Ben Duckett etched his name into the Champions Trophy record books on Saturday, February 22, becoming the first batter to score a 150 in the tournament's history. During England's opening match against Australia in the 2025 edition, the English opener notched a massive World Record as he surpassing the milestone in just 132 deliveries. His blistering innings propelled England past the 300-run mark, even as wickets fell at the other end.
Ben Duckett becomes 1st batter to score 150 runs in Champions Trophy
Ben Duckett's exceptional innings against Australia saw him amass 165 runs from 142 balls, a feat that propelled him beyond the previous record held by New Zealand's Nathan Astle. Nathan Astle scored an unbeaten 145 for New Zealand against the USA at the Oval in 2004. This innings not only established a new highest individual score in the Champions Trophy but also marked the first time a batsman had reached the 150-run milestone in the tournament's history.
Duckett's aggressive batting display was characterised by a flurry of boundaries, including 17 fours and three sixes which catapulted England to a colossal total of 351/8. Besides, Duckett also chipped in with a crucial 68 runs off 78 balls.
Duckett's powerful and fluent strokeplay kept the Australian bowlers under constant pressure. However, his superlative knock was eventually brought to an end in the 48th over, when he was dismissed by Marnus Labuschagne.
Australia's decision to bat first after winning the toss initially placed England under pressure. Ben Dwarshius's early breakthroughs during the powerplay saw England lose a couple of crucial wickets, giving Australia the upper hand. However, Ben Duckett then formed a formidable partnership with Joe Root, adding 158 runs for the third wicket. This partnership stabilized the innings and appeared poised to accelerate as they approached the latter half of the match. Unfortunately for England, Adam Zampa intervened, dismissing Joe Root and disrupting their momentum.
Throughout the innings, Australia managed to chip away at the English batting lineup, taking wickets at regular intervals. Despite this, Ben Duckett remained a constant force, consistently scoring runs and keeping the scoreboard ticking. His resilience and determination ultimately culminated in a record-breaking individual total in Lahore. Ben Dwarshuis remained Australia's pick of the bowlers with 3/66.
Australia's Playing XI:
Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steven Smith(c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson
England's Playing XI:
Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (WK), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (C), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood