Mohammad Mahmudullah became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a World Cup century as woeful England crashed out of the tournament with a 15-run loss to the Tigers at the Adelaide Oval in Australia yesterday.
Mahmudullah scored 103 and his brother-in-law Mushfiqur Rahim made 89 as the Tigers recovered from 8-2 to post a challenging 275-7 after being sent in to bat in overcast conditions.
England, needing a win to stay afloat after winning just one of their previous four Pool A matches, were bowled out for 260 as seamer Rubel Hossain claimed four wickets and wicketkeeper Rahim held four catches.
Photo: AFP
Ian Bell made 63, but England slipped to 163-6 before Jos Buttler (65 off 52 balls) and Chris Woakes (42 not out) briefly revived their hopes with a 75-run stand for the seventh wicket, but the dismissals of Buttler and Chris Jordan off successive balls in the 46th over turned the match Bangladesh’s way.
“It was pretty poor, to be knocked out of the World Cup is unbelievably disappointing,” said England captain Eoin Morgan, whose side will bow out having failed to beat a Test nation at the tournament with their only win so far against Scotland.
“I feel very proud,” said Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, who led his side superbly in the field. “Mahmudullah scored his first hundred for Bangladesh and Mushfiqur was also brilliant at the end. I think Rubel Hossain will be very happy now as he picked up four crucial wickets.”
Victory meant Bangladesh assured themselves of a place in the knockout phase before their final pool match against New Zealand.
England will return home after their closing “dead” pool match against Afghanistan on Friday.
Mahmudullah and Rahim put on 141 off 144 balls for the fifth wicket after Bangladesh were struggling at 99-4 in the 22nd over.
Mahmudullah, who hit seven fours and a six in his maiden one-day international century, surpassed the previous highest individual Bangladesh score at a World Cup of 95 by teammate Tamim Iqbal against Scotland in Nelson, New Zealand, last week.
Rahim’s 77-ball knock contained eight fours and a six.
Soumya Sarkar teamed up with Mahmudullah to retrieve the situation with an 86-run stand for the third wicket. He made 40.
Bell and Moeen Ali gave England a flying start with an opening stand of 43 off 44 balls when a messy run out cost them a wicket.
Bell turned his back as Ali charged down the wicket for a sharp single and failed to beat Sarkar’s throw to the wicketkeeper from mid-on.
Alex Hales marked his first appearance in the tournament by helping Bell add 52 for the second wicket, before he was caught behind off Mortaza for 27.
Rubel broke England’s back with the wickets of Bell and Morgan (0) in four deliveries to make it 121-4 in the 27th over.
Bell’s 82-ball vigil, in which he hit seven fours, ended when he edged a catch to Rahim.
Morgan’s poor form in the tournament continued when he hooked Rubel to fine-leg, where Shakib Al Hasan took a well-judged catch.
England lost their third wicket in the space of 22 balls when James Taylor edged seamer Taskin Ahmed to Imrul Kayes in the slips after scoring just 1.
The fourth ball of the 36th over produced a wicket for Mortaza, who had Joe Root (29) caught behind.
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