Vic Marks’ match report from Edgbaston:
That is such an impressive victory for England, who were under so much pressure after losing three wickets in the first six overs. Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes didn’t cope with the pressure so much as ignore it, launching a memorable counter-attack that took England to the brink of victory. They could hardly have played better. Stokes, in particular, scored at modern speed by playing classical strokes. One dreamy shot off Pat Cummins has taken out a lease in the memory bank.
So, England will play in Wednesday’s first semi-final against the runners-up in Group B. The likeliest scenario is that they will play Sri Lanka or Pakistan, and then India, South Africa or Bangladesh in the final. They look pretty formidable right now. Thanks for your company, night!
MATCH ABANDONED: ENGLAND WIN BY 40 RUNS (DLS)
It’s over. Australia are out, England win the group - and Bangladesh go into the semi-finals!
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.@imVkohli was so impressed with this shot he had to tweet about it!
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) June 10, 2017
WATCH: https://t.co/IG1KMnzIuL
(UK, AUS & IRE only) #ENGvAUS #CT17 pic.twitter.com/JNEMZTrhnY
The players need to be back on the field by 7.14pm, according to
Guardian sources
something I read on Cricinfo. There’s no immediate prospect of that, so I’m off for a quick break. See you soon.
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“Gritting of teeth is of course an age-old custom in which coarse corn meal (i.e. grits) is applied to the teeth, and then gradually consumed,” says Andrew Benton. “It served the purpose that modern day chewing gum does - keeping the jaw working and the saliva flowing, as you concentrate on whatever it is you were concentrating on.”
Of course.
It’s wild and windy at Edgbaston, and Rob Key’s umbrella has just disappeared. It looks increasingly unlikely that there will be any more play.
Barring an almighty plot twist, Bangladesh are going through to their first ever semi-final at a global tournament. Congratulations to everyone connected with Bangladesh cricket, particularly their founding father Andrew Miller.
Stokes and Morgan will never have to pay for a meal in Dhaka again. :) #CT17 #AUSvENG
— Dileep Premachandran (@SpiceBoxofEarth) June 10, 2017
Ben Stokes is not a player you should judge by statistics – unless those statistics make him look good. And this one does: in 19 ODIs since returning to the side last summer, he has a batting average of 64 and a strike rate of 106.
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“Dear Robert,” says Adam Roberts. “You stated that you thought a fielder was ‘discretely gritting his teeth’. How does one discretely grit one’s teeth? By removing them and gritting them individually? Or separating oneself from the pack to do the gritting?”
Ach! Discreetly, I meant discreetly. I do it myself, and that’s what really hurts.
“Now I’m not saying that you’re wrong, Rob,” says Fred Lane, “but I did prefer The Singing Detective to Sopranos.”
You and twos of others, Fred. (That said, it’s probably about time I discovered Dennis Potter.
The rain is pretty heavy now. The local expert, Cricinfo’s George Dobell, thinks that might be it for the day.
“England should block out maidens now,” says Gary Naylor. “After all, I’d give us a better chance of beating Australia than Bangladesh in the final.”
Don’t do it Gary!
They ain’t werf it!
There’s an Ashes series in a few months’ time!
Rain stops play
40.2 overs: England 240-4 (Stokes 102, Buttler 29) The covers are coming on again. It doesn’t seem too bad. The DLS par is 204, so England are well ahead. It’s easy to forget the brutal pressure that Morgan and Stokes were under at the start of the innings. They played quite tremendously.
A CENTURY FOR BEN STOKES!
Stokes pings Zampa to the extra-cover boundary to reach the most brilliant hundred from 108 balls. He’ll play even more spectacular innings in his ODI career but he’ll do well to play one quite so accomplished.
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40th over: England 236-4 (Stokes 98, Buttler 29) “Is it wrong to be reading and emailing OBO whilst umpiring at square leg?” says Ian Sergeant. “Currently halfway through ‘my 10’ and grateful for the diversion from our batting collapse.”
Legal disclaimer: the Guardian accepts no responsibility should the ball clonk you on the noggin while you are distracted by a comedy email from Mac Millings.
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39th over: England 233-4 (Stokes 96, Buttler 28) Ricky Ponting and Nasser Hussain are on commentary, which means an avalanche of insight. One of the better things about growing old is when players you liked become great commentators. They have plenty to say about handspeed, head position and much else besides when Buttler launches Zampa for a storming straight six. That’s the eighth six of the innings. There’s a carnival atmosphere at Edgbaston, and I’d imagine at least one of the Australian fielders is discretely gritting his teeth.
“Speaking of being 10-15 years behind,” says Matt Dony, caressing his Hoxton fin. “Yes, this is a great one-day team, with genuinely exciting batting. But imagine how much better they’ll be when KP comes back...”
38th over: England 226-4 (Stokes 95, Buttler 22) Some people say England are playing with 10 men because of Jason Roy’s poor form. In a sense, they have played with four men today: Rashid and Wood shared eight of the nine wickets, Stokes and Morgan have made 182 of the 226 runs.
37th over: England 223-4 (Stokes 92, Buttler 21) Stokes moves into the nineties with a flash through the covers for four off Zampa. “The ball has made a beautiful sound off his bat today,” says Ricky Ponting, who knows a bit about the aural aesthetics of batting. Buttler then hammers the ball towards long-on, where Cummins can’t decide whether to go for the catch or save boundary and as a result does neither.
36th over: England 214-4 (Stokes 88, Buttler 17) Buttler back cuts Starc towards backward point, where the unsighted Maxwell allows the ball to go straight through him for four. It would have been a routine catch had he been able to see it. That’s the end of Starc’s spell: 10-0-52-1.
35th over: England 208-4 (Stokes 87, Buttler 12) Buttler dives desperately to make his ground as another throw whistles past the stumps. That would have been extremely tight with a direct hit. An otherwise stress-free over for England yields five, all in ones and twos.
“Stokes is the real deal it seems,” says John Treacy. “Great to see him really progress in the last 12 months . The IPL is helping these guys get self-confidence and break the auras of their competition.”
Indeed. The experience is worth, er, a million dollars. I never thought I’d say this but England should consider allowing players to miss Test matches for it.
34th over: England 202-4 (Stokes 86, Buttler 8) Buttler cracks Starc through the covers for his first boundary, to leave England need 75 from 16 overs. Should.
Here’s Phil Sawyer. “In the spirit of Matt Dony’s confession, and I’m really not sure how to break this to you Rob so I’m just going to go for it, I never actually got around to watching the Sopranos.”
I don’t understand why so many people I once deemed worthy of my friendship haven’t seen it. It is, by some distance, the best thing that has ever appeared on a screen. It’s the best drama of all time, one of the best comedies of all time. And if you’re a male with the capacity for self-loathing - I’m drawing no conclusions, Phil - it will speak to you like nothing you’ve ever seen.
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33rd over: England 196-4 (Stokes 85, Buttler 2) Zampa returns to the attack. Wickets are the only way for Australia to win this. Buttler has time to play himself in, so that’s what he does, with just a single from the last ball of the over.
32nd over: England 195-4 (Stokes 85, Buttler 1) Morgan deserved a hundred, but he’ll be happy if England win. He made 87 from 81 balls with eight fours and five sixes. It was a magnificent innings.
WICKET! England 194-4 (Morgan run out 87)
A stunning partnership ends with a shambolic run out. Stokes chips Starc’s slower ball just short of mid-on and sets off for a single anyway. Morgan is extremely late to respond - he was ballwatching - and isn’t in the frame when Zampa’s superb throw hits the stumps at the batsman’s end. Michael Slater, commentating on Sky, almost has a fatal orgasm as he describes the action. It’s an important wicket for Australia, but maybe not that important.
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That was a ridiculous shot by @benstokes38 off Cummins. One of the best shots I've seen for a while!👌
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) June 10, 2017
31st over: England 193-3 (Morgan 86, Stokes 85) A wide low full toss from Cummins is pinged beautifully through extra cover for four by Stokes. Australia no longer need a wicket; they need three.
“If Ben Stokes delivers peak Ben Stokes, I think England are unbeatable,” says Gary Naylor. “I’m not sure that you could say that about Flintoff (nor Botham in ODIs). When he’s off peak, England still have options. This might be the best white-ball England team I’ve ever seen.”
It’s really hard to compare eras, as they are playing a different sport to the 1992 team. They’d be the only other contenders, wouldn’t they, plus Norman Gifford’s Sharjah Massive.
30th over: England 187-3 (Morgan 85, Stokes 80) Starc returns, conceding three from his seventh over. Australia look resigned to a flight home.
29th over: England 184-3 (Morgan 85, Stokes 77) Oh, hello, massive! Massive! Morgan charges Hazlewood and hoicks a 91-metre six over midwicket, the fifth of his innings. This is devastating stuff, an exhilarating sight for historical sore English eyes. I’m so pleased for Morgan, who has had to endure plenty of criticism in the last few years but has stayed true to himself in every way. Whether England win anything or not, he really has had total and complete vindication.
“I don’t want to speak for others,” says Matt Dony, “but surely I’m not alone amongst OBOers in being consistently 10-15 years behind the cutting edge. Really should get around to finishing Lost, but I’m too busy listening to Hail To The Thief.”
You jest, but I’m a YouTube rabbit hole away from discovering Monty Python.
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28th over: England 177-3 (Morgan 79, Stokes 76) A very sharp bumper from Cummins beats Morgan’s attempted hook, but then Morgan smashes a back cut to the fence. This is now England’s highest fourth-wicket partnership against Australia in ODIs, 142 from 135 balls. In its conception and execution, it has been the most emphatic statement.
27th over: England 170-3 (Morgan 73, Stokes 75) Hazlewood replaces Maxwell, an attempt to restore order. Which he does, in the short term, conceding just a single. England need 108 from 23 overs.
26th over: England 169-3 (Morgan 73, Stokes 74) More technical problems - sorry. England continue to romp towards victory. Stokes blasted Zampa over the leaping Warner at long-on for six in the previous over; now he flicks Cummins from outside off stump to the midwicket boundary. That was a stunning piece of timing. “As good a shot as you’ll ever see,” says Shane Warne. In terms of technique, authority, chutzpah and sheer accomplishment, I can’t think of many England ODI innings better than this from Stokes. It’s been that good.
24th over: England 152-3 (Morgan 70, Stokes 61) A few technical problems here - apologies. Maxwell bowls the first over after drinks, a quiet affair until Morgan launches his last ball for another mighty six.
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23rd over: England 144-3 (Morgan 63, Stokes 60) England are around 15 runs ahead of DLS, though a wicket would change that. It shouldn’t feel like a procession but it does, such is the Edgbaston atmosphere and the emphatic nature of England’s batting. Morgan pulls out the reverse sweep for old times’s sake, whirling Zampa to third man for four. It’s time for drinks, and a chance for Australia to regroup.
“Great points by Van Der Gucht a few overs back, that Stokes is often more than the sum of his already impressive stats,” says Guy Hornsby. “I’d love to think that Wood’s the same, if we can just keep him fit. I’ve not seen another bowler for a while that seems to have that ability to take those key wickets with a ball that just does a bit more. Finn (Mk 1) had it for a bit, Flintoff at times, but Wood is something else: short, sprinting run up, and such zip and weight off that big delivery leap. It helps that he’s a gloriously rare & lively character, very much not of the “good chap” mould. My god, we need him in cotton wool.”
Yes he’s a gem isn’t he. There’s a fair bit of Darren Gough about him I think, though Gough was better at the death and Wood might be better in the middle overs. The wicket-taking ability of Plunkett, Rashid and Wood in the middle overs has been so important to England’s ODI improvement.
22nd over: England 138-3 (Morgan 58, Stokes 59) Hello! Glenn Maxwell comes into the attack, and Morgan slaughters his first ball over midwicket for six! Savage batting, which brings up the century partnership at better than a run a ball. Morgan has now hit more sixes than Australia. Brendon McCullum, new into the commentary box, is effusive in his praise of England’s approach. He might even feel a bit of paternal pride, given his influence of this team.
21st over: England 132-3 (Morgan 51, Stokes 59) Stokes makes room to scorch a short ball from Zampa through extra cover for four. He is playing disgustingly well, which means Morgan - who started this counter-attack - is now happy to play a supporting role.
20th over: England 126-3 (Morgan 51, Stokes 54) A bit of an escape for Morgan, who mishits Starc just over the man at short extra cover. A wicket would change the mood again, so I’d counsel against premature schadenfreude. A good over, two from it.
