUP PLANS,' NOT NAMED IN SQUAD FOR IRELAND SERIES

Matt Parkinson will take his place. One other change was made to the squad, with Jason Roy dropped for Dawid Malan.

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AUSTRALIA STRUGGLE IN 5 MATCH ODI SERIES, LOSE 3-2

Travis Head (266 runs @ 53.2, SR 104.3) and Josh Hazlewood (13 wickets @ 23.38) were the standouts for a lackluster Australian outfit. South Africa however, look in good shape for the World Cup, with 3 batters - Janneman Malan (270 runs @ 54), Rassie van der Dussen (251 runs @ 62.75), and Aiden Markram (249 runs @ 62.25) - having outstanding series, the former named POtS.

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FINAL SET FOR ASIA TROPHY

Afghanistan will play Bangladesh in the Asia Trophy Final. India was tied with both of them with 2 wins, but was behind by 0.08 NRR points.

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AFGHANISTAN WIN ASIA TROPHY AFTER DEFEATING BANGLADESH BY 3 WICKETS IN THRILLING FINAL

A thrilling final has capped off a tournament of surprises. Towhid Hridoy's 125 in the first innings which led Bangladesh to a strong 310-8 was not enough, Hashmatullah Shahidi (73 from 76) and Yama Arab (66 from 67) guided Afghanistan home with 13 balls to spare.

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ENGLAND SWEEP IRELAND 3-0 DESPITE TYPICAL IRISH GRIT

Wins in the first 2 ODI's of the series were not easy for the English, getting home by only 26 runs and 1 wicket, before tearing Ireland apart in the 3rd ODI. Joe Root scored 257 runs while Chris Woakes took 9 scalps.

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ODI WORLD CUP QUALIFYING NATIONS SET

Afghanistan have won the inaugural ODI championship, with Pakistan, India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, Ireland and Zimbabwe the other 9 nations who will feature. Sri Lanka and West Indies did not qualify.

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PREDICTIONS FOR ODI WORLD CUP

My predictions for the ODI World Cup - feel free to write some yourself!

Winners - India
Runners up - England
Semi finalists - Australia and New Zealand
Last Place - Zimbabwe
Best Net-Run-Rate - Australia
Major Headline - Ireland upset top nation (such as Australia or England)
Big Disappointment - Pakistan
Leading Run scorer - Virat Kohli (India)
Leading Wicket taker - Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)

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EVERY COUNTRIES WORLD CUP SQUAD

Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

England: Will Smeed, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Dawid Malan, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer, Matt Parkinson, Steven Finn, Mark Wood

India: Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Ravi Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Chetan Sakariya, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Henry Nicholls, Finn Allen, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee

Pakistan: Imam ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakil, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammed Rizwan, Kamran Ghulam, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammed Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah

South Africa: Aiden Markram, David Miller, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Janneman Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, Wiaan Mulder, Andy Phelukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Gerald Coetzee, Anrich Nortje

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Towhid Hridoy, Nazmul Hossain, Afif Hossain, Mohammed Naim, Liton Das, Mohammed Rahim, Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammed Saifuddin, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam

Zimbabwe: Craig Ervine, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Clive Madande, Wesley Madhevere, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Dion Myers, Milton Shumba, Bradley Evans, Brendon Mavuta, Wellington Masakadza, Tanaka Chivanga, Blessing Muzarabani, Victor Nyauchi

Ireland: Paul Stirling, Murray Commins, Harry Tector, Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker, Stephen Doheny, Peter Moor, George Dockrell, Curtis Campher, Andy McBrine, Simi Singh, Tyrone Kane, Mark Adair, Josh Little, Craig Young

Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammed Sabir, Yama Arab, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Usman Adil, Najibullah Zadaran, Usman Ghani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammed Nabi, Nangeyalia Kharote, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Ibrahim, Fazal Haque

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HEAD MASTERCLASS GETS AUSTRALIA WIN IN WORLD CUP OPENER

Afghanistan 293-7 (H. Shahidi 84, I. Zadran 64, C. Green 3-63) lost to Australia 295-8 (T. Head 160*, A. Carey 51, K. Janat 3-48) by 2 wickets

The Aussie bowlers couldn't quite keep Afghanistan to a low score, but a chase of almost 300 in spinning conditions was never going to be easy. Travis Head's 160 not out from 141 led Australia's chase, with them winning in the last over.

