Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 2nd ODI: Kusal’s whirlwind fifty helps Sri Lanka level series

Perera equalled Sanath Jayasuriya's record for the fastest ODI half-century by a Sri Lankan batsman

Perera equalled Sanath Jayasuriya’s record for the fastest ODI half-century by a Sri Lankan batsman

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Sri Lanka opener Kusal Perera hit the second-fastest half-century in ODI history and the joint-fastest fifty by a Sri Lankan batsman to lead his side to a two-wicket win over Pakistan in Pallekele.

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Caribbean Premier League 11th Match: Ramdin leads Amazon Warriors to first win

Ramdin hammered five boundaries and four sixes during his match-winning knock of 54

Ramdin hammered five boundaries and four sixes during his match-winning knock of 54

Image courtesy of: CPL T20

The Guyana Amazon Warriors tasted victory for the first time in this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as captain Denesh Ramdin smashed an unbeaten 54 to lead them to a seven-wicket win over the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 32nd Match – 42nd Match Round-up

32nd Match: Australia vs Sri Lanka

Maxwell celebrates after scoring his maiden ODI century

Maxwell celebrates after scoring his maiden ODI century

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Australia won the match by 64 runs courtesy of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who scored the fastest hundred by an Australian in ODI history. Maxwell’s record-breaking knock of 102 came off 53 balls and included 10 boundaries and four sixes.

He was well supported by Steve Smith, captain Michael Clarke and Shane Watson, who made 72, 68 and 67 respectively as Australia finished on 376/9 off their 50 overs.

Lasith Malinga and Thisara Perera picked up two wickets apiece, while skipper Angelo Mathews, Seekkuge Prasanna and Tillakaratne Dilshan chipped in with one wicket each.

During their chase of 377, Sri Lanka lost an early wicket before Sangakkara took over and scored his third consecutive century before being dismissed by James Faulkner. Sangakkara’s superb innings of 104 came off 107 deliveries and included 11 boundaries.

Sangakkara scored his third consecutive hundred

Sangakkara scored his third consecutive hundred

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Despite Dilshan’s 62 and Dinesh Chandimal’s 52, Sri Lanka ended up losing the match by 64 runs.

Faulkner was the most successful bowler with three wickets, while Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson snapped up two wickets apiece and Watson claimed one.

Maxwell was named Man of the Match.

33rd Match: Bangladesh vs England

Mahmudullah is ecstatic after scoring his maiden ODI century

Mahmudullah is ecstatic after scoring his maiden ODI century

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

England’s dream of tasting World Cup glory was dashed when they were knocked out of the competition following their shocking 15-run loss to Bangladesh in Adelaide.

After being put in to bat, Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah led his side to 275/7 off their 50 overs with a brilliant knock of 103, which came off 138 balls and included seven boundaries and two sixes.

Wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim provided excellent support as he scored 89.

James Anderson and Chris Jordan picked up two wickets apiece, while Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali chipped in with one wicket each.

Chasing 276 to win, England got off to a solid start thanks to opener Ian Bell’s 63. However, it all went downhill after he was dismissed as England’s middle and lower order, with the exception of wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, completely collapsed.

Even though Buttler scored 65 off 52 balls, which included six boundaries and a six, England ended up falling short of their target.

Buttler made a gutsy 65

Buttler made a gutsy 65

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Rubel Hossain was the most successful bowler with four wickets, while skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and Taskin Ahmed claimed two wickets each.

Mahmudullah was named Man of the Match.

34th Match: India vs Ireland 

Dhawan breaks out his trademark celebration after scoring his eighth ODI century

Dhawan breaks out his trademark celebration after scoring his eighth ODI century

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

India opener Shikhar Dhawan smashed a century to lead his side to a convincing eight-wicket win over Ireland in Hamilton.

After opting to bat first, Ireland were bowled out for 259 thanks to Niall O’Brien’s fantastic knock of 75 and captain William Porterfield’s solid innings of 67.

O'Brien was Ireland's top-scorer with 75 runs

O’Brien was Ireland’s top-scorer with 75 runs

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Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Ravichandran Ashwin snapped up two and Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Chasing 260 to win, India got off to a magnificent start as Dhawan and Rohit Sharma amassed a 174-run partnership before Sharma was dismissed for 64.

Dhawan went on to bring up his hundred before he was on his way back to the pavilion.

Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane finished things off with an unbeaten 70-run partnership.

Stuart Thompson took both wickets.

Dhawan was named Man of the Match.