“I’m neither a hipster nor a sad old git (I don’t think),” says Simon McMahon. “I just like some of their tunes. And a day out in Edinburgh following the OBO, watching Scotland v England, maybe a beer or three, then Kraftwerk in 3D is not to be sniffed at. Even if Mrs McMahon is here too.”
You mis-spelt ‘especially as’, Simon.
19th over: England 124-3 (Morgan 50, Stokes 53) The legspinner Adam Zampa is belatedly introduced. He’s a good bowler and, crucially in the circumstances, a wicket-taker - he has an ODI strike rate of 30. England play low-risk cricket, and Morgan drives a single to reach a terrific fifty from 51 balls. It’s been a different sort of captain’s innings, an uncompromising reinforcement of the team philosophy at a time of difficulty.
“Great from England this,” says Ian Copestake. “Can I make an Exit poll prediction? Roy will not play again not just due to his form but the fact that he took the review into his own hands. That was a moment the interests of the team were blotted out by the struggles of the individual and he should not be rewarded for that.”
I do think it was a consequence of a scrambled brain rather than selfishness but yes, it was indicative. I’d be surprised if he played the semi-final; I’d be equally surprised if he didn’t play the first game of the 2019 World Cup.
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18th over: England 121-3 (Morgan 48, Stokes 52) Starc replaces Travis Head, a reflection of Australia’s urgent need for a wicket. Stokes swivel-pulls a tremendous flat six to reach a pretty majestic fifty from just 39 balls.
More rain on its way. Be pleasantly surprised if we get 30 overs of this second innings. So keep an eye on DLS. Even at moment.
— George Dobell (@GeorgeDobell1) June 10, 2017
17th over: England 114-3 (Morgan 47, Stokes 46) The occasional seamer Moises Henriques replaces Pat Cummins, who went for 33 in four overs - and one of those was a maiden. Stokes charges the first ball and misses, but connects later in the over with a sweet drive over mid-on for four. This has been a game of moodswings, and at the moment the force is with England.
“England bat more like Australia than Australia do,” says Gary Naylor.
16th over: England 108-3 (Morgan 47, Stokes 40) England milk Head for four singles. They need 170 from 34 overs, so the run-rate is not a problem.
15th over: England 104-3 (Morgan 45, Stokes 38) Stokes flashes hard at Cummins, edging over backward point for four, and then whips a dismal full toss to the midwicket boundary to bring up the hundred in the 15th over. It’s all-action stuff: Stokes drives this far short of extra cover and then drives sweetly wide of the same man for the third boundary of the over. It’s been an exhilarating, macho contest, but maybe Australia need to rein it in for a bit. Ten more overs of this and they will be going home.
The required rate remains below six, so Australia need regular wickets if they are to win the game. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they in control, but it’s fair to say that rain break was perfectly timed for England and Bangladesh.
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14th over: England 91-3 (Morgan 44, Stokes 26) With two left-handers at the crease, the occasional offspinner Travis Head comes into the attack ahead of the leggie Adam Zampa. That don’t impress Shane Warne much. A low full toss is whipped behind square for four by Stokes.
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13th over: England 86-3 (Morgan 43, Stokes 22) Stokes evokes Perth 2013 with a perfect push-drive down the ground for four off Cummins. England’s batsmen are putting pressure on Australia for the first time, and a misfield at mid-off from Starc gives Stokes a couple of bonus runs. This is a brilliant match, and it’s so refreshing to see England respond to the loss of early wickets by going even further out of their shell.
12th over: England 77-3 (Morgan 41, Stokes 15) Morgan continues to take on the short ball, top-edging Hazlewood for another six over long leg. He sure is certainly practicing what he preaches, and he’s raced to 41 from 37 balls. He’s such an impressive, singular character. He does things his way and the hell wit you if you don’t like it.
“Hang on a minute,” says Phil Sawyer, “pocket calculators are no longer cool?” I hate to break it to you Phil, but Campri jackets don’t have their old street-cred either.
11th over: England 69-3 (Morgan 34, Stokes 14) Stokes gets his first boundary with a classical flick wide of mid-on, and his second with a hook round the corner next ball. He has now scored more runs at No5 than any other player since the last World Cup. This is fascinating stuff, with neither side backing down at all.
“A question if I may,” says Andrew Benton. “Eng/SA T20 - better a day off work for Southampton or for Taunton? Cardiff’s on Sunday....(?)”
You lost me at Cardiff. The Rose Bowl is a lovely ground. I haven’t been to Taunton, but it’s Taunton so I’d probably go for that.
10th over: England 58-3 (Morgan 34, Stokes 3) Hazlewood tries to bounce Morgan, who hooks a sweet six over square-leg. Shane Warne declares a moral victory for Australia. “He got it high on the bat...” The relentlessly optimistic commentary of Warne and Sir Ian Botham is a fascinating insight into the mindset that enabled them to pull off so many missions impossible.
“Hi Rob,” says Steve Hudson. “Steve Coogan has had a similar journey with Partridge - he used to need makeup to play a 45-year-old man in 1990, and he still needs make-up to play a 45-year-old man in 2017, but from the opposite direction.”
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9th over: England 51-3 (Morgan 28, Stokes 2) Pat Cummins replaces Mitchell Starc. When Cummins is good, he’s frightening, though he can travel as well. Morgan hits the field with a few well-time drives and then ducks under a short ball. A maiden. Meanwhile, this is an excellent spot from Tim de Lisle: the first four wickets today averaged 60 (239-4), the last eight have averaged 11 (38-5 and 51-3) .
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8th over: England 51-3 (Morgan 28, Stokes 2) Morgan drives Hazlewood in the air for four. That could easily have been out .Either through luck or judgement, it perfectly bisected the men at cover and point. His intent is admirable though, and later in the over he gives Hazlewood the charge and inside-edge a single. “England have a bit of a tail,” says Shane Warne, who could find positives for Australia in the bubonic plague.
“I think Stokes inhabits the ‘Boys’ Own heroic all-rounder’ plane of existence whereby statistics are, to a certain degree, irrelevant,” says Tom Van der Gucht. “A bit like Botham and Flintoff before him, it’s not so much the batting and bowling averages that count as the moments when they step up to the plate and make something happen. They seem to have some sort of aura, which emboldens their teammates and intimidates the opposition - making vital breakthroughs when others are starting to let their heads bow down. If there are any statistics regarding the standard of the player they get out, and how well set the player was when they got out, or the swashbuckling nature of runs scored in difficult situations. Or even player/supporter satisfaction ratings for the performances of these type of players, I imagine they would be very telling.”
