That’s it for our semi-final blog. It’s quite hard to make sense of what we watched today. England have marmalised Australia in a World Cup semi-final. You have to feel for this Australian team, especially their admirable captain Aaron Finch. It’s no consolation, not to a country of serial winners, but they have come so far in the last year.
England have travelled even further in the last four years. They are one win away from immortality. Trouble is, so are New Zealand. It’s all quite emotional - especially if you’re a member of Generation FFS, that hardy, masochistic, downright odd group of England supporters who have followed every ODI their team has
lost
played in the last 27 years.
Thanks for your company and emails. I’ll leave you with a match report from Edgbaston, and there will be plenty of features on the site in the next few hours as well. Goodnight!
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“Sunday is the perfect chance for England to complete the circle, isn’t it?” says David Hopkins. “This New England ODI started in that terrific series against NZ and now they can top it off against them. If they do win, should Morgan’s first words to Kane be ‘thank you’?”
I suppose Brendon McCullum, who was NZ captain back then, was Morgan’s biggest inspiration. It’s not just that series in 2015, either; that astonishing shellacking at the World Cup a few months earlier was the moment Morgan decided enough was enough.
“Evening Rob,” says Tom Hopkins. “Following on from Geoff’s commitment to get Marina Hyde on the OBO, can I request that if Rachel Gray’s date isn’t already the subject of Saturday’s Blind Date column that it be made so as a matter of urgency?”
Andrew Strauss, who started all this with the appointment of Trevor Bayliss and the retention of Eoin Morgan, is chatting on Sky
“I found myself getting quite emotional today. All we wanted four years ago was for England to go out and play a different style – we didn’t know where it would lead us but we thought that was England’s best chance of winning a World Cup. One more hurdle to overcome, and the only thing I’d ask of that team is: please play the same way. I know they will, and the pot of gold is there at the end of the rainbow.”
“Hi Rob,” says Will. “So you want euphoric + OTT, how about this… Seriously, where do you think that performance stands in British sporting history? Taking the importance of the occasion and the quality of the opposition into account, it must be top 10? Scenes after the third consecutive six off Smith, the sound off the bat was ungodly.”
I suppose it depends on how broadly you define sport.
You should have seen Phil Taylor and Adie Lewis in the 2013 darts World Cup!
It’s certainly one of the most brutal performances I’ve seen by an England team in a World Cup match.
“I have a date with an Australian this evening,” says Rachel Gray. “It was of course going to be following our victory over India, then I saw it as an opportunity to appear gracious after a close defeat, but I am utterly unequipped to deal with this. How do I get through the evening without being totally insufferable?”
You can’t, so the next best thing is to get so paggered on Victory Juice that you won’t remember being insufferable, which means you weren’t.
Shane Warne is feeling funky He says that, if Bairstow is injured, England should open with Jos Buttler on Sunday. You know, he might be onto something. He usually is. He also wants Roy and Bairstow to open in the Test team, which, despite being an affront to 142 years of English opening batsmanship, is an increasingly persuasive idea.
“Re: the earlier query about big-screen options for Sunday,” says David Hopkins. “I believe there’s a Fanzone with a big screen in Trafalgar Square. Good old Sadiq!”
It’s Coming Home department
“I’m trying not to even think it, never mind type it, Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “There’s so much to admire about both teams heading to Lord’s on Sunday, but you know the three little words to which I refer...”
Enough, McMahon. (NB: clip contains adult language.)
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“Despite England’s surge to ODI dominance over the past few years, this is the most excited I’ve ever been about England’s cricket prospects,” writes Bex. “Likeable players who dominate with their play, whatever happens in the final we’ve got the best damn side we could hope for. And WTF what that amazing Roy helicopter shot? Move aside, Maxwell, we have Royball now!”
I’m still high on that innings. Nothing will ever top watching Kevin Pietersen playing one of his JFK innings, but Roy produced a helluvan homage.
Jonny Bairstow may be doubtful for the final. He has a groin problem and will be assessed over the next couple of days. I suppose if he might be doubtful that means he is doubtful.
“Haha, amazing!” says Richard. “Assuming we don’t have tickets for Lord’s & fancy an experience, are there any official venues in London for enjoying the atmosphere on a big screen?”
There will be, although I’m not sure where. You’re welcome!
Was that real?
— Felix White (@felixwhite) July 11, 2019
The best thing for our beautiful game, a 1st time winner! Congrats to the players and fans of England and New Zealand. #CWC19
— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49) July 11, 2019
“I remember listening to the last World Cup semi-final on my Walkman in my A level Geography class,” says Nick Errington. “Mrs Sansom asked me if I could stop listening during the lesson. I explained it was either I listen quietly or leave the lesson. We agreed I could keep one ear on her and one on TMS. It was the right choice. Sometimes sport is more important. Just like today.”
You must have been a very naughty boy – that game was on a Sunday. (I jest; you meant the final, right?)
“Is it too late,” says Adam Hirst, “to change the final venue to Edgbaston?”
Anyone out there? We’ll keep the blog going for a while, so feel free to email euphoric thoughts.
Beautiful #WeAreEngland
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) July 11, 2019
Just Beautiful 🏏
Jeez, England were good today. They are such merciless front-runners. “From ball two of the game,” says Joe Rooy on Sky, “we were outstanding.” That was their best display of the World Cup, by a mile, and you could argue it’s the finest performance in their ODI history. I’m probably getting carried away, but what the hell.
Jofra Archer is being interviewed on Sky
“I feel bad about Alex Carey. He’s coming to Sussex in a few weeks, so we’ll have something to talk about! It stopped swinging pretty early so I just went to the cross- and quarter-seam balls to get something off the wicket. It nipped more than it swung. Today was the best wicket to bowl a knuckle ball on; I’ve never had that much reaction off the pitch, ever. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be playing in a World Cup final.”
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Channel 4 has signed a deal to show the World Cup final live on free-to-air television, with the broadcaster showing Sky’s coverage from 9am onwards.
However, because Channel 4 is already planning to show the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, the cricket coverage will shift to More4 from 1.15pm onwards - meaning most of the match will be tucked away on the more obscure channel.
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Here’s Eoin Morgan
“I’d like to thank the fans – we’ve had unbelievable support. Edgbaston has always been very kind to us, but our support today has been exemplary. We took a lot of confidence from the last two group games. We set the tone from ball one, and when we got on top we made Australia pay a little bit.
“I’m extremely happy [for Chris Woakes to get POTM]. He’s a cool customer, he goes about his business exceptionally. Today was his day. Him and Jofra up front were absolutely outstanding – that was one of our best new-ball performances over the last four years.
“Jason and Jonny are quite imposing when they get themselves in. Personally I think they’re in the form of their life. They set the tone for how we want to play and that’s important.
“It’s a huge opportunity for us on Sunday. Everybody in that changing-room should take a huge amount of credit for what we’ve achieved in the last four years. Making the most of the opportunity on Sunday would be fantastic, but getting there alone is awesome.”
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The thoroughly likeable Aaron Finch speaks
“We were totally outplayed today. The way they set the tone with the ball in the first 10 overs was a huge part in the game. They bowled a great length, hitting the stumps a lot. Still a lot of positives to take out of the World Cup campaign from our point of view. We’ve come a long way from where we were this time last year in England.
“[Do you look at this campaign as a success?] You always wanna win. You come here thinking you can win the tournament. But there have definitely been some positives in this campaign, and over the last six months or so. I’m really proud of how the group has progressed. But it still hurts.
“We tried to change it up as much as we could [against Bairstow and Roy] but they played exceptionally well. We know how dynamic and dominating they are when they get on top. We didn’t quite execute as well as we could have, and when that happens you get hurt by a very, very good cricket team.”
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What a staggering turnaround we have witnessed from England’s ODI side. No, not the last four years; I’m talking about the last two weeks. After they were hammered by Australia at Lord’s they were facing a career-defining humiliation; since then they have beaten their three biggest rivals through performances of ever-increasing majesty.
Chris Woakes is the Player of the Match
“I’m speechless. It was an incredible performance from the whole team. There were some nerves this morning but I think that’s natural. The way we produced the goods shows how good we are and where we’re at as a team. I don’t think it was a bad wicket by any means, but I think we found the right length and when they lost early wickets we were able to keep the pressure on. [How old were you when England last played in a World Cup final?] I was three years old! It hasn’t really sunk in that we’re in a World Cup final, but hopefully we can go all the way. To win this in the fashion we have, against a good Australian side – on the best ground in the world, may I say - means we’re really looking forward to Sunday.”