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NEW ZEALAND BEGIN WORLD CUP WITH 4 WICKET WIN OVER ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe 279 (T. Marumani 61, C. Ervine 52, M. Santner 3-42) lost to New Zealand 280-6 (T. Latham 119, D. Mitchell 84, M. Shumba 4-32) by 4 wickets

The 116 run stand between Latham and Mitchell was enough to overpower Zimbabwe, despite good fight shown from Marumani, Ervine and Shumba.

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201 RUN PARTNERSHIP NOT ENOUGH FOR SOUTH AFRICA TO BEAT BANGLADESH

Bangladesh 354-7 (M. Rahim 106, N. Hossain 74, S. Harmer 4-74) defeated South Africa 330 (T. Bavuma 152, R. van der Dussen 103, M. Hasan 5-63) by 24 runs

Chasing a mammoth 355 runs to win, South Africa lost 3 wickets early before a 201 run stand between Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen got the Proteas back into the game. Unfortunately, another cluster of wickets meant they fell short by 24 runs.

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AMAZING ENGLISH CHASE TOO MUCH FOR AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan 333-7 (H. Shahidi 114, Y. Arab 74, S. Finn 2-60) lost to England 334-7 (J. Root 97, J. Bairstow 87, C. Woakes 55*, F. Haque 3-72) by 3 wickets

Afghanistan took ahold of the English attack, but couldn't contain their batters. Joe Root was instrumental in the chase with 97 from 94, before an 8th wicket stand of 86 between Will Jacks and Chris Woakes guided them home

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LOW SCORING AFFAIR SEES PAKISTAN COME OUT ON TOP

Ireland 245 (G. Dockrell 49, M. Commins 48, S. Khan 3-29) lost to Pakistan 247-5 (F. Zaman 56*, I ul-Haq 54) by 5 wickets

No batter was able to settle in for Ireland, the turning pitch revealing a big problem, their lack of batters who can face spin, with 6 of the wickets falling to the slower bowlers. Fakhar Zaman took ahold of the Irish attack with 56* from 47 deliveries in a straightforward chase.

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NEW ZEALAND DEFEAT AUSTRALIA IN THRILLING CONTEST

Australia 300-9 (D. Warner 101, S. Smith 100, M. Henry 3-51) lost to New Zealand 301-3 (G. Phillips 143, T. Latham 64) by 7 wickets

Glenn Phillips tore apart the Aussie attack smacking 20 fours and 3 sixes in an innings in which only 3 wickets fell, showing Australia's lack of a trustworthy spinner.

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SOUTH AFRICA FALL AS IRELAND CLAIM FIRST SCALP

South Africa 228 (D. Miller 97, C. Campher 5-30, S. Singh 3-42) lost to Ireland 229-6 (P. Stirling 110, A. Nortje 2-39) by 4 wickets

Ireland have sent a warning to the rest of the competition with a 4 wicket win over South Africa. Paul Stirling's century highlighted age is no barrier, and Curtis Campher took 5 in one of the best bowling performances so far.

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NAZMUL HOSSAIN THE STAR AS BANGLADESH UPSET ENGLAND

England 270-7 (J. Buttler 84, D. Malan 57, T. Islam 2-30) lost to Bangladesh 276-5 (N. Hossain 100, M. Rahim 57, J. Archer 2-44) by 5 wickets (DLS)

What a performance from Bangladesh! England just couldn't score enough runs and their bowling attack again struggled. Nazmul Hossain's magnificent 100 from 86 balls was just too good!

