Here is Geoff Lemon’s report...
That’s Geoff and me done! Thanks for your company all day on the OBO. We’ll be back with you again tomorrow. Night!
Aaron Finch, Australian captain, speaks. Absolutely a few butterflies in the end. But having players from World Cups before is a huge advantage especially in the back end of the tournament. All in all, having experience and good partnerships with bat and ball is important. A couple of the changes were forced when we lost the all-rounder. It is just toying on ideas and depends on the surface day to day. All in all, we have a clear idea going forward. The fielding was very sloppy today; it was disappointing because we pride ourselves on our fielding. No excuses. Not yet thinking about the semi-finals. It is going to be a fight right to the end to hopefully secure one of those spots.
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Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh captain, speaks. We had 40/50 runs lost in the field. If not for that it could have been a different chase. Credit to Warner. But credit to Mushfiq for how he batted. It’s the best one-day team we’ve had. You never know from here, we’ll play hard and we’ll see.
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David Warner, player of the match, speaks. It is about us geting these two points and moving onto the next game at Lord’s. You always keep wickets in hand in ODI cricket, that’s the way we play, we don’t try and not get off to a good start but you have to respect the new ball. And the bowlers have been good early. It is about momentum and so far things are working well. Credit to the way Bangladesh played.
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A fine chase. They just needed too many. It finished as the highest score for Bangladesh in any ODI, overtaking the 330 they made against South Africa to begin this World Cup campaign. In order to qualify from here, they must run the table (against Afghanistan, India and Pakistan) and require other results to go their way. But their effort today with the blade cannot be faulted: it was with the ball, in the final 20 overs, that this game was lost. Stick with me for the post-game, when David Warner is named man of the match and we hear from the captains.
AUSTRALIA WIN BY 48 RUNS! (WICKET! Mortaza c Maxwell b Stoinis 6) BANGLADESH 333-8
50th over: Bangladesh 333-8 (Mushfiqur 102 not out) Target 382 Shot! Mortaza, in what will almost be his final game against Australia in any format, smashes a four back over Stoinis’ head. Remember that the Bangladesh skipper was in integral to the 2005 Cardiff epic, getting rid of Adam Gilchrist for a duck. He tries to go again from the final ball but picks out Maxwell on the midwicket boundary to give Stoinis a second wicket. Australia move to the top of the table with the win.
Mushfiqur to 100!
49th over: Bangladesh 326-7 (Mushfiqur 100, Mortaza 1) Target 382 A rapid yorker is kept out by Mashrafe Mortaza, giving the strike back to Mushfiqur, his old teammate, with two balls left in the Starc over. Now on 99, he... defends the first. And pushes the next to cover! That’s the ton! 95 balls to get there, a fantastic innings of counterattacking cricket. Aaron Finch, a class act, makes a beeline for him at the end of the over to shake his hand. His seventh ODI ton.
WICKET! Mehidy c Warner b Starc 6 (Bangladesh 323-7)
Mehidy chips Starc to Warner at mid-on. Just give Mushfiqur the strike, yeah?
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48th over: Bangladesh 322-6 (Mushfiqur 96, Mehidy 6) Target 382 Mushfiqur is on the cusp of a World Cup ton and you better he will deserve the milestone if he gets there in the next over. He has never given up at any stage of this chase, coming out with a range of resourceful shots from the moment he arrived with ten and over needed even then. Here, against Stoinis, he beats mid-off to register one boundary then tickles a yorker off the bottom of the bat for another. Get there!
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47th over: Bangladesh 310-6 (Mushfiqur 86, Mehidy 5) Target 382 Six taken from Starc, all in ones and twos, as the sting vanishes from this contest, I’m afraid to report. The PA plays Horses at the end of the over and I realise that this is basically the song Australia is most known for in 2019 and it hurts. In saying that, I did get it (and Daryl Braithwaite) into the Wisden Almanack a few years ago. I’m sorry.
“Can’t work out who NCN is channelling with this new moustachioed look – I’m getting essences of a Non-Hutchence member of INXS,” observes Nick Toovey, whose Whatsapps I am not ignoring. “Any thoughts?” I’ll throw that open!
46th over: Bangladesh 304-6 (Mushfiqur 84, Mehidy 1) Target 382 He doesn’t get the hat-trick. The last one of those for an Australian in ODIs was James Faulkner (remember him?) at Colombo in 2016, a bit of history (I guess?) that I was calling on Sri Lankan radio. They nearly missed the third wicket due to an advertisement. It was that kind of station. “I am setting up a tiger shop the next time Bangladesh play,” says Michael Slater. I’ll present that without further context.
WICKET! Sabbir Rahman b Coulter-Nile 0 (Bangladesh 302-6)
NCN is on a hat-trick! The new man Sabbir chops on first ball. He looked to run his fingers down the seam, the delivery sticking in the pitch. (Okay, now it’s over)
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WICKET! Mahmudullah c Cummins b Coulter-Nile 69 (Bangladesh 302-5)
Ooooh. Exhale. He hit NCN well to square leg to the short boundary but it is too flat, picking out Cummins on the rope who makes no mistake. The end of a marvellous innings of 69 in 50 balls and a stand of 127 that unexpectedly brought this game back to life.
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Bangladesh 300 up!
45th over: Bangladesh 300-4 (Mushfiqur 83, Mahmudullah 67) Target 382 Cummins is bouncing back and finding his mark, nearly nabbing Mushfiqur off a top edge as painless singles are taken. But Mahmudullah knows that isn’t enough, so he loads up to clear his front pad and SMASH ANOTHER SIX over midwicket! 11 from the over, which means they still need 16.4 in each of the five remaining. But they are within striking distance. In the T20 era, this game is NOT yet over.
Mahmudullah to 50!
44th over: Bangladesh 289-4 (Mushfiqur 81, Mahmudullah 58) Target 382 Coulter-Nile (or NCN as I’m going to keep calling him) has been useful today and has a couple up his sleeve. Mahmudullah is not going to stop for anyone though, crunching a boundary through cover to bring up his 50 (41 balls) then creaming the next ball to midwicket to the rope again through a gap that barely exists; gorgeous wrists. The task is gigantic but they are going to keep going and going.
43rd over: Bangladesh 277-4 (Mushfiqur 79, Mahmudullah 48) Target 382 MESSY! Cummins is the obvious man for this situation but the second ball of his ninth over is a bouncer, that bounces past Alex Carey for five wides! Another wide follows outside the off stump! You don’t see this from Pat Cummins. Surely the wheels aren’t about to fall off? Surely this is in hand? Cummins then pulls out of his run up and the Bangladesh loyalists are getting louder by the second. Another wide? Yes! Cummins has again missed his mark outside off. That brings up the 100-run partnership between this pair, in 83 balls! With a couple of singles to the third man along the way, the final damage is 13 off it. The crowd roar: BANGLADESH, BANGLADESH! This is great stuff. But they still need 15 an over.
“As a part time worker in nearby Tromso, I have visited Sommaroy,” writes Phil Dusart in reply to a conversation from earlier, before the game exploded (somewhat). “While you’d never have to worry about light, It is located in a series of rocky islands, and you’d be hard pressed to build a cricket field where you wouldn’t have to fish the ball out of the sea every time someone hits a six!”
41st over: Bangladesh 264-4 (Mushfiqur 76, Mahmudullah 45) Target 382 HUUUUUGE SIX! Mahmudullah has gone BIG over long-on, so long that the fella just to our right has taken the catch on the third deck! AND HE GOES AGAIN! He’s hit that even harder, flatter and squarer. SIX MORE! Wonderful ball striking from the man who delivered for Bangladesh when it mattered four years ago. 15 from the over, which is what they need for every subsequent over. But hope remains. As for Zampa, he is in a spot of bother. Will Finch use him again? I suspect not.
41st over: Bangladesh 249-4 (Mushfiqur 76, Mahmudullah 30) Target 382 Thanks again, Geoff. Good fun passing the baton back and forth with you today between the various commentary boxes. Into the final ten, Bangladesh require 13.5 an over to pull off a miracle. Stoinis, who is going nicely, is sending down his sixth. He became a very useful death bowler for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash last season, so he knows the drill. It’s a top over of accurate full deliveries here, not giving either batsmen a serious chance to free their arms. Four singles means the required rate shoots up to 14.78. Ouch. Michael Clarke notes on the TV that the problem the Tigers have is that they aren’t clearing the boundary, hitting only one six today so far - Australia clobbered ten.