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It is now pouring down at Edgbaston.
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English TV department If you don’t have Sky, the highlights are on Channel 4 at 10pm tonight. And there were some serious highlights, especially when Jason Roy was batting. I hope his petulance doesn’t detract from an innings of Pietersenian genius and audacity.
Here’s our match report from Edgbaston
Root ended with 49 from 46 balls, Morgan with 45 from 39. Mitchell Starc, who destroyed England at Lord’s along with Jason Behrendorff, ended with grisly figures of 9-0-70-1.
Australia’s players all congratulate Root and Morgan. They usually take defeat with a lot of class, and today is no exception. There’s such a great atmosphere around Edgbaston. England owe South Africa a big thank you for this, because playing Australia at this ground was perfect. The crowd have been wonderful. We didn’t come up with a name for the ground, but it has certainly been England’s Gabbatoir today.
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ENGLAND BEAT AUSTRALIA BY EIGHT WICKETS WITH 107 BALLS TO SPARE
32.1 overs: England 226-2 (Root 49, Morgan 45) Eoin Morgan clouts Behrendorff down the ground for four to complete a glorious victory. England will play New Zealand in the World Cup final at Lord’s on Sunday!
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32nd over: England 222-2 (Root 49, Morgan 41) Glenn Maxwell, a proud fielder to the last, takes the game into the 33rd over with a spectacular stop at backward point.
“Hi Rob,” says Anil Haji. “Sitting at my desk reading the OBO with a smile on my face, feeling calm and positive about the final we’re going to be in. What’s wrong with this picture? If I’d tried this back in the 90s, I’d have been laughed out of the England Cricket Supporters’ Union (Pray For Rain branch).”
31st over: England 216-2 (Root 44, Morgan 40) Root swats Behrendorff through midwicket for four more. I wondered about England’s ability to come from behind within a game; they haven’t had to do so, unless you count when Australia were 4-0 after one ball. It’s been an awesome performance, a surgical dismantling of a superb Australian side.
“I’m convinced,” says Damo, “that the umpire forgot England had used their review and took the safe (bottled it) option.”
I think you might be right. Roy had certainly forgotten; he signalled for a review before misplacing his rag.
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30th over: England 210-2 (Root 39, Morgan 40) Morgan batters Lyon to the cover boundary to take England past 200, and then Root reverse sweeps cheekily for four more. This is a pasting for the ages. Lyon, a potential matchwinner, has figures of 5-0-49-0.
“So here we are,” whispers Harkarn Sumal. “Polishing off our drinks, undressing each other with our eyes; the deal is sealed. We’re in the Clooney/Lopez ‘Out of Sight’ zone, aren’t we? Grab your coat, Thomas Lord. You’ve pulled. See you Sunday.”
29th over: England 197-2 (Root 33, Morgan 33) A brilliant slower bounce from Behrendorff hoodwinks Morgan, who waits and waits and waits and still misses his attempted pull stroke. A maiden.
It’s only bloody time for a Powerade Hydration Break.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Just back from my morning walk. Don’t tell me, Australia made 350, and England are 120-5 after 25 overs in reply, right?”
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28th over: England 197-2 (Root 33, Morgan 33) Morgan gets down on one knee to drag Lyon round the corner for four, and makes room to bash the next delivery to the cover boundary. He has gone straight from first gear to fifth; six from his first 12 balls, 27 from the next 16.
“Required run rate less than two an over,” says Siraj Khan, who incidentally predicted a New Zealand victory over England at Lord’s before the semi-finals. “This can change radically if Steve Smith brings himself on.”
27th over: England 186-2 (Root 32, Morgan 23) A lucky escape for Morgan, who mistimes a drive off Behrendorff’s slower ball. It teases Finch at mid-off before dropping just out of reach. Morgan is keen to get this done, and later in the over he pulls witheringly behind square for four. This has been a savage performance from England. Easy to get carried away, but given the moment (given the batsman, etc), I doubt there has been a better performance in their one-day history.
“Could Umpire Dharmasena have sent his own decision to DRS with a soft ‘Out’ signal?” asks Rob Mildren.
No, he’s not allowed to do that. The umpires can refer a few things – run-outs, stumpings, low catches – but they can’t go upstairs to see whether the ball has been edged unless one of the teams review.
26th over: England 178-2 (Root 31, Morgan 16) Lyon returns to the attack and is reverse swept jauntily over backward point for four by Morgan.
“I think the comparison of Roy to Pietersen is an unfair one,” says Chris Parker. “He’s much better than that.”
Are you sure? Kevin Pietersen is, by some distance, the biggest genius I’ve had the privilege to watch play for England. (Just my opinion, etc.)
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25th over: England 171-2 (Root 30, Morgan 10) This is Starc’s eighth over. Root, who has quietly played a lovely little innings, flicks a low full toss to fine leg for four. He has 30 from 29 balls, and England need 53 from 25 overs.
“It wasn’t ENGLAND’S fault, Rob (over 21),” says Tom Adam. “It was Bairstow’s fault – it was a ridiculous review since the only way he wasn’t out was if he’d hit it and he should have known he hadn’t. Bairstow has real form for this – he’s the Broad of batting reviews, but Broad’s manageable since he has to consult the committee of keeper and skipper. Bairstow has the power to do it himself. We should give a standing instruction to the umpires that no Bairstow signal for a review counts unless he gets the non-striker to sign it off in duplicate.”
True, but there is a culture of indulgent, almost petulant reviews. I also think Roy told him to review, though I couldn’t be sure as they chucked me out of the WhatsApp group when they realised I wasn’t actually Zafar Ansari.
24th over: England 166-2 (Root 25, Morgan 10) Australia are bombing Morgan, who grits his teeth and takes one on the glove from Cummins. He is struggling with the short ball when Australia get their line right; there have been a few poorly directed deliveries as well. When Cummins tries to sucker him with a fuller delivery, Morgan drives confidently over mid-off for four. Lovely shot.
“What are the chances Roy will miss the final?” says Dave Brown. “He really threw his toys out the pram when given out. Is that more than just a fine?”
I haven’t swotted up on the Code of Conduct in the last few decades, but I suspect it’s very unlikely. Although he was out of order, I have plenty of sympathy in the circumstances. He was playing the innings of his life, he was palpably not out, and Dharmasena’s shaky raise of the finger suggested he might have responded to the vigour of Australia’s appeal.
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23rd over: England 158-2 (Root 23, Morgan 5) With Starc bowling to Morgan, Finch has placed himself in a catching position ... at long stop. Imaginary CricViz stats show his field registers 9.9 on the funkfieldometer. Starc does bounce Morgan, but it’s a bit too wide and Morgan is able to slap it over point for a one-bounce four.
“Judging by the unbridled optimism of over 19,” says Ian Copestake, “I think the OBO has already been taken over by Marina Hyde.”
There’s some light rain at Edgbaston, and the groundstaff are poised. England are 75 or so runs ahead on DLS.
22nd over: England 153-2 (Root 22, Morgan 1) This is Australia’s last, last, last chance, which is why their best bowlers are on. If Cummins or Starc can bounce Morgan out, we might just have Mohali: The Sequel. With the required rate below three an over, Morgan is able to ignore a series of short balls. When Cummins gets his line a bit tighter, Morgan gloves the ball awkwardly at his feet. That was a beautiful delivery.
21st over: England 151-2 (Root 21, Morgan 0) Thanks Geoff. While Geoff was handing over the baton, Mitchell Starc bowled six balls to Joe Root, off which four runs were scored.
Now, Jason Roy. It was an unjust end to a stunning innings, but it’s England’s fault for an indulgent review earlier in the innings. They’ve done that a few times in the tournament. That innings, though. It touched the parts Kevin Pietersen used to reach, and there are few higher compliments, if any.
20th over: England 147-2 (Root 17, Morgan 0) I’m sure it’ll be fine, England fans. It will be fine. Morgan is in the middle. A good solid English name, Eoin Morgan.
But just in case, I’ll leave you in the hands of Rob Smyth from now on. Happy hunting.
WICKET! Roy c Carey b Cummins 85 (England 147-2)
Look, this really isn’t a big deal. There’s nothing to worry about. It’s just one wicket. It doesn’t mean anything.