Yes, that last point is a very good one. Flintoff’s numbers are pretty ordinary but he has my unconditional love. Wisden doesn’t record how often a player makes your spine tingle.
7th over: England 44-3 (Morgan 23, Stokes 0) The sun is out as play resumes. Starc’s first two deliveries are half-volleys that Morgan thumps to the cover boundary. A lovely statement of intent from Morgan, albeit from some unusually poor bowling. Starc pulls his length back thereafter, with Morgan swaying away from a bouncer before swishing at fresh air. That was another four-ball from Starc.
“Would prefer Moeen to open with Bairstow floating between 4 and 7 depending on circumstances. How I bet they are wishing they had that option today,” says Brian Withington. “But Bairstow opening perfectly acceptable if the above is too eclectic (and personally threatening) for Morgan.”
Bairstow’s a very good one-day player but he’ll never be as good as he is right now. Some people talk about him like he’s Virat Kohli.
England
must
need to stay calm if they can. They still have four proper batsmen plus some dangerous lower-order hitters, the run-rate is manageable and Starc and Hazlewood can’t bowl forever. I realise this is easier typed than done.
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Play will resume at 345. No overs have been lost.
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“Alright Rob,” says Shammi Huda. “We’re still catching up on sleep here in Deshi after the excitement of last night. Come on England! Bangladesh expects every man to do his duty...”
I think you might need every cloud to do its duty. Even if Bangladesh don’t go through, that was an entirely immense run-chase yesterday. It’s been a good 24 hours for lovers of the underdog: see also Khan, Rashid.
The rain has lightened and the outer covers are being removed. We don’t have a provisional resumption time yet. If the wicket has been juiced up, it won’t be much fun batting against Josh Hazlewood.
“Kraftwerk have had the strange experience of evolving from futuristic to anachronistic, haven’t they?” says Steve Hudson. “Songs about their cool pocket calculator sounded very cutting edge in 1975, and very much less so in 2017.”
Doesn’t everyone have that experience, apart from David Lynch? Well, either that or going from contemporary to anachronistic.
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“Roy has gone mentally at the moment and is a walking cliché, sorry, wicket,” says Lisa Craig. “Morgan has a big job to do now. It’s my 42nd birthday so having a cheeky cider or two.”
Happy birthday! If I were you I’d order a morose cider or five for later, though check if they sell pints of Schadenfreude just in case it rains all afternoon.
It’s still raining, though the radar suggests there won’t be much more after that.
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Counter-attacking is usually the preserve of batsmen, yet that’s what Australia have done with the ball. They knew England would come out swinging so they set attacking fields and landed three of their own in the first six overs.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “On the train to Edinburgh. Hoping for an England win at the cricket, a Scotland win at the football, and for my mind to be blown when I see Kraftwerk tonight. Two out of three ain’t bad I suppose.”
I didn’t realise Kraftwerk were still a thing. I’d quite like to see them. They’re playing Orkney, right?
The delivery that got Root was a bit fuller than I realised. It was still an excellent piece of bowling, moving away just enough, and the fact both Hazlewood’s wickets were caught at first slip reflects the Test-match nature of their performance.
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Rain stops play
The players are coming off. It doesn’t seem too bad, and England will be happy to have a breather. It would be incredibly unfair if Australia were to go out of the tournament with three washouts, especially after this bowling performance. For many, it would also be impossibly funny.
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6th over: England 35-3 (Morgan 14, Stokes 0) Stokes survives a huge LBW appeal from Hazlewood first ball! It looked like it pitched outside leg; that’s all that saved him. Australia decided not to review for that reason. The controlled authority of this bowling performance from Australia has been pretty awesome.
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WICKET! England 35-3 (Root c Wade b Hazlewood 15)
Hazlewood beats Root with a perfect delivery, an immaculate line and that familiar half-and-half length. “Lock yourself in there big fella,” says Ricky Ponting, who has emerged as one of the best commentators around. And now Root has gone! Hazlewood did lock himself in on that line and length, and Root edged an excellent delivery through to Wade. Australia are rampant!
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5th over: England 31-2 (Root 13, Morgan 14) Root edges Starc short of the slips and then through them for four. England are meeting volcanic heat with volcanic heat: Root drives three more through the covers, then Morgan is denied a boundary by a fine stop from Maxwell at backward point.
“Morgan’s continued championing of Jason Roy is looking like a hubristic form of voluntary handicapping of the tournament favourites,” says Brian Withington. “What next - asking all batsmen to carry lead weights in pads? Meanwhile YJB must be fearing he will become OJB before he gets the run he deserves in the team.”
I personally think Morgan has handled it brilliantly, but I wouldn’t pick Roy for the semi-final. That replay on Sky was pretty damning, suggesting both his head and technique have gone for the time being. I’d tell him he’ll be back, he’s still England’s best ODI opener with Hales, that he’s but that experience suggests his form is unlikely to come back in this tournament. The other thing is, if you drop Roy, who opens? Moeen? Bairstow? Root? Smyth?
4th over: England 24-2 (Root 6, Morgan 14) So much for Morgan taking a few overs. He gives Hazlewood the charge and crunches a superb boundary through extra-cover. The follow-up delivery is too short, because of that charge, and Morgan wallops a cut to the cover boundary. A highly eventful over continues with a drive through mid-on for four and then a gloved pull that is dropped by Wade, diving to his right. That was a pretty good chance. Hoo hoo, this is tremendous stuff already.
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3rd over: England 10-2 (Root 6, Morgan 0) The bigger the hole England are in, the greater the scope for a trademark Joe Root counter-attack. He drives Starc beautifully through the covers for four, the first signal of intent. I suspect Morgan might take a few overs and try to see off the new ball. Root won’t.
“Shouldn’t that be ‘England have lost their review (and Jason Roy)’?” says Rob Hart.
Harsh, man. Harsh. They’ve got a decision for Wednesday though, because there comes a time when loyalty is counter-productive. Nasser has just produced a brilliant bit of analysis on Sky, showing that he had no idea what was going on when he was out LBW, and that he didn’t even look at Hales before reviewing it. “I’m just going to have one for myself,” says Nasser. After an immaculately judged pause, Mike Atherton says: “There speaks a man who knows all about that…”
2nd over: England 6-2 (Root 2, Morgan 0) This is just brilliant from Australia. They needed wickets so they’ve turned the first few overs into a Test match, with three slips and a challenging length. England have a lot of white-ball specialists at the top of the order who won’t be particularly familiar with such an intense interrogation - including the new batsman Eoin Morgan. He calmly plays out the remainder of the over, leaving most deliveries outside off stump.