35th Match – Scotland vs Sri Lanka

Sangakkara scored his fourth consecutive century

Sangakkara scored his fourth consecutive century

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Sri Lanka’s batting duo of Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan both scored centuries to help their side demolish Scotland by 148 runs.

Dilshan raises his bat after bringing up his 22nd ODI century

Dilshan raises his bat after bringing up his 22nd ODI century

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With his knock, Sangakkara broke the record for the most consecutive centuries in ODI history.

Captain Angelo Mathews gave Sri Lanka a major boost after Sangakkara and Dilshan had been dismissed as he hammered 51 runs off 21 balls, which included one boundary and six sixes to lead Sri Lanka to 363/9 off their 50 overs.

Josh Davey was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Alasdair Evan and Richie Berrington snapped up two wickets apiece and Rob Taylor and Matt Machan chipped in with one wicket each.

Chasing 364 to win, only Freddie Coleman and skipper Preston Mommsen made valuable contributions with the bat as they scored 70 and 60 respectively. Since none of the other batsmen could muster any offence whatsoever, Scotland were bowled out for 215.

Coleman scored a valiant 70

Coleman scored a valiant 70

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Nuwan Kulasekara and Dushmantha Chameera took three wickets apiece, while Lasith Malinga got two and Thisara Perera and Dilshan claimed one wicket each.

Sangakkara was named Man of the Match.

36th Match – South Africa vs United Arab Emirates

De Villiers hit six boundaries and four sixes during his knock of 99

De Villiers hit six boundaries and four sixes during his knock of 99

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South Africa captain AB de Villiers smashed 99 runs as the Proteas took down the United Arab Emirates by 146 runs in Wellington.

De Villiers was well supported by Farhaan Behardien, who hammered 64 off 31 balls, which included five boundaries and three sixes.

Thanks to de Villiers and Behardien, South Africa finished on 341/6 off their 50 overs.

Mohammad Naveed was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Kamran Shazad, Amjad Javed and skipper Mohammad Tauqir chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Chasing 342 to win, wicketkeeper Swapnil Patil was the only batsmen to put up any sort of resistance as he scored 57, which came off 100 balls and included five boundaries.

Patil was the United Arab Emirates' top-scorer with 57 runs

Patil was the United Arab Emirates’ top-scorer with 57 runs

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Due to this, the United Arab Emirates were bowled out for a dismal 195.

De Villiers, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel snapped up two wickets apiece, while Dale Steyn, Jean Paul (JP) Duminy and Imran Tahir claimed one wicket each.

De Villiers was named Man of the Match.

37th Match – New Zealand vs Bangladesh

Guptill celebrates after scoring his sixth ODI century

Guptill celebrates after scoring his sixth ODI century

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

New Zealand opener Martin Guptill hammered a quickfire 105 to lead his side to a three-wicket win over Bangladesh in Hamilton.

After being put in to bat, Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah stood tall and struck his second consecutive century to carry his side to 288/7 off their 50 overs.

Mahmudullah’s career-best innings of 128 not out came off 123 balls and included 12 boundaries and three sixes.

Mahmudullah's career-best knock of 128 went in vain

Mahmudullah’s career-best knock of 128 went in vain

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The only other batsman to make a decent contribution was Soumya Sarkar, who scored a solid 51.

Trent Boult, Corey Anderson and Grant Elliott picked up two wickets apiece, while Daniel Vettori chipped in with one.

Chasing 289 to win, Guptill kept New Zealand afloat with his knock of 105, which came off 100 deliveries and included 11 boundaries and two sixes.

Despite some of the New Zealand batsmen making small but useful contributions, Ross Taylor regained his touch with the bat and made a vital 56 as the Blackcaps reached their target with seven balls to spare.

Shakib Al Hasan was the most successful bowler with four wickets, while Nasir Hossain took two and Rubel Hossain claimed one.

Guptill was named Man of the Match.

38th Match – Afghanistan vs England

Jordan finished with 2-13 off 6.2 overs

Jordan finished with 2-13 off 6.2 overs

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England opener Ian Bell scored an unbeaten 52 to give his side a consolation win over Afghanistan in a rain-affected showdown at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

With the number of overs having been reduced to 36.2 per side, England skipper Eoin Morgan would have been delighted with his decision to bowl first since Afghanistan were restricted to 111/7.

Chris Jordan and Ravi Bopara picked up two wickets apiece, while James Anderson, Stuart Broad and James Tredwell chipped in with one wicket each.

With the rain returning again, the Duckworth-Lewis system came into effect and England were given a target of 101 to win from 25 overs.

