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ICC World Cup 2019 Preview: England won't get a better chance to win the World Cup

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If their recent form is any guide, England could well be looking at their maiden World Cup title in 2019. Currently ranked as number in ICC's Rankings for ODI Teams, this side has the firepower and the track-record to take on the very best the world has to offer and our strong contenders to win the ICC tournament.


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Strengths:

England's strengths are built around athleticism, professionalism and the fact that they have been preparing this squad for four years and have had a clear focus on selections, approach and their tactics. The brand of cricket they have been playing for the last four years has by and large been consistent and nothing has been left to chance. Their brand of cricket is well-tested, and they have strength in-depth in every area of the game. England seem to have all bases covered and all positions have competition for places and variety. If someone fails, then there looks to be someone who can step in and take their place, so you would expect the players to be on their toes when it comes to performing to keep their place in the starting XI. They don't just rely upon one or two players to carry them home and have an abundance of players who can take responsibility with bat or ball.


Weaknesses:

England do not appear to have any obvious weaknesses. Yes, it's been highlighted that they have been conceding some big totals recently and Pakistan did show that the England bowling line-up is far from formidable. However, some of the surfaces England have been bowling on have been placid and batsmen-friendly. In addition, 10.30am starts will give bowlers a bit of leeway when it comes to restricting the opposition batsmen and flying starts may not be a regular thing especially if conditions are slightly damp and bowler-friendly and perhaps could lead to the likes of Jason Roy not being able to make the explosive starts England have been used to.


Players to watch:

There are so many match-winners in England's squad that it's hard to single anyone out. They have been in fine form and a big plus is that quite a number of their players have been winning games for them. With the ball though Jofra Archer is expected to provide the X-factor for England. Only recently qualified, Archer has the ability to blast out any batting line-up. Bowling at over 90MpH, Archer's action is immaculate, and he already has a reputation around the world as a bowler who has the ability to singlehandedly win a match. With the bat Jos Buttler is a unique batsman who has already proved that he is one of the world's best. It doesn't matter what the match situation is, Buttler can come in and destroy the opposition bowling. He is an entertainer, someone who can play shots all around the park and some shots that others can't even dream of and the 2019 World Cup could be memorable one if Jos Buttler gets going for the homeside.


Prediction:

England have had a few close calls but have never won the World Cup. With this squad they will never get a better chance to win it. Anything less than a win will be seen as a failure. I think it will take someone to have a special day for England not to win the World Cup.


Full England World Cup 2019 squad:

Eoin Morgan (capt),
Moeen Ali,
Jofra Archer,
Jonny Bairstow (wk),
Jos Buttler (wk),
Tom Curran,
Liam Dawson,
Liam Plunkett,
Adil Rashid,
Joe Root,
Jason Roy,
Ben Stokes,
James Vince,
Chris Woakes,
Mark Wood
 
The 500 run challenge is on and England is the side to do that. They have the firepower and experience to do that.


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England have been rewriting batting records in the One Day International format. After crashing out of World Cup 2015 even without reaching the knockout stages, England rebuilt their ODI side around power-hitters and the move has certainly worked.

Under Eoin Morgan, England have vaulted to the top spot of ICC ODI rankings and are favourites to lift the 2019 World Cup trophy at home.

With an array of big-hitters, including opener Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and captain Morgan, at the top, England have been posting 300-plus totals at will. In fact, England have posted 300-plus totals 14 times since 2018, 6 times more than Pakistan who are second on the list.

Only recently, England broke the record for the most number of successive 340-plus totals posted. Morgan's men demolished Pakistan's bowling attack in a 5-match series and eventually clinched a 4-0 win.

"Yes [chances of posting 500-plus totals].We almost did it last year and we had a couple of overs where we were a bit slack in that game so why not," Jason Roy told Daily Mail.

Roy's comment comes after Virat Kohli highlighted England's obsession with posting big totals. While the pitches in England are expected to batsman-friendly at World Cup 2019, Kohli opined chasing 270-280 may even be difficult.

England hold the record for the highest-ever ODI total. England posted 481/6 in 50 overs against Australia in Nottingham in June 2018. Morgan's men had the opportunity to post the first-ever 500-plus total in ODI cricket but they slowed down towards the end to settle for 481. England had broken their own record (444/3) posted against Pakistan in 2016.

Stressing England are ready to face the burden of expectations at the World Cup 2019, Jason Roy said Eoin Morgan's team is keen on helping the country end the World Cup drought.

"So we're definitely a group of individuals that don't shy away from being put on that pedestal. We definitely want to get better, we want to add another level. Just because we're No 1 in the world doesn't mean we're the best ever team to play the game. And that's where we want to fly to," Roy said.

"We want to win the World Cup and be the best-ever team England's had."

England have been billed as firm favourites to win the World Cup 2019. However, the hosts suffered a 12-run defeat to Australia in their first warm-up match on Saturday after Steve Smith hit a classy hundred.

England missed Eoin Morgan and Adil Rashid due to injury concerns and lost Jofra Archer and Mark Wood midway during the match to injuries.

England will be opening their World Cup campaign against South Africa on May 30 before which they will face Afghanistan in their final warm-up match on May 27.

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...i-total-gettable-jason-roy-1534986-2019-05-26
 
The England captain on the evolution of his team’s philosophy, and why there is something more fundamental at play than simply winning and losing.

There is a ruthless precision to Eoin Morgan. It shows itself in the details. In the methodical pursuit of run chases. In the considered way he weighs the merits of any query. And it’s there in his flinty features, directing his fielders no matter the fire coming from opposition batsmen.

It’s illustrated most eloquently in the team built in the image he has so clearly cultivated, that which rose from the debris of their last World Cup tilt to become ODI cricket’s most feared and in-form side.

“It’s taken us a while to identify our identity,” he tells the ICC. “That takes time as a group. You need to believe in the way you’re playing and in what you’re doing.

“A few years ago, that began to evolve into a really aggressive outlook and we were going to see how high our ceiling was. As we continued, we began to play smarter cricket too. If you were to ask somebody what do they expect when they see an England white-ball team, I think they’d see excitement and freedom.”

The process has been a thrilling ride for players, supporters and skipper alike as England, previously hamstrung by conservatism, have pushed the envelope. In the four years since Morgan’s men broke the 400-run barrier for the first time in England’s history during their opening 50-over contest following their group-stage exit at the 2015 edition, their ODI form has been peerless.

They haven’t lost a multi-game series for two-and-a-half years, have twice smashed the world record for an innings score and, entering this English summer, their average run-rate since that 2015 tournament was running at 5.97, compared to South Africa's next-best mark of 5.48.

Through it all, there has been a gradual build-up of anticipation: an ICC World Cup on home soil and with it, the opportunity, 44 years after the tournament first launched on these shores, for England to finally win it.

Yet Morgan sees it differently. Winning isn’t everything. “Part of our culture and values is that I like to think sport nowadays isn’t revolved around performance,” he adds. “People can respect, relate to and admire teams and cultures if they do it in the right way. If we go out of this tournament – but for the right reasons, with the players having given everything – people will have a huge amount of respect for that.”

Culture is an operative word for Morgan, one symbolised in his England team by each player’s cap, much like the Baggy Green has so often served as a touchstone for Australia’s Test squad. Their approach has been to take this one step further, crafting an idea that the three lions which adorn those caps each represent one of the three words that speak to the team’s core values: courage, respect and unity.

He explains: “In international cricket, you’re always living out of your suitcase. It’s never the same place and the hotel rooms and cities are different, but the thing that you start your journey with is your own cap.

“It’s with you for as many games as you’re around and it ties everybody together. That is the crown, and those three words are symbolised with the three lions.”

Morgan’s point is that this exceptional group he has built, and the atmosphere nurtured around it, will not be defined by one innings, match or tournament. It’s a wise approach, as evidenced by the bone-crunching reminder of sport’s tenuous nature Morgan endured on the eve of England’s first warm-up game against Australia. During a fielding drill, the skipper incurred a ‘flake fracture’ of his left index finger and spent 20 agonising minutes contemplating his World Cup mortality.

“I’ve had a load of broken fingers,” he reveals. “With a dislocation, when it’s put back in, you know after about 20 minutes. The pain goes away. If the pain doesn’t die down, you know it’s more serious. That was a nervous 20 minutes. If something happens, something happens. You can’t account for it. You train and prepare as hard as you can, but you can’t prepare for an injury.”

It was a quick illustration of the folly of making judgments based on linear goals. Four years of planning and execution can so easily be thrown off kilter by the bounce of a ball, the snap of a finger. Thankfully, Morgan is expected to be fit to lead England into the tournament-proper on Thursday against South Africa at The Oval.

England’s journey to this point, at least in the mind of their leader, isn’t just about the outcome of a solitary World Cup. It goes beyond the kind of singular focus that Morgan so exemplifies when in the heat of battle. “For once in your life,” he concludes. “You’re not being judged purely on getting a hundred or five-for.

“You can tap back into the grassroots. Parents or coaches can say, ‘This is what this team stands for. You should follow them’. You have to understand your place – it’s easy to close yourself off in a bubble, and I think that’s a little naïve. There are two sides to it: winning is one, and the other is growing the game and inspiring a new generation.”

https://www.cricketworldcup.com/news/en/1226239/featured
 
This is their best chance to win a world cup and they're one of the favorites as well, but I still feel their bowling is not up to par and batsmen will have to exceed their already sky high expectations for them to go all the way and win the cup.
 
We all know about the strength of their batting line up. On flat pitches they will beat most teams. I think people underestimate them on bowling friendly pitches. On seam friendly pitches these guys have grown up on these pitches , whilst Root ,Bairstow,Morgan,and Moen are very good players of spin and can ensure England get to competitive scores.

Their bowling is better than people give them credit for. Archer will add an x factor and can bowl throughout the innings. Woakes is a excellent new ball bowler. Rashid can pick up wickets in the middle overs although he can be expensive. I think they have the batting depth to get England to competitive totals which their bowling attack is capable of defending. Chasing in World Cups aren't easy so don't rule England out of low scoring games.

Overall they are the best team in the tournament. If they play to their best they should win the tournament. But games aren't played on paper and they won't always have their own. They also need to deal with the pressure of being favourites, something which they haven't had before in a 50 over WC.

I think this maybe the year where they cross the line.
 
If they don't bring the cup home this time around, will be quite sad indeed. This has been their best ODI unit in history of eng cricket
 
Fielding will be vital at the World Cup and these guys have no weaknesses in the field.

Even the likes of Adil Rashid have really improved in the field.
 
This is there World Cup to win.

If they don't win it now they'll never win it.
 
I have concerns about England’s bowling. How did they let Pakistan score 300+ on so many occasions?
 
World cup semi final - pitch doing a bit eng need 90 more with 6 wckts in hand PRESSURE - they going to do a bigger choke than SA & NZ combined.

Morgan buttler are serial chokers under pressure, Eng don’t have the bottle to win world cup just look at CT 13 final you’ll know what I mean.
 
Two challenges for England to overcome and they will be unbeatable

1) England bowling unit against good batting side
2) How will England batsmen respond to slow pitches(later part of the WC?) and also against quality spinners
 
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I want tomorrow's pitch to be extremely slow so eng has a chance to butcher their batting against Rashid, mujeeb and nabi. It will be a confidence booster for pak.
 
Despite their loss in the Warm Up game to Australia. They are a sure shot contender to win the title. They are the number 1 contenders.
 
Clean bill of health for England after Afghanistan success

Before a ball had even been bowled this morning, England had received their first piece of good news.

Mark Wood’s scan on his left foot had come back clear, and their day only got better from there.

A defeat to Australia on Saturday was far from an ideal opening warm-up for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup hosts and No.1 side in the world, particularly when you factored in Wood’s injury.

But Monday at The Oval was a different story, England dispatching Afghanistan with a minimum of fuss and in so doing alleviating any tiny doubts that might have started to creep in.

This was a near-perfect dress rehearsal before the grand unveiling against South Africa next Thursday back here in south London.

The brewing fitness crisis that forced assistant coach Paul Collingwood to field for long stretches at the Hampshire Bowl last weekend, appears to be over before it ever really began.

Wood will be fit and available for selection to take on the Proteas, skipper Eoin Morgan was named in the starting side here at The Oval but such was England’s dominance he was not required to bat.

Adil Rashid bowled six overs to assuage any doubts on his troublesome shoulder and Chris Woakes, picked only as a batsman on Saturday to rest his long-standing knee problem, took the new ball and bowled with real pace and carry.

And then, of course, there was Jofra Archer.

The man on everyone’s lips, rested against Australia but called upon to both field and bat in the end, here he was back to his strongest suit with new ball in hand.

Indeed overall, this looked closer to Morgan’s first choice team that might take the field on Thursday.

And on this and the evidence of the last four years, you have to say they do look like potential winners.

As a new-ball pairing, Archer and Woakes may well face sterner tests.

Here Woakes bowled the fuller and was unlucky to finish wicket-less – but his five overs for only ten runs told their own story.

Archer meanwhile had far too much pace for the Afghan top order – taking two wickets in a fast and fiery first spell and then returning to finish the job at the end.

In between, having won the toss and elected to field, England got a real workout in for their spinners.

The aforementioned Rashid showed no signs of rust, Moeen Ali was metronomic and Joe Root presented himself as a viable third option in the spin department.

Showing an impressive new set of variations that included a leg-spinner out of the back of the hand, Root was the pick with figures of 3/22.

But just as positive from an English perspective was their work in the field.

A couple of run out chances had gone begging against Australia on Saturday, but here they were on it from ball one.

Liam Plunkett and Jonny Bairstow both showed rocket arms from deep to catch out the Afghans while Ben Stokes caught a screamer at slip and Bairstow a fine effort in the deep.

If there was a minor quibble, it was that they allowed Afghanistan off the hook from 92/8 to a more presentable target of 160.

But when Archer returned to finish the job, England were essentially home and hosed.

Jason Roy and Bairstow then continued their red-hot streak at the top of the order – the opening pair are making the magnificent almost appear mundane at this point.

And with Afghanistan chopping and changing their bowlers at will, that meant they even got a good look at the mystery spin of Rashid Khan.

Root joined late on, leaving Morgan back in the hutch to give his fractured finger some much needed rest.

Roy was clearly still enjoying himself however, as are England on the eve of their shot at history on home soil.
 
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So relaxed is Eoin Morgan that he intends to spend tomorrow on the golf course rather than in the nets.

On the evidence of this comprehensive warm-up win over Afghanistan, you can hardly blame him.

England, the No.1 ODI side in the world, look totally ready for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019.

They get things underway on Thursday against South Africa at The Oval, and skipper Morgan – whose finger injury has healed up nicely – insists his side are chomping at the bit.

“We have felt ready for the last week or so, if we didn’t play these warm-up games we still would have been in a position to feel confident to go into that first game,” said Morgan – who was not required to bat and did not take the field to protect his dislocated finger in the nine-wicket win at The Oval.

“When you play as convincingly as that, it builds confidence in the hard work that you do both in training and in the game.

