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ICC World Cup 2023: De Kock's dominance leads South Africa to resounding win over Australia
In a remarkable display of batting, Quinton de Kock notched a second consecutive century, steering South Africa to a commanding victory over Australia by 134 runs at the ICC World Cup on Thursday.
The 30-year-old's stellar innings of 109 off 106 balls propelled South Africa to a formidable total of 311-7.
Read: World Cup 2023: de Kock's Century Boosts South Africa to 311 against Australia
Australia's fielding, undermined by five dropped catches, proved costly as they were subsequently bowled out for a mere 177.
Kagiso Rabada's impressive 3-33, supported by Keshav Maharaj's valuable 2-30, restricted the Australian batters during a tenacious 10-over spell.
While South Africa celebrate two wins in as many games, Australia, yet to secure a point, faces an uphill battle with a net run-rate plummeting to -1.84.
Read: World Cup 2023: Bangladesh gear up for familiar foe NZ in Friday’s encounter
The left-handed de Kock, in his final major international tournament, formed a formidable opening partnership with captain Temba Bavuma, ultimately setting the stage for South Africa's triumph. De Kock's impeccable form, marked by eight fours and five sixes, earned him his 19th ODI century.
However, the Australian side, once considered a strong contender for the semifinals, faces a steep challenge in reviving their ODI form, having suffered seven losses in their last eight matches, including four against South Africa.
ICC World Cup 2023: Bangladesh gear up for familiar foe NZ in Friday’s encounter
Bangladesh find itself in a decent position in the ICC World Cup with one win and one loss in the first two matches. Another victory in their face-off against New Zealand on Friday would undoubtedly give them a significant boost ahead of their next clash against India on October 19. Before that crucial encounter, Bangladesh is preparing to face New Zealand, a familiar opponent. However, memories of their recent series against New Zealand, just before the World Cup, are ones the team would prefer to put behind them.In the second match in the World Cup against England, Bangladesh made a notable change, substituting Mahmudullah Riyad with Mahedi Hasan. The decision was influenced by various factors, including the playing conditions and the opponent. This shift also led to alterations in the batting order.
Read: World Cup 2023: de Kock's Century Boosts South Africa to 311 against AustraliaFor instance, Mehidy Hasan Miraz batted at number three in the first match but was assigned a different position in the second. These frequent changes appear to have affected the team's batting performance.Najmul Hossain Shanto has been solid at number three, but he didn't find the same place in the lineup against Afghanistan. Mehidy, filling in for him, notched a fifty. In the subsequent match against England, Shanto returned to his original position but faced a disappointing first-ball dismissal, and Mehidy also failed to deliver what was expected of him. With these alterations in mind, all eyes will be on Bangladesh's batting performance in the upcoming match. The team management's handling of these changes could be pivotal to their success.The Bangladesh team appears unfazed by the discussions surrounding them. Najmul Hossain Shanto, the vice-captain of the Tigers, expressed that they are focused on delivering a strong performance against New Zealand.
Read: World Cup: Kane Williamson Set for Comeback in Bangladesh Match"I believe we made a good start to the World Cup," he stated on Thursday. "It’s true that we couldn't play well against England. For now, we are looking to excel in the upcoming match."Shanto said they have no worries about frequent changes in the batting order; they are rather looking to bat with freedom in mind. While Bangladesh grapples with the challenge of determining their optimal batting order, New Zealand is buoyed by the return of their captain, Kane Williamson. The right-handed batsman last took the field in January, contending with a series of injuries since.Now deemed fit to play against Bangladesh, his presence is eagerly anticipated. Unfortunately, Tim Southee, the eminent pacer of the Blackcaps, who has historically excelled against Bangladesh, will not be partaking in this match due to an ongoing injury."Tim's progressing well, but won't be playing tomorrow's game," Williamson conveyed in the pre-match press conference.While Williamson is set to make a comeback, New Zealand are bound to change their playing XI. Bangladesh may also give it a thought to bring in the genuine spinner Nasum Ahmed, considering the spin-friendly nature of Chennai’s surface. The match will begin at 2:30 pm (Bangladesh time) and will be telecast live by T Sports, Gazi TV, and other online streaming platforms.
