ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 (Match 1): England vs South Africa - Statistical Highlights

On Thursday (30 May), the host side England claimed a brilliant 104-run victory against South Africa in the opening match of the 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

In that match at The Oval (London), the South African captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and decided to field first. England scored 311/8 (50 overs) in the first innings while South Africa only managed to score 207 runs (39.5 overs) before losing their all wickets.

Read More: ICC World Cup 2019: The Aim Was to Get 300-310 – Ben Stokes

Brief Scores: England – 311/8 in 50 overs (Ben Stokes 89, Eoin Morgan 57; Lungi Ngidi 3/66)

South Africa – 207 in 39.5 overs (Quinton de Kock 68, Rassie van der Dussen 50; Jofra Archer 3/27)

Result – England won by 104 runs

Here are some of the statistical highlights of the match:

Teams’ stats

England

i) On the second ball of 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, England lost a wicket when Imran Tahir dismissed Jonny Bairstow. During the 1992 CWC opening match, New Zealand opener John Wright was dismissed on the first legal delivery of the tournament.

ii) England scored 311/8 (50 overs) in the first innings. It is the third highest ODI total for England against South Africa in England. However, this 311/8 is also England’s highest total against South Africa in the Cricket World Cup history. England’s previous highest CWC total against South Africa was 252/6 (45 overs) at Sydney on 22nd March 1992.

iii) A total of four England batsmen scored 50+ runs in the first innings. They were Jason Roy (54 runs), Joe Root (51 runs), Eoin Morgan (57 runs) and Ben Stokes (89 runs). In the Cricket World Cup history, it was the first time when more than three English batsmen scored 50+ runs in one innings.

iv) England achieved their second largest ODI victory (by runs) against South Africa after winning this match by 104 runs. Their record margin ODI victory (by runs) against South Africa is winning by 126 runs at The Oval on 29th August 2008.

Players’ stats

England

i) Eoin Morgan becomes the first England cricketer to play 200 ODIs. The previous record holder Paul Collingwood played 197 ODIs for England.

ii) Eoin Morgan becomes the 12th left-handed batsman to score 7,000 ODI runs. He has scored 7,034 runs in ODI career.

Read More: All Teams Are Scared Because Of Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed

iii) Ben Stokes scored 89 runs and also bagged two wickets (2/12) in this match. He is the fourth England cricketer to score 75+ runs as well as to take more than one wicket in the same Cricket World Cup match. The previous three cricketers in this list are:

iv) After Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka), Ben Stokes becomes the second cricketer to score at least 75 runs, to take at least two wickets and also to take at least two catches in the same CWC match. Apart from scoring 89 runs and taking two wickets (2/12), Stokes also took two catches in this match. Meanwhile, during the Lahore ODI of 1996 CWC match against Australia (17th March 1996), Aravinda de Silva scored 107* runs, took three wickets (3/42) and also took two catches.

V) England opening batsman Jonny Bairstow scored a golden duck in this match, and he became the fourth England opening batsman to score a golden duck in Cricket World Cup. Earlier, Tim Robinson, Graham Gooch and Alec Stewart also faced this same luck in Cricket World Cup.

South Africa

i) The leg-spinner Imran Tahir is now the oldest South African cricketer to feature in the Cricket World Cup. He played this match at the age of 40 years and 64 days. The previous record was playing at the age of 40 years and 39 days by Omar Henry in 1992 Cricket World Cup.

ii) Imran Tahir has taken 31 wickets in his CWC career. Tahir is now the joint second most wicket-taking bowler for South Africa in CWC history (Dale Steyn has also picked up 31 CWC wickets). The record holder is the former South African fast bowler Allan Donald who took 38 wickets in CWC career.