McGrath sets a Cup record, England just beat the Irish

BRIDGETOWN – Glenn McGrath set a World Cup record as Australia brushed aside Bangladesh by 10 wickets on Saturday.

Paceman McGrath, in the twilight of his career at age 37, captured three wickets and passed former Pakistan great Wasim Akram for the most World Cup victims. He has 57 to Akram’s 55.”When you’re playing long enough, you’re going to get a record here or there but Wasim Akram to me is one of the best bowlers of all time.To go past him is something pretty special,” said McGrath, who has been at the top for 14 years and will call it a day after this World Cup is over.After McGrath’s 3-16 had helped Australia restrict Bangladesh to 104 for six in a match reduced to 22 overs because of rain, his batsmen showed how easy this game can be.Adam Gilchrist scored 59 and Matthew Hayden (47) launched two sixes in the final over to finish the match with more than eight of the 22 overs remaining.A game reduced to 22 overs a side is almost like cricket’s version of soccer’s penalty shootout.Chasing an unprecedented three World Cup titles in a row, Australia have won 16 consecutive matches in the sport’s premier one-day championship.Ponting’s team has six points from three games at the top of the Super 8s standings, with New Zealand on four but with a game in hand.Sri Lanka, England, South Africa and West Indies have two and Ireland and Bangladesh none.After the round-robin series, four teams advance to the semi-final with the final in Barbados on April 28.* Another significant middle-order innings from Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff’s best all-round performance of this World Cup helped England start its Super 8s campaign with a 48-run win over Ireland.Anything but a win on Friday would have been a disaster for England, advancing from the first round for the first time since 1996, against the World Cup debutants.Collingwood’s 90 runs from 82 balls and Flintoff’s 43 lifted England to 266 for seven after a subdued start.Flintoff returned to take four wickets as Ireland was bowled out for 218 in the 49th over.”Today’s game was a banana skin,” Vaughan said.”We only had two points to gain and the Irish could play with no fear.”But we thought the runs we got this morning were going to be too many – 266, thanks to a great innings by Paul Collingwood, was very good on that wicket.”Ireland started as if it only had everything to gain.Paceman Boyd Rankin bowled former teammate Ed Joyce with his first ball for one and removed Michael Vaughan for six to have England in trouble at 23-2.Kevin Pietersen (48) and Ian Bell (31) steadied the innings before Collingwood and Flintoff combined in an 81-run fifth-wicket stand that gave England control.Ireland’s reply never gathered momentum after losing wickets with the total at six and 11 despite a defiant 63 from Niall O’Brien and a 61-run third-wicket stand he shared with opener William Porterfield (31).A late cameo from skipper Trent Johnston of 27 from 21 balls contained two clouted sixes and moved the score from 139-6 to 197-7 before he was clean bowled by Flintoff.The only other time Ireland has had to chase runs in the World Cup, it reached 133 to beat Pakistan to produce one of the biggest upsets in cricket history.Ireland’s next match is against top-ranked South Africa here tomorrow, while England faces Sri Lanka at Antigua on Wednesday.Nampa-APHe has 57 to Akram’s 55.”When you’re playing long enough, you’re going to get a record here or there but Wasim Akram to me is one of the best bowlers of all time.To go past him is something pretty special,” said McGrath, who has been at the top for 14 years and will call it a day after this World Cup is over.After McGrath’s 3-16 had helped Australia restrict Bangladesh to 104 for six in a match reduced to 22 overs because of rain, his batsmen showed how easy this game can be.Adam Gilchrist scored 59 and Matthew Hayden (47) launched two sixes in the final over to finish the match with more than eight of the 22 overs remaining.A game reduced to 22 overs a side is almost like cricket’s version of soccer’s penalty shootout.Chasing an unprecedented three World Cup titles in a row, Australia have won 16 consecutive matches in the sport’s premier one-day championship.Ponting’s team has six points from three games at the top of the Super 8s standings, with New Zealand on four but with a game in hand.Sri Lanka, England, South Africa and West Indies have two and Ireland and Bangladesh none.After the round-robin series, four teams advance to the semi-final with the final in Barbados on April 28.* Another significant middle-order innings from Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff’s best all-round performance of this World Cup helped England start its Super 8s campaign with a 48-run win over Ireland.Anything but a win on Friday would have been a disaster for England, advancing from the first round for the first time since 1996, against the World Cup debutants.Collingwood’s 90 runs from 82 balls and Flintoff’s 43 lifted England to 266 for seven after a subdued start.Flintoff returned to take four wickets as Ireland was bowled out for 218 in the 49th over.”Today’s game was a banana skin,” Vaughan said.”We only had two points to gain and the Irish could play with no fear.”But we thought the runs we got this morning were going to be too many – 266, thanks to a great innings by Paul Collingwood, was very good on that wicket.”Ireland started as if it only had everything to gain.Paceman Boyd Rankin bowled former teammate Ed Joyce with his first ball for one and removed Michael Vaughan for six to have England in trouble at 23-2.Kevin Pietersen (48) and Ian Bell (31) steadied the innings before Collingwood and Flintoff combined in an 81-run fifth-wicket stand that gave England control.Ireland’s reply never gathered momentum after losing wickets with the total at six and 11 despite a defiant 63 from Niall O’Brien and a 61-run third-wicket stand he shared with opener William Porterfield (31).A late cameo from skipper Trent Johnston of 27 from 21 balls contained two clouted sixes and moved the score from 139-6 to 197-7 before he was clean bowled by Flintoff.The only other time Ireland has had to chase runs in the World Cup, it reached 133 to beat Pakistan to produce one of the biggest upsets in cricket history.Ireland’s next match is against top-ranked South Africa here tomorrow, while England faces Sri Lanka at Antigua on Wednesday.Nampa-AP