Qatar Master Chess: Bangladeshi IM Fahad Rahman loses to Uzbek GM Vakhidov Jokhongir
Bangladeshi IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman lost his first round match to GM Vakhidov Jokhongir of Uzbekistan in the Qatar Masters Open Chess 2023 that began on Wednesday (October 11) in the Qatar capital Doha.
The 2nd round matches started at 6 pm (BST) on Thursday where Fahad Rahman playing against Karamsetty Jeevan of USA.
A total of 158 players from 31 countries including 58 Grandmasters, 6 Women’s grandmasters and 56 International Masters are participating in the event.
FIFA World Cup: Saad Uddin guides Bangladesh to stay in race playing 1-1 draw with Maldives
A dramatic goal by M Saad Uddin in the dying moment guided Bangladesh to stay in the race playing 1- 1 draw with hosts Maldives in the Asian Qualification Round -1 match of the FIFA World Cup' 2026 at the National Stadium in Male on Thursday.
With the day's precious draw with an away goal, Bangladesh have a fair chance to qualify for the group stage of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers beating the Maldives in the home match on October 17 at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka.
The day's match was locked in a goalless position in the first half.
Forward Hassan Nazeem put the host Maldives ahead in the 87th minute by a placing shot, utilizing a lapse of Bangladesh defender Tariq Kazi, brightening their chance to qualify for the next round of the World Cup.
But, Bangladesh's substitute player Mohammad Saad Uddin destroyed the home team party scoring the match equaliser in the very 2nd minute of the added time (90+2 minute) by a placing shot, off a Rakib Hossain pass amid huge frustration of local fans (1-1).
After the goal, Saad Uddin was cautioned with yellow card for removing his Jersey.
Earlier, Foysal Ahmed Fahim of Bangladesh spoiled the golden opportunity to score in the 40th minute of the match as he failed to score with nice gap from the danger zone.
Later, Rakib Hossain also missed a good chance.
Earlier, Bangladesh and Maldives faced each other on 16 times since 1984 where Bangladesh won seven matches against the Maldives six win. The rest three matches ended in draw
In the last meeting, Bangladesh beat the Maldives by 3-1 goals in the last SAFF Championship held in the Indian city of Bengaluru in June this year.
Bangladesh never beat their upper ranked Maldives on their home soil in the last 23 years since 2000 when they played 1-1 draw with the Maldives in the Golden Jubilee Tournament in Male.
Bangladesh suffered four consecutive defeats against the Maldives from December 2011 to October 2021, before beating the Maldives by 2-1 goals in the Mahinda Rajapaksa Cup Football in Colombo in November 2021.
Bangladesh suffered their biggest 0-5 goals defeat against the Maldives in the FIFA International Friendly Football in 2016 and conceded 0-2 goals defeat each in the SAFF Championship in 2021 and in an friendly match in 2022, all in Male
However, the recent performance of Bangladesh is encouraging as they won two matches in last four meetings against the Maldives since 2021, featuring a 3-1 victory in the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru last June.
Bangladesh team is badly needed win in the two-match home and away series against the Maldives, not only to reach the group stage of the FIFA World Cup'2026, but also to avoid possible ban that deprived Bangladesh to play any FIFA/AFC international matches for about one year.
Earlier, Bangladesh were also deprived of playing international football matches for one and half year after losing to Bhutan by 1-3 goals in their return-leg play-off match of the AFC Asian Cup in Thimphu in 2016.
Despite the absence of three vital players -- number one goal keeper Anisur Rahman Zico, reliable defender Topu Barman and promising striker Shekh Morsalin for club suspension, Bangladesh team fought hard with the hosts and settled for 1-1 draw..
Earlier, Bangladesh played a two-match FIFA Tier-1 International Friendly Football series against their 32 ranked upper Afghanistan as as part of their preparation for the FIFA World Cup preliminary against the Maldives and settled for draw in the series with goalless affairs in the first match and 1-1 draw in the tense-packed 2nd match, both at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka last month.
Dhaka Metro School Volleyball begins
Dhaka Metropolis School Volleyball (Boy & Girls) Competition '2023 began on Thursday at the Shaheed Noor Hossain National Volleyball Stadium in the capital.