40th over: Bangladesh 245-4 (Mushfiqur 75, Mahmudullah 28) What a shot. What a save! Mushfiqur is playing one of the most stylish and exciting knocks you could ever hope to see. He skips down to Zampa, opens the face and laces a cover drive. It deserves four, but Maxwell is in the deep. He dives, slides, takes the ball in one hand and is back up to throw in the one motion. Keeps the scoring to two. Incredible work all round. So Mushy goes for the reverse sweep, over backward point, and there’s no one protecting that boundary! Four.
In our final switcheroo for the day, here’s Adam Collins.
39th over: Bangladesh 234-4 (Mushfiqur 68, Mahmudullah 24) Well, Mushfiqur probably knows that he’s not going to win this game, but he’s not going to give up either. Stoinis comes on for Cummins, and Mushy smacks him down the ground but Stoinis manages to get a touch on it and slow the ball down. Two runs. Mahmudullah gets strike and whips a brace through the leg side, then another. Eight off the over.
38th over: Bangladesh 226-4 (Mushfiqur 65, Mahmudullah 19) Short from Starc, and Mushfiqur rides again! Leans back a bit, ups periscope, and directs the ball over a fine third man region for four on the bounce. That is just gorgeous. Starc follows up with his best ball, a sizzling yorker that homes in on the stumps and takes a batsman in Mushy’s sort of touch to block out.
37th over: Bangladesh 219-4 (Mushfiqur 60, Mahmudullah 18) Another smoked pull shot from Mush, but there’s some excellent work on the rope by Stoinis sliding around at deep square leg to save it. Two of the three runs from that Cummins over come by that stroke. Cummins is 0-41 from 8 so far. Bangladesh need 12.5 an over from here. Something has to give.
36th over: Bangladesh 216-4 (Mushfiqur 58, Mahmudullah 17) That’s what you can do against Starc! Width, pace, and Mushfiqur drives with style through point for four. Dish that up on a plate with a garnish. (I’m doing Italian chef’s fingers right now.)
Here’s Brian Withington. “Kim Thonger may be on to something with his promotion of Sommaroy as a cricket venue (27th over). Never mind 50 overs, they could host a World Cup of test match duration games on permanent rotation. In passing, in sun-kissed England I believe the nights start drawing in this weekend.”
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Fifity! Mushfiqur Rahim 51 from 54 balls
35th over: Bangladesh 208-4 (Mushfiqur 52, Mahmudullah 15) Cummins searching for that breakthrough. He’s the one you don’t want to have to attack, perhaps even more than Starc. He really ties down Mushy around off stump. But when he goes short, Mushy gloves him down through fine leg for four.
Half century for the Bangladeshi keeper. Lovely batting.
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34th over: Bangladesh 201-4 (Mushfiqur 46, Mahmudullah 14) Zampa nearly gets through a good over, but Mahmudullah has a big swing at the end and gets a thick outside edge, up and over backward point and it rolls away for four. There’s the 200. Ok, the required rate is down a touch to 11.5. Interesting. Just a little.
33rd over: Bangladesh 194-4 (Mushfiqur 44, Mahmudullah 9) Coulter-Nile comes back from the Pavilion End, and Mushfiqur advances and launches him for four! Just bounced inside the rope at midwicket after a long launch that came down like a lunar module returning to earth. Single brings Mahmudullah on strike. Next ball? Charge, swat, four! Flat this time, through square leg and beats the sweeper! Ten from the over.
32nd over: Bangladesh 184-4 (Mushfiqur 39, Mahmudullah 4) And we come up to the drinks break via Zampa, who goes for four singles from his over. You don’t get much chance to consolidate when the asking rate is going up like a 4th of July sky.
31st over: Bangladesh 180-4 (Mushfiqur 37, Mahmudullah 2) Ahoy again. One more switcheroo before we end. Is your head spinning yet? Liton Das’ would be. Being whacked by Mitchell Starc is not the slightest bit of fun. The new pairing get through Coulter-Nile’s over and collect three singles. They need close to 11 an over now.
30th over: Bangladesh 177-4 (Mushfiqur 35, Mahmudullah 1) Target 382 Mahmudullah is a man who knows all about big centuries in massive World Cup games. But has he got enough time? Is the task too big? He takes Zampa for one to get off strike, Mushfiqur also grabbing one to cover.
Righto, I’m back to the wireless for a bit so I’m handing you back to Geoff Lemon for the next ten overs. Chat again when Mushfiqur is 100 not out from 55 balls.
WICKET! Das lbw b Zampa 20 (Bangladesh 175-4)
Yep, that’s out. Going straight on, the ball is smashing into enough of leg stump. After a patchy first spell, that will do Zampa’s confidence a world of good.
IS DAS LBW? Zampa thinks so and Umpire Gough agrees. But it has been sent upstairs for a look by the batsman. Stand by.
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29th over: Bangladesh 175-3 (Mushfiqur 34, Das 20) Target 382 Das goes again, this time at NCN who is back into the attack, pulling him hard through midwicket for another boundary! They’re ticking over really well, these two. With four other runs coming in the smaller coins, that makes eight off. They need 9.89 an over to win.
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28th over: Bangladesh 167-3 (Mushfiqur 33, Das 13) Target 382 In a competitive field, that’s one of the most attractive shots played today, Liton Das driving Cummins straight past him for four. Very good batting. And he gets a bonus boundary to finish out on the rope at extra cover, Marcus Stoinis misfielding! That’s the second time today the Australians have given away a four like that. You can be sure that will be a *cough cough* ~talking point~ when this is all over.
“Re: Starc’s hand-over-mouth celebration,” writes Nick Toovey. “Brian Withington is a much more optimistic person than I with your assumption that it was mock-shyness. I assumed he was covering his mouth to disguise a frightful gobby send off that this new-age sporting Australian team no longer take part in.” More likely.
27th over: Bangladesh 157-3 (Mushfiqur 32, Das 4) Target 382 Mushfiqur has been around long enough that you can be sure he will not give up. Starc is making making life difficult, but going around the wicket to finish, the punchy wicketkeeper strikes a crisp cover drive into the gap out to the short boundary.
“Afternoon Adam.” Kim Thonger, hello! “Reading this it seems obvious to me that the next Cricket World Cup should be held in Sommaroy, Norway, where bad light would never be an issue, and floodlights never required. What Dickie Bird would make of it all I dread to think.” And Iceland the tournament after that.
26th over: Bangladesh 149-3 (Mushfiqur 26, Das 2) Target 382 Understandably, Finch is also bringing Cummins back. As usual, the man with more dot balls in the tournament than any other is making it hard for both players to get him away, three singles their lot to the sweepers behind the wicket.
“Stat-alert!” alerts (?) Hari Shankar. “Nick Toovey’s question made me think of which batsmen would have been the most unreliable. I check cricinfo stats expecting it to be the redoubtable Inzy. But the answer was a big surprise.guess?
Drumroll.... Steve Waugh! There was a 10% chance that if you had a partnership with the senior Waugh you would be left stranded.”
I’m on radio with Damien Fleming next door again soon - I’ll get his take on that.
25th over: Bangladesh 146-3 (Mushfiqur 24, Das 1) Target 382 Back in his stance, Das gets off the mark from the next ball to square leg. Nicely done. Bangladesh are keeping pace with where Australia were, but, as Harsha Bhogle explains on the telly, it is the sharp increase after over 30 where they surely can’t stay with it now. They need 9.5 an over from here, if that’s how you like to measure these things.
“As much as I’m an Aussie supporter, I’d love to see the Tigers win this one,” writes Kathryn Barras. I suspect this was composed before the last couple of wickets. Ah well. Bring on the dead rubbers. She continues: “Can we talk about the bad facial hair that the Aussies are sporting? Did they forget the bag of razors? (cf Pup’s comments earlier on players bringing bags of gloves and thigh pads). Either it’s the Dennis Lillee/Mitch Johnson mo or nothing. What a disgrace!”
Well, I can’t speak for them. But on Geoff and my side of the desk, I lost the beard (but kept the mo) for the World Cup. Geoff says he is joining me in this pursuit.
“There should be some form of penalty for bowlers expressing faux embarrassment with hand to mouth after taking a ‘lucky’ wicket,” says Brian Withington, in response to Starc’s response getting Tamim. “Not a good look.”
This, of course, is the ground of Stuart Broad’s double-hands-on-mouth from the 2015 Ashes. I know that isn’t the same thing, but thought I’d drop that in there.
Liton Das hit. He’s copped a whack to the side of the helmet from Starc first ball. He’s fine, on his feet straight away, but there is a delay to replace his lid.
WICKET! Tamim b Starc 62 (Bangladesh 144-3)
Starc silences the crowd! First ball of his new over, Tamim misjudges a delivery just short of a length, chopping on when trying to steer to third man. It’s not much of a ball but those mistakes come when facing a bowler of Starc’s speed.
