Nottingham: Opposing captains Aaron Finch and Eoin Morgan have set the stage for what shapes as a classic World Cup clash next week – although they each have a more immediate focus.
While England face Sri Lanka at Headingley on Friday, and Australia meet a potentially dangerous Bangladesh on Thursday, Morgan was already talking about the confidence his side will take into Tuesday's match at Lord's after a stunning 150-run win over Afghanistan on Tuesday.
Record knock: Eoin Morgan.Credit:AP
"Certainly going into Friday's game against Sri Lanka, another game where if we can produce the level of intensity which we operated at today, I think it will leave us in a really good place," he said.
As it stands, Morgan and Finch will have plenty of individual confidence. Finch crunched an equal career high of 153 against Sri Lanka at the Oval on Sunday and has been regarded as the captain of the tournament, while Morgan delivered one of the more remarkable World Cup knocks of all time, against bottom-placed Afghanistan.
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The Irishman smacked 17 sixes – a one-day international record – in making 148 from 71 balls, sending the Old Trafford crowd into delirium. The previous record for most sixes had been jointly held by Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Rohit Sharma.
"Never, never have I ever thought I could play a knock like that. I'm delighted that I have. I think coming in at the time where it was a 50-50 shout whether myself or Jos [Buttler] went in probably helped that, because after I faced a few balls, I had no choice," Morgan said.
"I had to start taking risks because of him coming in next and then after I got dropped, it was a matter of just keep going."
All this after back spasms had led to him limping from the field 10 days earlier against Bangladesh – and left him in doubt for this latest match.
England and several of their players have set records – and new standards – in the 50-over arena in recent years and they delivered another against Afghanistan, blasting 25 sixes – a record for any team in an ODI. Their 6-397 was also their highest total in a World Cup match, besting the 6-386 they managed against Bangladesh. It was no surprise they regained top spot on the World Cup ladder.
Morgan's aggressive style highlighted the brute force this England batting order has, for Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root – the glue who can also be a dasher – and Jason Roy, who is battling a hamstring strain and is fighting to be fit for the knock out stages, can turn a contest within an over.
It was put to Morgan that he had averaged a six every 35 deliveriRead More – Source
Nottingham: Opposing captains Aaron Finch and Eoin Morgan have set the stage for what shapes as a classic World Cup clash next week – although they each have a more immediate focus.
While England face Sri Lanka at Headingley on Friday, and Australia meet a potentially dangerous Bangladesh on Thursday, Morgan was already talking about the confidence his side will take into Tuesday's match at Lord's after a stunning 150-run win over Afghanistan on Tuesday.
Record knock: Eoin Morgan.Credit:AP
"Certainly going into Friday's game against Sri Lanka, another game where if we can produce the level of intensity which we operated at today, I think it will leave us in a really good place," he said.
As it stands, Morgan and Finch will have plenty of individual confidence. Finch crunched an equal career high of 153 against Sri Lanka at the Oval on Sunday and has been regarded as the captain of the tournament, while Morgan delivered one of the more remarkable World Cup knocks of all time, against bottom-placed Afghanistan.
Advertisement
The Irishman smacked 17 sixes – a one-day international record – in making 148 from 71 balls, sending the Old Trafford crowd into delirium. The previous record for most sixes had been jointly held by Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Rohit Sharma.
"Never, never have I ever thought I could play a knock like that. I'm delighted that I have. I think coming in at the time where it was a 50-50 shout whether myself or Jos [Buttler] went in probably helped that, because after I faced a few balls, I had no choice," Morgan said.
"I had to start taking risks because of him coming in next and then after I got dropped, it was a matter of just keep going."
All this after back spasms had led to him limping from the field 10 days earlier against Bangladesh – and left him in doubt for this latest match.
England and several of their players have set records – and new standards – in the 50-over arena in recent years and they delivered another against Afghanistan, blasting 25 sixes – a record for any team in an ODI. Their 6-397 was also their highest total in a World Cup match, besting the 6-386 they managed against Bangladesh. It was no surprise they regained top spot on the World Cup ladder.
Morgan's aggressive style highlighted the brute force this England batting order has, for Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root – the glue who can also be a dasher – and Jason Roy, who is battling a hamstring strain and is fighting to be fit for the knock out stages, can turn a contest within an over.
It was put to Morgan that he had averaged a six every 35 deliveriRead More – Source
