Sports

Big win for England over Bangladesh at Cricket World Cup. Sri Lanka sets tough target for Pakistan

By Associated Press

Bangladesh's Taskin Ahmed bats during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup match between England and Bangladesh in Dharamshala, India. Photo: AP

DHARAMSALA, OCTOBER 10

Dawid Malan's century set up England's first win at the Cricket World Cup with a 137-run victory over Bangladesh on Tuesday.

Malan scored 140 off 107 balls – his fifth ODI hundred – as England reached 364-9 at Dharamsala to bounce back from being humiliated by New Zealand in the tournament opener.

Left-arm pacer Reece Topley returned figures of 4-43 as England bowled out Bangladesh for 227 in 48.2 overs.

It was England's fourth biggest win by runs in World Cup history.

Put into bat, England made a great start as Malan and Jonny Bairstow (52) shared 115 runs for the first wicket.

Shakib Al Hasan bowled Bairstow with a beautiful delivery, but it brought no respite for the Tigers. Malan and Joe Root added 151 runs for the second wicket.

Malan hit 16 fours and five sixes overall, and reached his hundred off 91 balls. After the landmark, he cut loose to score 40 off only 16 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes.

'It was fantastic to put in a performance like this and win a game (for the team). Hopefully my form will continue ahead,' Malan said. 'With Root at three, it allows us to play freely. I am desperate to do well in this format and prove a point.'

Root also scored quickly, reaching 50 off 44 balls. Overall, he hit 82 off 68 balls, including eight fours and a six, as he continues to rediscover his form.

England lost its way a bit in the last phase of the innings. After Malan's dismissal, it went from 296-2 to 307-5 , losing Root and Jos Buttler (20). Liam Livingstone, who has a good IPL record at this ground, was bowled for a golden duck. Harry Brook (20) guided the score past 350 along with the lower middle-order.

Topley then destroyed Bangladesh's chase with the new ball. He sent back Tanzid Hasan for one, and then Najmul Hossain Shanto was out caught for a golden duck, in the second over.

Four overs later, Topley bowled Shakib for one. Chris Woakes had Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught behind for eight as Bangladesh struggled at 49-4 in 8.3 overs.

The game was effectively already over, even as Litton Das top scored with 76 to help stabilize the innings. He put on 72 runs with Mushfiqur Rahim, the only time when Bangladesh looked comfortable.

Rahim scored 51 runs, and there weren't any lower-order heroics to jeopardize England's win.

England and Bangladesh, which beat Afghanistan in its opener, both have two points after two games.

Meanwhile, at Hyderabad, Sri Lanka chose to bat first and scored 344-9 thanks to Kusal Mendis' 77-ball 122 and Sadeera Samarawickrama's 108 in 89 as Pakistan's bowling struggled to get going.

Sri Lanka hasn't beaten Pakistan in eight World Cup contests so far.