Sat Feb 22 14:11:31 UTC 2025: ## England Posts Mammoth Total, Duckworth Leads Charge Against Australia in Champions Trophy Opener

**Lahore:** England made a stunning start to their Champions Trophy campaign, posting a challenging 351-run target against Australia in their opening match at Lahore. Australia, winning the toss and electing to bowl first, were initially successful, claiming two early wickets, including those of Phil Salt (10) and Jamie Smith (15).

However, a dominant partnership between Ben Duckett (165) and Joe Root (68) steered England towards a massive total. Duckett’s century was particularly impressive, featuring two consecutive boundaries in the over following Root’s dismissal, leading to a memorable innings. Duckett ultimately fell LBW to Labuschagne, but not before laying the foundation for a strong England victory. Duckett’s century makes him the sixth batsman to achieve this feat in the current Champions Trophy, following Will Young (New Zealand), Tom Latham (New Zealand), Shubman Gill (India), Ryan Rickelton (South Africa), and Towhid Hridoy (Bangladesh). Australia faces a daunting task in chasing down England’s imposing total.

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