24th over: Bangladesh 144-2 (Tamim 62, Mushfiqur 23) Target 382 Zampa into his fourth and under pressure early on, Tamim sweeping hard and well for four! The spinner loses his line later in the over down the legside, Mushfiqur adding a couple more behind square to finish. Nine from it and the stands are PUMPING as the Bangladesh fans make more noise than they have at any time today. They want to believe.
23rd over: Bangladesh 135-2 (Tamim 57, Mushfiqur 20) Target 382 Starc is back to shake things up as he did against Sri Lanka in the middle overs. He has, by some margin, been Australia’s best powerplay-to-powerplay bowler in this World Cup so far. Tamim gets off strike first ball, which is a good idea because the left-armer is bowling heat at Mushfiqur, peppering the line of his body a couple of times, the final delivery hitting the splice and flying down to third man. Between times, Khawaja lets one through his legs at mid-off, which isn’t pretty.
“Had my heart in my mouth after you posted that the Tamim LBW was being sent for review immediately assuming he would go,” writes Frederick Herbert. “After finding out he wasn’t out I thought I’d do some research. Turns out, according to this handy analysis that only 20% of on-field not-out decisions are successfully overturned (a slightly higher 34% are overturned when the initial decision is out). As a behavioural scientist I’m thoroughly ashamed of myself. As Mr Kahneman says, never neglect the base rate!”
I suspect I’m going to lift this stat. Thank you for digging into it. Most interesting.
22nd over: Bangladesh 129-2 (Tamim 53, Mushfiqur 18) Target 382 Zampa, or ‘Zorba’ as Alex Carey calls him through the stump mic, again from our northern end of the ground. He’s been good so far. But Mushfiqur really wants to take him down, last time around busting out two reverse sweeps, this time smashing him back over his head for SIX! He turned it into a full toss after dancing at him. Clarke is critical of Zampa’s pace, saying he is sending it down too fast. “You can premeditate as a batsman as you know it isn’t going to spin past you.” Good point.
Tamim Iqbal to 50!
21st over: Bangladesh 120-2 (Tamim 51, Mushfiqur 11) Target 382 Thanks again, Geoff. An impressive little spell this from Marcus Stoinis, the slower ball he bowled to get rid of Shakib all-but ending Bangladesh’s hopes of a miracle win. Tamim is not giving up though, pulling with authority to the rope at square leg then deflecting to backward point to register his half-century in 65 balls. He’s batted really well here. The resourceful Mushfiqur keeps the board ticking.
There is a huge roar around Trent Bridge, causing Geoff and me to leap out of our seats in case two more fans decided to run on the field. Not to be, though: it was an image of a fan on the screen having fallen asleep. ‘Snooze Cam’ they call it.
20th over: Bangladesh 111-2 (Tamim 45, Mushfiqur 9) Mushy! Be glad that he wasn’t run out, because he’s brought his bag of tricks and he’s here to party. Gets down low and scoops Zampa over his own shoulder for a couple of fine leg, then once more drops like it’s hot and reverse-sweeps over backward point for four! Zap, pow. Misses one that he nearly nicks. Charges one and defends. Sweeps conventionally to keep the strike. All happening. They need 8.98.
19th over: Bangladesh 105-2 (Tamim 45, Mushfiqur 2) No top spot for Shakib, he has to settle for 425 runs from his fifth World Cup 2019 innings, and his first thus far that hasn’t passed 50. Big chases are a lot about luck as well as skill, and there are little moments that have to go your way. Mushfiqur Rahim comes to the middle, vastly experienced wicketkeeper-bat in this team. He’s nearly run out for 1 as Tamim hits straight to Smith at midwicket and sets off regardless, and Mushy can only watch and hope the ball misses as he runs to the striker’s end. It does. He still ran, though. NB: Usman.
WICKET! Shakib c Warner b Stoinis 41 (Bangladesh 102-2)
It’s not Zampa who does it! One of those strokes of luck that falls one way and not the other. A simple shot from Shakib, trying to turn Stonis away square, but instead he gets a leading edge that loops up to mid-off.
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18th over: Bangladesh 102-1 (Tamim 44, Shakib 41) Right then. It’s leg-spin time. Adam Zampa has got to for a pile of runs if Bangladesh have any hope. We’ve seen that teams can get on top of him if they attack early. But also he often gets his wickets when teams try to attack him. Who wins this part of the struggle? Zampa takes the early honours, beating Tamim’s outside edge with a straight ball, and going for only four singles.
17th over: Bangladesh 98-1 (Tamim 42, Shakib 39) Slashed for four! Stoinis thought he was in business there with a wide ball bowled and backward point in play. But Tamim got his shot fine of Maxwell and it flies away to the boundary. Equally he nails a whip shot to close the over, but it’s saved on the fence. Again, seven runs scored including a couple more singles. Bangladesh need 8.6 per over from here and they’re nudging up towards 6 an over so far.
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16th over: Bangladesh 91-1 (Tamim 36, Shakib 38) Tamim finally hits a pull shot flush, and this time will collect two as Cummins has some distance to cover in the deep. Then there’s a lovely late steer from Shakib that has the crowd in raptures as it beats Maxwell at gully, but they quiet down rapidly when they see third man is set quite square and will save the boundary. Tamim flicks a run, Shakib pulls one. Seven from the over. This is a crazy-tough chase, but they’ve got a real sense of purpose in their batting.
Shakib needs 63 to get back to the top of the runs list, by the way. Count down.
15th over: Bangladesh 84-1 (Tamim 31, Shakib 36) A classic picket fence from Stoinis: six singles, as the batsmen do a decent job of having a look at him while at least scoring a few. He looks to be bowling freely, and does what he always does, hanging back of a length to avoid letting batsmen get a good swing.
14th over: Bangladesh 78-1 (Tamim 28, Shakib 33) And these are the kind of overs they can’t afford. Coulter-Nile gets away with three singles, bowling a couple of good bouncers to force a dot ball and then a mistimed pull that only gets a hurried single. Stoinis will replace Maxwell next, and they’ll need to take plenty from him too...
13th over: Bangladesh 75-1 (Tamim 27, Shakib 31) If Bangladesh have any hope in this monster chase they have to target Australia’s weaker bowlers. Glenn Maxwell is an obvious target. Shakib zeroes in, lofting a straight drive that hangs in the air a fair while before bouncing for four, too straight to catch. Then a flatter harder one that skips over the straight rope. And two more runs to square leg. A dozen from the over with a couple of singles. These are the kind of overs they need, and plenty of them.
12th over: Bangladesh 63-1 (Tamim 26, Shakib 20) Shakib isn’t nailing the pull shot today. Tries again versus Coulter-Nile, but can’t time it to get more than a single. Four of those from the over as Nathan CN settles on a difficult length to get away.
Paul Headon emails in. “In reply to Nick Toovey, over 5, my over-riding memory is Hussain running out Strauss shortly before he managed a second ton on debut. As I recall, he retired from the international game immediately after getting his own 100…” As a direct result, presumably.
I’ve always said that Adam Voges should have done that, in his 20th innings when the statisticians had to count his record, during which his average went up to about 101 while he was making a huge score in New Zealand. Should have walked straight off the field at that moment and never returned. It would have made everyone so mad.
11th over: Bangladesh 59-1 (Tamim 24, Shakib 18) Thanks Adam. Now Maxwell has had a chance of ends, after Cummins had a change of ends. Off-spin from the Pavilion End now. Tamim nudges a single. Shakib drives a couple in front of point, then two more lofted over backward point. He’s gone back past Finch on the World Cup runs list, and taken his personal total past 400 for the tournament. Whew.
Bangladesh chasing 382 need 8 per over and they’re at 5.5.
10th over: Bangladesh 53-1 (Tamim 23, Shakib 13) Target 382 Coulter-Nile is bowling the final over of the first power play and he does well to keep Shakib stuck to the crease until the penultimate delivery, the No3 leaning into a glorious straight drive for four! He tries to pull the final ball but it doesn’t get beyond midwicket. A nice little recovery.
Righto, I’m back over to the radio for a bit. I’ll leave you with Geoff.
9th over: Bangladesh 49-1 (Tamim 23, Shakib 9) Target 382 Cummins again and Shakib is very keen on a shorter ball outside the off stump, crunching his cut shot to the eastern boundary. Beautiful cricket. The crowd are very involved now.
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8th over: Bangladesh 41-1 (Tamim 22, Shakib 3) Target 382 “As a Dutchmen and cricket lover, it’s generally rather lonely when you try to make a conversation about what’s happening. So I cannot say thank you enough to OBO for existing, cause at least I now get the joy of listening to other people’s conversations.” Great to have you with us, Jaap van Netten.