“Riddle me this, riddle me that ... why do the english media / sportsfan need to hype Stokes out of all proportion?” says Andrew Hurley. “Talented, but like many, many others. The only way to take hype and exaggerated viewpoints out of it are to look at his stats - what is so great about his ODI batting and bowling figures? Are they better than Corey Anderson’s when taken together? No. I don’t understand why it’s either boom or bust with everything in England (Wenger and Arsenal an opposite example).”
I take your point, and there is a slight element of the sacred cow, but he’s the last player you should judge on stats – and certainly not over his whole ODI career, given that he was all over the place before the 2015 World Cup. His batting in particular has been very good of late. I agree that across all formats his mean, median and mode level of performance do not justify the hype, but his peak does. It’s a cliché, but he’s a matchwinner. He reminds me a bit of Anthony Joshua, in that he’s far from perfect yet frequently does something awesome. I also think some of the excitement is about the future: if he’s this good at 25, what will he be like at his peak?
WICKET! England 6-2 (Hales c Smith b Hazlewood 0)
Gone! This is a Test-match dismissal from Josh Hazlewood - a lovely delivery that straightened just enough to take the edge of Hales’ indeterminate push, with Finch taking a comfortable low catch. Magnificent stuff from Australia.
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1st over: England 5-1 (Hales 0, Root 1) It all happened very quickly, and I’d like to see it again, but I don’t think that was a selfish review from Roy. I think at worst it was a scrambled-noggin review. The commentators, Mike Atherton and Ricky Ponting, think it was a reasonable review. It was certainly a beautiful piece of bowling from Starc, and there are early hints of swing to the right-handers. You remember swing, don’t you?
WICKET! England 4-1 (Roy LBW b Starc 4)
It was a cracking delivery that came back into the right-handed Roy, who pushed desperately around his pad as he became aware of the ball’s trajectory. It was certainly hitting the stumps. The only issue is whether it pitched outside leg. It didn’t - it pitched on the stumps and England have lost both Jason Roy and their review. Roy goes second ball for four.
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ENGLAND REVIEW! England 4-1 (Roy LBW b Starc 4)
Mitchell Starc is the best ODI bowler in the world, no matter what the rankings say, and he’ll take the first over. His record is exceptional. But he starts here with a low full toss that Roy times through mid-off for four. Who says chivalry is dead?
Mitchell Starc does - because he’s dismissed Roy LBW with the next ball! Roy has reviewed it in the hope it pitched outside leg.
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On today of all days it would be remiss not to plug the updated version of Gentlemen & Sledgers, a history of the Ashes written by Rob Smyth.
Hello all. May I humbly suggest the next 50 overs are deserving of your attention. A contest between the world’s most explosive batting line-up and most virile bowling attack would be worth watching in any circumstances, never mind when it’s England against Australia in a pivotal match.
In the last 48 hours, the old concepts of victory and defeat have had freestyle definitions. At Edgbaston, things are deliciously clear: Australia win, or they are out. (England cannot lose today, as they have already won the group, though they might in eight days’ time if they let Australia through and then lose to them in the final. Never give a Cobber an even break and all that.)
Either Australia will remind everyone that they are world champions, or England will remind everyone that the World Cup was two years ago. Their target is 278 after an excellent bowling performance in which the pace of Mark Wood (four for 33) and the wrist spin of Adil Rashid (four for 41) ran through the lower order. Who do England think they are, Pakistan? Pace and wrist spin! I’ve heard it all now.
Lunch: England on top
That was a strange innings. At the 27-over mark, Australia were 160-2, and somehow they managed to score 117-7 off the last 23 overs. Rust played its part, but give most of the credit to Mark Wood and Adil Rashid, who ended up with a four-for apiece. They were confident, accurate and best of all aggressive, proving yet again that attack is the most entertaining form of defence. Credit to Eoin Morgan too, for some wily bowling changes and creative field placings. There were more maidens (three) than sixes (two).
Thanks for the emails, tweets and nicknames for Liam Plunkett, and now it’s over to Rob Smyth, who, characteristically, spotted that factoid about the score at 27 overs.
The last word, for now, goes to Ian Copestake. “I see your ‘But they still have the bowlers to win this’ and raise it with England’s batting line-up. Utterly absorbing contest, but I have the uncomfortable feeling of complete confidence in England.”
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End of innings: Australia 277-9
Head manages to scrape six off the last five balls and finishes with 71 not out. More importantly, Australia use their full 50 overs. They’re about 40 short of where they should be, but they have the firepower to defend this .
Dropped! Head on 65
It’s Plunkett again. He reacts late to a big mishit, and now he’s caught two and dropped two.
Six!
Head swings Stokes hard and square.
49th over: Australia 265-9 (Head 59, Hazlewood 1) Well played Head, who keeps the strike and has the chance to blast a few off the last over.
Six!
Head whacks Ball into the wind and clears the man and the rope at midwicket. That, rather amazingly, is the first six of the innings.
48th over: Australia 258-9 (Head 52, Hazlewood 1) Stokes returns and concedes only four, although the Aussies may consider it a triumph to get through an over without losing a wicket. Travis Head has quietly reached 50, no mean feat in the circumstances: he has kept his Head while all around were losing theirs.
A tweet from Steve Pye. “Wood and Rashid 20-2-74-8. Strong and stable.”
47th over: Australia 254-9 (Head 50, Hazlewood 0) So Mark Wood has four wickets in an innings for, I believe, the first time ever in List A cricket. He has deserved them, bowling with both fire and thrift, setting the tone early on and coming back strongly later, and taking the two big scalps in Warner and Smith.
Meanwhile Theresa May has sacrificed both her advisers in an attempt to save her own neck. And, more predictably, Gary Naylor is on Twitter. “Starc’s shot was so bad, you’d think he’d not been at the crease for three months! Ah...”
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Wicket! Zampa b Wood 0
A rapid full toss from Wood and Australia are 254-9. The last five wickets have fallen for 15 in 4.2 overs. Are you England in disguise?