President of Bangladesh Volleyball Federation (BVF) and Mayor of the Dhaka North City Corporation M Atiqul Islam inaugurated the meet as the chief guests this afternoon.
Ashiqur Rahman Miku, general secretary of BVF, was also present at the function.
Green Heralds School won both of their boys and girls group matches on the opening day (Thursday).
They beat Uttar Kafrul High school by straight 2-0 sets in the boys’ competition while defeated Belna High School also by 2-0 straight set in the girls’ competition.
Six boys group and two girls group matches were decided on the opening day.
Forty five boys and girls school teams are taking part in the competition.
World Cup 2023: de Kock's Century Boosts South Africa to 311 against Australia
Quinton de Kock's impressive 109 off 106 balls drove South Africa to a formidable total of 311 for seven in their ICC World Cup clash against Australia on Thursday.
Australia won the toss in the match held in Lucknow and opted to field.
The Proteas established a solid foundation with a 108-run opening partnership, led by de Kock.
Read: World Cup: Kane Williamson Set for Comeback in Bangladesh Match
After the departure of captain Temba Bavuma, South Africa lost wickets at regular intervals, but de Kock stood firm, registering a century. Although Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen provided a steady start with scores of 35 and 26 respectively, they couldn't carry on.
Aiden Markram, on the other hand, notched up a half-century. However, players like Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, and Marco Jansen made promising starts but failed to capitalize against Australia's formidable bowling attack.
Read: ICC World Cup 2023: Preview of BAN vs. NZ ODI
Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell both secured two wickets for Australia, while Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Adam Zampa each claimed one wicket.
In their previous matches, Australia lost to hosts India by six wickets, while South Africa triumphed over Sri Lanka in their World Cup opener.
Read more: World Cup 2023: Rohit hits a ton as India demolish Afghanistan
ICC, UNICEF Join Hands for 'One Day 4 Children' Campaign
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is teaming up with UNICEF, along with the cricket authorities in India and Sri Lanka, for a grand event called "One Day 4 Children" on November 2.
This initiative aims to engage the sport's one billion fans in supporting every child's right to thrive and succeed. The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will be illuminated in blue, culminating a broader campaign named #BeAChampion.
Also read: ICC World Cup 2023: Preview of BAN vs. NZ ODI
Spectators will receive LED wristbands synchronized with a stadium-wide blue light display during the second innings.
Noteworthy cricketing figures like Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralitharan, who serve as UNICEF and ICC Ambassadors, will join hands to amplify the One Day 4 Children message. Contributions collected through this campaign will bolster UNICEF's efforts to ensure equal opportunities for children worldwide.
The event will be broadcasted globally by ICC's partner, Star Sports, and various commercial partners are also contributing with in-match donations.
Also read: ICC World Cup 2023: Preview of AUS vs. SA ODI
This initiative is part of the wider ICC Cricket 4 Good strategy and the recently launched Criiio 4 Good program, a free online life skills learning platform fostering gender equality.
World Cup: Kane Williamson Set for Comeback in Bangladesh Match
New Zealand's captain, Kane Williamson, is poised for a return in the upcoming ICC World Cup match against Bangladesh scheduled for Friday in Chennai.
Gary Stead, the head coach of New Zealand, expressed confidence in Williamson's condition, stating that he appears in great form and is likely to make his comeback in the Bangladesh match.
In the ongoing World Cup, New Zealand has played two matches thus far, securing victories in both encounters, including a face-off against the current world champions, England.
Read: ICC World Cup 2023: Preview of BAN vs. NZ ODI
"Over the last five to six days, he has shown excellent progress," Gray remarked. "We are pleased with his current status."
Bangladesh, on the other hand, has also participated in two matches in the World Cup. They started with a win against Afghanistan in their opening match, but faced defeat against England in the subsequent game.
Read: World Cup 2023: Rohit hits a ton as India demolish Afghanistan
Just ahead of the World Cup, Bangladesh played two ODIs at home against New Zealand, ending in losses for the Tigers in both encounters. Given this, the World Cup match serves as an opportunity for Bangladesh to showcase their prowess against New Zealand once again.
