Eoin Morgan hits record 17 sixes in World Cup
ICC men’s World Cup Cricket at Old Trafford, Manchester
England Vs Afghanistan
England 397-6 (50 ov) Morgan 148 off 71, 4 fours, 17 sixes, Bairstow 90 off 99, 8 fours and 3 sixes, Root 88 off 82, 5 fours, 1 six, Gulbadin 3-68, D Zadran 3-85.
Afghanistan 247-8 (50 ov) Hashmatullah 76 off 100, 5 fours, 2 sixes, Rahmat 46 off 74, 3 fours, 1 six, , Afghan 44 off 48, 3 fours, 2 sixes, Archer 3-52, Rashid 3-66, Wood 3-40.
England win by 150 runs
Eoin Morgan broke the record for the number of sixes in a ODI hammering 17 sixes in making 148 form 71 balls, in England’s 150-run World Cup win over Afghanistan.
Morgan surpassed his previous best of 16, jointly held by Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Rohit Sharma and England’s total of 25 sixes also set a new record for any team in an ODI innings. Jonny Bairstow made 90 and Joe Root 88 as hosts smashed 397-6 their highest total in a World Cup match, bettering the 386-6 they piled on against Bangladesh only 10 days ago.
This win lifts England to the top of the 10-team table ahead of Australia on a net run-rate.
England meet Sri Lanka at Headingly on Friday and win will leave Morgan’s men on the verge of the semi-finals.
When Morgan arrived at the end of the 30th over, England were 164-2, with the left-hander accelerated the final 15 overs which brought 198 runs in a blur of hitting sixes which meant fielders could only watch and do nothing.
When Afghanistan dropped short he heaved the ball over the leg side, and when the ball was pitched up he smashed it straight, although he had one life on 28 when Dawlat Zadran barely got one hand to a chance at deep mid-wicket. Morgan scored 120 from his next 46 balls. His fifty coming in 36 balls, and his second from 21, In the 14 balls he faced after reaching hundred, one of which got him out, he scored a further 47 runs. He was dismissed caught at long-off, he received a handshake for bowler and opposite number Gulbadin Naib and departed to a standing ovation.
England’s sole defeat by Pakistan, a game in which their fielding was awful is well behind them. They still have to play group games against Australia, New Zealand and India.
Four of their batsmen have made hundreds and Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have taken 21 wickets between them.
Afghanistan lost an important toss, but their fielding filled with errors and crumbling bowling in the face of Morgan’s assault.
Eoin Morgan said “I didn’t think at any stage it was going to be my day. Getting quite old, running around with a back back. I never thought in my wildest dream I’d produce an innings like that. It was a special day.”