Preview
Match 40 was played at MCA Stadium Pune. In this crucial clash between the bottom-dwelling teams, England, the reigning World Champions, aimed to secure a place in the top eight. Meanwhile, the Netherlands, known for their surprises, sought another upset.
World Champion Firm Start
Opting to bat first, England established a strong opening partnership, accumulating 48 runs. Bairstow contributed 15 before being caught by Meekeren. D. Malan and J. Root steadied the ship, guiding England to 133 until Root’s dismissal. England reached 139 before losing Malan, who scored an impressive 87. With a hiccup at 192/6, Ben Stokes and C. Woakes took charge, forming a 129-run partnership, pushing England to 321. Woakes scored a brilliant 51, while Ben Stokes crafted a century with 108 runs. England finished at 339/9, with B. D. Leede taking 3 wickets.
Netherlands’ Uphill Battle
Chasing 340 runs at a rate of 6.8 per over, the Netherlands lost two wickets within six overs. However, early wickets fell in the power play, leaving Netherland at 13/2.They managed a 55-run partnership for the third wicket before Barresi fell at 37. Despite decent starts from Scott, Teja, and Engelbrecht, no batsman tried to stay and build the inning. England’s bowlers, particularly spinners Moeen and Rashid (3 wickets each) and Willy (2 wickets), made sure there were no hiccups. The Netherlands was bowled out for 179 in 37.2 overs.
England’s Convincing Win
The World Champion ,England claimed a resounding 160-run victory, registering their second win out of eight matches. With this triumph, they climbed from the bottom of the table to the 7th position. Ben Stokes was named the Player of the Match for his splendid 108 off 84 balls.
| Match No-40 | ||||
| MCA Stadium, Pune | 08 November 2023 | Toss-England | ||
| England | Afghanistan | England won by 160 runs | ||
| 339/9(50) | 291/5 (50) | |||
| B Stokes-108(84) D Malan- 87(74) C Woakes-51(45) | M Ali-3/42 A Rashid-3/54 D Willey-2/19 | T Nidamanuru-41*(34) | B D Leede-3/74 A Dutt- 2/67 L Beek-2/88 | POM Ben Stokes for his 108 runs |
| ICC MEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP POINTS TABLE | ||||||||
| Rank | Team | Played | Won | Loss | NR | Points | NRR | Remarks |
| 1 | India | 8 | 8 | 0 | – | 16 | +2.456 | Q |
| 2 | South Africa | 8 | 6 | 2 | – | 12 | +1.376 | Q |
| 3 | Australia | 8 | 6 | 2 | – | 12 | +0.861 | Q |
| 4 | Newzealand | 8 | 4 | 4 | – | 8 | +0.398 | |
| 5 | Pakistan | 8 | 4 | 4 | – | 8 | +0.036 | |
| 6 | Afghanistan | 8 | 4 | 4 | – | 8 | -0.338 | |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 8 | 2 | 6 | – | 4 | -1.142 | |
| 8 | Sri Lanka | 8 | 2 | 6 | – | 4 | -1.160 | |
| 9 | Netherland | 7 | 2 | 5 | – | 4 | -1.398 | |
| 10 | England | 7 | 1 | 6 | – | 2 | -1.504 | |