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UPSETS GALORE AS INDIA LOSES TO AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan 359-5 (Y. Arab 119*, H. Shahidi 71) defeated India 301 (V. Kohli 140*, S. Iyer 62, M. Nabi 5-55) by 58 runs

Another upset, this time tournament hosts and favourites losing a high scoring contest against Afghanistan. Virat Kohli remained not out, but some ominous signs have shown from the last few matches.

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SHAKIL SCORES 151 AS PAKISTAN DEFEAT ZIMBABWE

Pakistan 337-8 (S. Shakil 151, B. Azam 73, M. Shumba 4-78) defeated Zimbabwe 265 (S. Williams 68, N. Shah 4-40) by 72 runs

Saud Shakil's 151 from 130 deliveries included a whopping 20 boundaries and a maximum. Zimbabwe have shown some signs of fight in their first 2 matches, but have been simply outclassed by better opponents.

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SOUTH AFRICA ON WINNERS LIST WITH POWERFUL WIN OVER THE KIWIS

New Zealand 307-8 (H. Nicholls 104, T. Blundell 86, W. Mulder 5-54) lost to South Africa 310-5 (T. Bavuma 123, Q. de Kock 103, M. Henry 2-72) by 5 wickets

3 batters scored a century in another high scoring contest. The only bowler to take more than 2 wickets was Wiaan Mulder, showing how batter-friendly conditions were.

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ENGLAND FALTER AGAIN AS WARNER TAKES FULL TOLL

England 253 (J. Bairstow 87, C. Woakes 45, P. Cummins 4-43) lost to Australia 257-2 (D. Warner 139*, T. Head 52) by 8 wickets

It was expected to be one of the matches of the tournament, but it wasn't. England's batting lineup is looking incredibly feeble, with Harry Brook and Will Smeed out of form. David Warner's second century in a row couldn't have come at a better time for the Aussies, with them sitting 3rd on the table at 2-1.

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WORLD CUP GROUP STAGE TABLE AFTER A WEEK OF THE TOURNAMENT

1st - Pakistan 4 pts, + 0.97 NRR
2nd - Bangladesh 4 pts, + 0.37 NRR
3rd - Australia 4 pts, + 0.26 NRR
4th - New Zealand 4 pts, + 0.20 NRR
5th - Afghanistan 2 pts, + 0.35 NRR
6th - Ireland 2 pts, + 0.10 NRR
7th - South Africa 2 pts, - 0.26 NRR
8th - England 2 pts, - 0.45 NRR
9th - Zimbabwe, - 1.05 NRR
10th - India, - 1.15 NRR

Leading Run-scorers: Temba Bavuma (275 runs @ 91.67), Hasmatullah Shahidi (269 runs @ 89.67), David Warner (264 runs @ 132)
Leading Wicket-takers: Milton Shumba (8 wickets @ 11.67), Curtis Campher (7 wickets @ 11.43), Mehedi Hasan (7 wickets @ 16.57)

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IRELAND BLOW BANGLADESH AWAY WITH STRONG BATTING PERFORMANCE

Ireland 329-4 (A. Balbirnie 114*, P. Stirling 109, M. Hasan 2-67) defeated Bangladesh 252 (N. Hossain 66, A. McBrine 3-42, S. Singh 3-54) by 77 runs

Centuries to Ireland's two most experienced batsmen set up a massive score of 329, which proved too much for Bangladesh, with 7 wickets falling to spin in the chase.

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BIG RIVALRY DELIVERS ENTHRALLING CONTEST AS INDIA COME OUT ON TOP

India 296 (P. Shaw 83, S. Gill 75, N. Shah 3-51) defeated Pakistan 256 (M. Rizwan 75*, B. Azam 73, J. Bumrah 3-49, R. Jadeja 3-53) by 40 runs

No one player stood out, but India proved a class above Pakistan in a match where all 20 wickets were taken.

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ALL ROUND PERFORMANCE FROM WILLIAMS SEES ZIMBABWE WIN FIRST GAME

Zimbabwe 325-7 (S. Williams 107, C. Ervine 90, F. Haque 4-66) defeated Afghanistan 230 (I. Zadran 76, S. Williams 4-24, V. Nyauchi 3-25) by 95 runs

Sean Williams played one of his best games in his career to help Zimbabwe get over Afghanistan. Ervine and Nyauchi proved worthy support, while Rashid Khan's 5 wickets @ 45 so far this tournament looks bad for Afghanistan.

