ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — England slumped out of contention at the Cricket World Cup with a 15-run loss Monday to Bangladesh, who advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time.
Rubel Hossain claimed four wickets for Bangladesh after Mahmudullah posted the team’s first World Cup century in a competitive, but achievable, 275-7 total.
Mahmudullah scored 103 in a defiant 141-run stand with half century-maker Mushfiqur Rahim to lead Bangladesh back from a disastrous start when they slumped to 8-2 after losing the toss and being sent in to bat at the Adelaide Oval.
England were all out for 260 in 48.3 overs, with Rubel Hossain (4-53) taking two wickets in three balls to finish it off and spark jubilant celebrations among the Bangladesh players.
It was a tense and dramatic finish for both teams, with the required run-rate staying around 10 per over and Tamim Iqbal dropping a catch deep in the outfield in the 48th over to give Chris Woakes a big reprieve on 39, leaving England seemingly in the box seat for victory needing 20 runs from 15 balls. But with only two wickets in hand, England failed again. It was the fourth loss in five games for England.
“Pretty poor to be knocked out this early from a World Cup,” England captain Eoin Morgan said. “Unbelievably disappointing.
“I am gutted at the moment. Our expectations were higher than the way we performed, so it is obviously disappointing. No idea what will happen from here. Again, there will be an inquest over the next few weeks to see what went wrong.”
Mahumdullah said Bangladesh played with a winning mentality, despite posting a total they considered well below a par score for the venue.
“Really impressed by the attitude,” he said. “All the boys chipped in and everything went well.
“We thought we were about 15-20 runs short initially, but we thought that if we got early wickets, then we were in with a chance. For us this victory is really special — The way Rubel bowled those last two balls, was just something really special.”
England needed to beat Bangladesh and then Afghanistan in their last two pool matches to have any chance of reaching the quarterfinals.
The England openers appeared in good touch to start the chase and easily blunted the new ball until the introduction of spin from both ends upped the pressure.
Moeen Ali (19) was run out Soumya Sarkar attempting a single. Ian Bell and Alex Hales built a solid 53-run partnership for the second wicket until Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza (2-48) had Hale caught behind by Mushfiqur Rahim.
The Bangladesh pace attack maintained the pressure and was rewarded when Bell was finally dismissed for 63, caught behind off Hossain to leave England at 121-3 after 26 overs.
Hossain struck again three balls later as Morgan’s horrendous World Cup took another turn for the worse with another duck, brilliantly caught by Shakib Al Hasan on the boundary. It was Morgan’s second duck of the tournament.
The wickets of James Taylor (1) and Joe Root (29) titled the game in Bangladesh’s favor with 14 overs remaining.
Jos Buttler (65) wrestled back control in a 75-run seventh-wicket partnership with Woakes (42 not out), but the game was as good as lost when he was caught behind.
Chris Jordan was run out first ball — TV replays showing his bat was across the crease but not grounded — leaving the tail end to try and find 33 runs off 22 balls.
Stuart Broad (9) hit a six to give England hope before he was bowled by Hossain, who ended the match with nine deliveries to spare when he bowled Jimmy Anderson (0).
Morgan’s decision to bowl first and field three slips after winning the toss brought immediate dividends when Anderson (2-45) had Kayes caught off the fourth ball, then dismissed Tamim Iqbal two overs later.
Sarkar (40) and Mahmudullah salvaged the Bangladesh innings, sharing an 86-run third-wicket stand until Jordan (2-59) claimed his first World Cup wicket by removing Sarkar.
Mahmudullah reached his historic hundred with a single before removing his helmet and blowing a kiss to a vocal section of Bangladeshis in the crowd.
Rahim was closing in a hundred before being caught by Jordan at cover off Broad for 89. The diminutive right-hander smashed eight fours and a six off his 77 balls.