Read more: World Cup 2023: Afghanistan Sets 273-Run Target against India
ICC World Cup 2023: Preview of BAN vs. NZ ODI
Bangladesh and New Zealand will meet in M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday for the 11th match of the ICC World Cup 2023. The match will begin at 2:30 pm Bangladesh time on October 13, 2023. The Kiwis are in a good mood after winning two consecutive matches without the regular captain Williamson. They blew away the reigning world champions, England, in the opening match of the season. On the other hand, Bangladesh won in their first game of the season but faced a downturn in the second match against the reigning champions, England.
Preview of BAN vs. NZ ODI in ICC World Cup 2023
New Zealand has had a great start in World Cup 2023. In the first match, they defeated the world champion England by 9 wickets, and in the second match, they defeated the Netherlands by 99 runs. On the other hand, after defeating Afghanistan by 6 wickets in the first match, Bangladesh lost to England by 137 runs.
The match will be played on a spin-friendly pitch. And so, despite being in great form, New Zealand's tough batting lineup will have to be worried about this match against Bangladesh. On top of that, the Kiwis will also play against Afghanistan in this stadium. Nevertheless, 9 of the top 10 wicket-takers in the history of the Chidambaram Stadium are spinners. Legendary spinner Anil Kumble is at the top of that list with 48 wickets, and Harbhajan Singh on two with 42 wickets. So, New Zealand sees not only the Tigers but the Afghans as a challenge.
Read more: ICC World Cup 2023: Schedule, Fixtures, Venues, Team List
However, New Zealand has good news for their team. Kane Williamson might return to the field with the match against Bangladesh. The New Zealand captain is making great improvements towards that goal. Alongside him, veteran pacer Tim Southee is set to return against the Tigers. Williamson suffered a ligament injury during the last IPL game. And last month, Southee suffered an ankle injury during the tour of England. Like Williamson, he was also left out of the XI for the first two matches of the World Cup. New Zealand coach Gary Stead gave the news about the two stars on Wednesday. Both are fully ready to return to action after recovering from injuries.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, is likely to start with the regular team. Before the start of the World Cup, it was known that Bangladesh’s batting could suffer. But who thought that the spinners, the main weapon of Bangladesh bowling, would get stuck, which we saw in the last match against England? As Bangladesh's top and middle order suffered a disaster against England in Dharamsala on Tuesday, England also took advantage of their bowling weakness to score runs at a rate of more than 7.25 per over.
The only big news in Bangladesh's batting line-up in the last match is opener Litton Das' return to form. So, fans will keep an eye on him against the Kiwis. However, the loss against England surely reduces Bangladesh's confidence. But the spin-friendly stadium may raise some hope for the Tigers.
The New Zealand team visited Bangladesh on September 21-26 before the World Cup. New Zealand won the three-match series by 2-0. However, just as the Kiwis were not a full-strength team in this series, neither was Bangladesh. So, both teams have a bit of an idea about the opponent.
Read more: ICC World Cup 2023 Tickets: How to Buy Online, Booking, Prices, Starting Dates and Timings
BAN vs New Zealand Head to Head in ODI
New Zealand and Bangladesh have encountered each other in 41 matches. Among these, New Zealand secured victory in 30 games, while Bangladesh won 10 games. Additionally, one match concluded without a definitive result.
Table: BAN vs. NZ Head-to-Head ODI Matches So Far
Matches
Bangladesh Won
New Zealand Won
No Result
41
10
30
1
Predicted Playing XI for Bangladesh
Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.
Read more: Analysis of Bangladesh Squad for ICC World Cup 2023
Predicted Playing XI for New Zealand
Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Trent Boult.
Bangladeshi Players to Watch in BAN vs NZ Match
Litton Das
Litton played a decently fair inning in the last match against England. He scored 76 runs from 66 balls, which contained 7 fours and 2 sixes. So, Bangladeshi fans might keep some hope on him in the next match. However, Litton played 18 innings this year and scored 427 runs in total, while he played the best innings of the year in the last match.
Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfique was the second-highest scorer in the last match. He scored 51 runs from 64 balls. This year, Mushfique played 17 innings so far and scored 648 runs in total. However, he could not get a chance to show his skill in the first match against the Afghans as Bangladesh reached the victory before that.