“The other side of it is, it does give you the afternoon and the evening to switch off. You are not playing another close game so there are a lot of positives from today.

“The only thing missing were the two opening bowlers (Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes) who probably would have liked to bowl a bit more.

“I would have liked to bat, that is the reason I played but I will have a hit in the nets here and again Wednesday and be as prepared as ever.

“I am lucky I have spent some time at the crease in the Pakistan series so I feel good.

“Today as a whole we very happy with the performance.”

And how does that compare to four years ago?

He added: “These last three days were quite chaotic four years ago, trying to think about what we were going to do and how we were going to turn things around.

“We had just come out of a tri-series where Australia had beaten us up. We beat India once to get through to the final where we got beaten again.

“We were constantly trying to find a formula that might work in the group stages.

“We did a lot of meetings, chats about how we can get better.

“Whereas tomorrow I am playing a lot of golf, we will practice on Wednesday and then go and play on Thursday.”

Almost every England player will have enjoyed their comprehensive win on Monday.

But none more so than opener Jason Roy who smashed 89 from 46 balls to seal the win – and build confidence for the whole squad according to Morgan.

“When Jason is hitting it as well as that, it not only imposes our game on the opposition but it also feeds right through the changing room,” added Morgan.

“The aggressive, authoritative nature in which he plays builds a lot of confidence

“Jonny (Bairstow) is the same, they impose themselves on the game when they get an opportunity and that is brilliant.”
 
Eng demolishes Afg today.
They can play spin well as they show today.
England vs Australia will be a dream final
 
With world-class players throughout the squad and an unshakeable belief that no score is beyond their reach, Adil Rashid admits it is a special time to be an England player.

England will begin their quest to win their first-ever ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup against South Africa at The Oval on Thursday with a weight of home expectation.

The hosts have risen to the summit of the world rankings since completely revamping their approach to one-day cricket after a disappointing 2015 edition of the tournament.

And despite the pressure being on Eoin Morgan’s side to live up to their headline billing, Rashid insists the players possess unwavering confidence in their ability to get the job done.

“It’s a nice place to be now in this England team, especially with all the players we’ve got around us, and in the past four years we’ve had a lot of success winning series,” he said.

“We jumped up to number one in the world as well, so the last four years have been a good journey and hopefully we can push that bit extra and play on for the next six or seven weeks.

“It’s an exciting feeling being in this team as you have world-class players all around you and the opposition might get 370, but there’s a belief in the dressing room we can chase it down.

“There is no hesitation or someone going, ‘I don’t know about this’, we all have that belief and confidence we can do it. If the openers don’t, number three, four, five six will instead.

“It’s the same all the way down the order, we have that belief that a few years ago we may not have had. Now we’ve got that regardless or the score, 400 or whatever.

“We have got that belief that we can chase it down and that’s a good place to be knowing that you have world class players all around you who can do that.”

Rashid had been an injury doubt for the South Africa match after missing the first warm-up against Australia due to an ongoing shoulder problem.

But the leg-spinner returned to action in the hosts’ final warm-up game against Afghanistan at The Oval on Monday, where England coasted to a comprehensive nine-wicket win.

And the 31-year-old Yorkshire star confirmed he will be fit to face the Proteas while playing down his own importance to England’s hopes of being crowned world champions.

“It’s not just myself, we have the seamers, we have the batsmen, everyone who plays is a match-winner and can change the game like that, so I don’t think of it like that,” he said.

“I’ll try my best and if I don’t take the wickets, a seamer will do the job, we’ve got another spinner in Moeen Ali who can take the wickets, we’ve got Tom Curran or Jofra Archer.

“Whoever it is, they can come in and get the wickets as well, so I don’t really take note on that kind of stuff [the hype]. It’s obviously exciting, but I’ll still just focus on bowling to my strengths.

“I will continue to go through my processes, I can’t let that get to me and think about that. I’ve got to think about working hard, getting my variations in and enjoying the game.

“We’re all eager to get going now, it’s been a long four years since the last World Cup and I think we’re in a good place as a team and as a squad coming into this tournament.

“We will hopefully stick to what we’ve been doing the past four years and hopefully the World Cup will work out well for us. We just need to stick to our strengths as a batting and bowling unit.”
 
England bowler Jofra Archer believes his experience of playing in pressure situations in the Indian Premier League will only benefit him during his first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

England bowler Jofra Archer believes his experience of playing in pressure situations in the Indian Premier League will only benefit him during his first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The 24-year-old, born in Barbados to a British father, was an eleventh hour selection for the hosts’ 15-man squad after only becoming eligible to play for England in March this year.

But having made a name for himself over the past two years in Twenty20 cricket in India and the Big Bash with his electrifying pace with the ball, England could no longer ignore his claim.

And far from appearing nervous about the prospect of making his World Cup bow, Archer is taking it all in his stride as he insists the IPL has prepared him for the biggest stage of them all.

“I don’t know how I’ll feel really until we get started and then I’ll find out but the boys have done all the preparation we need to do and now we’ll just wait and see,” he said.

“I feel I’ve taken to international cricket pretty well so far, it’s not much different than anything I’ve been doing recently so it doesn’t feel like a big transition.

“I’ve played in pressure situations a few times in India during the IPL so I think I know what to look forward to if we do find ourselves in those positions in England.”

Archer claimed three wickets in England’s final warm-up game against Afghanistan despite bowling just 5.4 overs in the comprehensive nine-wicket victory at The Oval.

While the Sussex sensation admits he would have preferred to get more overs under his belt, he stressed the importance of balancing that with staying fresh for the main event.

“I think I’ve only bowled about 20 overs in a month so ideally I would have liked to have got a few more but on the flip side I still need to rest as I’ve had a long year of cricket,” he said.

“I’ve been playing straight through from October so you have to give and take, but I felt good out there and everyone needed a bit of practice out there.

“I think the spinners bowled for a lot longer than they probably usually would have, but as long as the team get what they need then I’m not too worried.

Archer also played down his role as England’s X-factor – a tag bestowed on him by Virat Kohli after England’s newest fast-bowler name-checked India’s captain as one of the prize wickets.

“I don’t really see it like that,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’m targeting his wicket, Virat Kohli is just one of those people you say you want to get out – you want to get out the best batsmen.

“Some days I feel the pressure is good, you’re human and people deal with it in their own way. I deal with it my way, other people might deal with it their own way.

“I don’t think me being relaxed gives me an advantage. On the flip side of that, some of the guys that are a bit nervous can go out there and put everything in their mind.

“It might just help as if you’re too relaxed you may not remember certain things. I don’t think it’s a big advantage but I guess it helps in some situations though.”

And after his new-ball partnership with Chris Woakes continued to flourish against Afghanistan, Archer revealed the duo have already struck up a good understanding with each other.

“I think we bowl well together, we don’t fight for ends either,” he said “We swing the ball opposite ways so we usually don’t normally end up bowling at the same end, which is nice.”
 
Kevin Pietersen knows the moment England became ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup favourites — the day they finally learned to lose.

Four years ago Eoin Morgan’s team suffered a miserable tournament, winning just two of their six games - against Scotland and Afghanistan.

But since then they’ve established themselves as a white ball powerhouse, topping the ODI world rankings as they’ve won 15 of 19 intervening series under coach Trevor Bayliss.

And it’s a change in mindset that Pietersen credits with the transformation of fortunes ahead of the hosts’ opening match with South Africa at the Oval.

“So much credit must go to Eoin Morgan, he’s cool, he’s calm and he has the backing of his players, which is the most important,” said Pietersen, as the tournament kicked off with an opening party under the shadow of Buckingham Palace.

“The players have felt energised by the positivity in which he backs them but I think the most encouraging thing about this England team is Eoin allows them to fail.

“When you are allowed to fail you can play some unbelievable sport. In all walks of life, if you are allowed to make mistakes and know you are still going to get backed, that’s empowering. That is what Morgan has done.”

Pietersen, who won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2010, was established in England’s dressing room when Morgan arrived for his debut in 2009.

But he was never in any doubt what the player would achieve.

“You could see that there was something special about him,” he recalled.

“The one thing about Eoin Morgan is the ability to hit a boundary and then get off strike the next ball. I think that that takes a lot of skill.

“I didn’t have that when I was playing one-day cricket. I got myself into many an occasion where I just could not rotate strike.

“I’m not surprised what he’s done because I was sat on a train with him years ago talking about the way we need to play positive cricket.

“It’s just beautiful to see the way English players are playing now. It’s something that makes me so happy. Eoin has transformed England.”

Pietersen is backing England, India and Australia to make the semi-finals with Jason Holder’s West Indies his outsiders to play beyond their world ranking.

England’s recent success makes them the ones to beat - but Pietersen cautions against believing the trophy is already won.

“You’ve got nine games and you’ve got the comfort to maybe lose a couple but they don’t want to lose that first game against South Africa,” he said. “This is very different from a bilateral series, where you are just playing against team after team. This is big, this is real big.”
 
Yes when you are winning its ok to say we support positive batting, playing strokes and going hard. I bet the same people will be the first to criticise the players if they lose in the final by playing positively(aggressively) and losing their wickets cheaply.
If you dont agree, then try and get in touch with brendon mccullum and see what people said to him after 2015 final.
 
Remember, its the ICC who will look after the pitches, not ECB or counties. If England lose the toss, they will have to bat on early morning juicy wicket where stroke play won't be easy. If they win the toss, they will have to face spin on baked pitches, again won't suit their style of batting.
 
How could England be stopped from winning this World Cup?

This England side has been playing magnificently. 300 runs has been a walk in the park for them. There Par score has been 350.

There batting also goes till no.10 as thats the time when Adil Rashid comes out to bat

Then they have also got Jofra Archer bowling for them and being labelled as the X-Factor

Infact, England has been talking about how they are aiming for the 500 mark, which has never been achieved before.

So in every way it looks like England will be taking the cup, unless something were to happen.

Now how exactly could this English side be stopped?
 
Not our business.
Indian bowling will eat them for breakfast, lunch & dinner.
 
Only Pakistan can. That's why they are unpredictable team. Can lose to weak teams but on a big day defeat the best team in the business.
 
Moeen Ali revealed that Jofra Archer is the fastest bowler he has ever faced after watching the England newcomer rip South Africa apart at The Oval.

The right-arm quick catapulted himself into the England squad on the eve of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and had only made three ODI appearances before tackling the Proteas.

But, touching speeds of 94mph, he accounted for Aiden Markram, captain Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen to finish with 3/27 on his World Cup debut.

He also bowled a sharp bouncer that hit opener Hashim Amla on the head, forcing him to retire hurt. The South African veteran returned later in the innings but the damage by that point had already been done.

Ben Stokes’ stunning catch later snatched the headlines away from Archer but Moeen – who has come up against lightning fast bowlers such as Mitchell Johnson, Tymal Mills and Wahab Riaz in his career – is fully aware of how dangerous he is.

“Jofra is amazing. He just makes good batters do different things, that pace he has is incredible. He is the fastest I have ever faced,” he said.

“It is unbelievable. He gives us that something else, he can win you games even if he goes for a few runs.

“Knowing you have him in your side makes a big difference.”

Ranked first in the word, the pressure was on England at The Oval and they got off to a disappointing start – losing Jonny Bairstow to just the second ball of the tournament when he nicked leg-spinner Imran Tahir behind.

Yet they recovered to post 311/8, thanks to four players making half-centuries, led by Stokes’ 89.

That appeared to be about par at the interval but Archer’s express pace, along with the savvy spin of Moeen and Adil Rashid, saw off South Africa for 207.

The hosts next face Pakistan at Trent Bridge and Moeen says they can now relax after getting through their first major test.

“I felt, losing the toss and with it being a 10.30 start, that there was a lot of pressure. More than we have ever faced. We would have liked to have chased,” he said.

“To bat like that showed we really adapted to the wicket and it was great, I thought the guys did really well on what was a tough wicket.

“Everyone was a bit nervous. I was on the balcony watching and I think the pressure with being the home side and the No.1 side in the world was always going to be on.

“The guys played really well, it was a massive win for us. At one point, we were thinking 260 or 270 would be a good score and then we ended with 310. We are delighted.”
 
Australia can stop England and they actually did beat them in the warm up game
 
England must avoid pressing the panic button after crashing to a 14-run defeat by Pakistan in their second match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, according to Joe Root.

England’s Test captain enjoyed the distinction of scoring the first hundred of the competition and appeared to be steering his side towards victory before he and fellow centurion Jos Buttler were removed in quick succession and the tail-enders were unable to repair the damage.

“We had done a lot of hard work to rebuild and get ourselves in a position to win the game so I was bitterly disappointed to get out when I did,” said Root after the host nation and tournament favourites finished on 334/9 in reply to Pakistan’s 348/8 at Trent Bridge.

“Maybe we had left ourselves a little bit too much to do at the back end but the most important thing now for us as a group is not to panic. We know what works for us as a formula, and as a team, but other sides are allowed to play well and we've got to make sure we learn quickly and bounce back.”

England’s next match is against Bangladesh in Cardiff on Saturday and Root believes it is imperative the squad maintain full confidence in the methods that have lifted them to No.1 in the ODI rankings.

“The temptation is to get a little bit tense but one of our great strengths as a side is sticking to the way we go about things and be as smart as possible,” said the 28-year-old Yorkshire batsman after registering the 15th ODI century of his career.

“The beauty of this format is that I do believe the best four teams over the tournament will qualify for the semi-finals and we've got to make sure we play some good cricket in our remaining games.

“One thing this side doesn't do very often is to make the same mistake twice and I'm sure the guys will make sure it's a very different performance against Bangladesh. In the field we definitely weren't as good as we were in the first game (against South Africa), that's for sure, and that's a good marker for us.”

He and Buttler shared a stand of 130 for the fifth wicket and Root said the key was for him to give the swashbuckling England wicketkeeper as much of the strike as possible.

“You can't really describe the way he plays – it's a bit freakish, isn't it?,” added Root in reference to Buttler’s 75-ball century, the fifth fastest in World Cup history.

“He's got the ability to do things other guys can't do. He's a great person for me to bat with. When he strikes it like that, you can see bowlers tense up sometimes because they always feel they are under pressure. I feel like he's growing all the time as a player and getting better. It's a really good sign for the group that he's played the way he did.

“That was a really good partnership and it felt as if we would be there at the end, but it was probably going to take one of us to be not out (for us to win).”
 
Two matches into this World Cup and we know we are in for an almighty battle in every single game we play.

That is just as we expected before the tournament began, but we have felt it now and tasted both sides of the coin with a win and a loss that’s given us something to think about.


It is still early in the tournament for England and we mustn’t overreact to the defeat, but it goes without saying your last game counts for nothing when you start the next one.

If you do well in one game, it doesn’t mean you will do well in the next. You’ve got to make sure you don’t get ahead of yourself and just try to stay in the moment.

It is all well and good being the favourites and one of the stronger teams out there but if you don’t turn up on the day and outplay the opposition then it doesn’t matter what the bookies think, you will get beaten.