Roy is out! But he’s not out. But he is. I’ll explain. Roy hooks at Cummins down the leg side. Cummins appeals, and appeals, and appeals. Finally, after that appeal has gone to the full bench of the Supreme Court, Umpire Dharmasena raises a shaky hesitant finger.
Roy expostulates, and immediately makes the review signal. And so does Dharmasena. But England don’t have any reviews left! The umpire is flustered and has forgotten. Eventually the bad news comes down that they can’t check the video. He relays this to Roy, who is still furious.
He has to go. The replays show, as expected, the ball missed the glove by a few millimetres. Tough business, umpiring.
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19th over: England 141-1 (Roy 84, Root 12) Roy pulls Stoinis, and Smith at midwicket gets a horrible bounce that leaves him partly unsighted and wrongfooted. The ball gets through for a boundary. This is England’s day alright, they’re romping into the World Cup final. Don’t get all self-deprecating with your nervous emails about jinxes from here. Kick back on the banana lounge and open up a piña colada.
Warwickshire telling us Roy's third six off Smith is the first to land in the top tier at the Pavilion End in a competitive match.
— Rory Dollard (@thervd) July 11, 2019
18th over: England 136-1 (Roy 79, Root 12) Starc gets the wicket second ball. Is this his moment? It absolutely is not. He bowls a snorter, a horrible delivery for a batsman, leaping at the ribs from a left-arm-over line, and somehow in a flailing fend Joe Root manages to shovel it through fine leg for four. Starc bowls fuller but too leg stump two balls later and Root glances that for four. Starc gets short and wide of off next, and Root cuts that for four. The sedate Test captain has 12 from 4 balls, strike rate of 300 thanks very much.
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WICKET! Bairstow lbw Starc 34 (England 124-1)
Finally something goes the way of the Australians, but surely this is too late. Starc has had two spells that haven’t worked out, but this third one does. Pace, into the pads, the old recipe. Bairstow nearly gets a nick on it but it beats his inside edge, and when Bairstow reviews it the technology proves as much. Bang in front.
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17th over: England 124-0 (Roy 79, Bairstow 34) Stoinis nearly bowls a tidy over with his little mediums, but no one can manage it today. His sixth ball is a wide, and his seventh has Roy advancing and playing a swat-pull through midwicket for four.
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16th over: England 116-0 (Roy 73, Bairstow 33) Steve Smith to bowl. This is gamble time. When Misbah-ul-Haq equalled the record for the fastest Test ton, half the runs came off two Steve Smith overs. Brace yourself.
Roy takes a single. Bairstow drills a straight drive, but Maxwell puts in an incredible diving save coming across from long-on. Keeps them to one. Smith is about to wish that it had gone for four.
Six, goes Roy with one that hangs in the air for a while and brings Maxwell into the frame. The Australian leaps at the right time but it clears him by a metre or two.
Six, goes Roy with a dead straight hit, low and flat, between the two men down the ground and into the boundary boards.
SIX, GOES ROY with the biggest of the lot, a bleeping ENORMOUS STRIKE that hits the top tier of the grandstand on the full! I’m up in the media centre and it wasn’t just coming to me as hyperbole, it was actually coming to me, at my height on the fourth floor, before fading to my right and hitting the Skyline Terrace on the full! That is absolute madness!
And as it bounced back into play from four floors up, Glenn Maxwell casually catches the rebound off the building in one hand. That’s out, in backyard cricket.
21 from the over.
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Half century! Jason Roy 53 from 50 balls
15th over: England 95-0 (Roy 54, Bairstow 32) Finch knows he needs wickets yesterday. “The film Yesterday but I’m the only who remembers when Australia could take wickets.” So he brings back Starc. We mentioned not coming to the party. Starc is still doing laps on various freeway turn-offs and can’t work his GPS. Three times he bowls half-volleys, and each batsman gets a chance to belt off-drives for four. That’s drinks, while a truly awful rendition of I Am Australian is squeezed out by a couple of escapees from a ZZ Top cover band that got lost in deepest Alabama for 30 years.
@GeoffLemonSport I had hoped the Captain on my BA flight from Naples could have given at least one update on Aussie score. Still happy landings in baggage reclaim at Gatwick!
— Shedman (@Shedman) July 11, 2019
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14th over: England 80-0 (Roy 45, Bairstow 27) Australia just haven’t shown up to the party today. Even Cummins, their best so far, has had his blemishes. Here’s another, a short(crust pie) down leg that Roy can easily pull for four. A leading edge nearly carries to mid-off but (spoiler) it doesn’t.
13th over: England 76-0 (Roy 41, Bairstow 27) Lyon nearly gets the breakthrough but Jonny gets the runs. A big swing, big edge, flying away for four.
Hypocaust has the best numbers on the web. This is a very basic one by his standards. Tells a story though, even if 25 of those sixes came in a day against Afghanistan.
@GeoffLemonSport England are the first side to hit 70 sixes at a single edition of the Men's Cricket World Cup:
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) July 11, 2019
70 ENG, 2019
68 WI, 2015
67 AUS, 2007
59 WI, 2019
12th over: England 71-0 (Roy 40, Bairstow 23) Cummins does the Starc trick, losing a ball down leg side to concede five wides in one fell swoop. A bouncer that ran free, it could not be tamed. Then Bairstow runs his double and has his massage break. He limps through the over thereafter.
A long delay in the 12th over while Jonny Bairstow gets treatment. Hamstring, groin, cramp? He seized up sprinting back for a second run and has been down on the ground since. He lost his footing a bit turning for a second, and things can break in these highly tuned athletes when that happens. After a long break with 14 medical staff, he’s back on his feet.
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11th over: England 63-0 (Roy 39, Bairstow 21) “I will say emphatically,” says Reg Gorczynski emphatically, “thank God Vince isn’t (wasn’t) out there. Roy’s recovery unquestionably saved England’s World Cup, no matter what happens from now.”
I can verify from time stamps that he sent this before Roy casually smites Nathan Lyon’s first ball for six. Dead straight, front leg out of the way, a golf swing through the line of a full ball. Pow.
A few singles later, and a reverse sweep hit as hard as one can hit them, along the ground for four. The over costs 13. England’s top pair are doing it again.
10th over: England 50-0 (Roy 27, Bairstow 20) They’re starting to work Behrendorff around a bit more comfortably now, with Roy driving a couple through the covers amongst some singles. If you think I’m wrong about Roy, look at this. The one on the right was that whip shot.
this is the most beautiful thing i've ever seen pic.twitter.com/xboVNQ5qew
— Nick Elliott (@NickElliott91) July 11, 2019
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9th over: England 44-0 (Roy 23, Bairstow 18) Pat Cummins nearly bowls a maiden. Almost bowls a maiden. Deserves to bowl a maiden. Saws Roy in half at one stage. Pings a bouncer past his scone. Locks him up on the stumps. But from the final ball Roy somehow manages to flick it away square, and finds a gap for four. He’s going to take England to this total. I’m calling it now.
8th over: England 40-0 (Roy 19, Bairstow 18) Behrendorff is trying to sneak through onto the pads, and gives the appeal everything he has when it finally works. He throws his arms out wide and nearly blocks Roy from getting through for a leg bye. Not out. Bairstow responds with a fierce straight drive that scorches back past the bowler and under his attempt to field. Four.
“Bearing in mind that there’s been the possibility of some rain around 5pm are there any run marks or scenarios England have to be aware of if the game is curtailed or are we past that point now with a reserve day? Or are the mathematics just way too Zaltzman-esque to be bothered with? Yours anxiously, John Norris.”
John, as long as we get 20 overs in then we have a match, and there’s no need to come back tomorrow. I don’t have the DLS score in front of me but England would be well ahead of it at zero wickets down. It’s not as simple as required rate, but they’re ahead of the required rate anyway. They could be behind it and still ahead of DLS given they have ten wickets in hand. The DLS rate will skip upward as wickets are lost, but not much for the first couple of wickets, and increasingly sharply for wickets five, six, and beyond.
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7th over: England 33-0 (Roy 19, Bairstow 12) There’s a contrast. Cummins bowls his first over, tight on the stumps and giving no room to swing at anything. Throws in a good short ball as well that has Bairstow tap-dancing. The only runs come from the last ball, pushed through cover for two. Warner gets some pepper from the crowd as he fields back towards the rope.