Mahedi Hasan
Mahedi grabbed four wickets in the last match, and he will surely be included in the next match, as it will be played in the spin-friendly stadium. So far, he played 9 matches for Bangladesh in ODI and took 12 wickets. However, he can also contribute with the bat, as he scored 103 runs in total from 8 innings.
Read more: ICC World Cup 2023 Venues: Cities and Stadiums in India
New Zealand Players to Watch in the BAN vs NZ Match
Mitchell Santner
The all-rounder has effectively established his position as a key player in the New Zealand squad. At 32 years old, he has consistently been the preferred bowler for his captain, Kane Williamson, especially in challenging situations. Notably, he delivered a pivotal spell during their semi final triumph over India in the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He also proved himself in this World Cup, as he grabbed 5 wickets against the Netherlands and two wickets against England.
Devon Conway
As Kane Williamson was unavailable for the first two matches, Devon Conway had a significant responsibility in the top order. And he did it pretty well with 152 runs against England and 32 runs against Netherlands. Considering his current form, the Kiwi opener will surely have an impact against Bangladesh.
Rachin Ravindra
By scoring 174 runs from two World Cup matches, Ravindra earned a great World Cup debut for Kiwis. This young batter played 10 innings and scored 363 runs, while his performance at the World Cup is a significant one.
Final Words
Considering the recent performance, New Zealand is a stronger team compared to Bangladesh. Furthermore, upon analyzing the performances of both teams in the ICC World Cup 2023, the Black Caps demonstrated an outstanding performance in two matches. So, Bangladesh will have less of a chance in the BAN vs. NZ ODI match on October 13, 2023.
Read more: ICC World Cup 2023 Live Streaming: How and Where to Watch all matches Online
World Cup 2023: Rohit hits a ton as India demolish Afghanistan
Rohit Sharma's explosive 131 off 63 balls powered India to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the ICC World Cup on Wednesday in Delhi.
Rohit’s innings included 12 fours and four sixes, making it the fastest century by an Indian in a World Cup match. He made a formidable 156-run partnership with Ishan Kishan in the first wicket stand. India successfully chased down Afghanistan's 272-8.
Earlier, Afghanistan's Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai formed a resilient 121-run partnership, the second-highest in Afghanistan's World Cup history. Despite their effort, Afghanistan's total was eclipsed by India's strong batting performance.
Read: World Cup 2023: Afghanistan Sets 273-Run Target against India
Rohit’s exceptional innings set numerous records, securing India's second consecutive win in the tournament. This marked Rohit’s seventh World Cup century, the highest by any Indian player, and his 31st in ODIs.
He now stands third in the list of all-time ODI centuries, behind compatriots Sachin Tendulkar (49) and Virat Kohli (47).
Ishan contributed 47 runs off 47 balls, while Kohli added an unbeaten 55 off 56 balls. Sharma and Kishan set a brisk pace, achieving 50 runs in just 37 balls.
Sharma reached his half-century off 30 balls, the second-fastest in the World Cup. His aggressive approach also propelled him past Chris Gayle's international cricket record for the most sixes.
Ishan’s dismissal in the 19th over interrupted the partnership, allowing Virat to step in. Rohit continued his assault on the bowlers, amassing 29 runs off the next 19 balls. His partnership with Virat contributed an additional 49 runs.
Read: Afghanistan win the toss and bat first against India at the Cricket World Cup
Eventually, Rohit’s explosive innings concluded with a bowled dismissal by Rashid Khan. Virat, accompanied by Shreyas Iyer, sealed the victory with an impressive 68-run partnership for the third wicket.
For India, Hardik Pandya finished with 2-43, while Jasprit Bumrah proved to be the most successful bowler with figures of 4-39.
Afghanistan, after a cautious start, managed to post a competitive total, with Shahidi's notable 80 off 88 balls and Azmatullah's solid 62 off 69 balls. However, they lost their last four wickets for 36 runs, with Bumrah claiming two crucial dismissals.
While Afghanistan achieved their second-highest World Cup total, it was not enough to deter India's dominant pursuit of victory.