We know if we play our best all round game then we will probably beat every team out there, but the key is making sure we turn up every day and we each play close to our best game of cricket.

Against South Africa in the opening match it all came together with a decent score with the bat and then a bowling and fielding performance that were as strong as we could have hoped for. That was us setting the standard for the tournament and after all the hype and the build up, that is exactly what we wanted to do.

Against Pakistan on Monday, we let ourselves down with our fielding and it cost us. When we came off the field after losing, it was pretty obvious where the whole team were disappointed – the fielding.

That is what Morgs talked about in the changing room after the match. We can’t let our standards drop off the way they did. In cricket, we’ve seen it before, if you start off poorly in the field it can become contagious and it can leak over into the whole 50 overs and when you lose a game on the back of a fielding performance it really does hurt.

You’ve got to play your best game in each match at this World Cup or you’ll get taken down and we’re well aware of that fact.

I didn’t think we were that bad in the bowling and batting departments.

I was especially pleased for Mark Wood, coming into the side for his first World Cup match and delivering a really strong performance with the ball along with Moeen Ali.

A chase of 349 wasn’t something that we were too worried about and even when we were 118-4 there was still the belief that we could win. Rooty and Jos played a couple of terrific innings to get us right in the mix, but we lost wickets at the crucial time.

Pakistan put in a big performance after their run of defeats and were up for the scrap big time as I feel the sub-continent teams always are. When we play India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh they are such competitive teams and they will be in the contest right till the end.

It is clear that teams will all raise their games against us as the host nation and the favourites, and we have to cope with that, but that is something we’re ready for.

Bangladesh are next for us on Saturday. They have started well too so it will be another big game, and one where we expect our standards to be sky high across the board.

I’ve been a bit taken aback by the responses to that catch in the deep at the Oval, especially on social media where I’ve been sent videos by parents saying ‘This is my daughter or son who is trying to emulate that catch you took.’

It has been really humbling to see it resonate with so many people.

ned in just a normal series it would not have got the attention it has, but because it is the World Cup it is a much bigger deal.

It is brilliant to see the impact you can have, and it is really great to see people trying to recreate the catch.

But what I would say to all the youngsters is, just make sure you’re in the right position and then it might not be quite as difficult as I made it!

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/ben-stokes-englands-cricket-world-16254856
 
Chris Woakes: Confidence intact despite Pakistan loss

Chris Woakes admits the hurt of defeat will only inspire England as they look to return to winning ways at the World Cup.

The world No.1 side produced an uncharacteristically poor fielding performance as they lost by 14 runs to Pakistan - a team without a win in 11 ODI matches - at Trent Bridge.

Woakes was the only stand-out in the field, taking four catches, equalling the tournament record for an outfielder, including a spectacular sprawling effort to dismiss Iman-ul-Haq.

But he insists no-one is hitting the panic button ahead of Saturday’s clash with an experienced Bangladesh team, who beat South Africa in their first fixture.

“It’s a long tournament, we are going to have ups and downs, it’s about how you bounce back,” he said.

“We aren’t putting any extra pressure on ourselves, we’ll just be looking to still playing our best cricket in every game.

“We’re confident but I think the beauty of this World Cup is that anyone can beat anyone on their day, as we’ve seen with Pakistan.

“Whenever you lose a game for England it hurts, you’re constantly trying to put in strong performances for your country. We will try and put that right against Bangladesh.

“To be honest you probably want to lose one earlier rather than later in the fashion that we have. You don’t want to produce a performance like we did against Pakistan in a more high-pressure game – maybe a must-win or something.

“The good thing about this group is that when we’ve had a bad performance or lost a game of cricket, we bounce back very well, so hopefully we can do that.”

There were positives from England from their opening defeat. Joe Root and Jos Buttler scored the first centuries of the tournament and the hosts got within just 14 runs of completing the biggest run chase in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup history.

But from the very first over there were mis-fields and overthrows and one very expensive dropped catch - Jason Roy, usually the safest hands on the team, shelling a regulation effort and then seeing Mohammad Hafeez go from 14 to 84.

“A few days ago, against South Africa, we put in an unbelievable fielding performance. We know that’s our standard, so whenever you drop below that, you’re always going to be a little bit disappointed,” added Woakes. “I don’t think it was a car crash by any means, we just left a few out there.

“Fielding creates momentum for a team – if you’re fielding well, constantly taking diving stops, stopping those twos and putting the position batsman under pressure then it makes a difference.

“We will get back on the practice field, put in a hard shift and try and practice some of the things you didn’t get quite right.”

England captain Eoin Morgan dropped Liam Plunkett from his seam attack at Trent Bridge, Woakes partnering with Jofra Archer and the recalled Mark Wood.

Woakes took three wickets in addition to his four catches but knows Morgan will continue to manage his bowler’s workload in a demanding schedule of matches.

“I thought I came back pretty well to pick up three wickets at the end and I thought my final spell was actually pretty good,” he added. “I still could’ve bowled better, no doubt about that.”

ICC Media Release
 
Joe Root urged England to keep calm and carry on after a surprise 14-run defeat by Pakistan at Trent Bridge on Monday checked its progress at the World Cup.

Both Root and Jos Buttler scored hundreds but Pakistan still managed to end a run of 11 straight losses in completed One-Day Internationals — including a 4-0 series defeat by England — with a well-deserved win.

But with all 10 teams playing each other in the round-robin group stage, one defeat is by no means the end of England’s latest bid to win the men’s World Cup for the first time. Root now expects England, the world’s top-ranked ODI side, to bounce back strongly against Bangladesh in Cardiff on Saturday.

“The most important thing now for us as a group is not to panic,” he told reporters.

‘Don’t make mistakes twice’

“We know what works for us as a formula, and as a team, but other sides are allowed to play well and we’ve got to make sure we learn quickly and bounce back at Cardiff. The temptation is to get a little bit tense, but one of our great strengths as a side is sticking to the way we go about things and be as smart as possible.

“And the beauty of this format is I do believe the best four teams over the tournament will qualify for the semifinals and we’ve got to make sure we play some good cricket in our remaining games.”

The Test captain insisted: “One thing this side doesn’t do very often is to make the same mistake twice and I’m sure the guys will make sure it’s a very different performance against Bangladesh.”

Pakistan’s 348 for eight — in marked contrast to a total of 105 all against the West Indies in its tournament opener — left England needing a new record for the highest successful World Cup run-chase if it was to win on Monday. It lost early wickets, however, on the way to 118 for four before Root (107) and Buttler (103) gave it hope with a partnership of 130.

England, however, was ultimately made to pay for an unusually sloppy display in the field. Mohammad Hafeez was dropped by Jason Roy on 14 — a sitter of a chance at mid-off — before top-scoring for Pakistan with 84 while England gave away runs with several overthrows and mis-fields.

It was all so different from England’s fine fielding effort during a 104-run thrashing of South Africa in last week’s first match of this World Cup.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...kistan-icc-world-cup-2019/article27436659.ece
 
Mark Wood believes England are the team everyone wants to beat at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Wood missed the hosts’ opening day win over South Africa but returned to the squad for the 14-run defeat by Pakistan at Trent Bridge, a team without a win in their 11 previous one day matches.

And that means the pressure is right on the world number one side ahead of Saturday’s match with Bangladesh in Cardiff.

“We’re the favourites, the home side and that’s a huge target on our backs, everyone wants to beat England,” said Wood.

“That Pakistan match is the past now. What we’ve done so well as a team in recent years is bounce back and that’s our only thought right now. We need to put on a real show against Bangladesh, we’ve got to stamp down some authority back on the tournament.”

England captain Eoin Morgan blamed a lacklustre fielding performing for the loss at Trent Bridge but Wood insists they’ll be no panic from the skipper.

“When we lose, he doesn't get too low,” he added.

"The best thing is that the captain is quite calm, he just addressed where we weren't good enough and we’ll move on.

"There are lessons learned but this isn't a thing where we say we need to change the wheel. We've been so used to winning that when you do lose, it's not a nice feeling.”

England players have had two days off since their defeat in Nottingham, with an optional net session on Thursday followed by a full training session 24 hours later.

Wood replaced Surrey seamer Liam Plunkett in their last match as Morgan looked for a little extra pace to ruffle the Pakistan top order, a tactic that didn’t pay off.

"Cardiff is a place with big square boundaries and Liam has bowled well there in the past so perhaps he would come back in,” he admitted. “It's just who for or which bowler might be left out, I don't think my place is guaranteed."
 
Will playing spin prove to be England's Achilles heel in ICC World Cup 2019?

Reading this from Graeme Swann:


But they put Pakistan in and they put 350 on the board, surprised us with new tactics of opening with leg spinners and they got their reward with the wickets of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow.’

Roy was one of four England batsmen to score fifty in last week’s victory over South Africa, while Bairstow made a fluent 32 in the defeat to Pakistan.

With both players superb against pace, World Cup teams appear to be ready to test England’s openers out with spin at the start of the innings. And Swann added:

‘Batting-wise, teams may have worked out the England opening pair a touch and do not be surprised to see every other team taking this option [spin] against us throughout the tournament.

‘Bairstow and Roy are very instinctive players who do like facing the quicks and the ball coming fast onto the bat. Both batsmen are good at playing spin, they’re just not quite as explosive as they are against pace.


Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/06/engl...defeat-says-graeme-swann-9825315/?ito=cbshare
 
Playing spin and bowling on flat wickets are their weaknesses mostly their strong batting line up can cover their weak points but in the recent past Pakistan West Indies have made big scores and Scotland last year scored 370 against them.
Adil Rashid bowled poorly against Pakistan offering plenty of hit me balls giving Pakistan momentum to post 350 they will have to improve their bowling on flat wickets if they are to go all the way.
 
But how will England counter the spin threat to their openers?
 
We are England are against the Mighty Tigers, expect a blitzkreig knock from Tamim and a double ton from brother Soumya. This will be the biggest upset of the tournament.
 
MenInG said:
But how will England counter the spin threat to their openers?
Click to expand...

Don't get over confident and too cute play the ball on merit and try to preserve your wicket.
Roy played round a full straight ball sweeping was risky for at most couple of runs play conventional cricket and use your feet whenever possible to put the pressure back on the bowler.
 
7 June - Cardiff - England Captain Eoin Morgan pre-match press conference

Q. You've had a few days to reflect on Trent Bridge. What's been said, and how confident are you that you can get the show back on the road here?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, all we've talked about is sticking to what we do well, looking at our strengths. Previous to the tournament starting, we talked about losing games, how we would react and what would we counter that with, and everything goes back to focussing on ourselves and our strengths and how we wins games at cricket and how we get the best out of ourselves.

Q. Looking at the conditions, is there a good case of playing out a seamer and bringing Liam Plunkett back on to the team?
EOIN MORGAN: There could be. Obviously another day where the wicket is under the covers, wickets that have been played on here so far have been a grant bit greener and probably seamer-friendly. So that's a potential, yeah.

Q. What about Bangladesh, they have beaten England in the last two World Cups and they have just beaten South Africa. How difficult could this match be?
EOIN MORGAN: It is going to be a difficult game. They are a good side. I think people underestimate them. We certainly don't. They are a side that has played a lot of cricket. Their senior players, especially, have played a lot of games, even more so than our senior players.

So they are a threat. But hopefully we can play well and overcome it.

Q. And just finally, after that defeat by Pakistan, how much pressure are you feeling coming into this game?
EOIN MORGAN: None. It's a game we lost. We didn't deserve -- we didn't deserve to win the game. We didn't play well enough. We played some really good cricket. Two guys scored a hundred. We nearly chased down 350, so yeah.

Q. Before this tournament, it's a long time before you get to games where you feel like they are must-win, and if you stand two wins from three, it's easy to feel confident, and if you're one win from three, feels like a bit of a problem. Is that true?
EOIN MORGAN: I think the process still remains the same. We're heavily process-driven and focussing on ourselves and what we do. If that happens to be the case where we don't win the next couple of games, we'll still need to win the following game. The priority still remains the same. It's what you can do to win the next game. Our next game is tomorrow. It's our focus.

Q. In a weird kind of way, is it harder to deal with defeat when you lose so early?
EOIN MORGAN: No, I think it presents a huge opportunity to learn more about your game and to try and improve. I think games where we've been defeated, probably heavily in the past, we've probably learnt the most, because we've still managed to stay in the game. We've remained in a head space where we believe we can still win the game, and that shows, probably a lot more to us than to our supporters, what they don't see all the time. They see an exciting team the majority of the time, and when we lose games, we want to see character. We want to see another side of our game, so yeah.

Q. I just wanted to ask about Bangladesh. We have all observed their kind of general progress. For years, they were thought of as being underdogs, and maybe that was lazy from our point of view or whatever. Do you actually see them as potential winners of this competition? Are they good enough to be world champs?
EOIN MORGAN: It's difficult to say, particularly at this early stage. They played well against South Africa. They put New Zealand under pressure. They are a side with a huge amount of potential.

I think if you look back at probably the earliest recognition, I remember them making a step forward, I think they played Australia in 2005 where they went close or might have even won.

So sort of since then, they have been exposed to a lot more cricket and they have become a better side, particularly at home.

Q. The last game against Pakistan, two players were fined. One was perhaps engaged with the crowd and a few mutters about the state of the ball. Do you think you were distracted more so than normal?
EOIN MORGAN: No. The ball situation, the umpire's constantly monitor the ball. They did for both sides. A couple of guys got fined; that happens. A little bit emotionally driven, which is expected in a World Cup. You want to see that in guys.

But I didn't see anything distracting us more so.

Q. You have just spoken about sticking to your strengths and focussing on our game, do you feel like did you that like you always do?
EOIN MORGAN: Probably we lacked a bit in the field. I mentioned it after the game, and that still remains the case. So hopefully we put in a better performance tomorrow in the field.

Q. You already said that Bangladesh is a threat for you. Can you (be) specific, which area you feel (that) threat?
EOIN MORGAN: Their strongest areas: They are good with the bat. They are strong with the top. They have good spinners and good seamers. So they are a good side.

Q. Since the last World Cup, we have seen a new England team, especially in limited overs. Do you think after that match in Adelaide against Bangladesh, in 2015 World Cup, after that match, after losing that helped a lot to change the England in limited overs?
EOIN MORGAN: Not particularly that fixture. I probably would have said the --

Q. Being knocked out after that match.
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, we got knocked out after that match (Laughter).

Q. What did you think about it?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, we got knocked out after that match. I don't -- can you go back to the question, please?

Q. Feels last World Cup, we have seen a new England team in limited overs. Do you think after the World Cup, especially in that match, after losing in Adelaide --
EOIN MORGAN: So not especially that match. I think big contributions to that were the New Zealand game in Wellington. So big contributions to us making a step forward and making big decisions --

Q. No, in Adelaide. After Bangladesh, after losing --
EOIN MORGAN: I was there.

Q. That helped to change that England team in last four years?
EOIN MORGAN: That helped us, no. (Laughter).

Q. Have you reached the stage where you look at anybody else's results at the moment, things like Australia winning their first two, or is it a bit too early still?
EOIN MORGAN: No, I think being a World Cup year and everybody loving cricket -- majority of the guys will keep an eye on the results regardless. We talk about the changing room about certain things that happen, certain trends. That's part of being open to try and learn throughout the tournament.