6th over: England 31-0 (Roy 19, Bairstow 10) It... what... huh? I don’t know how to describe that. There isn’t exactly a shot that we know of that looks like it. Starc bowls outside leg stump. Roy reaches for it and whips it, but with a helicopter swish of the wrists, like taking Dhoni’s stroke but then rotating it 45 degrees past point rather than long-on. It’s entirely casual, barely seeming to connect. But the ball soars out over deep backward, and there’s no short boundary today, but it flies over the man in the deep and beyond the second row of fences.
That was... extraordinary.
And considering Bairstow had already lashed the first ball of the over for four with a cut shot, very profitable.
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5th over: England 19-0 (Roy 13, Bairstow 5) England even warier against Behrendorff than against Starc. Both batsmen are very watchful for the inswinger, playing straight and just nudging him to leg where they can for a run or two.
“Personally I don’t think we should even try to get 224,” emails Kim Thonger. “Better to have a good solid unbeaten opening partnership of 150+ using the full allotted 50 overs as a statement of Ashes intent.”
It does feel very Ashes today, coloured kit notwithstanding. Grey cloudy skies, a full Hollies in good voice, a bit of swing, quality fast bowlers making life hard for everybody.
4th over: England 16-0 (Roy 11, Bairstow 4) That’s more like it from Roy, though Starc fed him a full ball that was easily driven through the covers. Four runs to start the over is a big help though, and when Starc overcorrects Roy finds a couple more to midwicket. Starc gets it right thereafter, keeping the batsman guessing on off stump, mixing up the length. But it’s the last ball of the over where Roy really takes control. Not a bad ball at all, but he stands up on the back foot and punches through extra cover for four. That’s just asburd. Back of a length, 90 miles an hour, yet he’s timed it away with what seems complete ease. What a difference a Jason Roy makes.
3rd over: England 6-0 (Roy 1, Bairstow 4) Hmm, this is the bit I’m not sure about. It’s a good over by Behrendorff, and Bairstow is beaten once, but he also lets it pass by without really looking to score. Conceding maidens to the opening bowlers from the other team just gives them too much control. It’s a fine line, of course, but it feels like England’s best chance of avoiding any mishaps is for this pair to start in the confident manner that they’ve done so well in the past.
2nd over: England 6-0 (Roy 1, Bairstow 4) The Australians have been being mentored by Steve Waugh, and now Mitchell Starc has a red towel hanging out the back of his trousers. Coincidence? You decide.
Starc is the one for Australia, if they can rescue this match. He starts bang on target, left-arm over to Roy and in tight on the stumps for the first four balls. The fourth cuts Roy in half and bashes into his back thigh. The fifth slides down leg for a wide. It’s the only score from the over.
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1st over: England 5-0 (Roy 1, Bairstow 4) And so, let the chase begin. Jason Behrendorff has the ball at the City End. He took five wickets against England only a couple of weeks ago, hooping one through James Vince to start his day. But Jason Roy is the opponent now, and after a couple of testing deliveries that move a fraction, Roy squeezes a run out to third man. Bairstow gets width and crashes it through cover. Bright start.
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I don’t know what I’ve had more emails about today: that you want Marina Hyde to do an OBO, or that Liam Plunkett is Irish. Both have been a deluge. You wouldn’t have thought that the Irish could feel underrepresented in Eoin Morgan’s team, but there you go.
Look, fine – by the end of this summer we’ll have Marina do an OBO live in Cork, if that will keep you wolves from the door.
England must chase 224 for a place in the World Cup final
They’ve done the job, the home side. Half of it, any rate. It doesn’t look that difficult to bat out there, but they just got early wickets and put the squeeze on Australia, and despite a couple of excellent partnerships in defiance, the batting side were always coming from too far back.
Smith was the core of that resistance with 85, and built beautifully with Carey (46), entertainingly with Maxwell (22), and desperately with Starc (29).
England though made the running, with Woakes and Archer immaculate early and returning for valuable later spells, while Rashid came through the middle and struck three telling blows.
Woakes had 3 for 20, Archer 2 for 32, and Rashid 3 for 54, while Wood picked up a bonus wicket at the end.
So, what happens? Do England go after this total in their usual ebullient style? You’d hope so. They’ll let themselves in for trouble if they get too careful. But low chases can play tricks on batting teams, where a par score might leave them clearer in their minds.
Australia’s big hope is Mitchell Starc. He’s been devastating in the second innings of matches, and guess what Australia bowled out England for a couple of weeks ago? 221.
Different time, different place, but this chase won’t be easy.
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WICKET! Behrendorff b Wood 1 (Australia all out 223)
49th over: Australia 223-10 (Lyon 1) It’s all over! Full, straight, good enough. Behrendorff plays about one third each of four different shots at that ball, and none of them were the shot required. Wood lights up the stumps like a celebratory cigar.
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48th over: Australia 218-9 (Lyon 1, Behrendorff 0) Nearly another run out, as Lyon just hits and runs towards point, but Archer misses with the throw. That’s the only score from an over that also brought two wickets. Woakes has 3 for 20 from eight.
I’m being schooled in the emails by Ruairi O hEithir, who on name alone I would never dare disagree with on any matters Gaelic. “When the Normans came to Ireland in the 12th century some of them were named ‘Blanchet’ and ‘Plunkett’ was the best the Irish could do in pronouncing it. This means Cate Blanchett’s name is really Catriona Plunkett...”
Lovely bowling, Ruairi.
WICKET! Starc c Buttler b Woakes 29 (Australia 217-9)
Two in two balls! Is Buttler on a hat-trick? Starc took the strike during that run out. He aims another huge drive, but only tickles it as it angles across him. Both members of Australia’s resistance have gone.
WICKET! Smith run out Buttler 85 (Australia 217-8)
Brilliant work from Buttler behind the stumps. Smith drops the ball away near his feet and starts running. Buttler tears in from behind the stumps, picks it up, and throws down the non-striker’s stumps with an inch to spare! No century for Australia’s former captain today. Fine fielding.
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47th over: Australia 217-7 (Smith 85, Starc 29) Smart batting from Starc, knocking Wood out into the deep to leg a couple of times and getting back for two.
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46th over: Australia 210-7 (Smith 83, Starc 24) Chris Woakes returns to try to close out the the innings. A few more singles and this partnership swells to 44. The last ball of the over hits Smith on the pad, close, zipping in from an angle outside off and beating the edge to hit him above the knee roll. England review the not out, and the reconstruction says that it’s umpire’s call, with the ball possibly grazing or going over the bails.
45th over: Australia 206-7 (Smith 82, Starc 22) A big wind-up from Starc, and he goes down the ground for six! That’s one way to start the over. Clean straight drive in the air from Plunkett. The batsmen trade singles, then Plunkett slips in a wide. Starc flicks square and bails out of the second run, but just as well because Smith goes back early, sets up for the slower ball, and pounds it through midwicket for four.
A lot of people are complaining in the emails that this bowler does not have an English name, he has an Irish one. I was thinking of the Plunkett bit rather than the Liam bit. I can’t hear it in anything but a Yorkshire accent. But anyway, we settler Australians can’t tell our Scots from our Welsh from our Dutch. It’s all part of the white colonial hodgepodge.
44th over: Australia 192-7 (Smith 77, Starc 14) There’s the boundary! Starc loves to drive straight, so when Wood pitches up he does exactly that. Mid-off is up, and the ball streaks inside his line and down to the fence. Starc hits an on-drive just as sweetly next ball, but this time it goes straight to midwicket inside the circle. There’s a wide, then a single as Starc digs out a full ball and Smith is live to the opportunity. This partnership worth 26 now.
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43rd over: Australia 186-7 (Smith 77, Starc 9) Plunkett to Starc, who pulls for a run. Smith belts through for a scrappy single and could have been run out at the non-striker’s end, but Root’s throw from midwicket misses. Smith is trying to find a method against Plunkett’s slower balls, and eventually cocks his wrists to place a lovely back-cut past backward point. But England’s field is well set and the man in the deep gets around to stop it. The last boundary came from Maxwell in the 34th over.
42nd over: Australia 181-7 (Smith 74, Starc 7) Wood to Starc, and Smith is instant in calling for a run when the ball cannons off Starc’s thigh pad. Finally Smith has strike back. But he can only get a leg bye himself in similar fashion. The pair get a few singles going. Australia battling to make 200 at this rate.