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ENGLAND FALL TO BOTTOM OF THE TABLE AFTER SOUTH AFRICA LOSS

South Africa 250 (D. Miller 92, M. Parkinson 4-75) defeated England 200 (J. Bairstow 53, W. Mulder 3-25, S. Harmer 3-37) by 50 runs

Changes were made to the English lineup, with Harry Brook dropped for Mark Wood the main one, but it didn't help a faltering campaign. Jonny Bairstow has been the only batter to score multiple 50s, highlighting some big worries.

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NASEEM HAT-TRICK SEES PAKISTAN SCRAPE PAST NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand 273-8 (T. Blundell 90*, G. Phillips 59, N. Shah 5-50) lost to Pakistan 274-9 (I. ul-Haq 66, S. Shakil 66, M. Bracewell 3-45) by 1 wicket

Naseem Shah did what everyone has dreamt of doing, taking a hat-trick. He dismissed Henry Nicholls, Michael Bracewell and Mitch Santner in back-to-back-to-back deliveries. In the chase, needing 4 runs to win in 4 overs with 1 wicket left, Naseem Shah struck a Henry Shipley delivery for four, giving Pakistan an impressive win.

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HUGE WORLD CUP BOILOVER AS BANGLADESH DEFEAT INDIA

Bangladesh 324-4 (T. Hridoy 104, L. Das 78, B. Kumar 3-50) defeated India 283 (V. Kohli 73, S. Gill 64, M. Hasan 3-45, T. Ahmed 3-48) by 41 runs

Another upset has occurred, with Tournament favourites India losing to a spirited Bangladesh. Towhid Hridoy's stellar form continued, with 3 centuries this season.

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ZIMBABWE ALMOST SHOCK AUSTRALIA

Zimbabwe 243 (S. Raza 70*, T. Marumani 52, M. Starc 4-46, J. Hazlewood 3-49) lost to Australia 244-9 (C. Green 58*, M. Labuschagne 53, V. Nyauchi 3-55) by 1 wicket

What looked to be a routine run chase for Australia turned into a nightmare, losing 3-40 up the top of the order, before 50s to Labuschagne and Green, along with 40s to Josh Inglis and Alex Carey were just enough to see Australia come out on top.

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PAKISTAN TAKE TOP-SPOT AFTER THRASHING SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa 171 (R. van der Dussen 61, N. Shah 4-49) lost to Pakistan 173-3 (S. Shakil 58*, M. Rizwan 51*) by 7 wickets

Naseem Shah was again Man of the Match, this time thanks to 4 wickets, including South African powerhitters David Miller and Quinton de Kock.

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INDIA GET CAMPAIGN BACK ON TRACK WITH BIG WIN OVER THE KIWIS

India 302-7 (S. Gill 89, S. Iyer 86, T. Boult 3-55) defeated New Zealand 193 (T. Blundell 32, R. Jadeja 4-32) by 109 runs

Gill and Iyer formed a 155 run partnership for the 3rd wicket to set New Zealand a big total of 303, but they weren't up to the task, collapsing to a mere 193 runs.

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BUTTLER CENTURY GETS ENGLAND OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE TABLE

Zimbabwe 291-7 (S. Raza 73, D. Myers 57, M. Wood 2-55) lost to England 292-7 (J. Buttler 124*, J. Roy 77, M. Shumba 3-43) by 3 wickets

It wasn't easy, but England have breathed life back into their World Cup campaign with a gritty win over Zimbabwe. Buttler's 124 was supported by Jason Roy, who was brought into the lineup for Will Smeed.

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IRELAND CAUSE ANOTHER BIG UPSET IN CLASH WITH AUSTRALIA

Ireland 295-8 (H. Tector 65, A. Balbirnie 58, C. Green 2-60, A. Zampa 2-60) defeated Australia 279 (D. Warner 95, T. Head 52, S. Singh 4-61) by 16 runs

This tournament is proving to be very unpredictable, with Ireland putting themselves in the Top 4. Even with their 140 run opening stand, the Aussies fell apart and couldn't chase a relatively modest Ireland score.