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46th over: Australia 253-8 (Head 49, Zampa 0) Pat Cummins is No Mug and shows it with a lap for two, cleverly delayed. But then he suggests he is a mug after all by giving Rashid another return catch, just when Australia needed to hang in there and make sure Head can play a few more shots.
Wicket! Cummins c & b Rashid 4
Another one for Rashid! He has 4-41 as Cummins pokes one straight back to him. The Aussies are 253-8 and falling apart. But they still have the bowlers to win this.
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45th over: Australia 249-7 (Head 48, Cummins 1) Another good over from Wood, and Head is now the boy stood on the burning deck. “Early death bowling from England,” says Ian Copestake. Very true.
44th over: Australia 245-7 (Head 46, Cummins 0) The rust is coming home to roost, if you can forgive a mixed metaphor. Well bowled Rashid, who now has 3-37 off nine overs; and well schemed Morgan.
Wicket! Start c Root b Rashid 0
Another one! Mitchell Starc tries a sweep, gets a top edge, and once again a skyer is safely pouched. The Aussies are 245-7 and losing it.
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Wicket! Wade c & b Rashid 2
Matthew Wade chips the googly up in the air, Rashid makes no mistake and Australia are 245-6. Travis Head has quite a task on his hands.
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43rd over: Australia 242-5 (Head 43, Wade 2) That was the over with everything, including the first appearance on a scorecard, possibly ever, for the great Roy Wood, author of I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.
Wicket! Maxwell c Roy b Wood 20
Many replays later, the catch is confirmed. The danger-man is out, Australia are 239-5, the crowd are singing, Roy is smiling for the first time this summer, and Wood has three wickets, for 26 – a career-best in this form of cricket.
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Wicket? Maxwell c Roy b Wood 20?
Jason Roy takes a superb boundary catch, throwing it to himself as he strays over the Toblerone. The umps are reviewing but it looks out.
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Dropped! Maxwell on 20
Maxwell gets out his silver hammer and slams Wood straight to cover, where the ball proves too hot to hold. And it was the Nunthorpe Sobers!
42nd over: Australia 239-4 (Head 40, Maxwell 20) Moeen takes his cap as expected, and Rashid returns. He beats Head with a quicker one – Warne would have called it a slider – but Head keeps finding the gaps. He now has 42 off 40, a fine return in a sticky period for his team.
41st over: Australia 230-4 (Head 34, Maxwell 19) Jake Ball, in his eighth over, tucks Head up, and he plays a cramped pull which is ugly but effective. It goes for four, and so does the next Ball – swatted through mid-on. In the battle of the everyday monosyllables, Head is winning at the moment.
40th over: Australia 220-4 (Head 26, Maxwell 18) Maxwell cuts Moeen for four, exploiting the gap that he himself created with his botched reverse sweep (thank you Nasser Hussain for spotting it). Then he cuts Moeen back over his head, as if playing tennis with a child. That may be that for Mo, who has faded after his fine start.
39th over: Australia 211-4 (Head 25, Maxwell 11) Maxwell tries a slog at Ball and strikes nothing but air. That’s a shot that every occasional cricketer has played. And the lights are on: good old England in midsummer.
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38th over: Australia 205-4 (Head 22, Maxwell 9) Maxwell tries a reverse sweep off Moeen and almost plays on off the bottom edge, but recovers well with a cut for four. Australia need 50 from him.
37th over: Australia 197-4 (Head 20, Maxwell 3) Morgan doesn’t fancy spin from both ends, preferring Jake Ball. Travis Head doesn’t look comfortable but shovels a two and a one. Off the last ten overs, the Aussies have managed only 37-2. What is this, 1997?
36th over: Australia 192-4 (Head 17, Maxwell 2) Another tidy over from Moeen, who has now gone for only seven from his three overs. Maxwell surely has some fireworks up his sleeve.
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35th over: Australia 189-4 (Head 16, Maxwell 1) Off his ninth delivery, Maxwell finally gets off the mark. And Head is missed at slip by Root, diving to his left. It was a carbon-copy of Warner’s dismissal, except that the edge was thicker, which saved Head’s skin.
On commentary, Mike Atherton has a good spot. “Wood’s last four wickets are Smith, Warner, Williamson and Amla.” That’s immense.
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34th over: Australia 183-4 (Head 11, Maxwell 0) Another good over from Moeen, albeit including a wide, and that’s 5-1 off the past three overs. So at drinks the initiative is with England. Morgan, who has mixed it up shrewdly, may be tempted to bowl spin from both ends.
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33rd over: Australia 181-4 (Head 10, Maxwell 0) And that’s a wicket maiden from Wood, as Glenn Maxwell treats him with respect. Wood’s there to be the game-changer and that’s just what he is doing. He also has the pace to get the crowd baying for blood.
Wicket! Smith c Plunkett b Wood 56
That’s the big one! Wood returns and instantly Smith chips him to mid-off, where the Nunthorpe Sobers makes no mistake. Australia are 181-4, Wood has 2-20 and England are right back in this.
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32nd over: Australia 181-3 (Smith 56, Head 10) Morgan turns to Moeen Ali, the forgotten man. He starts well, giving it some air and conceding only three singles.
John Starbuck is picking up Gary Naylor’s point about whether anyone can judge a pitch. “Groundsmen (‘keepers?) are generally reckoned to be the best judges, because they don’t have the biases that batsmen and bowlers do, but of course in preparing their strips they are beholden to the home side’s preferences. So the best pitch judges are probably umpires, who see far more pitches than anyone else, given that their careers tend to last a lot longer and judgment improves with age.”
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31st over: Australia 178-3 (Smith 54, Head 9) Smith reaches his 50. He is always unorthodox, sometimes unconvincing, but unwaveringly competitive.
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30th over: Australia 172-3 (Smith 49, Head 8) Another good over from Rashid, who now has terrific figures: 7-1-26-1.
An email arrives from Andrew Benton, a man not afraid to make predictions. “Australia 345-6, I say.” Well, yes, if they double the 30-over score, as many teams do. But they will have to go after Rashid, and get some runs out of some rusty batters.
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29th over: Australia 170-3 (Smith 48, Head 7) Head cuts Plunkett for four, beautifully. If that stroke is anything to go by, he has a young Head on very young feet – both of them were off the ground. The Aussies have lost two quick wickets without losing momentum.