41st over: Australia 176-7 (Smith 73, Starc 5) Liam Plunkett, such a solid English name and such a solid English over. Starc hits the field a couple of times, misses the swish a couple of times, and blocks one on his stumps. Finally skews an edge away for a run from the last ball.
“Speaking of crossover OBOs,” writes Abhinav Dutta, “this one goes beyond Guardian’s offices and into the territory of the sublime or the perverse, depending on what mood Zizek is in. It would be nice to read hairy bear Slavoj sniffling after every over while traipsing through Hegel, Lacan and Marx. Wonder when or what he would deem fit as pure negation in cricket. Glenn Maxwell’s breezy knocks straddle both the sublime and the perverse; which I hazard Zizek will turn into an exegesis on the cricket industry’s hype factory.”
Wonder if we can tie this in with our correspondent from the Guggenheim earlier. Cricket’s art and philosophy. Yuzvendra Chagall, anyone?
40th over: Australia 175-7 (Smith 73, Starc 4) Here’s Mark Wood. He’s not as hard to hit as Archer has been, and Smith stands up tall to drive a couple off the back foot straight of sweeper cover, then tucks a single away. Starc guides a run to third man easily enough. The Australian No9 won’t hold back too much longer, I wouldn’t imagine.
39th over: Australia 171-7 (Smith 70, Starc 3) Smith is happy to give Starc plenty of strike against Archer, taking singles as they arise. Starc edges on his own, then later clips two runs square. Good shot. Can bat. Holds the record for the most sixes in a Test innings at the MCG, actually. Seven, I think it was?
Archer bowls out with 2 for 32 from his ten.
Hopefully David Murray is feeling better than he was quarter of an hour ago, when he wrote “I can’t bear this. I know we’re doing well but even if we get one of these guys out (Smith or Maxwell) I just know Cummins and Lyon will come in and get runs. The England team won’t like me for it but I’m prepared to make a deal with the powers that be: let us win today and the nice Kiwi boys can have the final. Can you please forward my offer to the appropriate channels.”
Offer rescinded? Smith is still out there...
38th over: Australia 166-7 (Smith 68, Starc 0) Adil Rashid. He hasn’t had the best tournament, has looked uncomfortable at times with his shoulder, but has put together the most telling performance here today. With the number 95 on his back, one can only assume in tribute to Tino Best, he bowls to Starc, foxing him utterly with a googly that spins past edge and off stump. Then again, with the same result, the left-hander going right back on his stumps and trying to defend them.
WICKET! Cummins c Root b Rashid 6 (Australia 166-7)
There it goes! The extinguishing comes not from Archer, but Rashid! The leggie kicks another one out. Cummins backs away looking to cut, but only gets a little top edge straight to slip. Turn and bounce.
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37th over: Australia 165-6 (Smith 67, Cummins 6) Morgan keeps Archer on, looking to extinguish this Australian innings now. Good captaincy. Don’t let them build a rearguard. But Cummins handles Archer pretty well, steering a couple of runs, glancing a couple, and playing softly enough that a leading edge doesn’t carry back to the bowler from a slower ball.
36th over: Australia 161-6 (Smith 67, Cummins 2) Right then. It’s Smith and Cummins. Remember, the pair that ground England into submission in the Brisbane Test not so long ago? Cummins won’t mind having a long time to bat, that’s more his style than crash-bang. They collect four singles from Rashid.
I’ll tell you what, the Marina Hyde OBO is getting wild support. My email inbox has gone into meltdown. Somebody ring Kath Viner and tell her what the people want. We can make a separate subset of the Guardian supporters’ model and launch when it reaches a target.
35th over: Australia 157-6 (Smith 65, Cummins 0) Archer got the chance to take that wicket because he bowled two very high bouncers in a row that were called wide. If that was setting up Maxwell to expect a full-pace ball, then it worked. Clever bowling. It’s been a frustrating World Cup for Maxwell and for those who love his work. Lots of glimpses, never a full picture, after his excellent few months leading into this tournament.
Archer 2 for 23 off eight.
WICKET! Maxwell c Morgan b Archer 22
Archer gets his man! Not in the way you might have expected. Back of a length, and Maxwell is trying to do the sensible thing with the over nearly gone, defending off the back foot. But Archer bowls a smart off-cutter, and it sticks in the pitch substantially, slowing up. Maxwell is through his shot early and the ball loops off the splice to cover. Oh, dear.
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34th over: Australia 152-5 (Smith 63, Maxwell 21) Lovely shot from Maxwell! He’s got such bat speed when he goes at the ball. Smacks Rashid over midwicket, but a routinely sensational piece of boundary fielding from Bairstow saves two runs. Rashid though doesn’t meet the challenge well, dragging down and letting Maxwell pummel a more violent shot squarer for four! Then he cuts, hard, through cover but again the sweeper saves. Maxwell loving the spin, or taking the chance to get as many as he can while he can.
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33rd over: Australia 144-5 (Smith 62, Maxwell 14) Archer resumes, and I don’t know if its deliberate but Smith takes up the first five balls of the over. Can’t beat the field a couple of times, and Archer beats the edge another time. Maxwell again plays sensibly and takes a single off his one delivery.
“Is it possible to get a Marina Hyde OBO?” asks Ravikiran Ramakrishnan. Or at least an MBM? Imagine her doing the MBM for that England Cameroon game, or even the USA semis...”
I’ll tell you what, I hope so. I’m going to kick this up the chain of command. I saw Marina in the Guardian lobby a couple of weeks ago but was too starstruck to say hello.
Can I just advise that during the drinks break, Test Match Special’s young and talented producer Henry Moeran has got himself a go on the cricket bat guitar by the sideline. It turns out he can play guitar as well, as he shreds a power solo before flipping his hair back into place and going back upstairs to keep the radio commentary on track. Talented people, hey?
32nd over: Australia 142-5 (Smith 61, Maxwell 13) Rashid to Smith. Teases him once. Teases him twice. Lots of loop. A googly. Smith eventually works a single fine. Maxwell on strike, and he goes downtown for six! Didn’t skip down to that one, just saw the length was full enough and got a big stride in, and with mid-on up in the circle, had no hesitation giving that ball everything he has. It soars over the fence. Then Maxwell proves his temperament by defending the last two balls. Drinks.
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31st over: Australia 135-5 (Smith 60, Maxwell 7) Here we go, here we go. Immediately Morgan brings back Archer to bowl to Maxwell. They want to target him with the short ball once again. A couple of normal length, then the first shorter one. Maybe a slower ball? Maxwell picks it and nails it for four! Pulled through midwicket. Back goes Archer to bowl again. Wheels on that one! It sizzles through at helmet height, and Maxwell ducks early and ducks often. This is some game of cricket today.
30th over: Australia 130-5 (Smith 59, Maxwell 3) Rashid bowls and it’s edged! Suddenly the leg-spinner is whirring down pure terror. Maxwell’s edge goes low and grounded past slip for a couple, then there’s a similar shot for a single.
“An inspired piece of captaincy there, making that switch,” writes Robin Hazlehurst. “Rob was obviously flagging a little after that great start to the innings, but you get brought on and immediately a double breakthrough. Obviously makes sense to keep you on for now, but I wonder if the skipper should consider giving a couple of overs to someone from left field to break this partnership if it looks dangerous. Emma John, say? Any idea what the strategy will be in the second innings?”
What would the equivalent of Matthew Wade bowling be for the OBO? George Monbiot? Can we get Charlie Brooker back? I’ll tell you what, I would subscribe for a decade to read Marina Hyde’s over-by-over.
29th over: Australia 127-5 (Smith 58, Maxwell 1) Smith takes a brace then a single. Hearts in mouths for Maxwell fans the world over, but he eases early fears by taking a sober and sensible single off his pads from Stokes. On strike, Steve Smith decides to up the tempo himself with a glorious cover drive for four.
Rob Smyth has just sent me through a Yellow Warning from the Met Office, which sounds dire.
28th over: Australia 118-5 (Smith 50) Smith brought up his half-century amongst all that chaos. Glenn Maxwell is coming to the middle after the last ball of the over. Rashid was battling, being hit, but suddenly he has 2 for 31 from five overs.
WICKET! Stoinis lbw Rashid 0 (Australia 118-5)
He’s been given! Huge appeal from Rashid, that was a performance like Les Miserables just before the intermission. He spun around, then ran towards the umpire and knelt down before Dharmasena, pleading. Marius to Cosette. A slider that skidded on and hit Stoinis bang in front. A touch high but the replay says yes on umpire’s call. Australia had no review to challenge it anyway.