Despite losing opener Alex Hales for 37, Bell kept his cool and guided his team to a comfortable nine-wicket win.

Bell hit six boundaries during his knock of 52

Bell hit six boundaries during his knock of 52

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Hamid Hassan was the only bowler to take a wicket.

Jordan was named Man of the Match for his spectacular bowling figures.

39th Match – India vs Zimbabwe

Raina raises his bat after bringing up his fifth ODI century

Raina raises his bat after bringing up his fifth ODI century

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

India all-rounder Suresh Raina scored an unbeaten 110 to spoil Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batsman Brendan Taylor’s last international match.

Despite losing three quick wickets after being put in to bat, Taylor stemmed the bleeding with his knock of 138, which came off 110 balls and included 15 boundaries and five sixes.

Taylor broke the record for the most centuries made a by a Zimbabwean in ODI history

Taylor broke the record for the most centuries made a by a Zimbabwean player in ODI history

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Taylor was well supported by all-rounder Sean Williams, who made 50 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 287.

Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma took three wickets apiece, while Ravichandran Ashwin snapped up one.

Chasing 288 to win, India got off to a poor start before Raina and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni stabilised the innings with an unbeaten 196-run partnership.

Raina ended up making 110 off 104 balls, which included nine boundaries and four sixes, while Dhoni remained undefeated on 85 off 76 deliveries, which included eight boundaries and two sixes.

Tinashe Panyangara was the most successful bowler with two wickets, while Sikandar Raza claimed one.

Raina was named Man of the Match.

40th Match – Australia vs Scotland

Starc finished with figures of 4-14 off 4.4 overs

Starc finished with figures of 4-14 off 4.4 overs

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Australia left-arm pace bowler Mitchell Starc ripped through Scotland’s batting line-up with four wickets to lead the Baggy Greens to a seven-wicket win in Hobart.

Australia captain Michael Clarke would have been ecstatic with his decision to bowl first as Scotland were bowled out for a dismal 130.

Starc inflicted the most damage with four wickets, while Patt Cummins picked up three and Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Chasing 131 to win, Australia lost opener Aaron Finch early, but thanks to Clarke’s knock of 47, the Baggy Greens got across the finish line with 208 balls to spare.

Starc was named Man of the Match.

41st Match – United Arab Emirates vs West Indies

Holder was named Man of the Match for taking four wickets

Holder was named Man of the Match for taking four wickets

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

West Indies opener Johnson Charles and batsman Jonathan Carter both made half-centuries to help their side beat the United Arab Emirates by six wickets in Napier.

After being put in to bat first, the United Arab Emirates were in serious trouble when they were reduced to 46/6.

However, Nasir Aziz scored 60 and Amjad Javed made 56 to carry the United Arab Emirates to 175 before they were bowled out.

Aziz made a gutsy 60

Aziz made a gutsy 60

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West Indies skipper Jason Holder was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Jerome Taylor snapped up three, Andre Russell took two and Marlon Samuels chipped in with one.

Chasing 176 to win, West Indies opener Dwayne Smith, Samuels and Russell were all dismissed cheaply.

But, thanks to Charles and Carter’s half-centuries, the men from the Caribbean reached their target with 117 balls to spare.

Javed and Manjula Guruge claimed two wickets each.

Holder was named Man of the Match.

42nd Match – Ireland vs Pakistan

Ahmed celebrates after scoring his maiden ODI century

Ahmed celebrates after scoring his maiden ODI century

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed scored his maiden century to help his side qualify for the quarter-finals.

Ireland captain William Porterfield would have been brooding over his decision to bat first as he was the only batsman to make any runs.

Aside from Porterfield’s fabulous knock of 107, which came off 131 balls and included 11 boundaries and a six, none of the other Ireland batsmen surpassed 30 runs.

Porterfield's seventh ODI hundred went in vain

Porterfield’s seventh ODI hundred went in vain

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It was thanks to Porterfield that Ireland reached 237 before being bowled out.

Wahab Riaz was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali snapped up two wickets apiece and Ehsan Adil and Haris Sohail chipped in with one wicket each.

Chasing 238 to win, Pakistan got off to a tremendous start as opener Ahmed Shehzad scored 63 before being dismissed.

However, despite losing Sohail for three runs and captain Misbah-ul-Haq for 39, Ahmed maintained his composure and guided Pakistan to a seven-wicket win.

Alex Cusack and Stuart Thompson claimed one wicket each.

Ahmed was named Man of the Match.