May 24: Afghanistan beat Pakistan by three wickets

Afghanistan inflicted the first surprise of the summer by upsetting Pakistan at Bristol. Babar Azam made 112 for Pakistan who were bowled out for 262, while Mohammad Nabi took 3-46. Hashmatullah Shahidi led the run-chase with an unbeaten 74 and helped  to push his team over the line with two balls to spare.

Who’s not?

Aaron Finch: Just 24 runs in two innings for the Australian skipper as he leads his rejuvenated one-day team into the World Cup.

Shikhar Dhawan: He made just a single against New Zealand and followed it up with only two against Bangladesh. The India opener has some work to do if he wants to stake his claim for top run-scorer of the tournament.

Matt Henry: The New Zealand fast bowler may have picked up two wickets but was deposited all around Trent Bridge in a siege from West Indies. He went for 107 runs from his nine overs at an economy rate of 11.89.

***

Positive warm-up performances can set the tone for a team heading into the Cricket World Cup, but they mean very little in the grand scheme of things. The wait for the real thing is almost over, as England take on South Africa in the World Cup’s opening fixture at The Oval on Thursday at 10:30am.