28th over: Australia 163-3 (Smith 47, Head 1) The wicket was a little triumph for Morgan, who had just brought Plunkett up from long-on. Out comes Travis Head to face his first ball of the tournament, which he squeezes for a single. Steve Smith needs to make 130 here.
Wicket! Henriques c Plunkett b Rashid 17
Rashid gets some reward for a half-excellent spell, persuading Henriques to slog to mid-on, where Plunkett takes neat low catch. That’s 161-3.
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27th over: Australia 160-2 (Smith 45, Henriques 17) Morgan turns to Plunkett, who is off-driven for four by Henriques. The Aussies are having one of those days when you motor to a big score without looking entirely convincing.
On Twitter, Gary Naylor is quoting me back at myself. “ ‘...big appeal for LBW... so the victory is only a moral one. Or a Corbyn, as it may now become known.’ And what happened next?” We don’t know, do we?
26th over: Australia 153-2 (Smith 43, Henriques 12) Rashid continues and the batsmen do some milking. A total of 310 looks on the cards here, maybe even 330.
In the Parlour game about Liam Plunkett’s nickname, it’s Lee Smith’s turn. “How about the Nunthorpe Sobers?”
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25th over: Australia 147-2 (Smith 41, Henriques 8) Holy Moses! Henriques eases Stokes through the covers with a lovely square drive, then pulls him for four more. Stokes, who got the wicket, has been the most expensive bowler, conceding 45 off his six overs.
24th over: Australia 136-2 (Smith 40, Henriques 0) Seizing the moment, Rashid rushes through a maiden to Henriques.
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23rd over: Australia 136-2 (Smith 40, Henriques 0) So Stokes, who hasn’t been at his best, makes the breakthrough, and England are down to Henriques, who is (a) an unlikely no.4 and (b) decidedly rusty. Game on.
Dave Brown picks up on James lane’s point from the 18th over. “Do they still do the ‘revs on the ball’ from a spinner?” he rhetorically inquires. “That was particularly pointless.”
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Wicket! Finch c Morgan b Stokes 68
Just when he was beginning to dominate, Finch sends an innocuous ball up into the clouds and Morgan holds on at cover. Australia are 136-2; England needed that.
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22nd over: Australia 127-1 (Finch 63, Smith 37) Rashid has another fine LBW shout again Finch. The replays suggested that the one in the previous over would have been well worth a review, though a hint of an inside edge might have saved Finch. Rashid collects another feather in his cap as Shane Warne congratulates him on his change of pace.
21st over: Australia 121-1 (Finch 58, Smith 36) Stokes returns and serves up a full toss on a platter, which Smith gobbles up with a swish to backward point.
“Hey Tim.” Hey Jeffrey Earp. “While Rashid’s on, you may like to mention that Afghanistan’s teenage legspinner Rashid Khan has recorded the fourth-best bowling figures in ODI history, taking 7-18 as the visitors thrashed West Indies by 63 runs in St Lucia.” Top stuff. If the Champions Trophy ever takes place again, will Afghanistan take the place of New Zealand?
20th over: Australia 114-1 (Finch 57, Smith 31) A superb over from Rashid, who suddenly finds his googly and his mojo. Bowling to Finch, he raps the pad three balls in a row. There’s a big appeal for LBW, then a smaller one, but no review, so the victory is only a moral one. Or a Corbyn, as it may now become known.
19th over: Australia 111-1 (Finch 55, Smith 30) Plunkett blots his copybook with a beamer, which Smith does well to fend for two, plus the no-ball. The free hit yields only one more as Plunkett digs it in, but Smith sees the chance for a big over and unfurls another of his straight drives, from the crease, for four.
On the back burner, Gary Naylor is coming to the boil. “Why are the commentators telling us that Smith doesn’t use his feet? I’ve never seen a batsman move more at the crease.”
18th over: Australia 98-1 (Finch 51, Smith 22) Adil Rashid comes on and finds some drift. Smith picks up a handsome two, with a straight drive, and a couple of singles.
An email from James Lane. “Can I nominate the bat-speed gimmick as the most useless TV-driven innovation in recent memory? Its main revelation seems to be that a fast bat doesn’t mean a decent shot. Other suggestions welcome.” It’s almost as if you’re doing my job for me.
17th over: Australia 93-1 (Finch 50, Smith 18) Finch reaches his 50 off only 47 balls: he could go very big here. And that’s drinks, with the Aussies on top but not lording it yet.
An email from Robert Hillier, picking up on my musings from the 13th over. “If Ray Parlour was the Romford Pele, then Plunkett could be the Nunthorpe Lillee?” It’s a great idea, but I can see why you added the question mark.
This, by the way, is not the only cricketing live blog The Guardian has for you today. For county coverage from Will Macpherson, go here: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2017/jun/10/county-cricket-surrey-v-essex-lancashire-v-middlesex-and-more-live
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16th over: Australia 90-1 (Finch 49, Smith 16) Just when Stokes was looking so tidy, he goes and trashes his room. He drops short, and Finch pulls for four; he goes wide, and Finch cuts for four more. And then when he finds the edge of Smith’s bat, he concedes a third boundary because there’s no slip. That’s the 50 partnership off 51 balls, so the squeeze that England applied hasn’t had much impact.
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15th over: Australia 76-1 (Finch 40, Smith 11) Just a single off the over from Plunkett, who has bounced back impeccably from that dodgy start. I underestimated him earlier – he is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament fro anybody, not just England.
Guy Hornsby is tweeting. “I fear we may get well and truly Australiaed today @TimdeLisle. Though I also imagine Liam Plunkett may have something to say about that.”
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14th over: Australia 75-1 (Finch 39, Smith 11) Stokes keeps the plug in, and the last three overs have gone for only eight.
Sky have a shed-load of commentators for this tournament, some of whom are not much good. Graeme Smith, who was such a formidable cricketer, seems to be from the Boycott school of broadcasting, unable to tell the difference between commentary and memoir.
13th over: Australia 72-1 (Finch 37, Smith 10) Testing stuff from Plunkett, tightening up after that floppy first over. He has become the Ray Parlour of this team, and could do with a nickname to match.
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12th over: Australia 70-1 (Finch 37, Smith 10) Ben Stokes comes on and restores order. It’s not often you can say that.
On Twitter, Sir John Riley picks up on Gary Naylor’s point (10th over). “Depends what your definition of a good pitch is.” Sure does. “Mine is that there’s something in it for batsman and bowler.”