Yeah, guys are watching the majority of the games.

Q. We've seen in the first two games, the opposition opening up with spin. Bangladesh have the options to do that, as well. Do you feel like Jonny and Jason are quite keen to put that one to bed and show that there's no particular weakness there?
EOIN MORGAN: No, I think it's just another challenge that the two guys have been presented with. I'm sure that they will kick on. It's like anything, when the ball swings, it's a new challenge. Guys fall short, it's a new challenge. Mystery spin, is a new challenge. Bangladesh will open with spin, definitely.

Q. After that game in Adelaide, did you think your one-day captaincy was over before it really began?
EOIN MORGAN: I didn't really know, is the honest answer. And probably after the Afghanistan game in that period, probably for the next month or so, I didn't know.

Q. But it was a watershed moment from the journey you've had since.
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, it wasn't that game in particular. We weren't humiliated. We were beaten, again, by a better team. They deserved to win that night. The humiliating games were games that happened previous to that. Games we might have been competitive and were blown away.

Q. The team looked a wee bit anxious, maybe in, that last game. Firstly; that a fair observation, and secondly, have you done anything differently in the last few days to get back towards the environment where, I don't know, it's fearless?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, I wouldn't say we were anxious. I think it's natural to feel different in different games, in particular. But I wouldn't say that we were over, like more anxious than normal. For the last couple of days for us, it's been a case of getting away from the game. There's been a bit of rain around, so we chose to train yesterday, as opposed to having an off. But we feel our prep is good.

Q. When you look outside and see weather like this and forced to train inside, I think the forecast is pretty shoddy for the next week or so. Do you start to worry about the impact it might have on your tournament and whether there might be different permutations that come into play, rather than having nine results, if you like?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, I think the weather will have an impact. It's something we spoke about, having the tournament at home, it will impact it at some stage. We do want it to turn, because it has a big impact on every team.

We've seen that two years ago in the Champions Trophy. Australia only played one game, which is not what you want in a competition, and it has a big effect on how the wickets will play and be prepared and the groundsmen have an extremely difficult job preparing three wickets, as opposed to just one, for one game.

So I think everybody would like to see it turn.
 
Eoin Morgan focused on England returning to winning ways against Bangladesh

Four years ago, defeat by Bangladesh sent England crashing out of the World Cup and left Eoin Morgan wondering if his captaincy was over before it had ever really begun.

Much has changed since then however, as Morgan has helped England become the No.1 ODI side in the world and favourites to claim the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 on home soil this summer.

The journey to claim their maiden World Cup crown has made a topsy-turvy start however, an impressive win over South Africa followed by a narrow loss to Pakistan.

Game three turns attentions to a drizzly Cardiff and a rematch with Bangladesh – who also beat England in the 2011 edition of the tournament.

But it is going to take a lot more than the Trent Bridge defeat by Pakistan to derail England this time around – according to their skipper.

“All we have talked about is sticking to what we do well,” he said.

“Even before the tournament, we talked about losing games, how we would react and what we would counter that with.

“It goes back to focusing on ourselves and our strengths and how we can get the best out of ourselves.”

Cardiff has proved seamer-friendly so far in this year’s World Cup, New Zealand’s bowlers exploiting the conditions well to down Sri Lanka before the latter did the same to see off Afghanistan.

Liam Plunkett looks likely to return to the England side therefore, and Morgan insists his side have not missed a step despite the Pakistan defeat.

“We didn’t deserve to win the game. But we played some really good cricket, two guys scored a hundred and we nearly chased down 350," he added.

“We lacked a bit in the field. And that still remains the case. Hopefully we put in a better showing in the field.

“But defeat presents a huge opportunity to learn more about your game and improve.

“Games where we have been defeated heavily have been the ones where we learned the most.

“We still managed to stay in the game, we remained in a headspace where we still believed in winning the game.

“That shows a lot more to ourselves, probably more than to our supporters, they don’t see that all the time. They see an exciting team the majority of the time. But when we lose we see our character, the other side of our game.”

And after seeing off South Africa and pushing New Zealand all the way, Bangladesh are a serious threat that Morgan is not going to underestimate.

“It is going to be a difficult game. They are a good side and I think people underestimate them. We certainly don’t,” he added.

“They are a side that has played a lot of cricket, their senior players especially have played a lot of games, more so than our senior players so they are a threat. Hopefully we can play well and overcome them.

“I remember them making their earliest impression, against Australia in 2005.

“Since then they have been exposed to a lot more cricket and have become a better side.

“We were beaten by a better team in 2015. They deserved to win that night.”
 
Liam Plunkett, the England fast bowler, hopes his team bounce back when they take on Bangladesh on Saturday, 8 June, in the 12th match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019.

England have already experienced two contrasting results in the early stage of the World Cup: their convincing victory against South Africa was followed by a wake-up call against Pakistan. Plunkett, who missed out against Pakistan on Monday, believes his team will come back strongly when they take on Bangladesh in Cardiff.

“Maybe there were a few nerves at Trent Bridge," Plunkett said. "We were not at our best and we let ourselves down in the field. We have had a couple of days off. Hopefully we can start again fresh.”

Against Pakistan at Trent Bridge, England had to deal with a crowd that was vocal in their support for Sarfaraz Ahmed's men. Against Bangladesh, they can again expect a good section of the crowd to support their opponents. Plunkett backed the players to dig into their experience of playing in big tournaments across the world and not succumb to mental games.

“Pakistan are pretty good like that – they can get niggly. Similarly Bangladesh, India, they’re good at doing that, [like] appealing quite a lot. It’s just the way they like to play their cricket.

"But we’ve played in big competitions, guys have played around the world – at the Indian Premier League and Big Bash in front of big crowds – so it shouldn’t be too much. It's just about getting involved in the game, taking out the crowd and the other team to just try and do your job.”

Bangladesh, who ended England's World Cup campaign in 2015, announced themselves with a resounding win in their opening game against South Africa. Plunkett believed the result wasn't a shock, adding that their opponents on Saturday have a strong set of players.

"We saw Bangladesh beat South Africa and it wasn't a shock defeat," Plunkett said. "I remember when they beat England way back when and it was a shock defeat. But there are no real shock defeats in this competition. They're a strong squad."

https://www.cricketworldcup.com/news/en/1238289
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Eoin Morgan on the defeat to Pakistan "we didn't deserve to win the game, we didn't play well enough" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a> <a href="https://t.co/DAwSseNxL7">pic.twitter.com/DAwSseNxL7</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1137086079004303360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Injury to Jos Buttler - hopefully not too serious
 
Heather Knight: Jason Roy sets the tone for this England team


It is up to the opening batsmen or the opening bowlers to set the tone in a match and Jason Roy certainly did that against Bangladesh. Coming off the game against Pakistan, it was important for England to bounce back and it was probably quite a good toss to lose.

I was impressed with the way Roy and Jonny Bairstow reined in their natural game early on to get a feel for the conditions. We’ve become so used to the guys at the top of the innings setting the platform, and Roy getting 153 in about 35 overs was brilliant.

That is now seven scores of 300 in a row, and that comes from the depth they have in the batting line-up with so many different contributors. In some ways it’s a self-fulfilling because they have so many options that the pressure is off the individual and they can play with greater freedom.

Jos Buttler didn’t keep after hurting himself in England’s innings, but I’d have probably popped my hip if I had tried that sort of shot. It’s a long tournament so it makes sense that they didn’t want to take a risk with him, particularly with a keeper like Jonny Bairstow ready to step in.

I was impressed by the bowlers and the way they responded after the Pakistan game. Jofra Archer bounced back really well and that ball he bowled to get rid of Soumya Sarkar was incredible.

That was the most eye-catching moment, but we shouldn’t overlook the way he came back at the end to finish off the job. There was even a knuckle ball in there which I’m not sure I’ve seen before, even though I’ve spent a fair bit of time watching him in the Big Bash.

Between Jofra and Mark Wood you have two guys bowling more than 90mph, and I think Ben Stokes was pretty close as well. Pace has been an important part of this World Cup and England have a number of options in that department which will be vital on some of the flatter wickets.

The good thing now is that England have a few days off before playing the West Indies in Southampton and that is where they will see the benefits of a home World Cup. The players will be able to get away from the intensity of the competition, go home and get refreshed before they have to come back into it.

That is vital because it is a long tournament and you have to be able to manage the team to peak at the right time. I’ll be at the game against the West Indies and I can’t wait. The teams played out a brilliant one-day series earlier this year in the Caribbean with sixes all over the place.

The West Indies have got a few players back, and have looked an exciting team so far, so it has the potential to be a really entertaining game. Hopefully England can push on and get another win.
 
Three wins from three is a major confidence boost for New Zealand – but the next game against India is simply massive.

To be able to go into that one with six points is a big boost and while the wins were probably expected, they can still be really satisfied with getting over the line and setting up a really great game.

You know that matches against India are going to have a great atmosphere and be a real pressure situation.

India are perhaps the best team in the world and it’s exciting to play in front of a big-match crowd that is so into the game and so passionate about cricket.

Lots of the guys will have experienced that in the sub-continent but to have that in England is going to be something that’s new to them and something they need to get used to as the tournament goes on, particularly if they want to reach those semi-finals.

Because they’ve performed so well for a long time, New Zealand won’t be defined by the result or performance in this game, win or lose.

They’ll back themselves to be consistent throughout the tournament so irrespective of how individual games or moments go, they’ll back themselves to be able to deliver in the next game as well.

It’s a World Cup, if you put yourself under pressure then you make things difficult, but now with three wins they’ve been able to afford themselves some luxuries.

The win against Afghanistan last time was once again impressive, everybody played their part in a positive performance.

But the real stand-out came from Jimmy Neesham and Lockie Ferguson, nine wickets between them is a really impressive performance, and Neesham’s figures in particular were amazing.

If everyone’s honest, they probably see Jimmy’s role as to fill in a few overs here and there, keep things tight and to pick up the odd wicket here or there if he can.

But if he can become a match-winner like he has in this game, New Zealand will take that every day of the week.

The fact that he got five wickets didn’t surprise me, despite his record – it was the fact he got five of the Afghanistan top seven.

He had the opportunity to bowl early and for him to go on and be regular wicket-taker through that innings, it’s not something Kane Williamson would have expected but it’s a big boost for him to have that.

You can see New Zealand want to go with two all-rounders and they really back their batting, so these types of performances just give them another option for how they play their game.

It takes pressure off the other bowlers – not all of them can and will perform on any given day so to have those options and for different people to be threatening could be really significant.

It was interesting to see that Mitch Santner didn’t bowl, particularly with how he went in the win over Bangladesh.

As a spinner you always want to bowl when you’re in form so he may have been a little disappointed, but it’s credit to the pace bowlers that he wasn’t needed this time around.
 
Trevor Bayliss insists England have the capacity to thrive – not just survive – against West Indies’ rapid fast bowlers when the two lock horns on Friday.

Pace is the talk of the town ahead of the meeting at the Hampshire Bowl, with the Caribbean side boasting four players who can top 90mph.

Oshane Thomas and Sheldon Cottrell are in particularly good form, the former terrorising Pakistan in their opening ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup game, with the latter bamboozling South Africa in the washed-out contest on Monday.

England have a pair of in-form quicks of their own in Jofra Archer and Mark Wood and the two sides could not be split in their recent ODI series – drawing 2-2 in the Caribbean.

“We can handle anything that is thrown at us,” he said.

“I have not seen too many with express pace here just yet but we have a couple of good ones too so I expect it to be *** for tat,” head coach Bayliss said.

“We will have to play at our best to come away with a win. In the Caribbean, we were a little bit up and down. They bowled fast but then Mark Wood made a few of their guys jump up and down.

“The wicket here is reasonably flat and it has been in the past. There have been a few more wickets in the World Cup then there has been in the last few years so I expect the fast bowlers are rubbing their hands together.”

Bayliss has a few selection headaches, despite being optimistic about Jos Buttler’s fitness.

The vice-captain hurt his hip while batting against Bangladesh but appears to have overcome the complaint – even if Bayliss is unsure if he will keep wicket.

"I haven't really thought about it. We'll make that decision in the next day or so," he said.

"It was a little bit precautionary the other day. He said he could have kept, but he wasn't really sure if he would be able to run after a high catch."

All-rounder Moeen Ali is also pushing for a recall and Bayliss has often deployed two spinners at the Hampshire Bowl in the past, increasing the prospect that the off-spinner will come in and join Adil Rashid.

Spin has accounted for just six of the 28 wickets England have taken so far, with Moeen left out against Bangladesh and Rashid suffering a shoulder injury in the build-up to the tournament, but Bayliss is not yet concerned.

“Early in the tournament, or prior to it, he [Rashid] had a niggle in the shoulder but he has got over that and in the last couple of weeks he has not had a problem,” he added.

“What he needs is more bowling, whether that is in the nets or in the games. I don’t think the wickets have necessarily been an advantage for the spinners yet.

“As we go through the tournament, when it might be drier and drier wickets I expect he will come into his own.”
 
Fast bowler Wood a fitness doubt for England but Moeen back in contention

Eoin Morgan revealed England are sweating on the fitness of Mark Wood ahead of Friday’s clash against the West Indies, with the fast bowler battling an ankle injury.

The 29-year-old has taken four wickets at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 but his ankle flared up after their 106-run win against Bangladesh last Saturday.

Wood is used to the problem, with his ankles the cause of several lengthy spells on the sidelines, and, although this is only a minor problem, his potential absence would be a blow against a lively West Indies batting line-up.

Wood, in conjunction with fellow 90mph bowler Jofra Archer, has the potential to terrorise batsmen and their battle with big-hitting West Indies opener Chris Gayle is a mouth-watering prospect.

However, he is England’s only doubt with off-spinner Moeen Ali available following the birth of his daughter, Haadiya, earlier this week while vice-captain Jos Buttler is expected to keep wicket following a hip problem.

Morgan said: “Jos is fully fit. Mark Wood will have a fitness test in the morning, nothing too serious from Cardiff.

“His ankle is swollen. He has not bowled for two days so we will see how he is, if he is sore then we may not take the risk.

“Mo’s wife gave birth to a baby girl, all healthy and well, so it is great to see him back. We might go with four seamers or two spinners, whichever is more effective.

“With seamers, it is always about the balance to take on the West Indies.”

While England wait on news of Wood’s availability, all eyes will be on his fellow fast bowler Archer – playing against the nation of his birth for the first time.

The 24-year-old, born in Barbados, has made an explosive start to international cricket with England and Morgan, who played 23 ODI matches for Ireland before switching allegiances, insists he will not be overawed.

“Jofra has been very consistent over a long period of time, since he came to Sussex,” he said.