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WICKET! Carey c Vince (sub) b Rashid 46 (Australia 117-4)
Rashid gets the breakthrough! One that England were thirsting for. The worry was rising with each passing over at the ground. I was getting sotto voce complaints about [adjective] Australians from passing colleagues. But here it is. Carey advances to Rashid, and for reasons best known to himself, tries a big loft over the leg side with men out in the deep. Vince is substituting on the field and steadies himself under it at deep midwicket for a simple enough take.
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27th over: Australia 118-3 (Smith 48, Carey 46) Stokes carries on from the city end for a quiet over. Smith glides a single to third man to raise the fifty partnership, then Carey pulls a couple of runs hard through the leg side. He’s played so well.
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26th over: Australia 113-3 (Smith 47, Carey 44) That’s right folks, today it’s Rob and I with the old roshambo. In my mind that means a sort of dance where we take turns, but then I wasn’t sure and googled it and apparently it’s a game where two people take turns kicking each other in the crotch. I hope that the next 50 overs will be more enjoyable than that.
Poor Adil Rashid is rather roshamboed by Carey on the sweep shot out to deep midwicket for four. Throw in a single every other ball plus a wide from the first, and that’s a double-figure over for Rash.
25th over: Australia 103-3 (Smith 44, Carey 38) A wide from Plunkett takes Australia in to three figures. They have, almost by stealth, got themselves right back in this game. England are still on top, but only just.
That’s it from me. Geoff Lemon will be with you for the next few hours – please email him on Geoff.Lemon@theguardian.com or tweet @GeoffLemonSport. See you later for England’s squeaky run-chase.
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#ENGvAUS According to @CricViz, which is good at this, England now have a 79pc chance of winning the match. I wonder if a single England fan would be that bullish
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) July 11, 2019
24th over: Australia 98-3 (Smith 42, Carey 37) I’m not sure about Rashid today. The ball isn’t turning, his confidence is low and so far he has been milked with ease. England have six bowlers so they aren’t as reliant on him as they might be. An overthrow from Stokes gives Smith an extra run. It’s not exactly unravelling for England, but a couple of loose threads have emerged in the last half an hour. That said, Australia’s response to a crisis - and, in Carey’s case, a mangled jaw - has been so impressive.
“I’m at the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice, the Jean ARP exhibition talks about how ‘the rhapsodic evocation of a creaturely art with a life of its own’,” says Tim Woollias. “It’s as if he knew the disappointment of a Smith/Carey rebuild after three early wickets.”
23rd over: Australia 92-3 (Smith 37, Carey 36) Carey laces Plunkett through extra cover for four, a glorious shot from a player who has been a revelation at this tournament. Smith then flashes Plunkett this far short of Stokes at backward point. It wasn’t a chance, although Stokes’s face suggests he’s annoyed at his inability to dive forward five yards, extend a telescopic arm and clutch it with his little finger.
“In 1984, the Demon of Frome, Colin Dredge, was Somerset’s leading wicket taker against Warwickshire in the Benson & Hedges’ Cup,” says Kim Thonger. “I’m fairly confident that Colin’s mum would have called it Dredgebaston that day, even though Somerset lost and his figures were 2 for 66 off 11.”
22nd over: Australia 87-3 (Smith 37, Carey 30) England’s success has been built on Rashid and Plunkett taking wickets in the middle overs, and they could use one now. Carey, who is an excellent player of spin, sweeps off middle stump for a couple, and a handful of singles make it a decent over for Australia. I wonder if Morgan is tempted to give Archer a two-over burst. It’s probably too early.
“The ground has filled up but still a good many empty seats,” says David Malcolm. “Poor for such a critical match. Ground only has a capacity of 24000. Would not happen in any other sport where stadiums are much larger. Goes to show how much the Indian fans have boosted attendances. I think it fair to say there has only been a lukewarm response to the tournament in UK. Just look at the very limited media coverage. A big problem for English cricket that this has failed to attract interest beyond existing fans.”
New fans are so next year. (Plus, in the interest of balance, the ECB would disagree.)
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21st over: Australia 80-3 (Smith 35, Carey 26) Plunkett replaces Wood, who bowled a scruffy spell of 4-0-20-0. A misfield from Stokes gives Smith a single and Stokes a zap of self-loathing. Two singles from the over.
20th over: Australia 78-3 (Smith 34, Carey 25) Adil Rashid replaces Liam Plunkett, who is more of a 150 for three bowler than 50 for three. Rashid has had a poor tournament, but he has a good record on this ground – including a matchwinning four-for against Australia in the Champions Trophy two years ago. Carey drives uppishly but between mid-off and extra cover for four. It looked like a chance but I’d say he had the placement under control. Make no mistake, Australia are right back in this game.
Meanwhile, here’s our star columnist Max Rushden on the possible impact of a free-to-air World Cup final. If if if.
19th over: Australia 72-3 (Smith 33, Carey 20) Smith pulls Wood round the corner for four, another authoritative stroke. He has done the bulk of the scoring in the last few overs, with Carey – who has scored 12 from his last 31 balls - looking secure but strokeless. He’s got plenty in his locker when he decides it’s time.
“Very impressed by Carey, not just his courage, but his ability with the bat,” says John Jones. “Looks a top-class player to me and surely must play in the Ashes. As for Handscombe, was there anything more predictable than his embarrassing effort today? Was delighted when he was selected. Walking wicket.”
Carey’s first-class record isn’t great (he averages 29), but it’s hard to reconcile that with what we’ve seen in this tournament. He looks a brilliant all-round batsman. With Handscombe, so much depends on conditions.
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18th over: Australia 66-3 (Smith 28, Carey 19) Four from Plunkett’s over, which means Australia have scored 38 from the last six. They’re having a good spell, and a single from Smith brings up an excellent fifty partnership. I was going to say ‘clear-headed’ but I doubt Carey’s head feels too clear.
“Many reasons why England should win,” says Krishnamoorthy V.
- “We will have a new winner of the World Cup - like 2010 FIFA when Spain met the Netherlands.
- Will be a much-needed boost to the English who went on an ‘It’s coming home’ whole of last summer
- Will be nice to see two gentlemanly teams in the final - like two Japanese trying to out bow each other.
- Eff all that, I can’t stand Australia.”
17th over: Australia 62-3 (Smith 27, Carey 16) Wood has changed ends and replaces Stokes. Smith jumps across to work a short ball for two and then scythes a drive behind square for four. England are letting this drift a bit, although Australia with a lot of intelligence and mental strength – and, in Carey’s case, extraordinary courage.
16th over: Australia 55-3 (Smith 21, Carey 15) Liam Plunkett replaces Mark Wood. Smith, who looks much better after a jittery start, drives his first ball crisply whence it came for four. Carey does likewise later in the over, and a half-stop from Roy at mid-off saves one run. Australia have recovered impressively from that traumatic first 10 overs. The upside of such a bad start is that, if Australia do win, it will feel infinitely sweeter. The reverse is true for England.
“Rob,” says Romeo. “Rather than Kumble, Carey makes me think of another Aussie with a jaw problem, Rick McCosker, who was a bit of a hero in the Centenary Test of 1977.”
15th over: Australia 47-3 (Smith 16, Carey 12) The commentator Mel Jones makes the point that Handscomb will probably keep wicket for Australia. Carey’s injury looks really nasty, with the swelling increasing by the over, and I’m slightly surprised he’s continuing. That’s drinks.
“If....and it’s a big if.....Archer and Woakes continue to bowl as they’ve done all tournament, then is the big loser poor Stuart Broad?” says Kevin Wilson. “Archer must play in the Ashes and Woakes will find nibble and contribute nicely with the bat. Assuming Mo is the sole spinner at eight, surely Broad is sweating on Anderson’s injury?”
I never thought I’d say this about the Ashes, but who cares? (A-hem. It’s all about rotation these days so I think he’ll play at least two or three of the Tests. And Stuart Broad is almost as dangerous as Jonny Bairstow when he has a point to prove.”
14th over: Australia 45-3 (Smith 15, Carey 11) Carey received more treatment at the end of the previous over, and now he has a full wraparound bandage like Anil Kumble all those years ago. It looks like his jaw is swelling up, yet he could barely look more composed at the crease. He really has got something about him.
