Remarkable numbers of England's openers and Shakib's relentless quality... WORLD CUP TALKING POINTS

The Cricketer picks out some of the key conversation-starters from England's clash with Bangladesh in Cardiff

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Has the toss become too tricky to call?

It’s a breezy day, the pitch is sickly green, there’s dampness in the air from overnight rain and England are under pressure to immediately make amends for defeat by Pakistan - of course, if you are Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, you are going to insert the hosts after winning the toss.

What is a little less clear, however, is the need to then open with spin in the shape of Shakib Al Hasan, limiting the effect your seam bowlers can have with a fresh nut.

Shakib is no stranger to the role, of course, but rarely in conditions such as these.

This is the dilemma England’s opening pair inflict on opposition skippers. Throw pace at Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow and prepare to go the distance, turn to spin and risk losing your chance to make the most of a favourable pitch for the quicks.

Mashrafe Mortaza must be wishing he hadn’t had to make the decision.

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Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow

Opening salvo

After two failures, the Bairstow-Roy axis returned with a vengeance in Cardiff.

Following a timid start - it took the pair fully five overs to get to grips with the playing surface - they settled into a very familiar rhythm.

Ruthless on any thing just short or just too full, England’s belligerent opening twosome romped to their eighth century stand at the top of the order. That is four more than their nearest challengers in England colours - Nick Knight and Marcus Trescothick - and has taken just 16 matches.

Wait, there’s more. In 29 innings together, Roy and Bairstow have surpassed 50 on 15 occasions, and average more than 62 as a partnership.

Contrast those stats to the previous regular pairing - Roy and Alex Hales - and the results are intriguing. Roy and Hales averaged less than 35 across 40 innings, with just three century stands. England really have moved on.

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The Buttler did it

Jos Buttler’s 360-degree hitting potential usually does damage to the opposition. Here, it caused a little self-inflicted harm.

In striking a ridiculous straight six off the back foot, Buttler managed to tweak his right hip and spent much of the rest of his knock squirming between deliveries.

He did not take to the field as a result, with England saying he was simply suffering from “soreness”.

The host nation will be hoping the problem isn’t too major.

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Shakib Al Hasan

Al Hasan, the legend

Shakib Al Hasan is a quite remarkable cricketer.

Compared to many of his peers in the international game, he remains relatively unheralded worldwide despite having pretty much secured tenure in the top three of the ICC’s allrounder ratings.

Al Hasan has incredibly not dropped out of the podium places for the whole of the past decade, he has been the lynchpin of Bangladesh’s steady improvement and at this World Cup has been in tremendous form.

At Cardiff he added a third consecutive score of more than 50, batting at three, as well as opening the bowling and churning out 10 overs of left-arm spin.

Bangladesh will miss him when he goes.

NOW READ: Jason Roy, the unstoppable object

Want runs, follow England

England’s games have proved the exception to the low-scoring rule at this World Cup. While the average first-innings score in the tournament is hovering in the 230s, when Eoin Morgan’s men have been in action that leaps up to 315.

Their 386 for 6 in Cardiff claimed various records, including the biggest ever ODI total at Sophia Gardens and the country’s top score in a World Cup match. It was the team’s seventh straight total of 300 or more.

Astonishing numbers.

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Jofra Archer was quick out of the blocks

Six off the bail

Jofra Archer managed to hit a six without even stepping out to bat at Sophia Gardens.

In the middle of his furious opening spell, Archer removed Soumya Sarkar with an 89pmh snorter which nipped between back and pad and took off stump.

A remarkable ricochet saw the ball leap off the top of the bails, over keeper Jonny Bairstow’s head and all the way over the ropes at the River Taff end.

Try that a million times, Archer would not be able to replicate the feat.

What the allrounder was able to do time and time again on Saturday, however, was top speeds of 90mph.

In fact, during his first stint with the ball, Archer averaged 90.6mph, by quite a distance the fastest spell by an England bowler in ODI cricket for some time. In fact, CricViz say there is not a single instance of a quicker period by an England player in their entire database, dating back to 2006.

He also chucked down the fastest delivery of the tournament - a whopping 95mph. Fizz.

Our coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is brought to you in association with Cricket 19, the official video game of the Ashes. Order your copy now at Amazon.co.uk

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