England loss in third match dents SA’S WC hopes of direct qualification
Archer collected his best ODI bowling figures of 6-40 in just his second international appearance back from a long injury break as South Africa were bowled out for 287 in 43.1 overs
England’s 59-run win in the third and final ODI put a massive dent in South Africa’s hopes of qualifying directly for this year’s ICC Mens Cricket World Cup.
Skipper Jos Butler (131 off 127 balls) and Dawid Malan (118 off 114 balls) shared a 232-run partnership for the fourth wicket ater the hosts had reduced England to 3/14 in the sixth over. That helped the visitors put up a massive 346/7 in their 50 overs.
Archer collected his best ODI bowling figures of 6-40 in just his second international appearance back from a long injury break as South Africa were bowled out for 287 in 43.1 overs.
While South Africa claimed the three-game series 2-1 ater winning the first two games, the loss in the final match let them precariously placed as teams jostle for the eight automatic qualification spots for this year’s 50-over World Cup in India in October-november this year.
South Africa currently sit in ninth place on the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League standings with a total of 79 points and now have a nervous wait on their hands to see if they qualify automatically, said a report on the ICC’S official website.
The upcoming series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will be pivotal to the final standings, while the Proteas still have two further matches up their sleeve - against the Netherlands at home at the end of March - that could still revive their chances.
While the top eight teams on the Super League standings qualify directly for the 50-over World Cup, the remaining sides can still progress via the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier that is scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe in the middle of the year.
Meanwhile,englandpickedteenageleg-spinner Rehan Ahmed in their white-ball squads for the first time on Thursday ahead of next month’s tour of Bangladesh.
The 18-year-old Leicestershire bowler became England’s youngest men’s Test cricketer against Pakistan in Karachi in December and marked his debut in style with a five-wicket haul.
Ahmed had played just three first-class matches before making his Test bow, but has more experience in white-ball cricket, having appeared regularly for his county side.
Saqib Mahmood has been included in the one-day international squad for the first time since suffering a stress fracture of the back in May last year. But there was no place for Alex Hales, with the big-hiting batsman set to honour his contract to play in the Pakistan Super League
Ag ence France-presse ater only returning to England duty last year.
Hales was a key figure in England’s T20 World Cup triumph in Australia in November ater a positive test for recreational drug use came to light on the eve of the 2019 50-over World Cup led to more than three years of international exile.
England will play three ODIS and three T20s in Bangladesh from March 1 to 14. The T20 fixtures are their first in the format since Jos Butler’s men became world champions, adding to their 50-over global title.
The five remaining teams plus five Associate teams will batle it out for the final two spots at the World Cup and the likes of South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka may have to take this route should they not be able to sneak into the top eight places on the Super League standings.
Squads: ODI squad: Jos Butler (Lancashire, capt/wkt), Tom Abell (Somerset), Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Moeen Ali (Warwickshire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Sam Curran (Surrey), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), James Vince (Hampshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)
T20 squad: Butler, Abell, Ahmed, Ali, Archer, Curran, Ben Ducket (Notinghamshire), Will Jacks (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Malan, Rashid, Salt, Topley, Woakes, Wood
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