His partner, Smith, gets his first boundary by dragging a short ball from Stokes through midwicket. England’s intensity has dropped since the double bowling change, and they need to be a bit careful about allowing Australia to build a partnership.
“Morning Rob,” says Elliot Carr-Barnsley. “How do we assess Michael Bevan (who played in that semi-final) nowadays? Considered the eminent ODI player of his generation, how would he fare today? He batted low in a team that won often (Not Out in 67 of 196 innings), scoring only 6 hundreds at a strike rate of 74, with 21 sixes. Would that extrapolate up to conform to the modern game? Or would his natural game be outmoded today? Does he even have a legacy now? His role as a finisher without being a biffer doesn’t seem to be suitable for study. (BTW I love him and it’s worth noting that he’s a statistically perfect all-rounder in every form of the game).”
I think he’s the greatest finisher of all time along with MS Dhoni. (I know it sounds a bit pretentious but I’d classify Virat Kohli as a run-chaser, as his role is different.) Bevan’s game as was wouldn’t work today, but I’m sure he’d have adapted. The same is true of other great finishers like Neil Fairbrother, Allan Lamb and the rest.
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13th over: Australia 36-3 (Smith 7, Carey 10) Mark Wood replaces the brilliant Chris Woakes (6-0-16-2). “He should really enjoy this surface,” says Ian Bishop, a millisecond before Wood spears a first-ball wide outside off stump. He beats Carey for pace later in the over, before brilliant fielding from Woakes at fine leg and then Stokes at backward point saves a total of five runs. Wood’s over, a mixed bag, includes three wides - but he finishes by zipping one past Smith’s outside edge.
Alex Carey showed a great presence of mind to avoid losing his wicket by catching his helmet after being struck by Jofra Archer.
— Lord's Cricket Ground 🏏 (@HomeOfCricket) July 11, 2019
Had his helmet hit the wicket, Carey would have been out under Law 29.1.1.4.
Read it in full ⬇️
12th over: Australia 28-3 (Smith 6, Carey 9) Ben Stokes replaces Jofra Archer, who bowled a majestic opening spell of 5-0-11-1. Smith drives a single through the covers, which gives Stokes three balls at Carey. This guy is a dangerous customer, and he has played beautifully since wearing that bouncer from Archer. For now he is happy to build an innings rather than counter-attack, and those three deliveries are all dots.
“England have home conditions, better players and now a dream start,” says Gary Naylor. “If they don’t get this over the line, we’ll never win this thing.”
When England are bowled out for 12, chasing 371, Gary Naylor’s address will be available on an honesty-box basis.
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11th over: Australia 28-3 (Smith 5, Carey 9) Woakes’ sixth over, probably the last of this spell, yields just a single to Smith. England will surely keep hunting wickets, having watched Australia recover from abysmal starts with the bat to beat both West Indies and New Zealand earlier in the tournament. Never give a sucker an even break.
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10th over: Australia 27-3 (Smith 4, Carey 9) The game is starting to settle down after that eye-widening start. Smith works a short ball from Archer off the hip for a single, his fourth from 24 balls. That scoring rate is fine in the circumstances.
“Half empty ground for a World Cup semi-final,” says David Malcolm. “I know this is because Indian fans bought up most of the tickets thinking their side would play at Edgbaston but it does not look good.”
Really? It doesn’t look half empty on TV. And it certainly doesn’t sound half empty.
If you’re into the whole optimism/pessimism thing, Australia have also won a World Cup semi-final from 39 for six – and it was against England. But they were chasing a target of 94.
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9th over: Australia 24-3 (Smith 2, Carey 8) Carey is fine to continue, and he crunches a cover-drive for four off Woakes. He has started really impressively.
“The narrative for this game,” says Alex Netherton, “has been thrown into stark disarray.”
Wait till you what it’s done to the tactics board.
8th over: Australia 19-3 (Smith 2, Carey 4) Carey punches Archer down the ground for three, an impressively assured stroke. He doesn’t look so assured when Archer draws blood with a brutal bouncer. It hit Carey on the grille, knocking his helmet off and cutting him just above the chin. There will be a break in play while he receives treatment
“There was near-unanimous agreement among cricket commentators that losing Khawaja mightn’t be such a bad thing,” says Joe Roberts. “How much are they missing him now? Seems like just the man for this job.”
Yes, that’s an excellent point. I suppose we envisaged Handscomb coming in at 120 for two at 23 overs. In these circumstances, he looked a walking wicket.
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7th over: Australia 15-3 (Smith 1, Carey 2) Alex Carey, who has quietly been one of the players of the tournament, has been promoted to No5. He edges his first ball on the bounce to second slip. Australia have won a World Cup semi-final from the depths of 15 for four, so they will know there’s a way out of this. But at the moment they are in oodles of trouble. Woakes and Archer have bowled with forensic skill.
That was lovely bowling from Woakes, especially to a creasebound player like Handscomb. It was full and shaped back in, and all Handscomb could do was inside-edge a drive onto the stumps.
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WICKET! Australia 14-3 (Handscomb b Woakes 4)
Chris Woakes has knocked him over with a ripper!
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6th over: Australia 14-2 (Smith 1, Handscomb 4) Archer beats Handscomb with a sensational delivery that seams past the outside edge. He is bowling outrageously well, and the next ball holds its line to beat the bat once more. Archer’s figures of 3-0-4-1.
“Typo?” asks Boris Starling. “I like ‘Jonny Bairstow took the match’ rather than ‘took the catch’..... (in fairness, you did say the first 10 overs might decide this either way.)”
Aaaaach, sorry. I do hope that wasn’t Freudian hubris.
5th over: Australia 13-2 (Smith 1, Handscomb 3) Handscomb survives another huge LBW appeal from Woakes. There might have been an inside-edge. Woakes wants to review but Morgan and Buttler overrule him. It’s the right decision, becuse replays show there was a late inside edge. Australia are hanging on for dear life. But if there’s one team that can win after such a torrid start, it’s them.
4th over: Australia 12-2 (Smith 1, Handscomb 2) Smith flashes and misses at Archer, who then sends down a blistering bouncer that Smith avoids. He has started very nervously, although he often does. If he gets through this opening spell, he won’t care how many false strokes he plays.
3rd over: Australia 11-2 (Smith 1, Handscomb 1) “Sure, Mr. Alt-J wrote in,” sniffs Mac Millings, “but I’ve written in many times, and you’ve *not once* mentioned that I was in Glistening Mother. We played two shows (in China - long story). The band collapsed after three of us (we were a five-piece) didn’t turn up to the second gig, and of the two who did, I was far too drunk to sing.”
I’m sensing the great lost Netflix documentary.
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IT'S UMPIRE'S CALL AND HANDSCOMB SURVIVES
Blimey. This is extraordinary stuff. That would have been another golden duck for Australia. Replays showed it was just hitting the top of the stumps, which means England keep their review.
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ENGLAND REVIEW FOR LBW AGAINST HANDSCOMB!
This looks incredibly close.
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This is an awesome start for England. Warner had dumped the previous ball back over Woakes’s head, a shot of spectacular disdain. Woakes followed up with a sharp back-of-a-length delivery that Warner could only fence to first slip, where Warner’s mate Jonny Bairstow took the match with unashamed glee.
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WICKET! Australia 10-2 (Warner c Bairstow b Woakes 5)
David Warner has gone!
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Test Match Special link Go here, and click ‘Listen Live’
2nd over: Australia 6-1 (Warner 5, Smith 1) Steve Smith is the new batsman. It’s Warner and Smith v England, yet again. Archer greets Smith with a bouncer, and then induces an inside-edge into the leg side. This is a scorching start from Archer, who bowled so poorly against Australia at Lord’s. Smith gets off the mark with a quick single, and then Warner tucks a short ball off the hip for another.
That Finch review looks a poor one, because he missed the ball by a fair way, but Michael Clarke makes the point that his bat thumped into his pad and the combination of sound and sensation probably made him think he might have inside-edged it.
“And I thought Gus Unger-Hamilton was an anagram!” says Steve Hudson. “Just spent half an hour trying to decode it.”
WICKET! Australia 4-1 (Finch LBW b Archer 0)
He’s out! Aaron Finch has gone for a golden duck! It was a beautiful inswinger from Jofra Archer, and it was hitting the top of middle. Australia lose their captain - and their review.
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FINCH IS GIVEN OUT LBW FIRST BALL - BUT HE'S REVIEWED IT!
