South Africa's Hashim Amla became the fastest player to reach 20 ODI centuries, setting South Africa on course for its second 400-plus total in an as many World Cup matches and a 201-run win over Ireland. Amla (159) and Faf Du Plessis (109) shared a 247-run second-wicket stand before Rilee Russow (61 not out) and David Miller (46 not out) added an unbroken 110-run stand in the last eight overs to lift South Africa to 411-4, beating its own mark set last Friday for the second-highest total ever at the Cricket World Cup. Ireland, which had chased totals to win its first two matches of the tournament, crumbled to 21-3 by the sixth over and was all out for 210. Kyle Abbott returned figures of 4-21.
Pakistan down Zimbabwe
Pakistan got their World Cup campaign back on track on Sunday when the 1992 champions downed Zimbabwe by 20 runs to claim their first win of the tournament. Led by some patient batting from captain Mizbah-ul-Haq, who made 73, Pakistan recovered from losing their first two wickets for just four runs to post 235 for seven from their 50 overs. Towering left arm paceman Mohammad Irfan then took full advantage of the lively Gabba wicket to claim the first three Zimbabwe scalps on his way to a career-best 4-30. Irfan troubled the Zimbabwe openers with his bounce, both Chamunorwa Chibhabha and Sikandar Raza guiding lifting balls to Haris Sohail at second slip.
Hamilton Masakadza (29) and Brendan Taylor saw off Irfan and settled the Zimbabwe innings, adding 52 runs without trouble. However, when they lost Williams for 33 after he hit Rahat Ali straight to Ahmad Shahzad at backward point with the score on 150 the run chase began to fall away.
Sri Lanka extend England's agony
England's horror World Cup run continued when Sri Lanka smashed the third-highest run chase in the tournament's history to clinch a nine-wicket defeat in Wellington on Sunday. Centuries by Kumar Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne ensured Sri Lanka overhauled the 310-run target set after England won the toss and elected to bat. The pair were unbeaten as Sri Lanka ended the innings on 312-1 with 16 balls to spare, Thirmanne carrying his bat on 139 and Sangakkara scoring 117 for his second successive century. The loss leaves England with a solitary World Cup win against minnows Scotland after they were well-beaten by co-hosts Australia (111 runs) and New Zealand (eight wickets) in their opening matches. A tally of two points with two pool games left to play means their quarter-final hopes are hanging by a thread, while Sri Lanka are on the verge of the last eight.
India maul UAE for third win in row
India on Saturday virtually assured themselves of a quarter final berth in the cricket World Cup after spanking minnows UAE by nine wickets, recording their third successive win with yet another flawless display. After the bowlers led by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (4/25) bundled out UAE for a paltry 102 in only 31.3 overs, the batsmen made short work of the target knocking off the required runs in only 18.5 overs in a completely lop-sided Pool B contest. India thus maintained their grip on the top spot in the league table with three wins from as many matches which took their points tally to six. With three matches against West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland left, Dhoni and his boys, are well on course of topping the group.
New Zealand beat Australia in thriller
New Zealand became the first team to enter the Cricket World Cup quarter finals, clinching a nerve-wrecking one-wicket triumph over four-time champions Australia after dismissing them for their second lowest tournament total in a pool A thriller on Saturday. In a low-scoring match that went right down to the wire, the nervous Kiwis huffed and puffed to victory after man of the match pacer Trent Boult's career-best five-wicket haul had helped bowl out the Aussies for 151 in 32.2 overs at a packed Eden Park. Chasing the modest target, New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, playing through a swollen arm after being hit by a Mitchell Johnson bouncer, whacked a 24-ball 50 to lay the foundation of the victory.
South Africa down West Indies by 257 runs
AB de Villiers confirmed his status as the most destructive batsman in cricket with a magnificent unbeaten 162 from just 66 balls to lead South Africa to a record 257-run victory over West Indies in their ICC World Cup 2015 Pool B match on Friday. South Africa's tally of 408 for five was the second highest posted in a World Cup match and a shell-shocked West Indies could only manage 151 in reply, Chris Gayle backing up his record 215 against Zimbabwe on Tuesday with a paltry three. It was the joint fourth largest margin of victory by runs in an one-day international and also equalled the largest margin in a World Cup match, matching India's 257-run win over Bermuda in 2007.
Sri Lanka humble Bangladesh
Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed an unbeaten 161 off 146 balls and Kumar Sangakkara marked his 400th one-dayer with a century as Sri Lanka whipped butter-fingered Bangladesh by 92 runs in the World Cup on Thursday. Dilshan and Sangakkara, who hit 105 not out in his landmark match, lifted the Islanders to a mammoth 332 for one that proved too hot to chase for Bangladesh, who folded up for 240 with three overs to spare.
Afghanistan defeat Scotland by 1 wicket
Samiullah Shenwari produced a brilliant rearguard action to guide Afghanistan to their first World Cup victory with a dramatic one-wicket win over Scotland in their Pool A clash in Dunedin on Thursday. Shenwari, who had been positively pedestrian for his first 40 runs, was dismissed for 96 after taking charge of his side`s chase to 211 runs for the victory at University Oval.
The 28-year-old was dismissed with 19 runs still required from 19 balls but last pairing of Shapoor Zadran and Hamid Hassan managed to get their side to the target with three balls to spare.
Wilson, O'Brien seal Ireland's thrilling win
Gary Wilson and Kevin O'Brien struck brisk half-centuries as Ireland held their nerve to clinch a thrilling two-wicket victory in their World Cup Pool B match against United Arab Emirates in Brisbane on Wednesday. Wilson hit 80 off 69 balls while all-rounder O'Brien smashed 50 off 25 to help Ireland overwhelm UAE's total of 278-9 with four balls to spare for their second consecutive win of the tournament.
