ODI World Cup 2023: Malan's century and Topley's brilliance help England secure victory over Bangladesh
In a thrilling cricket encounter, England showcased their prowess as Dawid Malan delivered a stunning century, and Reece Topley's exceptional bowling spell set the stage for a resounding victory over Bangladesh in the ICC World Cup 2023.
FollowA resounding victory for the defending champions, which served as a redemption for their initial setback against New Zealand in the tournament opener. Bangladesh found themselves struggling right from the outset in this chase. Dawid Malan's remarkable century and Reece Topley's exceptional performance with the new ball were the standout moments that led England to their first win in the 2023 World Cup.
In their pursuit of a daunting target, Bangladesh managed to secure three boundaries in the very first over, courtesy of Litton Das. However, their fortunes took a downturn from the other end as Reece Topley dismantled the top order during the initial powerplay, dismissing Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Shakib Al Hasan. The first two fell in consecutive deliveries, while Shakib was outfoxed by a brilliant delivery that clipped the off stump. Although Chris Woakes conceded runs in his initial spell, he made a comeback toward the end of the powerplay by dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
A partnership of 72 runs followed between Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das, both of whom reached half-centuries in their innings. Litton, however, was dismissed for a well-made 76 off 66 balls when Woakes returned for a second spell. Topley was also reintroduced into the attack and accounted for Rahim, who scored 51 off 64 balls.
Towhid Hridoy displayed resilience but failed to convert it into a substantial score. He received brief support from Rahim, and later, Sheikh Mahedi Hasan partnered him for the seventh wicket. The lower-order batsmen managed to prolong the chase until the 49th over before the English bowlers finally made inroads, leaving Bangladesh 137 runs short of the target.
Topley was the standout bowler with four wickets, while Chris Woakes contributed with two. The other four bowlers - Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone - each took one wicket.
In the earlier phase of the match, Bangladesh's captain, Shakib Al Hasan, won the toss and chose to field. England's top three batsmen played crucial roles in amassing a formidable total of 364 runs.
The pitch initially posed challenges, but openers Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan gradually settled in and accumulated runs with ease. Bairstow celebrated his 100th ODI game with a half-century but was dismissed by Shakib Al Hasan when the score reached 115.
On the other hand, Malan continued to build the innings and reached his fourth ODI century in the year 2023. Joe Root provided valuable support, securing back-to-back fifties in the World Cup 2023. Together, they added 151 runs to the total, with Root contributing 82 off 68 balls and Malan reaching 140 off 107 balls. The score appeared to be within reach of 400, but Bangladesh's bowlers managed to pull things back during the final powerplay, limiting England to 364 runs.
Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, and others made brisk contributions to help England reach this total. Mahedi Hasan was the standout bowler for Bangladesh, claiming four wickets, while Shoriful took three.
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