11th over: Australia 67-1 (Finch 35, Smith 9) On comes Liam Plunkett, England’s leading wicket-taker in this tournament – and Finch treats him with contempt, sending two lovely drives down the ground.
An email from Tom van der Gucht. “What we really need right now is Professor John Curtice, to analyse the data from today alongside Champions Trophy results so far and make a prediction regarding the outcome. He was the highlight of election night, sticking to his guns and mathematical formula when the Tories criticised the exit poll after the first couple of seats were announced. In the end he was pretty much spot on.” Yes, he was great, and it turns out that we haven’t had enough of experts after al.
10th over: Australia 56-1 (Finch 25, Smith 8) England needed a few dots and Wood supplies them, helped by an attacking field – two slips and two short covers, tailored to Smith and that swish of his.
Popping up on Twitter is the indefatigable Gary Naylor. “Pitch is seaming plenty,” he reckons, “despite the Sky commentators endlessly telling us how good it is. Nobody knows anything about pitches.” Discuss.
9th over: Australia 55-1 (Finch 24, Smith 8) Smith continues to live dangerously, playing no stroke at Ball’s in-ducker and getting rapped on the pad. England don’t review, realising that it wasn’t doing quite enough. Like a pro, Smith still manages to swish a four through the covers and push a two to mid-off. Ball, without bowling badly, has already gone for 35.
8th over: Australia 45-1 (Finch 21, Smith 1) Wood dispatches Warner and immediately has Smith swishing at thin air. The wicket wakes up the crowd, who come out with a nice menacing “ooooh”, but Finch leg-glances for four. He’s been positive after that shaky start, and has 21 off 20.
Wicket! Warner c Buttler b Wood 21
Wood bowls a Test-match ball, lifting on a length on middle and off, and takes a Test-match wicket as Warner gets tucked up and nicks it. Australia are 40-1.
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7th over: Australia 39-0 (Warner 21, Finch 14) More singles, another pull for four from Warner, but also a flicker of danger as he spoons a nothing shot into the covers, a yard short of Morgan. Australia are motoring along, but the road has a few potholes.
6th over: Australia 31-0 (Warner 16, Finch 14) Warner tickles Wood for four, as fine leg is not fine at all. That position used to be called long leg, a term that fallen into disuse, even as the thing it denotes has made a comeback. I wonder if that has happened to any other words.
5th over: Australia 25-0 (Warner 11, Finch 13) Another swinging pull from Warner, this time off Ball, and almost going for six. A wide and a couple more quick singles. “This,” says Mike Atherton, “is looking more and more like a decent start for Australia.” If they win, they will be back here on Thursday for the semi-final. England will top the group, even if they lose today, because the first tie-break is most wins and they have two in the bag.
4th over: Australia 17-0 (Warner 6, Finch 11) After pottering along to 1 off 9 balls, Warner remembers who he is and pulls a perfectly decent ball from Wood through midwicket. Shot of the first 15 minutes. Wood’s last ball is a sharp one, hurrying Warner into a backward defence. Honours even so far.
An email from Dave Kalucy, who is fretful. “A little anxious about today and I can’t help but feel, judging by the tone of the preamble, that perhaps England might just assume they have this one in the bag. Let’s just hope that it’s more of a Theresa May sort of confidence and not the sort decided by history. Then again maybe it’s just my nerves. Good luck Mr Smith & co.”
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3rd over: Australia 11-0 (Warner 1, Finch 10) Finch finds the middle of the bat, smacking Ball back straight with a front-foot pull. Then he reverts to the edge, aiming through the covers and getting a streaky four to square leg. A couple of singles make it a big over on paper.
2nd over: Australia 1-0 (Warner 0, Finch 1) First ball from Mark Wood, Aaron Finch tries to go big and misses. Second ball, he pokes and misses again. Third ball, realism sets in and he lets it go. Fourth ball, he’s a millionaire again and it’s his third miss. Fifth ball, he finally makes a connection – a leading edge into the covers. England are on top.
1st over: Australia 0-0 (Warner 0, Finch 0) Jake Ball asks the first few questions, and David Warner has no answer to a classic outswinger. The kind of ball you’re delighted to miss. Warner treats Ball with respect and it’s a maiden.
On Twitter, Rob Eastaway is rubbing his eyes. “After decades of England being ODI cricket failures, it’s hard to get my head round them being favourites to win a world tournament.”
On email, Chris Drew is fuming. “No YJB! Let me be the first to froth at the mouth over this.”
Conditions: mixed
The pitch, according to Rob Key on Sky, “looks an absolute belter”. The day, alas, does not – it’s overcast at the moment, and the Met Office has raindrops falling on our heads from 4pm onwards, which is about 15 overs into England’s innings.
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Teams: no change
England: Roy, Hales, Root, Morgan (captain), Stokes, Buttler (wicketkeeper), Moeen, Rashid, Plunkett, Wood, Ball.
Australia: Warner, Finch, Smith (captain), Henriques, Maxwell, Head, Wade (wicketkeeper), Starc, Cummins, Zampa, Hazlewood.
Toss: England bowl first
Steve Smith calls wrong, and Eoin Morgan prefers to chase. England are unchanged, so Jason Roy is lucky again, and Jonny Bairstow is unlucky. Smith says he would have batted first anyway, “probably”. He sounds about as convincing as Theresa May.
Australia are unchanged too. They haven’t won here at Edgbaston since 2001, and rumour has it that a few years after that they lost a Test by two runs.
Preamble
Morning everyone. It’s England v Australia, the longest-running saga in international cricket – but the scriptwriters have come up with a twist. England have, in effect, already won. They’re through to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy, whereas Australia badly need a win after two stalemates. And, in a delicious extra touch, the team the Aussies need to dislodge from second place are ... the mighty Bangladesh.
The Champions Trophy, always succinct, has already been through three distinct phases: first predictable, then sodden, then spicy. It’s almost as if it set out to be strong and stable, only to go haywire – but in a good way. The last few days have been one upset after another, with Pakistan surprising South Africa, Sri Lanka mounting a great chase against India, and Bangladesh recovering from 33-4 to send New Zealand home.
If that trend continues, England, the only team in the tournament to win their first two games, will come a cropper against Steve Smith and his plucky little underdogs. In fact, this match looks perfectly poised: England have form and rhythm and home advantage, but the Aussies know how to win tournaments.
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