“It is great he is in an England shirt. It does feel different the first time you play against a side you could have played for. I am sure he will handle it.

He added: “I did not find it difficult [against Ireland for the first time]. It was a different challenge, rather than a difficult one.”

Always a dangerous opponent, the West Indies are the only country at this World Cup not to have lost to England in their most recent ODI series against them.

The two sides drew 2-2 in an enthralling battle in the Caribbean earlier this year and Morgan is under no illusions what his side will face – hostile, fast bowlers and big, hulking batsman.

“They are a strong outfit, we expect the same tomorrow,” he said.

“They are explosive with the bat and a different challenge with the ball. The seamers are tall and they hit the wicket hard, for most of the time they play with one spinner.”

ICC media release
 
13 June - Southampton - England Captain Eoin Morgan pre-match press conference

Q. Is Jos Buttler fully fit?

EOIN MORGAN: Jos is fully fit. Mark Wood is going to have a fitness test in the morning. Nothing too serious. He pulled up a little bit sore from the game in Cardiff so he is the only concern at the moment.

Q. What is the nature of his soreness, injury?

EOIN MORGAN: His ankle is a little bit sore, I think.

Q. So you think you will maybe rest him as a precaution?

EOIN MORGAN: It depends. We haven't bowled pretty much for two days, or he hasn't bowled, so he will have to see how he bowls and if it is still sore, we probably won't take a risk.

Q. In terms of Jos, is he good to keep as well?

EOIN MORGAN: Yes, he's fully fit.

Q. Moeen Ali comes back in?

EOIN MORGAN: Yes, great news obviously. Mo's wife gave birth to a baby girl, all healthy and well so it's great to see him back.

Q. What is the decision you have got to make in terms of the seamer that makes way? What will go into that decision?

EOIN MORGAN: Whether we feel we might go with four, like we did in Cardiff, or two spinners might be more effective.

And the decision behind what seamers is always a balance to be good enough to win the game against the West Indies.

Q. We can hear the rain pummelling down now. It is starting to have a big impact on this tournament. Is there any concern for you looking ahead that it might impact your chances of making the semifinals?

EOIN MORGAN: I don't think the rain will be the reason we don't make the semifinals. I think today's probably the last of the significant rain for the next few days. I know the last three days I think haven't been great for sides trying to get games in.

But at some stage during the tournament we will be hit by a small bit of rain. It's great that it's not too much and, hopefully, it doesn't impact one team more than twice.

Q. What is your feeling on the fact there are no reserve days? Do you think it is fair?

EOIN MORGAN: Yes, I do think it is fair. The tournament is quite a long tournament as it is. I think to have reserve days in the group stages is too much. I do think later in the tournament they are necessary, but for group stage games it's part and parcel of being anywhere in the world the fact that it might rain at some stage.

Q. How highly do you rate this West Indies side? We saw in the winter both teams pushing each other all the way, what do you make of them?

EOIN MORGAN: They are a strong outfit. We expect the exact same tomorrow. They are explosive with the bat. And a different challenge with the ball. A lot of their seamers are quite tall and look to hit the wicket and obviously the majority of the time they only play one spinner, so that is going to be the challenge here.

Q. For Jofra Archer is this the perfect opportunity to show them what they missed?

EOIN MORGAN: No, I think that sort of opportunity has been gone for some time now. Jofra's been very consistent over a long period of time since he came to Sussex. It is great that he's in an England shirt at the moment.

He won't know how it will feel until he plays the game tomorrow. I think being in that position myself it does feel different the first time you play against a side that either you could have potentially played for or played for. But I'm sure he will handle it like he's handled everything else so far.

Q. From what you have seen of Jofra -- and you have worked with him in an England context -- do you think the opportunities are more likely to inspire him rather than intimidate him?

EOIN MORGAN: Every challenge he's come up against so far he's come out the other side really well. So let's see how it goes. We are not expecting anything majorly different.

Q. It's always interesting how cricket kind of evolves, isn't it, and what we thought maybe would a match-winning combination for any team at the start of a World Cup, maybe changes as the World Cup begins. Fast bowling has really been a big part of the World Cup so far?

EOIN MORGAN: It has.

Q. It proves you need to have a fast bowler at your disposal?

EOIN MORGAN: Yes, if not one, two. Even the game yesterday, Australia against Pakistan. The big impact was when it Starc came back at the end of the innings to take those wickets.

Q. Has anything you have seen from the West Indies changed your view of how to play against them? Clearly, fast bowling has been a big thing for them so far?

EOIN MORGAN: Yes, it's still the same. Right from the first game that they have played in this tournament. Even when you go back to games that we played in the winter, big games, the big contributions all had to do with the fast bowlers.

Q. Can we circle back to Mark Wood? Is it the left ankle?

EOIN MORGAN: I think it is. I'm not 100 percent sure, though, so don't take that as gospel.

Q. In terms of this being a problem that rears its head semi-regularly, are you mindful if he pulls up, if he misses this game, that you might have to manage him a little more carefully and not play successive back-to-back games with him?

EOIN MORGAN: It's part of the plan because they are fast bowlers. It will happen to other bowlers throughout the tournament, we are well aware of that, and we will have to manage him like we would normally, as we do with say Chris Woakes if there was a back-to-back game. It's not a problem, it is just what happens.

Q. In terms of the West Indies, are you expecting a slightly different kind of game than the ones we saw in the Caribbean recently. It was a kind of a slug-fest with the number of sixes?

EOIN MORGAN: I'd be surprised if the wicket is as good. The parameters of the ground here are a lot bigger than the West Indies as well. Given the wicket has been under cover for the last 24 hours, I don't think it will be as good.

Q. Of all the teams in this tournament, the West Indies are the only side that you have failed to beat in your most recent series against them. Does that fill you with frustration?

EOIN MORGAN: It is not frustration because we learnt a huge amount about growing our game out in the West Indies. The fact that we are not getting carried away about some of the success we have had.

I think it's important to have days where you are beaten or can't beat a side because you then look even more into areas of improvement as opposed to beating sides convincingly, or even getting over the line showing good character and playing well. You almost look outwardly and say, "What were we missing today?"

Q. What did you learn specifically about your last ODI against them when you were bowled out for 130?

EOIN MORGAN: Yes, more so playing on bouncy wickets, our shot selection wasn't great at all. Continuing to get out in the same way as opposed to showing better game awareness and trying to manage that because, with the benefit of hindsight, getting some sort of score on the board would have allowed us to stay in the game and possibly win the game because opportunities to score are a little bit more difficult than we had come up against in that series.

Q. Do you think the West Indies have a chance of winning this tournament?

EOIN MORGAN: They're here. There's a chance.

Q. But they beat you guys, you obviously are the No 1 team in the world, they beat you in a couple of games in that series and played really good cricket. Are they at that level or are they an upset team at this stage?

EOIN MORGAN: I haven't played enough cricket against them, or watched them enough to give a good account of them, so that's probably the honest answer.

Q. One more. In terms of the wickets and the bails, there's been a talking point of the ball hitting the stumps and the bails not coming off. Have you got a theory on why it's happening so often?

EOIN MORGAN: I don't have a theory, no (smiling). I am watching it like you are, yeah.

Q. Have you been surprised? What has been your reaction?

EOIN MORGAN: More so surprised that when the ball's hit the actual stump with full contact as opposed to clip. The ball has clipped the stumps for years and made a noise and guys have been given out caught behind. That's happened a lot in the past.

I think with the benefit of the unbelievable cameras that are around now you spot that. But more surprised about when the ball hits the stumps, like it trickles back with spin and hits it, yeah.

Q. Nothing's changed according to the ICC? Has that seemed the case to you?

EOIN MORGAN: It's fine. I don't know how long the Zing bails and the stumps have been around now. But it's like any new gadget. The more you play, the more problems you see than the benefit of it.

Q. In terms of that previous series again and the way Chris Gayle had such great success against you, have you gone back over that, reviewed that series and come up with new plans, or is it business as usual?

EOIN MORGAN: Both. So we've looked at previous series where we have played at home and plans that have worked and also when we've played on like recently in the Caribbean on very flat wickets where he is hard to contain. We've also planned for that as well.

Q. You mentioned before about having been in the same position that Archer was all those years ago about playing against a team that you might have played for or had played for. He seems to take everything in his stride anyway. Can you talk a bit about I suppose what you found difficult about it?

EOIN MORGAN: I didn't necessarily find it difficult. I found it a different challenge as opposed to a difficult challenge. Yeah. Just different.
 
Jason Roy could be out for 2 weeks, according to Michael Vaughan on radio commentary - huge blow to England.
 
Joe Root was hailed as the ‘glue’ that holds together England’s dazzling batting operation after his superb match-winning century guided the injury-depleted hosts to the most convincing of eight-wicket triumphs over West Indies in Southampton.

Captain Eoin Morgan also described his brilliant match-winner as the man with a ‘golden arm’ after Root’s part-time off-spin helped England pick up two key mid-innings wickets as the West Indies were 212 all out.

Yet while he was receiving all the plaudits for his 94-ball unbeaten 100, which helped make England’s chase a stroll despite the absence of two key players, Root himself was adamant that there was still improvement to come from him after he had become the top scorer in the tournament.

Having also scored a century against Pakistan, he has now amassed 279 runs over four matches, becoming the first England player to score two hundreds in a single edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup since Kevin Pietersen 12 years ago.

He’s also the first in history to compile three in total, as the hosts moved imperiously to second in the table. Yet the Yorkshireman brushed aside the landmarks modestly.

“It’s not about the number of runs you score, and being the one that stands out in terms of individual accolades,” said Root.

“It’s about building those substantial partnerships that win you games and collectively getting the job done.

“I feel like I’m playing all right. I don’t feel like I’m playing exceptionally well at the moment but I feel like I’m playing some good stuff and there’s still loads of things that I want to keep working on and keep improving.

“It was important we didn’t panic and kept it together. We managed to get across the line and did it really convincingly in the end so it’s a really good sign and will fill the dressing room with a lot of confidence in knowing that we don’t have to go about things in just one way to be successful.”

What was so impressive was that because of injuries to Morgan and opener Jason Roy, Root was asked to slot in as opener for the first time in ODIs - and he responded in his usual immaculate fashion.

Morgan, who suffered a back spasm, could not have been more impressed.

“I’m exceptionally pleased,” he said.

“He’s such an important player for us, he is the glue that holds everything together and probably a side of his batting that’s got better over the last two or three years that people haven’t seen a lot of is his expansive game.

“He never seems to be scoring at less than a run a ball. You look up and he’s going at more than a run a ball. It’s exceptional to see him come out and be in this form.”

As for his bowling, with Root chipping in to get rid of the dangerous pairing of Shimron Hetmyer, and captain Jason Holder in the space of three overs, Morgan admitted it had been advice from Jos Buttler being the stumps that had persuaded him to let Root loose with his twirlers.

He revealed: “Adil (Rashid) had got it to turn so much, Jos said ‘it’s turning more than you think here’ so we discussed it and then went with it for one, possibly two overs but Joe started brilliantly; he’s got a golden arm.”

And Root, who ended up taking 2/27 off five overs, was certainly revelling in his surprise all-rounder status.

He added: “I didn’t really expect (to get so many overs). I got the opportunity and it was nice to pick up a few wickets. I probably burgled them rather than out-skilled them. I’m not the most skilful off-spinner, so I was just trying to be as unpredictable as possible.”
 
Update on Eoin Morgan:

England captain Eoin Morgan, who left the field during West Indies’ innings in the ICC Cricket World Cup fixture on Friday due to a back spasm, underwent a scan this weekend and further treatment. The spasm has settled down and will be monitored over the next 24 hours ahead of England’s next match against Afghanistan tomorrow (Tuesday) at Old Trafford, Manchester.


Update on Jason Roy:

England batsman Jason Roy, who left the field during West Indies’ innings in the ICC Cricket World Cup fixture on Friday due to left hamstring tightness, underwent an MRI scan on Saturday in London. The MRI confirmed that Roy has suffered a hamstring tear. As a result of the injury, he will be reassessed on an ongoing basis this week. He is set to miss England’s next two matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup against Afghanistan (18 June) and Sri Lanka (21 June).
 
MenInG said:
Update on Eoin Morgan:

England captain Eoin Morgan, who left the field during West Indies’ innings in the ICC Cricket World Cup fixture on Friday due to a back spasm, underwent a scan this weekend and further treatment. The spasm has settled down and will be monitored over the next 24 hours ahead of England’s next match against Afghanistan tomorrow (Tuesday) at Old Trafford, Manchester.


Update on Jason Roy:

England batsman Jason Roy, who left the field during West Indies’ innings in the ICC Cricket World Cup fixture on Friday due to left hamstring tightness, underwent an MRI scan on Saturday in London. The MRI confirmed that Roy has suffered a hamstring tear. As a result of the injury, he will be reassessed on an ongoing basis this week. He is set to miss England’s next two matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup against Afghanistan (18 June) and Sri Lanka (21 June).
Click to expand...

Not too bad. Luckily England's next 2 games are against the 2 worst teams.
 
Morgan wary of an upset when England face ‘strong’ Afghanistan side

Afghanistan will still win games at this World Cup, according to Eoin Morgan, and that belief has made the England captain hyper-aware of avoiding a slip-up at Old Trafford.

Afghanistan have four defeats from four matches so far but have shown plenty of glimpses of the talent they possess – especially in a narrow loss to Sri Lanka.

Conversely, the host already have three victories to their name and also beat the Afghans by nine wickets in a warm-up match ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019.

Yet Morgan is adamant his side won’t be taking anything for granted despite being heavy favourites and believes Gulbadin Naib’s troops have plenty of weapons that could cause problems.

“I’d like to think we’ve been red-hot favourites in a couple of games already and underlining our preparation is the humility and gratitude with which we go about things,” he said.

“That’s an important part of trying to beat teams like Afghanistan. We went through the same process for the warm-up game.

“They are a strong side and I’ve said before that they will beat teams at this World Cup. They haven’t done it yet, so that makes the game a tougher challenge.

“Their three spinners are their strongest component. It’s a challenge we’ll have to overcome. Pretty much every time we play against an Asian team, that’s the case.

“Look over to their nets and they are practising against quicks, while in our net we’re practising against spin. It’s a challenge for both sides.

“The warm-up match doesn’t mean a great deal. This week has been very important for us – we’ve had a lot of space between games, which has allowed us to come in extremely fresh.”

England beat West Indies by eight wickets last time out but suffered injury scares to both Morgan and Jason Roy.

The skipper is confident he will be fit enough to face Afghanistan, having recovered from the back spasms that sidelined him, while Roy – who made a brilliant 153 against Bangladesh – has torn a hamstring and will miss at least the next two matches.

James Vince will come into the side and open the batting alongside Jonny Bairstow in Roy’s absence but Morgan insists the 28-year-old is still a key part of England’s plans at this World Cup.

“I certainly believe Jason will play again in this tournament,” he added. “He’s out of the next two games but we’ll see after that.