“One point I’d like to make here, seeing all the Maxwellball discussion: during the most recent series against India (when Australia still regularly lost ODIs) I remember one of you guys (I guess it was Geoff) tweeting after a cheap dismissal: “this is the ball they’ll use to drop Maxwell from the World Cup team.”
Yeah, that was me.
“What turned this around, with Maxwell now being by far the most dangerous batsmen in their team, and everyone raving about Maxwellball? Is it really Finch being captain, rather than Smith?”
I think Maxwell is in a very good headspace and it doesn’t hurt at all that one of his best mates is the captain. It doesn’t stop certain parts of the cricket community pling into him every time he’s out but he’s learned how to shut all that out.
NOT OUT! Well, it is a good bit of bowling but it is just pitching outside leg, so that’s the end of that. Australia lose their review.
HAS COULTER-NILE TRAPPED TAMIM LEG BEFORE? It has been given not out but they are sending it up to the DRS. Stand by.
7th over: Bangladesh 38-1 (Tamim 21, Shakib 2) Target 382 Shot! Tamim is away, clipping Cummins beautifully through midwicket; his third boundary. With those runs in the bank, he plays conservatively for the rest of the set, getting under the bumper when it inevitably comes, finishing with a solid push past point for two.
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6th over: Bangladesh 32-1 (Tamim 15, Shakib 2) Target 382 Glenn Maxwell is it, the two southpaws in the middle surely influencing this decision. It doesn’t quite work to play at the start, the offspinner overpitching and creamed for four to the cover rope by Tamim, who is in very good touch today. A few more singles follow but the Bangladesh fans are up on their feet again in protest when Khawaja’s throw hits Tamim on the leg, flooring the opening for a moment. Play on.
“Basically, the meteorological reason for the amount of rain in Manchester is the Pennines (the hills running down the centre of the country to the east of Manchester),” explains Mark Gillespie. “Prevailing weather comes from the west over the Atlantic, and picks up a lot of water. When that hits high land, i.e the Pennines, it dumps it as rain.” Well there we go! Most informative.
5th over: Bangladesh 25-1 (Tamim 9, Shakib 1) Target 382 Starc, into the breeze, is sending them down at 92mph. As you do. Shakib is having a look, defending then pushing one to get off the mark. Tamim gives the No3 the strike back and he has to duck under a zippy bumper to finish. Much as it was against England and West Indies, I’m sure they will try and test Shakib out early with the short ball.
“Would Khawaja be the record holder for the highest scorer that has to hide in the dressing room for fear of being eviscerated?” asks Nick Toovey.
4th over: Bangladesh 23-1 (Tamim 8, Shakib 0) Target 382 Earlier in the Cummins over, Alex Carey failed to glove adequately glove a delivery that ran away for four byes. But that’s all forgotten about now. Shakib ducks his first ball. As Michael Clarke points out on telly, the excellence of Finch there was taking an extra beat rather than throwing reflexively. He had the time, took it and nailed his ping.
“Here is a run-out story,” writes Hari Shankar. “In my school cricket as a tail-ender I was “protected” by my senior top-order batsman. For three consecutive overs the last ball ended in a single. On the last ball of the fourth over I decided to do a Khawaja. Much to my chagrin and to the delight of the watching girls I was chased all over the ground by a seriously-angry-swearing bat. My heart goes out to poor Khawaja when he walked back to the Aussie dressing room.”
We’ve all done it. I’ve twice been run out before facing a ball. Once, by a bloke who now plays in the Japan national team. If you’re reading, Bebe, I’m over it.
WICKET! Soumya run out [Finch] 10 (Bangladesh 23-1)
Brilllllliant fielding by the Australian captain! They practice that exact move at training over and over again, Finch sliding at mid-on then pinging down the stumps at the non-strikers’ end. Soumya is well short, Tamim sending him back upon realising the trouble. A very nasty mix up, both men running to begin.
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3rd over: Bangladesh 19-0 (Tamim 8, Soumya 10) Target 382 “Steve Smith has a whole bag of gloves,” says Michael Clarke on the commentary. That’s what I’m here for, Pup. Next: has a sack full of thigh pads? A container of helmets? Back to the middle, Soumya gets down the other end via a leg bye, Tamim tucking a single. The strike rotation is followed by back to back boundaries for Soumya, clipping aerially through square leg then glancing a rank full toss fine, which Cummins misfields on the rope! You. Do. Not. See. That.
2nd over: Bangladesh 9-0 (Tamim 7, Soumya 2) Target 382 Cummins is bowling the second over today rather than the first, as he has in the last few games. It’s a nice little sidebar of the Australian campaign so far: who is the top dog, Starc or Cummins? Who has choice of end? Who picks the ball? I love this stuff. Anyway, it is Cummins from our northern or broadcast end, to Soumya to begin who drives in the air towards Warner who makes an excellent diving stop. Tamim’s turn, who strikes the first boundary of the reply with a beautifully timed straight drive.
“Enjoying the OBO,” emails Robert Hogg. Why, thank you. “On childhood memories of weather, I grew up in Manchester. Winter was mild, wet and dominated by a sky the colour of lead. You had to detect changes in the seasons by the warmth of the drizzle. I can’t remember summer ever coming up as a topic of conversation.”
Is there a meteorological reason why it rains more in Manchester? Or is it a bit of a made up thing and it rains there as much as it does anywhere in that region?
1st over: Bangladesh 4-0 (Tamim 3, Soumya 1) Target 382 Starc opens up from the southern or pavilion end. It almost certainly has other names but let’s not get into OBO End Chat quite yet. We’ll save that for the Test Matches later in the summer. He’s on the mark to begin, Tamim playing straight before punching with control through the gap at cover for three to get the chase underway. When the attack leader goes a fraction shorter, Soumya opens with a steer down to third man.
Lovely bloke, Tamim. I went to his house to interview him in Chittagong a couple of years ago and he invited me to stay with his family for Eid lunch. Great people.
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Afternoon everyone. Bangladesh have to start this positively. They weren’t able to against England in Cardiff in pursuit of a similar target a couple of weeks back due to the way that Archer and Woakes opened up at them. They can’t allow Starc and Cummins to do something similar. Instead, take the example of Sri Lanka, who were right on top in the power play on Saturday before throwing it away.
With this being the final game at Nottingham for the World Cup, the volunteers (Cricketeers) are doing a lap of honour. Nice touch. The Australians are warming up in front of us, Marcus Stoinis getting ready to bowl. “But can he get through ten overs?” asks Michael Clarke. If he can’t, Australia will have a decision to make.
“Just another thought,” emails Damien McLean. “The really frustrating thing is that run out risks taking oxygen away from the story of what was a fantastic innings for Khawaja. Great to see him back in some form, even if it ended badly.”
Yep, I share that. He batted wonderfully. Nothing detracts from that. I wish that Maxwell had the chance to finish what he started, but there’ll be other days.
As the players make their way to the middle, a reminder that you can chat with me throughout Bangladesh’s chase in the usual ways: email or twitter. Can the Tigers pull off something ridiculous? Or will Australia move to top spot? Let’s find out.
Bangladesh need 382 to win
Orders don’t come much taller than that. They needed 387 to win against England a couple of weeks ago, and Shakib made a hundred that gave the impression he wanted to salvage net run rate. Then they needed 322 against the West Indies and Shakib made a hundred like he’d never considered the possibility of not winning. He’ll need another of the latter today if they’re to be any chance, but they’re unlikely to get bowling anywhere near as sloppy as the men in maroon dished up.
David Warner, it seems strange to say, never seemed entirely in control as he has in the past. But he showed his ability, in finding a way to fight through a tricky start and then just keep going, maintaining his aggression en route to a large and fast hundred. He laid a massive base with Finch, Khawaja played his best innings coming in lower down the order, and Maxwell came in for a devastating salvo at the end that was cut short by Khawaja and a run out.
Bangladesh were dominated today. They lost the toss, had to bowl, and never threatened. They were forced by injury to bring Sabbir into the side, who dropped Warner on 10, and Rubel, who went for 83 off 9 overs without a wicket. Their opening batsman had to bail them out with the ball, taking 3 for 58. Nothing went right really. It will have to go astronomically well with the bat for this match to be anything but a foregone conclusion.
Adam will be back to take you through the chase, with occasional cameos from me as the day wears on. You can direct your emails to him from here on.
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50th over: Australia 381-5 (Stoinis 17, Carey 11) We’re back. Mustafizur has the job of closing the innings off for Bangladesh. Carey slams a yorker to deep cover for a single, and that sets the tone for the next two balls. But when the Fizz misses that length, Stoinis powers him back past the non-striker along the ground for four, hard enough to split the men in the deep. Super shot. Followed by a very not super shot, as Stoinis aims over midwicket but gets a thick lofted edge that floats over the keeper for four more. He finishes the innings with another slammed drive and Carey coming to the danger end bolts back for two.