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BANGLADESH UP TO SECOND WITH GUTSY WIN OVER AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan 217 (Y. Arab 77, S. Al Hasan 5-44) lost to Bangladesh 220-4 (L. Das 99, T. Hridoy 64, A. Omarzai 2-37) by 6 wickets

They just didn't get enough runs on the board, and without an in-form Rashid Khan (6 wickets @ 52 this tournament), Afghanistan were never going to defend that.

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ENGLAND FINALS HOPES IN DIRE STRAITS AFTER LOSS TO PAKISTAN

Pakistan 335-9 (M. Rizwan 155*, B. Azam 73, S. Curran 2-55) defeated England 302 (P. Salt 100, S. Khan 4-71) by 33 runs

England may miss the final stages of the World Cup after another disappointing bowling performance. Pakistan on the other hand, have kept their strong grip on the top spot.

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WORLD CUP STANDINGS AFTER 4 WEEKS

1. Pakistan 5-1 +0.58 NRR
2. Bangladesh 4-1 +0.42 NRR
3. Australia 3-2 +0.11 NRR
4. Ireland 3-2 -0.10 NRR
5. India 2-2 +0.25 NRR
6. Afghanistan 2-4 -0.03 NRR
7. South Africa 2-3 -0.20 NRR
8. New Zealand 2-3 -0.39 NRR
9. England 2-4 -0.44 NRR
10. Zimbabwe 1-4 -0.13 NRR

Leading Run Scorers: Yama Arab (388 runs @ 77.6) David Warner (362 runs @ 90.5) Saud Shakil (358 runs @ 71.6)
Leading Wicket Takers: Naseem Shah (19 wickets @ 14.58) Curtis Campher (13 wickets @ 19.77) Mehedi Hasan (12 wickets @ 22.67)

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SOUTH AFRICA WORLD CUP HOPES ALIVE AFTER AUSSIE COLLAPSE

Australia 203-8 (T. Head 42, G. Coetzee 2-34, W. Mulder 2-39) lost to South Africa 206-4 (Q. de Kock 94, R van der Dussen 54*, M. Starc 2-26) by 6 wickets

Every single Protea bowler was able to record an economy rate of under 4.5 as no Aussie batter could get going. South Africa now move into the Top 4, giving them a solid shot at the World Cup.

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INDIA CONTINUE AMAZING CAMPAIGN REVIVAL BY THRASHING IRELAND

Ireland 229 (P. Stirling 82, R. Jadeja 4-54) lost to India 231-3 (S. Iyer 83*, KL. Rahul 58*) by 7 wickets

After winning just 1 of their first 4 matches, it seemed tournament favourites India would miss the final stage altogether, but two big wins over New Zealand and Ireland have put them back into the Top 4.

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BANGLADESH MOVE TO TOP SPOT AFTER DEMOLISHING ZIMBABWE

Bangladesh 357-4 (T. Hridoy 145, L. Das 95, V. Nyauchi 2-55) defeated Zimbabwe 166 (D. Myers 42, T. Islam 3-21, M. Saifuddin 3-35) by 191 runs

Pakistan no longer have top spot on the table, with tournament surprise packet Bangladesh dethroning them. An all-round performance from the Tigers enhanced their World Cup chances massively.

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NEW ZEALAND FALL TO 9TH AFTER BEING DESTROYED BY AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan 338-8 (M. Sabir 127, H. Shahidi 66, H. Shipley 3-76) defeated New Zealand 167 (G. Phillips 50, N. Kharote 5-36) by 127 runs (DLS)

A rain affected match did not trouble Afghanistan, with New Zealand now needing to win all 3 of their last matches and hope other results go their way to make it to the semis.