“He might be back against Australia or maybe for the following game. It depends how he responds to treatment and medication.

“We’ll go on a game-by-game basis with him depending on where we are in the tournament and how crucial it is to win the games.

“He’s a huge part of what we’ve been doing and is in the best form of his life. He’s very important to us.”
 
Even Eoin Morgan was shocked by his record-breaking innings against Afghanistan but claims his England teammates still won’t be impressed.

Morgan blasted an incredible 17 sixes – the most in ODI history – as part of a game-changing knock of 148 at Old Trafford, breaking the previous record of 16 jointly-held by master-blasters AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma.

It paced England to a score of 397/6 – their highest at an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup – and they eventually recorded a 150-run triumph to return to the top of the table.

Morgan brought up his century off 57 balls, although that was 11 slower than Jos Buttler’s England record of 46 deliveries against Pakistan in 2015 – meaning the skipper doesn’t have complete ownership of bragging rights.

“I think I'm probably just becoming a target for the guys in the changing room to take down,” joked Morgan. “The hundred I scored is considered a slow one in our changing room – guys talk about it all the time. So it’s a tough school!

“Never have I ever thought I could play a knock like that but I'm delighted that I have.

“It's weird. It's very strange to have that sixes record. It's something, along with the innings, I never thought I'd do. It's a nice place to be.

“The last four years, I've probably played the best in my career but that hasn't involved a 50 or 60-ball hundred.

“I thought I would have it in the locker somewhere but it's never happened, so I sort of gave up on it a little bit.

“When I came to the crease, it was a 50/50 shout whether myself or Jos [Buttler] went in and that probably helped because after I faced a few balls, I had no choice.

“I had to start taking risks because of him coming in next and then after I got dropped [on 28], it was a matter of just keep going. It was one of those days.”

Morgan’s innings was even more remarkable given the fact he struggled with back spasms during the last game against West Indies and had to face a late fitness test in order to play against Afghanistan.

That certainly didn’t hinder him at the crease and once England had set an intimidating total, the bowlers clinically finished the job to secure an emphatic victory.

And among the excitement surrounding batting records, Morgan was quick to praise his pace attack – headlined by Jofra Archer taking 3/52 and Mark Wood an impressive 2/40 from ten overs.

“They were very good on a wicket that didn't offer a great deal,” added Morgan. “It had good bounce and turned a bit for the spinners but seam movement or swing – it had none.

“So when guys execute hitting a good length and using their bounce well, it is satisfying because it's very hard to do.

“When the ball doesn't move around, it obviously means your pace is important and all three guys’ [Wood, Archer and Chris Woakes] pace looked good.”
 
England paceman Mark Wood reckoned he would normally sit in the back of the dressing room and try to relax before the bowling workload ahead.

Yet he made an exception at Old Trafford on Tuesday - and could hardly believe how worthwhile it proved with all the world record pyrotechnics he was to witness from his captain Eoin Morgan.

“It was amazing, amazing,” beamed Wood, after watching Morgan’s ODI all-time best of 17 sixes take the Afghanistan attack apart and set up England’s 150-run victory.

“I was delighted for him. Coming off his back injury scare and stuff, and not knowing how he would play or feel, I was just astounded by how well he played out there.

“A lot of the bowlers tend to sit in the back of the dressing room and try and relax but even I came out and watched that because it was great to see on such a big occasion.

“I know we’ve played like this for four years now, and there’s been some remarkable things, but to do it in a World Cup game speaks volumes about how Eoin wants the team to play and the values we’ve kept going throughout those four years.”

For once, Wood admitted the England bowlers were happy to let the batsmen hog the limelight. “It’s nice to go under the radar, I guess, a little bit. The batters can do the fireworks and we can go just go about the things we’ve been doing well. We’ve just got to keep that going now.

“I thought today, collectively, we bowled really well,” added the Durham man, who took two wickets while fellow strike bowler Jofra Archer and spinner Adil Rashid both picked up three each.

“It was difficult at times because I didn’t feel the Afghanistan batsmen were coming at us and we had to try to mix it up, get them to play a few shots. It might have leaked a few runs but all in all, it was nice to try something different and get a few wickets.”

However, Wood couldn’t keep entirely away from the limelight when one of his bouncers reared up and crashed flush into Hashmatullah Shahid’s helmet, leading to the Afghanistan batsman needing to be checked by medics before he was allowed to continue and face more shortish stuff.

“Well, I was concerned when I first hit him obviously,” he said. “It was a bit of a bad blow and then it’s out of my hands really, you have to let the medical staff do their thing. I checked he was all right himself, said ‘are you okay?’ Then I was back in the game mode.

“Morgy wanted me to fire another few down. If that’s what the captain wants, you listen to orders. Once you know he’s all right, it’s game time again.”

Told that he had split Hashmatullah’s helmet with the ferocity of his delivery, Wood grinned: “I’m bowling them quite fast ….for a change!”
 
Eoin Morgan keeps a diary that has charted his England team’s progression from the abject lows of the 2015 World Cup to today’s headier times. “It reminds me of how bad things were and how good things are now,” he says.

So what about the entry for Tuesday, June 18, 2019? How about something like this? “Dear diary, we were three runs away from scoring 400, scored more sixes than any team has ever done in an ODI international (25), blasted one of the world’s best ODI bowlers, beat Afghanistan by 150 runs, went back to the top of the World Cup table….oh, and my back wasn’t playing up and I broke a world record!”

Yes, a red-letter day for the England captain. Seventeen sixes blazed off his bat in a spellbinding innings of 148, which included, over the latter part of his 71-ball spell, perhaps the most extraordinary spell of batting carnage ever witnessed at the ICC Men’s World Cup.

Those 17 maximums - eight smashed off his last 16 balls that saw him plunder 60 - were one more than the ODI record shared by three master blasters, AB De Villiers, Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle, who had hammered his 16 in the last World Cup against Zimbabwe.

Morgan might have been tempted to look back to his diary entry for March 9, 2015 penned in Adelaide after the defeat by Bangladesh that ended England’s wretched World Cup campaign and which included a three-ball duck from the captain.

That was the lowest of the low for him, a day he described as “utterly humiliating”, yet once the director of cricket Andrew Strauss had backed him to remain as captain, it was effectively also the day that helped cement in his mind the idea that root-and-branch (or should that be Root-and-branch) reform was required to transform his England side from makeweights to monsters.

And the remarkable improvements over the past four years that Morgan has overseen seemed, in some strange way, to have been epitomised with the savagery that he led at Old Trafford.

For all the hallmarks of captain Morgan’s trailblazers were there; he had wanted to build a team full of “guys with aggression”, guys who would be coming into their prime in 2019, guys who were not afraid to fail but would always dare to dare.

Here was a fixture that, in previous calamitous World Cups, may have been a ready-made banana skin for England. Ireland 2011, Bangladesh 2015, Afghanistan 2019? After all, destroyer-in-chief Jason Roy was injured and, until he appeared for the toss, nobody could be quite sure Morgan would even be fit to play after the back spasm that forced him off in the win against West Indies.

Yet the 2019 England model was not discombobulated one iota by the injury worries. Jonny Bairstow played the bullying Roy role with aplomb, cracking eight fours and three sixes in his 90, while Joe Root again provided what Morgan calls the glue.

Some glue this. Super-glue, you’d say. Root has this extraordinary capacity to just keep ticking the score along almost invisibly and with barely a memorable stroke in anger so that when you look up, you can’t quite believe that, as he did here, he’s snaffled 88 off 82 balls. Yes, a quicker run rate even than Bairstow.

Root, who hit just one of the ODI record 25 sixes struck, has now accumulated 367 runs in the tournament, more than anyone except than Bangladesh’s superb all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, and those runs have been accumulated with the risk-free skill and swiftness that enable others to light the fireworks.

Headed by the captain himself this time. The neutrals might have felt some sympathy for poor old Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s cricketing icon, whose usually dangerous, zipped leggies were mauled for a record 11 sixes, but Morgan was brutally unforgiving.

It might have been so different had Dawlat Zadran not made the most horrendous hash of trying to catch him on the midwicket boundary off Rashid’s bowling when he was on 28.

Seven Morgan sixes later, the confidence of the Afghans’ marquee player was shot. Fortunately for him, Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani, the day’s honoured guest, had left Old Trafford by then.

Yet what a show Morgan put on. Eight sixes deposited in the region between backward square and midwicket from anything fractionally short, three more clubbed over long on, four straight beauties - one so towering it hit the edge of press box roof - and a couple more over long off. Quite unforgettable. One for the diary all right…
 
This is England's best chance. They have 6 or 7 top batsmen, the sort that they normally would have only 3 or 4 of. However their bowling is suspect. Best chance to beat them is to bat first and score 350+, and then let the scoreboard pressure do its work.

England are favorites, but India and Australia are capable of beating them.
 
There are only two barriers behind England and WC trophy:-

India
Pakistan

The second one will remain a barrier only if they make it to knockouts, chances are difficult now.
 
Eoin Morgan's baseball stance gives him the power to destroy bowlers : Nasser Hussain

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/c...eball-stance-gives-power-destroy-bowlers.html

Eoin Morgan's baseball stance gives him the power to destroy bowlers

When Eoin Morgan first started playing for England he was very much a sweeper and reverse-sweeper, especially against spin. Square of the wicket was his go-to area.

Even against Afghanistan at Old Trafford on Tuesday he got a reverse sweep away off his 12th ball. He did that because the man on the boundary on the off-side was in front of square, as is the case for most left-handers.

But once Morgan had played that shot the captain had to move his man behind square. Subsequently, anything that was hit in front of square went for four or six because of the gap in the field. So Morgan was able to go through extra cover with huge confidence.


Remember, too, that since 2012 there has been one less fielder outside the circle in the middle 30 overs, so Morgan knows he has one more area left unattended and does not have to produce so many innovative shots.

It is one of the reasons why scores have gone up and Afghanistan left deep midwicket vacant when their spinners were bowling so, on a length, Morgan was able to whack it there.

Yes, they were going for six, so it didn't really matter if the area was unattended, but the confidence to play the shot came from not having a man there.

Old Trafford produced a very good pitch so Morgan didn't have to be funky. He could hit through the line rather than go square, manoeuvre and sweep as he would on a low, slow surface. He could hit with more confidence through the line.


15006694-7160449-image-a-57_1560981509060.jpg

Morgan was badly dropped on 28 when Afghanistan had only one man out in the deep, but he would not have played the shot had the extra man been out there. Instead he would have gone back to his sweeps. The key is that he's very smart at manipulating the field.

The England captain's stance has evolved into a really good power-hitting position. He gets into a stable base and keeps his head down through the ball as well as anyone.

Morgan picks his hands up reasonably high, gets his front leg out of the way and moves into a baseball-style power-hitting stance. But if you look at any of his 17 sixes on Tuesday, his head is down right over the ball at the point of contact.

Morgan has powerful MS Dhoni-like wrists that get real power through the ball, so the strength he used to play all those sweeps in the past now provides power in his straight hitting, with very fast hands through the ball.

It is all a far cry from the crouched stance that Morgan had for about a year when he got really low at the crease as the bowler let the ball go. He had just got into a bad habit, a trigger movement where his backside almost touched the ground, and that is too low because his head was moving far too much. He certainly doesn't do that any more.
 
20 June - Leeds - England player Moeen Ali

Q. Moeen, thanks for joining us. If selected tomorrow, it will be your 100th one-day international for England. What does that milestone mean to you?
MOEEN ALI: Obviously, It means a lot. To play 100 games for England, ODI games, it's a dream. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would get close to it so, you know, it's an amazing feeling.

Q. Is there a moment in the previous 99 matches that maybe stands out above all others for you?
MOEEN ALI: I don't know. Probably the hundred at Bristol will be definitely one. But, no, just being part of the team, being part of the change I guess since when I first came in from 2015 and to see the team where we are now, it's, I think that would be...

Looking back, if I was to retire, I'd always think I was part of that change and that whole mindset changing and the great cricket that we've played.

Q. How is the team at the moment? You obviously had those injury blows a week ago. People are getting better now of course. We saw Jason Roy for the first time with a bat today. How has his recovery gone?
MOEEN ALI: He is doing really well, I think. Speaking to him, he is obviously desperate to get himself ready and play and hopefully we will see him very soon.

But the team's, you know, as always we are in great shape in terms of atmosphere around and everyone is looking forward to it. Even if we have some big injuries and stuff, we've got players who are not playing who are also very good, so the environment's amazing, like it always is, and we are trying to be as professional as we can in our games and we have played well so far.

Q. You have got Australia now in less than a week. How important is it to go into that game off the back of another win?
MOEEN ALI: Of course you want to win all the games. If it doesn't happen, then it doesn't. But it is obviously a big game and all our games are big for us and we know momentum is key, so both teams are playing well and I'm sure they are very confident as well, so it's a big game no matter what the situation, a World Cup or not a World Cup, it's a huge game for both teams.

Q. Moeen, there's been a fair bit of cricket now in the tournament. Do you look at it and think the top four teams that are there are the best four in the tournament and probably the semifinalists?
MOEEN ALI: Anything can happen. Obviously, we all know that. And I'm sure teams like Bangladesh will have something to say about that, they are playing really well, and they are a very dangerous side for everybody. So you can lose to anybody in this tournament. Sri Lanka pose a big threat tomorrow and, as you saw against Australia, they were playing really well and probably could have won that game as well.

So, you know, at the moment, the top four are there for a reason because they are playing probably the best cricket out of all the teams and most consistent, so, you know, there's still a lot of games to go, but it looks like it could be the top four. But anything can happen.

Q. Do you think a team like Sri Lanka, there's not been too many upsets in the challenge, does that almost cranks up the likelihood of a team like Sri Lanka can knock one of those top four off?
MOEEN ALI: Of course. We thought that about all the teams. Afghanistan, at Old Trafford, on a used wicket, could be a massive threat and we have adapted well so far and been very professional, where maybe in the past the odd game we'd slip up and stuff, but we know every game is huge for us and every point that we get is going to be massive. There could be some weather around later in the tournament and stuff so we want to make the most of the occasion. It's a World Cup, so we know every game is big for us.

Q. England were without an opener a week or so ago and you have got two hundreds as an ODI opener, haven't you?
MOEEN ALI: (Moeen nods his head).

Q. Was there any thought about you putting yourself forward for that role? Was there any talk about you going back to the top of the order?
MOEEN ALI: No, not at all. I think if I played that Southampton game, maybe I would have opened then. No, I think when you have got someone of Vince's quality -- and I guess that's the reason why he was picked as a batter, as a spare batter almost, and because of the quality that he brings as an opening batsman and I think it was the right decision made.

Q. And how are you feeling with your batting form? Good in the IPL, a good innings the other day, but struggling at No. 7 sometimes?
MOEEN ALI: Yeah, it is not an easy position, in my opinion. I know you are always dictated by the pace of the game. You either have to come in and hit quick runs which doesn't always happen, as you saw with top batters like Jos and Ben Stokes, they always find that hard as well.

