The Latest: Spin or truth? Karunaratne rates England vs spin

By Associated Press 21 June 2019, 12:00AM

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on Day 22 of the Cricket World Cup (all times local):

3:45 p.m.

Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne thinks England's batsmen are playing spin better than any team at the Cricket World Cup, and that's presenting some strategic recalculations for opposing bowling attacks.

"England is the best batting lineup against spin. If you take the Asian countries, England is playing better than them," he said. "They're a good side against spin at the moment."

South Africa sprang a surprise against England by using wrist spinner Imran Tahir to bowl the first over of the World Cup, and it worked when Jonny Bairstow was dismissed on the second ball. But that has been the exception of the rule, with England otherwise dominant against the spinners as it improved its win-loss record to 4-1.

England captain Eoin Morgan was particularly punishing against Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, one of the leading spinners in limited-overs cricket, who conceded a World Cup-record 110 runs in his spell in Manchester this week.

Selectors have to weigh up the balance of combinations in the XI: Two specialist spinners or an extra seamer? Whoever is in the bowling lineup, Karunaratne said, the most important thing is to keep England's total under 300.

"We have to do that. If we don't have good pace, we have to think out of the box," he said. "We have a couple of ideas — we have to work those things in."

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2:40 p.m.

David Warner hit 166 as Australia posted 381-5 against Bangladesh in Nottingham.

The innings was paced brilliantly by Warner, who featured in an opening partnership of 121 with captain Aaron Finch, then 192 with Usman Khawaja.

Australia became the first team to achieve two century partnerships for the first two wickets in a World Cup.

Warner reached his second century of this World Cup off 110 balls, eight days after 107 against Pakistan at Taunton.

He didn't exceed a run a ball until the 41st over as he and Khawaja began accelerating. He became only the second man to hit two 150-plus centuries in World Cup history, and was out lobbing a slower ball to short third man. Warner's 166 came from 147 balls, and included 14 boundaries and five sixes.

Finch was out for 53, and Khawaja made a 72-ball 89 after running out Glenn Maxwell for 32 off 10 balls.

Finch, Warner, and Khawaja were all dismissed by part-time medium-pacer Soumya Sarkar from slow, short balls. They were the second, third, and fourth wickets of Soumya's five-year ODI career.

Bangladesh equaled its own 50-overs record when it chased down 322 in 41.3 overs to beat the West Indies on Monday at Taunton.

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2:08 p.m.

A shower has stopped play at Nottingham with one over left in Australia's innings.

Australia is 368-5 after 49 overs.

At the crease are Alex Carey on 9 and Marcus Stoinis on 6.

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1:30 p.m.

Moeen Ali is gearing up for a century — of one-day international appearances for England.

The off-spinning allrounder is likely to start in Friday's World Cup game against Sri Lanka at Headingley and it will be his 100th game in the blue uniform of the ODI team.

He clouted four sixes in a late, nine-ball burst against Afghanistan earlier in the week to help England set a record for most sixes in an ODI innings at 25. Skipper Eoin Morgan hit 17 of them.

Rather than pick a personal milestone when asked for a highlight of his 99 ODIs dating back to 2014, Ali suggested it was being part of the revolution of the England team. England didn't make the playoffs at the 2015 World Cup, but the team has changed approach and is now the pace-setter in the ODI game and a title favorite on home soil.

"Being part of the team — being part of the change, I guess," he said of the highlight. "Looking back if I was to retire, I'd think I was part of that change, the mind-set change and the great cricket we've played."

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12:50 p.m.

Australia opener David Warner has been his old self again in bringing up his second century of this World Cup, and third in tournament history.

After receiving a new bat on 99, a single behind square got him to the milestone in 110 balls.

He's hit his two slowest half-centuries in this tournament, but has been relatively quick like he was eight days ago when he made 107 against Pakistan at Taunton.

He's hit four boundaries and two sixes in his 16th ODI hundred, and has an unbeaten partnership going with Usman Khawaja of 66.

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12:30 p.m.

Australia is a comfortable 168-1 against Bangladesh after 30 overs in Nottingham.

A second century opening partnership of this World Cup between captain Aaron Finch and David Warner was broken on 121 in the 21st over when Finch picked out short third man in the first over of part-time medium-pacer Soumya Sarkar.

Finch was out for 53 off 51 balls and likely annoyed at himself for a tame dismissal on a dream batting pitch with a fast outfield.

Finch's and Warner's fifth fifty partnership of the tournament is two more than any other opening pair.

Finch's half-century, his fourth of the tournament, followed Warner's.

Warner, dropped on 10, was on 89 and Usman Khawaja on 19.

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10:25 a.m.

Australia captain Aaron Finch won a toss for the first time in eight matches, and the first time at this Cricket World Cup, and decided to bat first against Bangladesh in Nottingham.

While Australia is back to a fully fit squad, Bangladesh has been forced to make two changes, including losing leading wicket-taker Mohammad Saifuddin to a back spasm. Saifuddin has nine wickets, including Chris Gayle for a duck in their win over West Indies on Monday.

Rubel Hossain has come in, while middle-order batsman Mosaddek Hossain, who has also taken two wickets in this World Cup, has injured a shoulder and been replaced by Sabbir Rahman.

Rubel and Sabbir will both make their first starts in this World Cup.

Australia made three changes.

Allrounder Marcus Stoinis and fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile are recovered from injuries and have replaced Shaun Marsh and Jason Behrendorff from the win over Sri Lanka last Saturday, and legspinner Adam Zampa is in for Kane Richardson.

Stoinis and Coulter-Nile will play Bangladesh for the first time.

Lineups:

Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman.

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9:15 a.m.

The fifth and last Cricket World Cup match in Nottingham will start on time in dry conditions on Thursday.

A sunny ending is in store for Australia or Bangladesh.

Australia is looking to consolidate its place in the semifinal positions while Bangladesh is trying to break in. Both are coming off good wins. Australia put away Sri Lanka by 87 runs last Saturday, while Bangladesh swept aside the West Indies by seven wickets on Monday.

Australia will have a full squad to choose from after bowling allrounder Marcus Stoinis recovered from a left side strain and Nathan Coulter-Nile, man of the match against the West Indies in Nottingham two weeks ago, was over back stiffness.

Bangladesh, with no injury concerns, is likely to be unchanged.

Bangladesh has beaten Australia only once, in 2005 in Cardiff. Captain Mashrafe Mortaza is the only survivor from either side.

Australia's belief that Bangladesh matchups won't make money in Australia means the teams are playing only their second one-day international in eight years. Almost half of the Australia squad has never played Bangladesh.

Australia easily won both previous World Cup matchups, in 1999 and 2007.

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More AP cricket: www.apnews.com/cricket and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

By Associated Press 21 June 2019, 12:00AM

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