TAUNTON, United Kingdom: David Warner scored his first international century since completing a ball-tampering ban as Australia returned to winning ways at the World Cup with a 41-run victory over Pakistan at Taunton on Wednesday.
Warner made 107 and, with Australia captain Aaron Finch (82), got the defending champions off to a flying start with an opening stand of 146 — the highest partnership for any wicket at this World Cup to date.
Mohammad Amir dragged Pakistan back into the game with career-best figures of five for 30 in 10 overs but Australia still managed to post a challenging score of 307, which ultimately proved beyond their opponents.
“It means a lot to a batter to get a century,” said man-of-the-match Warner. “It was a great effort from Pakistan in the end but our bowlers bowled excellent. They probably got closer than we expected.”
Pakistan, after a middle-order collapse that saw them lose three wickets for 11 runs in 15 balls, were all but beaten at 200 for seven in the 34th over.
But captain Sarfaraz Ahmed (40) and the big-hitting Wahab Riaz (45) gave them renewed hope with a stand of 64.
Australia, who lost to India on Sunday, were again looking to Mitchell Starc to get them out of a tight spot, as had done in an earlier win over the West Indies and the fast bowler duly delivered with 2-43.
He had Wahab caught behind got off a thin edge, although it needed an Australia review of an original not out decision to leave Pakistan 264-8
Two balls later, Amir played on for a duck before Glenn Maxwell ended the match with a brilliant direct hit run out of Sarfaraz.
Pakistan’s chase started badly when Fakhar Zaman fell for a duck uppercutting Cummins to Kane Richardson at third man.
Babar Azam was in superb touch, with 28 of his 30 runs coming in fours, before he mishooked Nathan Coulter-Nile to deep backward square leg.
Opener Imam-ul-Haq was upping the tempo in his 53 when he gloved Pat Cummins (3-33) down the legside to wicket-keeper Alex Carey.
Finch, an occasional slow bowler, grabbed a real bonus wicket when Mohammad Hafeez (46) hit a rank full toss straight to Starc at deep square leg.
And when Shoaib Malik was brilliantly caught for nought by a diving Carey after inside edging Cummins, Pakistan were in dire straits at 147-5.
Both Warner and Steve Smith, also returning from a year-long ban for ball-tampering, had been jeered by fans in previous games but Pakistan fans largely heeded an appeal from Sarfaraz not to boo the pair, preferring to roar chants of “Amir!, Amir!.”
Warner completed his 15th one-day international hundred when an edge off Shaheen Shah Afridi flew past slip for four.
An elated Warner leapt in the air in celebration but his 111-ball innings ended soon afterwards when he was caught at point off Shaheen, having gone past fifty for the third time in four innings at this World Cup.
“I’m very disappointed,” said Sarfaraz. “We lost three wickets in 15 balls and that’s why we lost.
“We conceded too many runs in the first 20 overs apart from Mohammad Amir. We came back and restricted them well but it was a 270-280 pitch.
“We made some runs and got starts but we’ve got to convert them and go long. If you want to win matches your top four must score runs.”
Australia have three wins in four matches while Pakistan are struggling, with just one victory in their four games so far.
Warner hundred sets up Australia World Cup win over Pakistan
Warner hundred sets up Australia World Cup win over Pakistan
- Warner made 107 and, with Australia captain Aaron Finch (82), got the defending champions off to a flying start with an opening stand of 146
- Mohammad Amir dragged Pakistan back into the game with career-best figures of five for 30 in 10 overs but Australia still managed to post a challenging score of 307
Forever Young features among strong field for Saudi Cup 2026
- Title-holder on course to clash with top-level winners from US and Japan in world’s most valuable race
RIYADH: Defending champion Forever Young heads a stellar list of names put forward for this year’s Group 1 $20 million Saudi Cup, which will take place at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.
The two-day meeting, which begins on Feb. 13, has attracted 57 individual thoroughbred Group or Grade 1 winners in its entirety and 14 Purebred Arabian Group 1 winners. The nominations, spread among 22 different countries, will be competing for total prize-money of almost $40 million.
Prince Bandar bin Khaled Al-Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said: “This is only the seventh time we have staged the Saudi Cup meeting and it has already delivered countless memorable races and performances.
“With the nominations we have received for this year, we can be sure that the spectacular racing will continue. It is wonderful to see such a collection of both familiar and new names from all around the world due to be involved at King Abdulaziz Racecourse next month.”