It is always nice when you've had a bit of balls, 40, 50 balls under your belt, and to first come in and have a go, it is not always easy and you kind of -- I heard from a great player that, you know, if you have ten innings, if you come off three times, you have done really well, but when you come off, you come off properly.

Q. Mo, what is the best advice you can give to James Vince? Throughout the squad, there's hundreds throughout the whole batting line-up, but he's only really got one fifty so far, so what is the best way for him to find his feet in this side?
MOEEN ALI: I think it's been very difficult for him. He's always come in knowing he is not going to be there for longer than two games, or maybe even one sometimes. But depending on Jason's injury, I'd probably say to him just go out and -- not the cliché of 'express yourself and stuff' but go out like you are going to play all the games and make the most of, you are playing a World Cup in England, probably never going to do it again, or we don't know. Just enjoy yourself as much as you can more than anything.

Don't get too caught up in trying to making sure you have to score a hundred or you have to score runs, they will come. He is such a good player, those runs will definitely come, if he almost enjoys it rather than thinking it is almost a test.

Q. It's been a relentless format, the round-robin. Do you find it tough, really hitting the straps every time you get on to the field?
MOEEN ALI: No, I mean, it is something to -- to win a tournament you have to do that all the time and more so in pressure situations. And our motto almost has been to not take the foot off the gas, to really -- every game we play like it's our last game and I think if we play like that, and obviously enjoy, to have the enjoyment and stuff, but every game is huge.

And we know that, like I said, we all know as players that this is probably the only World Cup as a team where we are going to be together at home, so, you know, let's make the most of it and every game counts.

Q. You mentioned how much this England team has improved since your first cap. But does that only count for something if you win a trophy at the end of it?
MOEEN ALI: I think so, yeah. That improvement, everybody knows, and we have been talking about it for a while now, but as a team we know that a trophy matters for us and hopefully this is it.

But without putting that extra -- the pressure will be there anyway but not getting too tense and be true to the way we have been playing and not change during those big pressure situations which we haven't done so far.

Q. You came in and whacked four sixes after Morgan's 17. Is there any rivalry between the players, the England team, who can hit the most sixes?
MOEEN ALI: Not really, but we talk about it (smiling). We talk about who hits the biggest sixes and stuff. I think mine was probably the biggest the other day (laughter). No, but, we do definitely have a bit of banter about it and I big myself up a little bit, yeah (smiling).

Q. What role do you see the spinners playing tomorrow? You and Rashid what will you look to do to make things hard for Sri Lanka?
MOEEN ALI: We are both obviously different. He works a lot on his variations and more tactical side of things, whereas with me, it is more about repeating and trying to bowl my best ball. I think he's different with both of us and he knows that and we both have different roles in the side so we talk more about that to be honest with you.
 
Eoin Morgan’s six-hitting heroics against Afghanistan re-wrote the record books but Moeen Ali remains confident that it is he, and not his skipper, who hits the biggest maximums in the England side.

Ali should win his 100th ODI cap against Sri Lanka on Friday after the all-rounder came roaring back to form with the bat at the death earlier this week at Old Trafford.

Ali’s knock of 31 from only nine balls included four sixes but was left in the shade somewhat by Captain Morgan’s ridiculous effort.

Morgan hit 17 sixes, an ODI record, but none of them were as big as the one Ali spanked over midwicket at the death that travelled 93m.

Jason Roy has hit the biggest six for England at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 – a 97m effort in Cardiff against Bangladesh – but with the opener out injured, Ali could well better that.

“We do talk about it, who hits the biggest sixes and stuff. I think mine was probably the biggest (at Old Trafford),” he said.

“We do have a bit of banter about it and I big myself up about it!

“When you first come in, to have a go, it is not always easy. I heard from a great player that, you know, if you have 10 innings, if you come off three times, you have done really well, but when you come off, you come off properly.”

Bringing up a century of caps is a fantastic achievement also for the 32-year-old Ali – but the Worcestershire star knows how he would really like to commemorate it.

“It means a lot, to play a hundred ODI games for England is beyond my wildest dreams. I never thought I would get close to that so it is an amazing feeling,” he added.

“It’s been great to be part of the change since I first came in in 2015, to see the team where we are now, I think looking back if I was to retire I would always think that I was part of that change and that whole mindset changing into the great cricket we have played.

“But as a team we know that trophy matters for us and hopefully this is it.

“Without putting that pressure, not getting too tense and being true to the way we have been playing and that has not changed in pressure situations.”

Next up in the group stage for England are Sri Lanka at Headingley, and a win should put the hosts on the verge of the semi-finals with three games to spare.

England have won their last six ODIs at this ground and Sri Lanka have only beaten Afghanistan so far at this World Cup.

But Ali is not going to underestimate the Sri Lankans – who actually beat England in the last ODI the two sides played against each other before Christmas in Colombo.

“Of course you want to win all the games but if it doesn’t happen then it doesn’t happen,” he added.

“It is obviously a big game but all of them are big and we know momentum is key. Both teams are playing well, I am sure they are very confident as well.

“You can lose to anyone in this tournament. Sri Lanka pose a big threat, I saw them against Australia and they were playing really well and probably could have won that one.

“At the moment the top four are there for a reason, because they are playing the best cricket of all the teams and are the most consistent.

“There are still a lot of games to go, this could be the top four but anything can happen.

“And our motto almost has been to not take the foot off the gas, every game we play like it's our last."
 
England will get to the final IMO but if they face India then they might lose, India are looking absolutely superb.
 
James said:
England will get to the final IMO but if they face India then they might lose, India are looking absolutely superb.
Click to expand...

We will hope our wrist spinner duo would have a say in the game, if not then England will smash us like anyone lol.

The Big 3 are all capable of outdoing each other
 
Not making the most of this opportunity lol.

Losing to bottom lower tier teams now :23:
 
3 matches to come:

Australia
India
New Zealand

Could get interesting.
 
21 June - Leeds - England Captain Eoin Morgan post-match press conference

Q. Did you have any indication at halfway that the total would be a bit problematic?
EOIN MORGAN: No, probably about 40 more, maybe 50 more and that might have been the case initially. Obviously, not accounting for the way that we batted.

Q. And what do you out the batting struggle down to today?
EOIN MORGAN: You look at the basics of a run chase. You know, partnerships are very important. We struggled to get enough partnerships going, or one substantial one. There were a couple of individual innings. But that is not good enough to win a game.

Q. You are renowned in this run for chasing. The last two out of three now you haven't managed to get over the line, does that impact confidence?
EOIN MORGAN: No, I don't think it does. I think when we get beaten we tend come back quite strong. We tend to resort to being aggressive, smart, positive cricket, so let's hope that is the case on Tuesday.

Q. Before the start of the tournament you publicly said that Sri Lanka is not, they have about 15 players. Are you surprised by the fact that Sri Lankans have stood up and performed well today and got the match?
EOIN MORGAN: No, not at all. I think the performance... Mally has been around for a long time. Him coming in and bowling like that isn't surprising at all.

Q. How will today's result effect the team? Will confidence be knocked?
EOIN MORGAN: We are going to lose games in the group stages. We didn't deserve to win today's game. The other four times, I can't account for all of them but certainly different circumstances.

Q. You said confidence won't be hit too much. What was your message to the players after that result because it was a shock?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, I think the message is quite simple. We need to do the basics along with the way that we play as well.

Q. The belief you guys have kind of gained, I guess over the last four years, and that rise to No. 1 in the world, that is still as strong as ever, despite the result?
EOIN MORGAN: Yes, there is no reason why it shouldn't be. We are going to play competitive games. Again, we are not going to win every game in this World Cup. We still need to go back to the process that's taken us to being a strong side in the world.

Q. Michael Vaughan was saying on the radio you weren't smart enough with the bat, would you agree with that assessment?
EOIN MORGAN: I'd probably say there were a number of things. There were a couple of challenges that presented themselves with the wicket and we didn't overcome them.

Q. If you had your chance again, how do you think England should bat on that wicket? Was it a bit like Cardiff in the Champions' Trophy semi?
EOIN MORGAN: I can't really remember that game to be honest (smiling).

Q. Well, in that time, it was -- you do remember really?
EOIN MORGAN: In that game in particular, one side batted really well and the other didn't. In this, both teams struggled.

Q. Do you think that your batsmen were a bit unlucky with the Joe Root dismissal for example?
EOIN MORGAN: (Smiling) You can't account for that, you can't.

Q. You can't. Is it fair to say that that Moeen wicket is a bit of a turning point?
EOIN MORGAN: No. No, no. I would say there were quite a few wickets that were turning points, simply in the fact that you have got guys coming in at 6 who average 40, 7 averaging 30. We bat all the way down. So every single one is quite significant because every single one could establish a partnership that could win you the game.

Q. You said -- injuries are going to happen. How much has the Jason Roy injury thrown you out of kilter?
EOIN MORGAN: I don't think it has at all. If you look at the games that we have played, obviously we would love him in the side and he is a huge strength at the top of the order, but that's not why we lost the game today, or why we might have struggled on this wicket.
 
Towns in England might be known for their quaint shops or heavy industry, their rich history or natural beauty. In the case of Ashington, it is synonymous with sport.

A small spot in Northumberland located only three miles from the bracing North Sea coast, it has already produced three much-loved England footballers and an Ashes hero.

Brothers Bobbie and Jackie Charlton, World Cup winners in 1966, hail from the town. They followed in the bootsteps of Jackie Milburn, still considered by some Newcastle United fans to be the greatest centre-forward of them all.

Steve Harmison then put it on the cricketing map with his fiery, match-winning performances in the momentous 2005 Tests against Australia, striking Ricky Ponting on the cheek on the very first day of the series.

Now Mark Wood is out to add his name to the roll call of Ashington’s sporting heroes.

And the disappointment at being last man out as England lost by 20 runs to Sri Lanka at Headingley will not wipe the smile off his face for long with his ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup campaign continuing against Australia at Lord’s on Tuesday.

It seemed as though Wood might be able to stay at the crease while Ben Stokes, his Durham colleague, found the boundaries and ran the appropriate singles to get England over the line – but that wasn’t quite to be.

The fact is that Wood is striking form at exactly the right moment with the ball for England. His performances are demanding a place in the side he feared would be lost once Jofra Archer’s qualification was fast-tracked for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

His three-wicket haul against Sri Lanka at Headingley took him to 12 in five matches for the competition and reiterated how he can slot in alongside Archer rather than serve as understudy.

Breaking down those returns reveals a degree of consistency that Eoin Morgan must appreciate because Wood has taken at least two wickets in each and every one of his appearances so far.

Few will begrudge success given the way that injury has punctuated Wood’s career. Little more than a month ago, his place in England’s 15-man squad was subject to some doubt because of issues with his ankle.

Ironic, then, that problems with fitness have helped him to become the clever practitioner who currently ranks among the leading pace bowlers of the tournament.

A year or so ago, Wood talked to Kevin Shine, the ECB lead fast bowling coach, about extending his run-up to generate better, more even rhythm and a gradual build-up of pace.

While his previous, shorter approach meant that batsmen might be surprised by the sudden whippy pace – particularly a skiddy, well-directed bouncer – it was putting undue strain on his body.

The selectors picked him for a Lions tour of the UAE before Christmas with instructions to prove himself the pick of those next in line for the senior teams. And Wood responded, looking every inch the international he already was among talented, but emerging team-mates.

So, when Olly Stone was injured during England’s Test tour of West Indies earlier this year, Wood was the obvious choice as replacement – and he didn’t disappoint when a place in the actual XI became vacant.

In truth, a fit Wood was never likely to miss out on World Cup selection given his contributions in the four years since England’s eye-opening struggles at the event in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.

All that has happened is a slight change of role. Whereas for much of the time he appeared to be the most likely new-ball partner for Chris Woakes he has evolved into first-change operator, giving Morgan a cutting edge after the opening overs.

To prove it, he struck in only his second over against Sri Lanka, ending a brilliantly promising innings from Avishka Fernando which included two hooked sixes off Archer by persuading the youngster to uppercut to third man.

He then returned in the death overs to profitable effect, bowling Lasith Malinga with a yorker of which the Sri Lankan himself would have been proud. Not too dissimilar, in fact, to the one unleashed by Malinga on Jos Buttler later in the piece. Good company, indeed.
 
England have been urged not to veer towards a safety-first approach in the wake of their surprise 20-run defeat to Sri Lanka.

While head coach Trevor Bayliss wants to ensure batsmen are in control of any risks, he is equally keen to avoid an over-reaction when they face Australia at Lord’s on Tuesday.

And despite the loss he said that any temptation to recall Jason Roy will be resisted unless the medical team are sure the opener has recovered from the hamstring tear that has forced him out of the past two matches.

Roy has resumed practice and will aim to step that up over the next couple of days.

“When someone of Jason’s ilk isn’t playing then of course you’re going to miss him,” Bayliss admitted.

“We are not going to risk him, that’s for sure. We’ll look at each game in turn and look for the medical people to see if they think he’s alright. If not, we will do the same the next time.”

Of Roy’s replacement, James Vince, Bayliss said: “He looks a million dollars and finds a way to get out.

“Hopefully he is one of those guys who puts an innings together which tips him over the edge, and he gets a big score.”

Both captain Eoin Morgan and his deputy Jos Buttler were critical of England’s flawed chase of a 233-run target at Headingley on a pitch exploited superbly by the variety and control of the Sri Lanka attack.

The senior duo thought the innings lacked intensity, while some criticism from outside the squad was directed at Moeen Ali, who followed a six against the spin of Dhananjaya de Silva by immediately holing out to long off.

“Moeen is obviously disappointed, but other times he hits it over the fence and we’d be yelling ‘great shot’,” Bayliss countered.

“Players have to try things and you’re always going to make a mistake if you are trying things. That was not a great time to play the shot having hit the six the ball before.

“They make a joke sometimes in the changing rooms about hitting a six and a single next ball, and that’s good cricket. Some of the guys have hit six, six, six and that’s real good cricket.”

Ben Stokes almost turned the game England’s way with late hitting but the task was too much by that stage and when Mark Wood became the last wicket, his Durham team-mate was left frustratingly unbeaten on 82.

“If we had shown the urgency at the start of the innings that we had at the end we would have been in a better place,” Bayliss said.

“Although the pitch wasn’t the easiest to bat on, normally we are still knocking the ball around and finding gaps. I don’t think we did that well enough.

“There has been a lot of noise around the England team playing well over the last little while and I think we just took it a little bit easy with the bat.

“We seemed to think that if we batted for a bit of time and put together a partnership we would be alright, but we forgot about the process we go through to make those partnerships happen.”
 
England now has the best Net Run Rate out of the 10 teams. As long as they win at least one of their three remaining games, it’s likely they will be in the semis.
 
24 June - Lord's - England Captain Eoin Morgan pre-match press conference

Q. What's the latest with Jason Roy, please.
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, Jason went for a scan this morning. Positive news. He won't be fit for tomorrow. We'll monitor his progress during the week and assess him then as that unfolds.