Oh my. It might have been bat then pad. If not, he’s in trouble.
1st over: Australia 4-0 (Warner 4, Finch 0) Now that’s how you set a tone. David Warner leans into the first ball of the match, which is a bit too full from Woakes, and times it thrillingly through extra cover for four. Whatever you think of him as a man, he is the most magnificent cricketer. Woakes pulls his length back thereafter, and the remainder of the over - five dot balls - is excellent.
“How about the Bruminator?” says Brian Withington. Hmm, doesn’t that sound a bit like a groundbreaking toilet brush?
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There have been two opening partnerships of note against England in this tournament, and they lost both games. There’s a credible scenario whereby this first 10 overs decides the game.
David Warner is heartily booed on the field, which is a bit tedious, and probably counter-productive. Chris Woakes will bowl the first over, and things are about to get exceedingly real.
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Edgbaston nickname “Just ‘the Edge’,” says Jane Evans. “If it works for pretentious rock musicians ... As the game progresses, I will be on edge. Or at the edge of reason.”
A few of you have also suggested ‘Edgbastard’, which is kind of catchy, if slightly problematic for the host broadcaster.
The Million There has been a lot of talk about the visibility of this World Cup, but this is a nice story from our friends at the ECB:
Ahead of England’s World Cup semi-final clash against Australia, England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and International Cricket Council (ICC) celebrated the impact that the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has had in inspiring young people – with over one million children aged five-12 connecting with the sport.
The milestone was celebrated at Yorkmead Primary School in Birmingham with ambassadors Jonathan Trott and Danielle Hazell in attendance alongside local schoolchildren who will join the players on the pitch for the national anthems at the hotly anticipated fixture at Edgbaston tomorrow.
The achievement comes as a result of the plan to use the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to connect with children and young people - a key aim of the ECB’s plan to grow the game. To help inspire the next generation to fall in love with cricket, partners and stakeholders across the game have worked on initiatives including Cricket World Cup Club Family Days, the Cricket World Cup Schools Programme and fan zone activations.
Thanks for all your emails. I have approximately 0.00 per cent chance of reading them all during the game, but please keep them coming!
Also, I’m disappointed that none of you noticed that Mr Alt-J emailed this morning (or somebody with the same name).
The pitch is bald and dry, which suggests Nathan Lyon and Adil Rashid could play a big part in the game. But a lot of the pitches at this tournament have been bald-faced liars, so we shouldn’t assume too much.
Play starts in 15 minutes. I’m off to procure a dangerously strong coffee. And then it will be time for Australia v England, the World Cup semi-final.
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“G’day Rob,” says Seb Prowse. “A shout out from my no. 19 tram in Melbourne to any Aussies supporting the opposition today. Of course, it’s hard to get behind the Poms with real enthusiasm. But the alternative — creaming NZ in the final to complete the rehabilitation of Warner, Smith and Cricket Australia — doesn’t bear thinking about. Carn the Kiwis.”
“Morning Rob,” says Nick Parish. “Defeat is unthinkable? Blimey. And there was me thinking you were a long-suffering England supporter. Defeat couldn’t be more thinkable. I’ve been thinking about it non-stop ever since Saturday evening.”
My point exactly.
Painful statgasm Seventeen of the last 21 matches at this tournament have been won the team batting first. England will point to the fact it’s a fresh pitch, and they loved chasing before the tournament. It’s an excellent toss for Australia to win, though, NQAT.
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Team news
A shock move from England, who have recalled Sir Ian Botha- sorry, let’s try that again.
England are unchanged. Australia bring in Peter Handscomb for Usman Khawaja, which is surely a good thing, especially as it means Steve Smith will go up to No3. This is Handscomb’s World Cup debut. He’s got nothing on Ned Larkins, who made his international debut for England in the 1979 semi-final.
Australia Finch (c), Warner, Smith, Handscomb, Stoinis, Maxwell, Carey (wk), Cummins, Starc, Lyon, Behrendorff
England Roy, Bairstow, Root, Morgan (c), Stokes, Buttler (wk), Woakes, Plunkett, Rashid, Archer, Wood.
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Australia have won the toss and will bat first!
Well that was fun while it lasted. Eoin Morgan says he’s “not really bothered” but that he would have batted first.
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The toss is a couple of minutes away. And it looks a pretty good one to win.
A few of you have suggested ‘Edgbastion’ as England’s answer to the Gabbatoir. “Not exactly fear-inducing,” says Richard Hart, “but I think it has a pleasing and understated Englishness about it.”
Why don’t we just call it the Melbourne Cricket Ground and make Australia feel even more comfortable?
Today’s soundtrack
“Hi from Singapore,” says Honor Harger. “So without wanting to tempt fate or anything: when was the last time Australia won a match at Edgbaston again?”
It was when Tim Henman was a Wimbledon semi-finalist. A while ago, then.
“Dear Rob,” writes Gus Unger-Hamilton. “Long time follower, first time emailer. I’m just thinking, seeing as England supposedly love playing at Edgbaston so much, don’t we need a fear-inducing nickname for it, à la the Gabbattoir? Perhaps people have some ideas better than Sledgbaston, which is terrible.”
It’s not that good. Any suggestions?
Never mind the cricket, there’s enough ebb and flow in the weather forecast. We are now promised sunny intervals changing to cloudy at lunchtime.
“Morning Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I’m off out for a bracing walk. It’s good for your mental health. Be back in eight hours...”
“It’s just a cricket match,” says Jane Evans. Only cricket. Not important. Just a cricket match. Just cricket. Only cricket ...”
I’m sure you know the story of England’s last World Cup semi-final, the rain-affected farce against South Africa in 1992. What I really want to know is: has this poor chap recovered yet?
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There are infinite possibilities today, with so many matchwinners on both sides. It could come down to three things: the toss, the battle of the opening partnerships and how England respond to adversity. They are probably the better side, but Australia are probably the tougher side. They have won all seven World Cup semi-finals (if you’re into the whole pedantry thing, they’ve won six and tied one) and have fought back to win a few games in this tournament.
England got themselves out of a hole to quality for the semi-finals, and were enormously impressive in doing so. But they haven’t really come from behind to win a match at this tournament. They are formidable front-runners, and the ideal scenario is that they bat first, are 100 for nought after 15 overs and control the game throughout. It’s not going to be like that. If I had to pick the deciding factor in this game, it’s how England cope if they are 10 for two or Australia are 100 for nought.
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The toss Guardian exclusive: whoever wins it will bat first.
Australia hammered England in the league match two weeks ago. The margin of victory – 64 runs – isn’t huge, but trust me, it was a doing. England have rationalised it as a hangover from the Sri Lanka fiasco, which is a clever move, if they genuinely believe it. I suspect they do. But I wouldn’t want to go fishing round their subconscious without a protective suit.
If the match ends in a tie - like the last World Cup semi-final on this ground - the match will go to a Super Over, and we’ll all be reduced to wibble.
Breakfast reading
The weather It’s beautiful at Edgbaston this morning, although the Met Office are forecasting thunderstorms for early evening. That means DLS could be a factor in this match. There is a reserve day scheduled, but I think the match will finish today as long as 20 overs have been bowled in the second innings. There’s a strong whiff of potential farce and controversy there. But the playing conditions have a level of clarity usually reserved for mudheaps, so I might be wrong.
Preamble
Hello again. Glad you’ve logged on – you’ve obviously heard there’s a cricket match today. It’s Australia v England, for the right to play New Zealand in the World Cup final on Sunday. This game is almost too big to function. It’s England most important since September 2005, Australia’s since March 2015. For both countries, defeat is so unthinkable that it hurts trying not to think about it.
There’s a rare old Royal Rumble of feeling and emotions this morning/evening: hope, fear, nervousness, anticipation, fear, curiosity, fear, fear, greed, nostalgia, pride - and I suppose, if I’m being brutally honest, there’s also a soupçon of fear. But most of all, as Eoin Morgan said yesterday, there is excitement about what might be achieved. In one hemisphere or another, a lot of grandchildren are going to hear about the events of 11 July 2019.
There was no way England – England – were going to be allowed to win a World Cup without beating Australia en route. Only one side, West Indies in 1979, has ever done so. This is England’s World Cup but it’s also Australia’s trophy, which they have lifted in four of the last five tournaments. And one of them has got to go. Deep down, we always knew it would be like this.
The match starts at 10.30am BST, 7.30pm ACT.
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