The ingredients for an upset heightened amid England injury concerns

Swann: Moeen Ali should play if Eoin Morgan is unfit (3:34) Graeme Swann urges England to be ruthless against Afghanistan, who are yet to win a match in this World Cup (3:34) 12:54 PM ET The film Jaws starts with a couple going for a flirtatious moonlit swim; the film Psycho starts with a couple enjoying a lunchtime tryst; the film Friday the 13th starts with a couple stealing away…

June 17, 2019
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Lungi Ngidi's return to fitness a timely boost for South Africa

June 17, 2019

© Getty Images Lungi Ngidi is fit and ready to bolster the South Africa pace attack as they continue their string of must-win matches. Ngidi injured his hamstring and couldn’t bowl his quota in the match against Bangladesh, who stacked up 330 at The Oval to beat them and derail South Africa’s World Cup campaign. Two days before the crucial match against New Zealand in Birmingham, Ngidi cleared a fitness…

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Cheaper by the dozen for Simon Harmer as Essex flatten Hampshire

3:00 AM ET Essex 214 (Bopara 59, Lawrence 57, Abbott 4-54) beat Hampshire 118 (Harmer 5-23) and 88 (Harmer 7-38) by an innings and eight runs The debate over whether Simon Harmer is the finest spin bowler in Essex’s history has sounded premature for a player contesting only his third Championship season, but the evidence is growing at a rapid rate. Twelve more wickets, at a cost of only 61…

June 17, 2019
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Beleaguered Afghans face stiff task to get campaign up and running

June 17, 2019

Hazratullah Zazai and Noor Ali Zadran run between the wickets © Getty Images Big picture Now here’s a contest that England would once have feared. A surely-can’t-lose clash with an aggressive band of ball-striking badmashs, backed up by some of the best and most varied spin bowlers in the world game. Sides of a bygone England era might have taken a fatalistic approach to such a line-up, and found a…

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Eoin Morgan doesn't rule out Alex Hales return, but conscious of 'stigma'

Is Hales back on England’s radar? (1:00) Eoin Morgan answers questions about a possible return for the out-of-favour Alex Hales (1:00) 9:51 AM ET Eoin Morgan has conceded that there might be a “stigma” attached to calling up Alex Hales for the World Cup, a possibility that has cropped up following the injury to Jason Roy. Hales was “deselected” in May after it emerged that he had lost the confidence…

June 17, 2019
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Tavengwa Mukuhlani's re-election puts Zimbabwe Cricket in conflict with government body

7:50 AM ET Liam Brickhill Tavengwa Mukuhlani has been re-elected as chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) for another term. But his election has put ZC in direct conflict with the Sports and Recreation Commission, a government parastatal that ostensibly oversees all sporting bodies in the country, which issued a directive that ZC’s Elective Annual General Meeting – at which Mukuhlani’s tenure was extended – be suspended. In a letter sent…

June 17, 2019
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Jason Roy to miss two World Cup matches after hamstring tear is confirmed

Concern for England as Roy, Morgan leave field with injuries (1:05) Jason Roy and captain Eoin Morgan both left the field with injuries during the match against West Indies (1:05) 6:00 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Jason Roy will miss England’s next two World Cup matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka – and will be assessed on an ongoing basis in the lead-up to their clash against Australia at Lord’s next…

June 17, 2019
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Steven Smith praises Virat Kohli but is happy to brush off the boos

Kohli slams Smith booing as ‘not acceptable’ (1:03) India captain explains why he went over to India fans after they were abusing Steve Smith (1:03) 2:05 AM ET Melinda Farrell Close Melinda Farrell is a presenter with ESPNcricinfo Steven Smith has described Virat Kohli’s efforts to stop the crowd from heckling him as “a lovely gesture”, but insists the frequent booing and heckling throughout the World Cup has not affected…

June 17, 2019
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