That’s one hell of a score for Australia!
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PLAY TO RESUME AT 2:35pm
One over for Australia to face.
A restart is announced, as the sun comes out and sweeps briefly across the ground. Ten minutes away, at 14:35 UK time.
“When I see the phrase ‘golden arm’ I always think about Mudassar Nazar’s 6 for 32 at Lords in 1982. Not bad for an opener.” Quite so, David Brown. Soumya bowling the death overs is right up near that level.
As for the next wicket, “Maybe Smith’s review was on the basis that the bails weren’t going to come off?” writes Jim Luetchford. Hit on the front pad, while standing back on your stumps, by a full toss in front of middle... that was a review more worthy of humour than any of poor Shane Watson’s work.
Thanks Adam. I’m glad I wasn’t on the keys when Maxwell was run out. There would not have been enough capital letters on the internet to adequately respond.
Jane Evans agrees. “Topping the poll for this week’s least popular Australian cricketer is David War ... no ... Steve ... no ... Usman-there-shalt-be-no-Maxwellball-Khawaja.”
Writes Damien McLean, “The really frustrating thing is that run out risks taking oxygen away from the story of what was a fantastic innings for Khawaja. Great to see him back in some form, even if it ended badly.”
It was good to see, and he played beautifully. But that really looked like the work of a batsman who was thinking about his hundred and keeping himself safe rather than what the team could make. Understandable to a point, because he’s been messed around regarding his place in the side and in the batting order, and making a hundred is the riposte that no one can deny. But late in the innings you’ve got to take the risks and play for the more dangerous batsman.
RAIN STOPS PLAY! (I'm not kidding)
49th over: Australia 368-5 (Stoinis 6, Carey 9) Soumya bowling the death overs here is everything I want in World Cup cricket. Yes, Carey found a way to slap him out to the deep cover boundary late in the over - a beautifully timed shot after getting to the pitch. But nine off it? Mashrafe Mortaza would take that. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? NOW IT IS RAINING! THE PLAYERS ARE OFF THE FIELD WITH AN OVER TO BOWL!
With that, back to Geoff to OBO the rain. Urrrrrgh!
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48th over: Australia 359-5 (Stoinis 3, Carey 3) What an excellent fightback from Mustafizur, who was toyed with by Khawaja in his previous set. His skipper needed him to bounce back and he has in this over, getting Smith’s wicket and giving up only five singles. Can’t ask for much more than that from the young gun.
“Disappointing not to see Maxwell get a chance to go on with it,” says Damien McLean. “Did Khawaja have a responsibility to sacrifice himself there? Surely Khawaja had done his job by then, no shame being run out for 89 trying to build.”
Yes. In a word. Yes.
“Then to top it off goes out himself two balls later... Geez. An opportunity missed for us Maxwellball fans.”
Let’s be happy it happened rather than sad because Usman DIDN’T RUN.
WICKET! Smith lbw b Mustafizur 1 (Australia 354-5)
Three wickets in six balls for Bangladesh! The Fizz traps Smith, who was deep in his crease trying to flick to square leg but doesn’t make contact. He reviews, because that’s what you do in over 48, but it is hitting middle half way up.
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47th over: Australia 354-4 (Stoinis 1, Smith 1) The two wickets have done the job, only two runs coming after Maxwell’s run out. Two new men are out there for the final stanza. Can Bangladesh keep their cool for the next 20 minutes?
WICKET! Khawaja c Mushfiqur b Soumya 89 (Australia 353-4)
Soumya has a third! Can somebody please commission me to write 2000 words about this spell? It’s slow (they all are) and Khawaja is through his pull by the time the ball arrives. A tiny underedge is located on the way through and that is that. Well played Usman. That innings is going to make Justin Langer very happy.
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WICKET! Maxwell run out [Rubel] 32 (Australia 352-3)
Maxwell digs out a yorker through his legs and wanted the single, Khawaja refuses to come, Maxwell is run our by Rubel’s direct hit. Hmmmm. Maxwell stares at his partner. He’s walking off with 32 from 10, having slammed the previous ball for six as well. [Jim Maxwell HMMMMMMM [/Jim Maxwell]
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46th over: Australia 346-2 (Khawaja 89, Maxwell 26) Maxwell or Dhoni?! THIS IS REMARKABLE HITTING! THE HELICOPTER TO BEGIN, nailing it over mid-off, over the rope. Outrageous. Next? He slams Hossain through cover for four, hit so well that no sweeper had a chance. Next? HUGE over midwicket, off balance for SIX into the stands. TV tells me that Australia have added 102 runs in their last 40 balls. Go again? Well, he tries but it doesn’t get all of it, falling in the gap between the sweepers at midwicket. They race back for three. Khawaja’s turn, finishing the over with a lavish boundary of his own through point. “Goodness me,” says Ian Bishop on TV. Indeed. 25 runs from the over. Maxwell has 26 from eight balls.
If you listened to the most recent Spin, you might have heard me expressing slight disappointment in Glenn Maxwell. And being taken down in flames by @collinsadam… https://t.co/3OBSNUVsx1
— Emma John (@em_john) June 20, 2019
45th over: Australia 321-2 (Khawaja 84, Maxwell 7) Mel Jones notes on TV that Maxwell waited for Warner to walk off the field to first receive his standing ovation. Nice touch. The new man can’t quite get Soumya away upon arriving either, until the final ball when he plays a wonderful shot from a yorker-length delivery, crushing it through point for his first four. Warner fell in the over but 12 runs were added, the latter more important at this stage of the innings.
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WICKET! Warner c Rubel b Soumya 166 (Australia 313-2)
Soumya again! He has never bowled more than five overs in an ODI before but today, he has both Finch and Warner. Granted, the latter is 166 from 147 when walking off , the end of a masterful hand that included 14 fours and five sixes. But still! The opener audibly groaned as his miscued uppercut ended up the hands of Hossain at short third man. Time for Glenn Maxwell? Yes. Yes it is.
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44th over: Australia 309-1 (Warner 162, Khawaja 83) Rubel Hossain returns after the Mustafizur misadventure. Mortaza is rotating his bowlers an over at a time here in an effort to somehow find a wicket. Not that this would necessarily help their cause with Maxwell and Stoinis the likely next two to walk out. Goodness me, Warner plays an utter brilliant upper cut from a ball hovering around his leg stump, following his body. He still has enough time to lift it over the cordon for four. He plays that the ball after whacking a full delivery down the ground for four, bringing up the Australian 300. This is a very impressive acceleration from Australia. I didn’t know if they had it in them, to be honest.
Warner to 150!
43rd over: Australia 296-1 (Warner 151, Khawaja 82) Mortaza brings himself back and it doesn’t go well. Warner, having to watch on as Khawaja went wild in the previous set, begins the very same way by smashing the first ball over the rope at midwicket for another six! With a single to follow, the opener raises his 150 from 139 balls. What a knock. He has 200 on the shelf here, all of a sudden. Shane Watson has Australia’s highest score (185 not out, also against Bangladesh). I wonder if he knows? Anyway, the good times roll when Khawaja again finds the boundary at backward point. 14 from the over making 59 from the last four.
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42nd over: Australia 282-1 (Warner 143, Khawaja 76) As Andrew WK taught us, when it’s time to party, you should party hard. Australia are taking this advice as gospel in this final stanza, Khawaja driving four to backward point, cutting another in the same direction next ball, clipping a full toss off his legs to the midwicket rope before pulling a fourth boundary of the over into the gap at backward square. Who said that Khawaja couldn’t go up the gears? (Me). 19 off the over, if you don’t mind. Along the way, they raised their 150-run partnership.
“With Soumya Sarkar adding his name to the pantheon of ‘Wicket-taking Part Time Bowlers’, has this World Cup been particularly kind on the remarkable species?” writes Aditi Prabhudesai of the one man to strike today. “We already have Joe Root, Glen Maxwell (who’s graduated to a full-time bowler in this World Cup) and Finch himself adorning the list. Is it an aberration or was it ever thus?”
I wrote 1000 words about this very topic a few years ago in a publication that doesn’t reproduce its content online. The research has paid off during many quiet moments on the radio though, so no complaints. Love me a golden arm.
41st over: Australia 263-1 (Warner 143, Khawaja 57) Thanks, Geoff. Shakib has four overs up his sleeve for the death, which is a bit unusual for a spinner in the final ten. I don’t think Mortaza has got his sums quite right in those middle overs. Anyway, sure enough, Warner is happy with it, swapping his stance and getting it over third man for four! Clever. The power is there too, heaving the spinner over the short boundary at midwicket a lonnnng way back. 13 from it. Buckle up.