Q. How confident are you that he can be back for the India game?
EOIN MORGAN: I think to put one game on it, I don't think it's sensible. I think let's just see how it goes.

Q. And how big a loss is he?
EOIN MORGAN: He's Jason Roy. Of course he's a big loss. He's an outstanding performer before us, the way he plays. Epitomises the way we play as a group. He's been in the team for a very long time.

Q. And how do you feel about not having him? Are you confident you've got the batting up top?
EOIN MORGAN: I'm confident we have the batting covered. James Vince is an extremely talented, gifted player. You can see that from just watching him.

Q. Any concerns that Vince hasn't gone on yet, hasn't got a score?
EOIN MORGAN: No, not at all. We have every faith in him to go on and get a score at some stage, to continue playing in his own way. It's important that he does that.

Q. And with two defeats now, how crucial is it that you win this game? Is it must-win yet?
EOIN MORGAN: No, it's not must-win yet. We don't need to win every game to get to the semifinal. It's another game where we try and produce a performance that's worthy of inning at lords against Australia.

Q. Has confidence been affected at all by those defeats?
EOIN MORGAN: No, I mean, naturally guys are upset. They are very excited about getting back on the park tomorrow to try and produce something that everybody's used to seeing us play, and if that means that we win the game, great.

Q. Finally, from me: What reception do you expect Steve Smith and David Warner to get? And can the crowd help you; be a 12th man, if you like?
EOIN MORGAN: I'm not expecting anything. I think fans and supporters up and down the country will have different reactions, as they will around the world. So yeah, let's just see.

Q. Just picking up on that, do you see it as your role in any way to give any kind of indication or instruction to the crowd about how they should behave with the Australians?
EOIN MORGAN: No. No.

Q. They paid a lot of money, I suppose they can do what --
EOIN MORGAN: They do. And sport is -- sport is beautiful in many ways because it attracts people from far and wide. I think people can get carried away with sort of home support and away support. I think throughout the tournament, everybody has had support at the ground, if not more so than the home team.

So it will probably be the same instance tomorrow.

Q. Over the last few years, you proved as a captain and as a one-day team that you can do almost anything in this format of the game. The results are there to hopefully give you that confidence. Do you feel that you have to -- after what happened in the last game, just prove that you can win matches under pressure, because that's a different element in the World Cup, isn't it.
EOIN MORGAN: No. We've done that throughout the World Cup already. Guys have performed under pressure for a very long time. They have performed under pressure of being favourites for the last two years in series that we've gone in, both away from home and at home, and have no question mark about producing under pressure.

Q. Now that you've had time to reflect on the chase against Sri Lanka --
EOIN MORGAN: Sorry. That sounds very funny with the echo.

Q. Now that you've had time to reflect on it, is your view that you didn't show enough now or that you didn't go hard enough at it from the start?
EOIN MORGAN: Well, it's neither one or the other. I think the innings for us never flowed; that was sort of epitomised in both innings with the wickets and no partnership at any stage flowed, which became a challenge and a challenge we weren't good enough to counter. At no stage did we get a big enough partnership to chase down that total.

Q. Sorry to go back on the other subject, with the booing Jonny Bairstow came out and said it's a bit of double standards by Australia to ask the crowd not to boo. Considering what Australia did to Stuart Broad and the way they rallied that up. What do you make of Jonny's comments and what's your view on that?
EOIN MORGAN: Don't have a view on it.

Q. Do you think -- do you think his comments are fair? What do you make of what he had to say about that?
EOIN MORGAN: I think every instance is different. Every team is different. Year on year, particularly when we play against Australia, it's a different set of circumstances. I believe that was a long time ago under different regime, but I don't know.

Like the answer earlier, you don't know how sports fans are going to react. I think they are entitled to have their own view. Just because punishment was handed out and the two guys served their punishment, doesn't mean they are going to be accepted back into the cricket community straightaway with open arms. It will take time.

Q. You know this pitch better than most. It looks quite green. Might that convince you to play the extra seamer, change the balance of the side potentially?
EOIN MORGAN: There's a chance. Yesterday the pitch was quite green, as well. I don't know if you watched the game, but certainly today it did look a little bit green. I think there's a lovely covering of grass over it. Probably a little more consistent than has been in previous years, and depending on the weather overnight, because there is weather expected, it will probably affect the decision tomorrow, yeah.

Q. Do you think nerves played a part in those two defeats England have had so far in the tournament, and if they did, what can you do as captain or as a management team to sort of release those feelings?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, I don't think nerves played a part at all.

Q. You've played quite a lot against Australia in the last couple of years, home and away, really strong record. Do you think this is a pretty decent match-up for England, this England/Australia fixture at the moment, the way the two teams are set up?
EOIN MORGAN: I think it's a good match-up for both teams. It's normally a really good game. The games we've played against them in the last two years, probably the score line hasn't been as fair as both sides have played. I think the way that both sides play lends itself to a good game of cricket, as well. So it will be a challenge for both sides I think.

Q. Are they potentially, the difference between their best day and their worst day is less than some of the teams like Sri Lanka and Pakistan, a little more predictable perhaps what they will bring to the table?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, probably predictable in the same way that we are and because we play against them so often, we sort of know them inside out, like they do us.

So it is a matter of producing on the day, yeah.

Q. You talk about the predictability and having faced each other a lot. How much of a difference does it make to have Jofra this time? I know the Australians have been talking about him quite a bit, and just how you use him and how you inject him into the attack.
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, like Mark Wood, very similar roles. Both give you flexibility, with the new ball or first change, and at the end and in the middle, give you options to change the pace of the game. Similar to the way Australia use theirs, use them as wicket-taking options and I think we look to do the same. We have done throughout the tournament so far.

Q. Did it give you something, I guess, just a bit more than you've had in the past against Australia; that they wouldn't necessarily have faced as much as the other bowlers?
EOIN MORGAN: Oh, they have guys that bowl, like one of their strongest points is their pace bowling. So they are probably used to facing it from more so than other teams that we've played against.

Q. You've been involved in lots of matches against Australia. You understand Ashes cricket and the special rivalry, I guess. Before the first match, you told the players to embrace when things are different, like the South Africa game. Will you be telling them the same thing here, and is this different because it's Australia?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, I don't think it is different. I think it would be -- I do; playing against Australia is different, but the feeling of playing against Australia I think is nullified because we played them so often. If guys had not of played against them a lot over the last, say, three years or four years, it would feel different, and it would feel, you know, a little bit unknown.

For a lot of our guys, it was the first World Cup game that they played in. A home World Cup, especially, that was the feeling that was different against South Africa, but I don't think tomorrow will feel that different.

Q. You've not lost back-to-back 50-over games in this four-year cycle. What is it that allows you to respond so successfully to setbacks?
EOIN MORGAN: Primarily it's trying to keep things as simple as possible. Being truthful and honest with our previous performance and trying to learn and rectify the performance almost immediately. And I think because we have quite a strong identity in the way that we play, I wouldn't say that we can flip back to it immediately, but it almost becomes a little bit easier and less confusing to guys, the direction in which they need to go.

Q. Can you say what truth and honesty you discussed following the game in Leeds?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah, I mean, we didn't question the wicket. We didn't question the opposition, the nature of the chase. It wasn't an easy chase. It was something that we all found challenging, but need to be better at. Particularly, if we do get to the latter stages of the tournament, we might play on a wicket very similar to that.

Q. You say that you haven't got to win every match, which is true, but there are circumstances under which you might have to win two of the last three games. Do you look at that sort of situation and how the teams are performing, and which teams might be a danger to you as you approach the last three matches?
EOIN MORGAN: No. No, no. Honestly, we're in control of our performances from here on in, so yeah, we don't need to look elsewhere yet.

Q. Slight pressure going into these last three games because of the unexpected defeat against Sri Lanka, and then Jason Roy also not there. So do you feel that this is a time for the guys to step it up and show their character?
EOIN MORGAN: Well, every game is. Every game's a one-off game. It's a chance to prove ourselves. It's a chance to play the way we've been playing, if allowed to.
 
No Roy is no issue for England captain Morgan

No Jason Roy is no problem for skipper Eoin Morgan, as England aim to extend their recent dominance over Australia.

Since the start of 2017, England have won ten of 11 ODIs against their oldest rival – both at home and Down Under – to potentially gain a psychological advantage heading into the clash at Lord’s.

But the hosts will have to do without opening batsman Roy once again, as Morgan confirmed he is yet to recover from the torn hamstring that has ruled him out of the past two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 matches.

James Vince has filled in for Roy – making 26 against Afghanistan and14 in the surprise loss to Sri Lanka last time out – but Morgan is confident the 28-year-old is capable of stepping up.

“Jason went for another scan and he won’t be fit for the game,” said the England captain. “We’ll monitor his progress during week.

“Putting one game on it [when Roy might return] isn’t sensible – we’ll see how he goes. Obviously Jason is an outstanding performer and the way he plays epitomises the way we play as a group.

“But I’m confident we have the batting covered. James Vince is an extremely talented and gifted player – you can see that by watching him.

“I’m not concerned [that he hasn’t hit many runs]. We have every faith in him to get a score at some stage and it’s important he continues playing in own way.”

England’s sole loss to Australia in the last two years came by three wickets at Adelaide in January 2018, giving Morgan’s men a level of supremacy over their rivals that they haven’t enjoyed at any other point in history.

However, they did lose an official tournament warm-up game against Aaron Finch's side in Southampton but the fixture wasn’t an official first class fixture, with sides able to use more than 11 players.

Both sides are fighting to make the semi-finals at this World Cup but Morgan is confident his troops won’t wilt under the added pressure, although he warned against reading too much into the recent head-to-head record.

“England against Australia is a good match-up for both teams and normally a really good game,” added the skipper. “In the last two years, the scoreline probably hasn’t been fair as both sides have played well.

“The way we both play lends itself to a good game of cricket, so it is a challenge.

“Australia are probably predictable in the same way we are – we play each other so often that we know them inside out, just like they do us. It’s a matter of producing on the day.

“Playing Australia can be a different feeling but that feeling has been nullified by playing them so much.

“We’ve won games under pressure throughout this World Cup already and have performed under pressure for a long time – both away from home and at home.

“There’s no question mark around our ability to play under pressure.”
 
All-Rounder Ben Stokes promised England fans his team-mates would not take a backward step as they soak up the disappointment of losing to their great rivals Australia at Lord’s.

Stokes played a noble hand with the world’s No.1 team under the cosh but his 89, carved out while he was suffering from cramp, was not enough to stop the world champions winning this key match by 64 runs.

And that puts the hosts in a precarious position following their third defeat with just two group matches left, matches against in-form India and New Zealand where there is little margin for error.

Yet Stokes, who produced a superb 115-ball knock featuring two sixes and eight fours, offered a rallying cry when asked if he had a message for worried fans.

“This is our World Cup,” he said. “We've had great support over the last four years and we know how much the World Cup means to fans and we know that as players as well.

“It's one of the biggest times and greatest times to be a cricketer, which is to represent your country at a World Cup.

"But we are not going to take a backwards step and, as I've said, this is our World Cup and we are going to go about it how we want to.”

The all-rounder was adamant that there was ‘nothing to worry about’ regarding his fitness after hobbling through much of his innings and he was insistent that he would be ready for the match against India at Edgbaston on Sunday, which now has a ‘must-win’ look about it.

Stokes, who has been on the losing side twice in succession despite innings of 82 not out against Sri Lanka and now his 89, conceded: “I think it's just disappointing, losing. Everyone tries to go out there and play knocks to get over the line for the team.

"But normally we have two or three guys in the order who can do that. We have to really dig deep in these last couple of games here, not go back on how we know we play well.

“Look, everybody's obviously disappointed in the last two games but, you know, this is our World Cup and we are going to go about it the way we know how we play best.

"I think that's our mindset, that's what's made us so successful in the last four years. Back-to-back losses can sometimes make you as a team think differently, but we are not going to go away from our method of playing.

“We just need to adjust to situations and then conditions, but we are not for one minute going to take a backward step, especially in these last two (group) games.

"It always feels nice getting runs and stuff like that, but it counts for nothing when you can't get over the line."

England - who hadn’t lost back-to-back ODIs on home soil since 2015 - still have hopes in their own hands but asked if Sunday’s match felt like a final, Stokes was dialling down the pressure.

He added: “I think we just need to take these last two games as they come. It could be completely different conditions to what we faced here. We know what we are going to do going in with our plans and then it's all about adjusting once the game starts.

"We've got a great record against India in England, but we'll just have to wait and see what conditions we’re faced with, but they are another team who are in good form, so hopefully we can bring our best game."

Once again, England certainly missed their injured opener Jason Roy but Stokes offered support for replacement James Vince, who suffered a second ball duck, following previous innings of 14 and 26.

“Obviously, losing a player of Jason's class and form, it is tough. But the back-up batsmen we have, in terms of James Vince coming in, he is a phenomenal player,” he said.

Sometimes, though, you just have to tip your hat to a world-class bowler. After Mitchell Starc’s beauty to end his innings, Stokes said ruefully: “It was a good ball, yeah, a 90mph reverse-swing yorker…”
 
Getting back to basics is what will relight England’s World Cup fire insists skipper Eoin Morgan after his side suffered a second consecutive defeat against Australia.

England had not lost back-to-back ODIs on home soil since 2015, yet they followed a loss to Sri Lanka at Headingley, where they failed to chase down 233, with a 64-run reverse against their oldest rivals at Lord’s.

It was once again an unsuccessful chase that proved their undoing as Australia’s 285/7 was more than enough when left-arm seamers Jason Behrendorff and Mitchell Starc took nine wickets between them.

And Morgan believes his side have got away from what has made them so successful since the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015 and must rectify that in order to get their semi-final hopes back on track.

“Both this game and the last, we struggled with the basics of what we call our batting mantra,” said the England captain.

“Strong intent, building partnerships, and doing it in our own way – we haven't done those for long enough periods of the game in order to either chase down 230 or chase down 280, and that's disappointing.

“Our mantra is always evolving – if you’ve watched the last two years of the way we’ve played, it has evolved a lot.

“Early on they bowled well. Being 20/3 obviously creates a bigger challenge, especially chasing 280. To make those inroads – I thought they bowled well.

“Normally when we lose games of cricket, we go back to what we do well. We'll still strive to do that for Sunday's game against India.”

England’s chances of reaching the semi-finals have taken a hit in the last two matches but their path to qualification is still in their own hands – with victories in their final two group games guaranteeing a knockout spot.

Those contests are against two sides also currently ensconced in the top four – India and New Zealand – and Morgan is hoping to set an example that his squad can follow.

“They [hopes of reaching the semi-finals] are still strong,” he added. “The chances are in our hands.

“Everything is within our control. We just need to produce a performance worthy of winning either one or both of the next two games.

“Ideally, I'd like to lead from the front. I think majority of the captains have success with a team when they lead from the front.

“Contributions from myself over the next two games might have an impact on the changing room, so hopefully I can make a difference.”
 
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