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IRISH HOPES CONTINUE TO FADE AFTER LOSS TO ENGLAND

Ireland 261-7 (S. Doheny 95, M. Parkinson 3-66, J. Archer 2-45) lost to England 262-5 (J. Roy 101, J. Bairstow 86, J. Little 2-35) by 5 wickets

Looking like a tricky chase on a bowler friendly surface, the English openers formed a magnificent 188 run opening stand to make the Irish look like a bunch of park cricketers.

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WARNER MASTERCLASS NOT ENOUGH AS PAKISTAN WIN HIGH-SCORING THRILLER

Australia 312-5 (D. Warner 189*, C. Green 70*, H. Ali 3-19) lost to Pakistan 313-2 (I ul-Haq 151*, A. Shafique 97) by 7 wickets

David Warner 3rd century of the tournament was not enough, with the Aussies now needing 2 wins from their final 2 games of the tournament

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BANGLADESH REGAIN TOP SPOT AFTER KNOCKING NEW ZEALAND OUT

New Zealand 274-8 (G. Phillips 49, S. Al Hasan 3-48, M. Rahman 3-51) lost to Bangladesh 275-4 (T. Iqbal 83, N. Hossain 82, T. Boult 2-60)

The Kiwis' world cup dream is now over, after another horrible batting performance. Bangladesh also sealed their spot in the World Cup semi-finals

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INDIA KEEP STRONG GRIP ON SEMI SPOT WITH A THRASHING WIN OVER ZIMBABWE

India 257 (P. Shaw 79, R. Sharma 71*, M. Shumba 3-58) defeated Zimbabwe 158 (C. Ervine 37, A. Patel 5-22) by 99 runs

Now needing just 2 wins from their final 3 games, India look a good chance to make the semi-finals. Zimbabwe's loss ensured they will finish last place

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AFGHANISTAN KEEP FAINT SEMI HOPES ALIVE BY DEFEATING SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa 235 (Q. de Kock 66, A. Markram 59, A. Omarzai 4-32) lost to Afghanistan 239-6 (Y. Arab 63, R. Gurbaz 59) by 4 wickets

With both teams wanting a win to get into the Top 4, it was Afganistan coming out on top, thanks to a great team performance.

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NEW ZEALAND GRAB CONSOLATION WIN OVERY IRELAND

Ireland 188-8 (L. Tucker 43, A. McBrine 43*, T. Boult 3-24, H. Shipley 3-48) lost to New Zealand 190-4 (D. Conway 72*, S. Singh 2-44) by 6 wickets

New Zealand came into the game as a dead rubber for them, but they still played very well, their bowling attack restricting Ireland to just 188 runs in 50 overs.

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HOW EACH TEAM CAN MAKE THE SEMIS

1. Bangladesh 12 pts - Semis are a certainty for the Tigers, turning out to be the tournament's biggest surprise. Their fixture with Pakistan will most likely decide who takes top spot. Remaining fixtures - Pakistan, Australia

2. Pakistan 12 pts - Another great performing team, Pakistan will look to end off their tournament well before getting into the final stages of the World Cup. Remaining fixtures - Bangladesh, Afghanistan

3. India 8 pts - The Indians still have 3 matches to go, needing a minimum of 1 and maximum of 2 wins to make the semis, depending on how other results go. Remaining fixtures - Australia, England, South Africa

4. Afghanistan 8 pts - Afghanistan have played some very good cricket, but haven't always been at their best. To make the semis, they need to win their last match and hope other fixtures go their way. Remaining fixtures - Pakistan

5. South Africa 6 pts - The Proteas are in a great spot to qualify, but now need to perform well in their last 2 matches. Remaining fixtures - Zimbabwe, India

6. Australia 6 pts - Only behind South Africa on Net-run-rate, the Aussies need to win both their last matches and hope a slip up comes from the Proteas. Remaining fixtures - India, Bangladesh

7. England 6 pts - It would take a miracle for England to qualify now, needing to win both of their remaining matches by a big margin, and hoping the other teams on six points lose at least 1. Remaining fixtures - India, New Zealand

New Zealand, Ireland and Zimbabwe have already been knocked out.