40th over: Australia 250-1 (Warner 133, Khawaja 54) Nothing streaky about that one! Warner drives straight, and clean, and true. Over Rubel Hossain’s head and back down the ground for six. Nearly hit it to me up here in the commentary box. Then flicks a couple through backward square.
“Evening Geoff/Adam,” says Phil Withall. “I know you two are pretty close and have done a hell of a lot together but giving up any pretense of security on you computer seems a little bit too trusting. I have a lot of trust in my daughters but wouldn’t let them anywhere near any of my means of communication. The 21 Jump Street style relationship I have long imagined you having seens to have been confirmed.”
If I may commit heresy, I refer to the 21 Jump Street reboot, where Jonah Hill says to Channing Tatum, “I f***ing cherish you.” We’re pretty much in joint bank account territory, don’t worry.
Speaking of, here’s Adam for half an hour. Email me, it’s fine.
39th over: Australia 237-1 (Warner 123, Khawaja 52) Warner thinks that it’s go time against Mustafizur. He backs away and tries to slash over cover, but misses. The ball misses his leg stump by a fraction. So Warner goes again next ball, and this time toe-ends it over cover, another streaky boundary. Mushfiq can’t take the next ball cleanly as Warner misses again, and they get a bye. Khawaja can’t do much with the final three balls.
Half century! Usman Khawaja 50 from 50 balls
38th over: Australia 230-1 (Warner 119, Khawaja 50) That’s huge for Khawaja. A run-a-ball fifty when he’s struggled so far in the tournament. Plays a gorgeous pull through square from Rubel for four, then raises the milestone with a single next ball. Warner has already carved four through point, then almost gets whacked in the junkyard again trying to pull when the ball is too full. Just gets some bat on it.
“Two queries,” writes Abhijato Sensarma. “Warner double ton on the cards? If a wicket falls now, is it time for another game of Maxwellball?”
For question one, Warner would have to get a move on. He hasn’t really opened up thus far. For question two, you’d better believe it. I’m sure Aaron Finch will have his best striker padded up.
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37th over: Australia 218-1 (Warner 113, Khawaja 44) Mustafizur starts after drinks, the most dynamic bowler in this Bangladesh team. He’s zippy, he bends it, he can bowl a good bouncer. Khawaja strides into a couple of perfect cover drives, his signature shot, but one goes straight to cover and one is stopped by the sweeper. No reward for excellence in this format. When Warner gets strike he tries to smear a short ball over midwicket, but only gets a leading edge over cover, and takes two lucky runs.
“Loving the dynamic OBO hangovers between you and Adam today, like an intellectual wrestling tag team. Three falls and one submission in operation?”
I’m going to assume Brian Withington meant ‘handovers’, though we’ve had a few dynamic hangovers between us in our day. As for falls and submissions, neither sounds comfortable but I’m not up to date with Wrestlemania. Glad you’re enjoying the style though. Needs must when the World Cup drives.
36th over: Australia 212-1 (Warner 110, Khawaja 42) Rubel Hossain is back, pace from the Radcliffe Road end after a change. He’s hanging back of a length, squeezed for one by Khawaja, cut by Warner, pulled by Khawaja. Not damage on the scoreboard, but damage when Rubel smashes Warner right in the Jatz. That was box-to-box midfield stuff, and the crowd goes up in a cheer as Warner drops, but I think they were thinking he’d been bowled. The ball didn’t get through him, it was well and truly stopped. Uncomfortably stopped. I’d rather be bowled. Warner recovers and plays on. That’s drinks.
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35th over: Australia 208-1 (Warner 108, Khawaja 40) Mashrafe Mortaza comes back on. David Warner doesn’t mind, because there’s a short ball that he can swat away for four. No one out there on the short side of the ground. Warner drives a single, so Mash tries the same ball to Usman Khawaja. Who also pulls it for four. At 80 miles an hour, that’s buffet stuff. This could be a truly huge score today.
34th over: Australia 197-1 (Warner 103, Khawaja 34) More fumbles from Bangladesh, Mahmudullah the one giving away an extra run. They’ve been ropey in the field today. Runs from every delivery, seven from Mehidy’s over. He finishes his 10 with 0 for 59.
Century! David Warner 100 from 109 balls
33rd over: Australia 190-1 (Warner 101, Khawaja 29) Warner swaps his bat on 99, then nudges a single through square leg for the milestone run. He trots down the pitch then gives it the traditional leap and punch, but he’s less demonstrative than when he made his ton against Pakistan. Celebration, but not over the top. He settles back down and they take only four singles from Shakib’s over.
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32nd over: Australia 186-1 (Warner 99, Khawaja 27) Bonus runs for Warner, as he slams Mehidy straight at backward point but it somehow bursts through. A boundary there, then he slaps three more through cover. Warner on to 99!
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31st over: Australia 177-1 (Warner 91, Khawaja 26) That is the end of Soumya. Shakib will come back into the attack. It doesn’t work out for him though, as singles and doubles flow. Even though Khawaja misses one reverse sweep, then gets only a sliver of bat on a regulation sweep, that goes past the keeper and fine for four.
30th over: Australia 168-1 (Warner 89, Khawaja 19) Mehidy continues spinning them down, and Khawaja gets marooned through the second half of the over. Drives one hard into his boot, which doesn’t help, and which does hurt.
29th over: Australia 165-1 (Warner 87, Khawaja 18) Thanks Adam. Soumya Sarkar will bowl his fifth over, which he’s only done once before in ODIs. He probably won’t get a sixth though, because Warner clouts him through long-off, then carves him through cover. 1 for 29 from five overs. Warner eyeing off another hundred.
Alan Trench writes, “I doubt there’s such a thing as a definitive book on the game (and there’s certainly a lot of dross). There are two excellent books on cricket in the Indian sub-continent, which shouldn’t be overlooked. Ramachandra Guha’s splendid A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian history of a British Sport is sadly hard-to-find (and, scandalously, out of print), but well worth trying to get hold of. Peter Oborne (yes, the high-Tory political commentator) wrote a good book on Pakistani cricket, Wounded Tiger, which tells one a lot about Pakistan’s social and political history since Partition too.”
The very best history of Pakistan cricket is The Unquiet Ones, by Osman Samiuddin. Wonderful title, wonderful book. Must read.
28th over: Australia 153-1 (Warner 77, Khawaja 16) Up comes Australia’s 150 with Warner push down the ground off Mehidy. This is real middle overs accumulation batting now, neither of the left-handers attacking the ropes. This is a good place for Khawaja to be, ticking the board over without a lot of pressure to get into his innings. Back to Geoff. I’ll catch you for the final ten!
27th over: Australia 149-1 (Warner 75, Khawaja 14) They seem to have got Soumya worked out now, working him around to the sweepers as they continue to build this hefty base.
26th over: Australia 144-1 (Warner 72, Khawaja 12) Nearly a run out! A combination of a fumble and a throw to the wrong end saved Warner, who wasn’t as keen on a single to mid-on as Khawaja was. With the exception of one huge strike from Finch, they are playing Mehidy with a lot of respect. But Warner will back himself to take him down eventually, playing so well against Bangladesh’s spinners over there across two Test tons in 2017.
25th over: Australia 139-1 (Warner 69, Khawaja 10) At last a loose delivery from Soumya, Khawaja able to collect his first boundary of the day with a pull past short fine leg. He’s been given a big chance here to walk in with the foundation very much laid. Given the left/right thing that the Australians have been doing, there was every reason to expect Steve Smith to walk down the steps, not Khawaja.
“Yet to put the game on today, it all seems rather comfortable out there based on your OBO, absolute road?” asks Matthew Potter. “First 400 of the tournament coming up?”
The only positive for Bangladesh is that it was gripping early for Mortaza and Mustafizur when they rolled down their off-cutters, but there isn’t a blade of grass on there. It’s the type of Trent Bridge track where huge scores are tallied on the reg.
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24th over: Australia 132-1 (Warner 68, Khawaja 4) They’re happier scoring of Mehidy this time, knocking the ball around the sweepers for seven risk-free runs.
Is this Bangladesh’s biggest ever World Cup game, I wonder? Sure, if they don’t beat Pakistan in 1999 they don’t get Test status. And yes, they beat India in 2007. But since then, has there ever been a game for them with so much on the line?
23rd over: Australia 125-1 (Warner 64, Khawaja 1) These are the dictionary definition of gentle medium pacers from Soumya Sarkar but they are very effective. Indeed, he had only one ODI wicket at 138 before today across 48 matches. He’s being turned to because Mortaza doesn’t have Mossadek at his disposal today, the enigmatic all-rounder picking up a niggle against West Indies on Monday. The right-armer dots up Khawaja for the majority of the over, sneaking past his inside edge to have the whole crowd appealing for leg before from the penultimate delivery. Not to be. But lovely part-time work.
