3 Major Heartbreaks Of England Against Lower-Ranked Teams In ICC Events

Eng vs Afg match from ODI World Cup 2023 [Source: @JohnyBravo183/x.com]

England and Afghanistan are currently playing in the eighth match of the Champions Trophy. Afghanistan has batted brilliantly after winning the toss at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, putting England under pressure.

With a target of 326 runs on the board, England are under pressure as a defeat would mean their elimination from the tournament. 

As England is on the brink of defeat, we look at three instances when they lost in ICC events against lower-ranked teams.

3. vs Netherlands, T20 World Cup 2009

Netherlands after defeating England in T20 World Cup 2009 [Source: @cricbuzz/x.com]

The Netherlands pulled off a huge upset in the first match of the T20 World Cup 2009. Batting first at the iconic Lord's Stadium in London, England posted 162/5 at the end of their quota of 20 overs.

In the chase, Tom de Grooth powered Netherlands progress, and they chased down the target of the last delivery of the match. The Netherlands won the match by four wickets and scripted a huge heartbreak for England in the tournament.

2. vs Afghanistan, ODI World Cup 2023

In the 13th match of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Afghanistan scripted one of the biggest heartbreaks of England's recent history. Batting first in the game, Afghanistan were powered by Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 80 off 57 deliveries. The foundation that he made helped Afghainstan post a relatively high score of 285 runs before they were bundled out. 

In the chase, Harry Brook showed resilience for England, but the other batters fell under the pressure implemented by the spin twin of Mujeeb ur Rahman and Rashid Khan. England were bundled out for 215, and they lost the match by 70 runs.

1. vs Ireland, ODI World Cup 2011

Ireland after defeating England in ODI World Cup 2011 [Source: @Ooohffss/x.com]

England faced Ireland in the 15th match of the ODI World Cup 2011. Jonathon Trott and Ian Bell combined in the middle order to power England's innings. At the end of their quota of overs, England posted 327/8 and hoped to win the game convincingly.

Ireland lost a wicket of the first ball in the chase, and things looked gloomy to them. However, Kevin O'Brien played an important role in scripting one of the most dramatic turnarounds in ICC events. He scored 113 runs off 63 deliveries and took Ireland to a memorable three-wicket win, breaking thousands of English hearts.

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