England captain smashes sixes record
Eoin Morgan came out swinging in an innings that started with an awkwardlooking tangle involving his opposing captain, and ended with a worldrecord clutter of sixes.
The England captain’s 148 from 71 balls against Afghanistan yesterday morning contained 17 sixes and launched the home team to 397-6, the sixth-highest total at a Cricket World Cup.
Moeen Ali ensured a team record for a one-day international, too. He cleared the boundary four times in an unbeaten, nine-ball 31 to improve England’s own mark by to a world record 25 sixes.
The group game between the highest- and lowest-ranked teams was barely a contest, with Afghanistan finishing 247-8 to slump to its fifth consecutive defeat.
England moved to the top of the standings on eight points, ahead of defending champion Australia on net run-rate. There was also a positive outcome for Afghanistan, with the total surpassing its 232 against Sri Lanka in Dunedin four years ago as its highest at a World Cup.
Hashmattullah Shahidi was felled after ducking into a short ball from Mark Wood that hit his helmet in the 30th over, but he recovered to score 76 and share a national World Cup record partnership of 94 with Asghar Afghan (44).
Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid each took three wickets for England.
Morgan went to the crease in the 30th over at 164-2 and raised the total to 359 before his explosive innings ended when he was caught on the boundary in the 47th over.
A doubtful starter at Old Trafford because of back spasms in England’s previous game, Morgan was barely an over into his innings when he got an inside edge to Afghanistan skipper Gulbadin Naib and shaped to run for a single.
He dropped his bat in a collision with Gulbadin as he turned to get back to safety.
Morgan’s discomfort was fleeting, though, as he belted Gulbadin’s next legitimate delivery — a free hit following a no-ball — for six over deep midwicket. Just for good measure, he followed up by clearing the rope at long-on.
It really set the tone. The 32-yearold left-hander raised his half-century from 36 balls and reached his 13th ODI century from 57, the fourth-fastest hundred ever at a World Cup.
Morgan beat Chris Gayle’s ODI mark of 16 sixes — for the West Indies against Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup — when he flat-batted Gulbadin straight back down the ground.
Morgan dominated a 189-run thirdwicket partnership with Joe Root, who was 45 when his skipper arrived at the crease and was eventually out for 88 from 82 deliveries.
England’s confidence is high with four wins and a loss going into tomorrow’s game with Sri Lanka, at Leeds. Winless Afghanistan is unlikely to get any reprieve, with No. 2-ranked India up next on Sunday.