I should add, if you want to stay in touch with me specifically as we pass the OBO baton back and forth today, please do so on the email or the tweet.
22nd over: Australia 123-1 (Warner 63, Khawaja 1) Good cricket from Mehidy Hasan, racing through a tidy over attempting to cramp up the left-handed pair, giving up only two singles down the ground. He isn’t getting a lot of turn but drift is his main weapon at the moment, trying to pass beyond an inside edge or two.
21st over: Australia 121-1 (Warner 62, Khawaja 0) The words I typed and had to quickly delete as the wicket fell were “Australia are well on the way to making a statement here and becoming the first side to 400 in this World Cup.” Realistically, Finch would have needed 150-plus of those, so that equation changes with Khawaja walking out. The number three defends his first ball.
WICKET! Finch c Rubel b Soumya 53 (Australia 121-1)
I’ve only gone and got Bangladesh a wicket four balls after taking over! Soumya Sarkar has been turned to as a change bowler by Mortaza and he’s created an error from seemingly nowhere. Finch has tried to steer him down to the gap at third man but instead, has given catching practice to the fielder there inside the circle, Rubel doing the rest. The pro-Bangladesh crowd are UP AND ABOUT.
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Half century! Finch 51 from 47 balls
20th over: Australia 117-0 (Warner 59, Finch 52) A gift from Mehidy for Finch, full and outside leg stump, and he can just turn it away to fine leg for four. His pile of runs grows ever larger.
Right then. Adam Collins and I will be handballing the blog back and forth a bit today, as per radio broadcasting requirements. He’s on for the next little while, but you can keep emailing me and he’ll get those messages. Back shortly.
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19th over: Australia 110-0 (Warner 59, Finch 45) Rubel decides he’s being too economical, and throws in a couple of wides to spice things up. A couple of singles, then Mithun gets tangled up trying to field and kicks the ball away from himself to concede a second run. This opening stand is growing to truly frightening proportions for Bangladesh...
Aditi Prabhudesai is on the email. “No doubt Mashrafe’s parents had hoped their son would take to superheroing and thus bestowed upon him an alliterative name so essential to the trade. While Mashrafe, M.P. may or may not be vigilanting on the rain-soaked Bangla streets in the dead of night, he sure is an inspiration to those of us edging closer towards the mid-thirties. Creaky knees, pot-bellies I scorn thee.”
18th over: Australia 104-0 (Warner 56, Finch 44) Big appeal from Mehidy against Warner, as the batsman advances to an off-break from around the wicket and misses it. Looks like it would have been going down the leg side. Three singles.
Matthew Dony writes in. “If Jessica Morgan lives in Newport, Gwent, then it doesn’t matter that it doesn’t actually always rain. It’s grim, even on a sunny day. But if she lives in Newport, Pembrokeshire, then she’s a fortunate individual. It’s nice enough there that the weather hardly matters at all. Two places in one country that share a name, but could not be more different.”
Simmer down Matthew, you’ll have the Gwent mafia on my back.
17th over: Australia 101-0 (Warner 54, Finch 43) Rubel continues to have the most comfortable day of the bowlers, conceding only three again. A brace through square for Warner, and the century partnership is up. They’ve done this plenty of times, this pair. Time for drinks.
16th over: Australia 98-0 (Warner 51, Finch 43) Mehidy Hasan replaces Shakib to try to find some control. Aaron Finch don’t care. Thwack. Six. Over midwicket with a slog sweep. Finch goes for another, more over long-on this time, and it goes too high and lands just inside the rope, to bounce for four.
Finch is the top of the World Cup runs list now, with 386, passing Shakib’s 384. Over to you Shakib, in the second innings.
Half century!
15th over: Australia 86-0 (Warner 50, Finch 33) Rubel continues, and Warner is happy to calm down a bit after that last flurry. Three singles. The last of them raises Warner’s fifty, and that’s off 55 balls. Much more like it.
“Manchester’s rain has moved on to us here in Yorkshire, as is so often the case,” writes John Starbuck. “In Nottingham, the thing to really fear is the intense hailstorm that occasionally manifests itself in June. I’ve been caught in a few and it’s no joke.” Well, Swann says we’re getting our weather from Leicestershire, and that patch of sky doesn’t look too bad.
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14th over: Australia 83-0 (Warner 48, Finch 32) Here comes David Warner! He takes off his false moustache, removes his spectacles, and reveals his true identity. He advances to Shakib, makes the ball into a full toss and drives it through cover for four. Then stays back, drops to one knee and smears it for six! What a shot, that went miles over midwicket. “Shakib just tried to float that one up, and if you do that on this surface then you get punished,” says Graeme Swann on the radio, and he knows a bit about bowling at Trent Bridge.
“I can definitely confirm that the weather was always better in the past, particularly when we were children and summers were long and hot, winters cold and snowy. Definitely. Always.” So true, Simon Ingers.
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13th over: Australia 72-0 (Warner 37, Finch 32) Ah, here’s Rubel Hossain. Such a big part in Bangladesh cricket, the man who took the late wickets to seal Bangladesh’s progression to the knockouts in the last World Cup, and got rid of England in the process. He has one good moment against Warner this over, beating the outside edge of a flashing shot outside off, and appealing vociferously. But there was no edge.
12th over: Australia 67-0 (Warner 33, Finch 31) Shakib continues, and the Australians milk him well until Warner carves through cover, flat-batted. Sabbir Rahman puts in the long strides to the longest boundary out that way, with the bowler coming from the Radcliffe Road end, and puts in a dive to save the four. Excellent effort.
“Having driven past an unthinkably sunny Trent Bridge this morning on my way to work – the crowd arriving at the ground from all sides, spilling out of buses on Loughborough, laden with cool bags and floppy hats – and thinking of the things I’ve witnessed inside over the years – Broad standing his ground in 2013; Cook, Bob Willis-like, strangling Ishant Sharma down the leg-side; England smearing 445 against Pakistan – I wonder whether there many better places to watch international cricket?”
Hard to disagree, Christopher Davis. It’s pretty as a picture, with its open white stands and its turrets and peaks, even when the clouds have come over.
11th over: Australia 60-0 (Warner 28, Finch 29) Surely the end of Mashrafe Mortaza’s spell. He bowls a good over, doesn’t give anything away, until the final ball ruins it. Leg stump, leg glance, four runs. Australia ticking along, and Aaron Finch moves to second on the runs list for this World Cup, going past Joe Root’s 367.
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10th over: Australia 53-0 (Warner 26, Finch 24) Spin time. Inside the Powerplay. It will be Shakib al Hasan, with his left-arm tweak. He’s so accurate, and he lands his first couple well. But Finch plays the second better: backing away, then driving crisply along the ground, inside the man at mid-on, and down the ground for four. Wonderful stroke. A couple of singles follow. The fifty partnership arrives as well.
9th over: Australia 47-0 (Warner 25, Finch 19) Finch is really winding up now, trying a huge heave that only skews off the inside edge through midwicket for two. Mashrafe is into his fifth over, and uses his tricks, mixing up his pace. Finch goes back into his shell and taps out the rest of the over until he knocks a single past the bowler.
8th over: Australia 44-0 (Warner 25, Finch 16) Australia’s captain is really winding up now. He smokes Mustafizur but straight to cover. Then hits just as hard to mid-off, who’s right back on the circle, and deep enough to concede a single. So The Fizz bounces Warner, and Warner hooks for six! Not entirely timed, he got a top edge and nearly tripped over himself, but the short square boundaries give full value even for those shots. The ball has been damaged by the impact and the umpires have to choose a replacement. The Fizz bowls a yorker and Warner digs. Then a bouncer and Warner dips.
Kristian Petterson writes in. “Can’t let this slide with entreating Wayne Murray to read Derek Birley’s ‘A Social History of English Cricket’. I’ve read a few and, frankly, it’s peerless. Not read the Wilde yet, mind.”
Strap your reading glasses on, Wayne.
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7th over: Australia 36-0 (Warner 18, Finch 15) That’s vintage Warner! It’s still in there somewhere, as he punches Mortaza effortlessly past mid-off for four. That came after an inside edge past the stumps, mind.
Jessica Morgan writes in from Newport, Wales, “where it doesn’t always rain,” she says.