Officially rated the joint-top dirt horse in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, Forever Young (JPN) has been successful on both his two previous visits to Saudi Arabia, winning the 2024 Saudi Derby before his gallant performance in the world’s most valuable race last year.
Yoshito Yahagi’s superstar, last seen winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic, could face a major challenge over the 1,800m from the US.
Former Classic champion White Abarrio (US) and Preakness Stakes victor Journalism (US) have been entered along with rising stars Nysos (US), the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile hero, and Magnitude (US), who beat a smart field in the Grade 2 Clark Stakes last time.
Further strength in depth from Japan could be added by W Heart Bond, the mare who won the recent Champions Cup, as well as Diktaean and Mikki Fight. They were first and second in the Tokyo Daishoten, the race used previously as a launchpad by Forever Young.
Sayyah (US), impressive in the recent Crown Prince Cup, and Star of Wonder (US), who claimed the King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Cup in late December, are among a number of promising Saudi Arabian-trained horses looking to secure a spot in the signature race.
This year’s Neom Turf Cup, sponsored by Howden, has been upgraded to Group 1 status, making it the first top-level turf race staged in the jurisdiction, and the purse has been increased to $3 million.
Charlie Appleby and Godolphin’s Rebel's Romance (IRE), the winner of nine top-level races around the world and a former Breeders’ Cup title-holder, is set to extend that extraordinary record in the 2,100m showdown. The likes of Bahrain International Trophy scorer Royal Champion (IRE) and Aidan O’Brien’s multiple Group 1-placed The Lion In Winter (IRE) could be up against him.
The Group 2 $2.5 million Red Sea Turf Handicap, sponsored by Longines, draws the cream of international stayers. Both Japan’s Durezza (JPN) and Joseph O’Brien’s Irish star Al-Riffa (FR) have been given entries for this race and the Neom Turf, while last year’s fourth Presage Nocturne (IRE) has improved again for Alessandro Botti.
This year’s Group 2 $2 million 1351 Turf Sprint, sponsored by SHG, could be an absolute cracker with entries headed by Jose d’Angelo’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint sensation Shisospicy (US) and Europe’s leading sprinter and Royal Ascot winner Lazzat (FR).
Similarly, the Group 2 $2 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint has drawn the cream of the international speedsters, including Book’em Danno and Shisospicy’s Breeders’ Cup-winning stablemate Bentornato, from the US, and two incredible talents from the UAE in Bhupat Seemar’s prolific Tuz (US) and last year’s Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Dark Saffron (US) for Ahmad bin Harmash.
Khamal (CHI), stylish winner of the Group 1 Premio Derby Nacional in Peru in late November, is among the jet-setting entries in the Group 3 $1.5 million Saudi Derby, sponsored by Zood Realty.
The card on Friday, Feb. 13 includes the International Jockey Challenge while the $500,000 Saudi International Handicap, sponsored by Lucid, has attracted potential runners trained as far afield as Bahrain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, Oman, Qatar and Spain.
There are two Group 1 races for Purebred Arabians across the weekend. The main turf event, the $1.5 million Al-Mneefah Cup, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, was taken in brave fashion in 2025 by RB Kingmaker (US) and Helal Alalawi’s grey is set for a return visit.
The $2 million Obaiyah Arabian Classic, the principal event on dirt, was won spectacularly last year by the decorated Tilal Al-Khalediah (KS), who could feature again in a strong field from around the Gulf region.
Alalawi has entered not only RB Kingmaker but HM Alchahine (FR), who was a commanding winner over his third-placed stablemate in the Group 1 HH The President Cup in Abu Dhabi last time.
“We are delighted and honored that so many people have chosen to aim their horses for the 2026 Saudi Cup races and, on behalf of everyone at the JCSA, I would like to extend our gratitude to those owners and trainers,” Prince Bandar said.
“Year-on-year, thanks to the vision of our leadership, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his royal highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the crown prince and prime minister — may God protect them — the Saudi Cup has evolved into The Kingdom’s key sporting and social event.
“It has been especially pleasing to see the races recognised by the international authorities, too. The Saudi Cup has held Group 1 status since 2022 but we will now be staging our first ever Group 1 race on grass, the Neom Turf Cup, after its consistent level of performance.
“The Saudi Cup meeting is not only about world-class racing; it is a celebration of the horse as well as the culture and the hospitality of the Kingdom. The list of nominations only increases the excitement and we look forward to welcoming connections and racing fans alike next month for an event that has quickly made a huge impact on the global calendar.”