“Hi Geoff and everyone. Re Wayne’s comment, there’s a rather good book on the geography of cricket, ‘Rain Stops Play’, by Andrew Hignall, with a foreword by John Kettley (he’s a weatherman, and so is Michael Fish... as the song goes). It has some good stuff on rain and the location of cricket grounds. Btw, the cover is a painting of the beautiful ground at Arundel , but sadly it’s reversed. Enjoy the burning orb of gas!”
6th over: Australia 31-0 (Warner 13, Finch 15) A couple more uncomfortable balls for Warner, as Mustafizur hits his thigh pad, then bowls a good short ball that requires evasive action. Last ball of the over Finch nearly nicks behind flaying outside off stump. Lots of shots, but not entirely convincing so far today!
“Genuinely surprised Australia didn’t put the Lyon on the Line,” writes Nick Toovey. “His mastery of bowling with a new ball in Test cricket would seem suited to mixing it up in the early overs if Cummins and Starc go the distance like they did against Sri Lanka. Is it still the case that there’s a ball at each end? The playing conditions change in ODI’s so often that it’s difficult to keep up.”
Indeed. Two new balls, which makes reverse swing in ODI cricket a rare (and eyebrow-raising) occurrence these days.
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5th over: Australia 27-0 (Warner 12, Finch 13) Mashrafe starts anew, and Finch drives him over cover for six! Lovely simple shot, just a pick-up drive from a ball that wasn’t all that full. But Mashrafe is bowling from the Pavilion end and that means the short boundary is at cover for the right hander. Finch took full toll. When Warner gets on strike, he cuts hard enough to force a misfield at backward point and score two. Australia’s openers starting to build.
In fact that misfield looks like a dropped catch, on the replay. It carried, low, to Sabbir Rahman. Brought into the side today thanks to Mossadek’s injury, and his first contribution is not a good one.
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4th over: Australia 18-0 (Warner 10, Finch 6) Interesting duel here between Warner and Mustafizur. Or between Warner and himself, perhaps. Warner hits straight to the field, then is tangled up by a full straight ball. But as he looks vulnerable, Mustafizur strays onto leg stump and is put away for four through fine leg. Then strays the other way and is smoked, but straight to point.
3rd over: Australia 12-0 (Warner 6, Finch 5) Today, Aaron Finch has Shakib al Hasan in his sights. Finch has 347 runs in this World Cup, and Shakib leads the tally with 384. Finch has played two more innings, mind you, including this one. But he’d love to go Top of the Pops today. Knocks away a single from Mortaza. Warner lines up for a pull shot but mistimes the hoick and it bounces to midwicket. Dot ball, then a more circumspect single. A leg bye follows.
2nd over: Australia 9-0 (Warner 5, Finch 4) Mustafizur Rahman now, left-arm pace. And that’s more convincing for Warner, an economical punch through the off side that picks him up a boundary. He’s not looking so comfortable when Mustafizur nails him on the pad, but there was some bat involved as the ball cut back in. Then there’s a trash wide ball that Warner slams, but straight to Mehidy at point for a dot ball.
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1st over: Australia 5-0 (Warner 1, Finch 4) Away we go. Mashrafe Mortaza, the captain, starts things off to David Warner. He’s had a funny old tournament, pottering along when he’s made a score. He does the same to start here, defending, defending, inside edging a single eventually. But when Finch comes on strike, the captain flicks four from his first ball with ease.
To save typing the numbers again, here’s what Warner has been up to.
David Warner made 26 from 48 balls in his last innings, a strike rate of 54.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) June 20, 2019
Of innings worth 26 or more, he's made the two slowest of his career at this World Cup. And three of his eight slowest in his career. So, what's going on?
Morning all! Or other times of day depending where you are. It’s morning at Trent Bridge, any rate. You can direct your emails to me now, rather than Mike. Thanks Mike. Here’s one from Wayne Murray.
“OBO’s live updates (and digressions involving school-boy pranks) have been a pleasing occasional distraction from work here in Cape Town. Now that the Proteas have their marching orders, I may need further distraction. The reference to the ‘unidentified burning orb in the sky’ earlier got me thinking: how did it come to pass that a nation so routinely “under the weather” came to invent a sport that specifically requires good weather? Is there a definitive cricketing history that I can read over the weekend?”
I’d recommend Simon Wilde’s Biography: The Story of England Cricket. Released recently. A fine work.
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And just before I hand over to Geoff, some recommended reading if you have time before play starts.
From Geoff himself, on his unwavering love for Glenn Maxwell:
And from Russell Cunningham, on, um, his unwavering love for Steve Smith:
And with that, over to Trent Bridge for some actual cricket and proper insight...
“All this talk of sunshine so early in the day!” writes Ross Hall. “I can’t help but feel we’re now due a day of rain! We’ve had ours in Manchester this morning…Nottingham, brace yourselves!” Oh please, dear god, no.
Meanwhile, here’s Emma John and the latest Spin Podcast, this week featuring a lineup consisting of a respected cricket writer and two comedians. I’ll let you decide which ones are which (boom, boom).
Team news. Three changes for Australia: Jason Behrendorff, Kane Richardson and Shaun Marsh make way for the returns of Adam Zampa, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Marcus Stoinis. For Bangladesh, Sabbir Rahman and Rubel Hossain come into the team for Mohammad Saifuddin and Mossadek Hossain.
Australia 🇦🇺 won the toss and chose to bat against Bangladesh 🇧🇩. #AUSvBAN #CWC19 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/gOKbSe2ka1
— #CWC19 (@UbaidAwan) June 20, 2019
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Australia win the toss and elect to bat first
Hold the back page: Aaron Finch finally wins a toss! That’s the first time this tournament Australia have done. Unsurprisingly, he reckons getting some runs on the board is a good idea; there seems to be plenty of runs in this track.
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First email of the day. “Morning Mike.” Good evening, Nick Toovey. “With the as-yet-unidentified burning orb of gas appearing over the UK that residents of other countries refer to as ‘The Sun’, and Aus finally (or rumoured to be) playing Nathan Lyon, I wonder if this is the start of the ‘Second Phase’ of the tournament as such – tired pitches, dry weather (hopefully), we could see a complete 180 from yesterday’s nip-and-nibble-like-fire from de Grandhomme in muggy conditions into the long-predicted spinners World Cup in baking conditions.” Burning orb of gas, you say? It’s definitely up there somewhere. Doesn’t get much better than this.
So, we’re at the halfway stage of the tournament. How’s it been for you so far? The general consensus is that there is definite room for a bona fide classic match to break out at some point, if the to-date overall disappointing weather will allow it. Pertinent to today’s clash, Shakib al Hasan has proved he can be a world beater, while Australia seem to bring the best out of opposition fielders. Those and more talking points (10, count ‘em, in total), as decreed by Simon Burnton, here:
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Weather update: The sun is shining in Nottingham and my sources (the weather app) tell me it’s currently a balmy 15 degrees with a high of a 17 expected today. All with a zero percent (0%) chance of rain!
The team is on deck and ready to go at Trent Bridge. Coin toss in 30. First ball in just under an hour #CmonAussie #AUSvBAN #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/pPMWzW1Jci
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) June 20, 2019
On that incredible knock from Morgan – a 71-ball 148 – his partner-in-runs Joe Root, who himself scored a tidy 88 from 82 balls, didn’t seem too surprised by his captain’s exploits in the win over Afghanistan at Old Trafford. He said:
A lot of the time he will play in that manner, very selflessly, potentially going a little bit too hard, because he wants to set the example. He’s always been capable of doing it. It’s great to see him doing it on this stage, in a World Cup. I’m trying to find the right word to describe his innings. It was just phenomenal really, unbelievable ball striking and it completely took the game away.
Full story here:
Australia currently sit in third (see for yourself), having been deposed from top spot first by England – and Eoin Morgan’s brutalist interpretation of the art of batting – and then shunted further down by New Zealand, whose victory over South Africa yesterday was inspired by a measured innings from Kane Williams that was in stark contrast to Morgan’s festival of six-hitting. Ali Martin wrote of the Kiwi’s century:
Williamson’s 138-ball masterclass on a pitch that prevented risk-free shot-making was an innings for the ages. The right-hander brought up his 12th ODI century with a six that levelled the scores in the final over, before guiding a four that completed a chase of 242 with three balls and four wickets to spare.
Preamble
Hello and welcome. West Bridgford, not far from the banks of the River Trent, is the location for today’s Cricket World Cup clash, but this blog is initially brought to you from Sydney before heading back to Nottingham on the other side of the world where the dynamic duo of Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins will handle things from their positions on the ground (or in the press box at least) at Trent Bridge. Geoff will be along shortly; in the meantime I’ll fill in to get the ball rolling and the juices flowing as Australia seek to reclaim top spot on the World Cup table with victory over Bangladesh. It’s a 10:30am start, local time, 7:30pm AEST. Stick around.
