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Welcome to news.com.au’s coverage of Australia’s clash with England at the Cricket World Cup.
The stage is set for a huge grudge match, with Australia coming off four straight wins while England languish at the bottom of the table with no hope of making the knockout stage.
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But the match-up looms as a danger game for the Aussies and England will be desperate to turn their form around against the old enemy.
Australia need to win two out of their remaining three games to guarantee a spot in the semi-finals, and a loss to England could open the door for Afghanistan, who have four wins and face the Aussies next.
Australia made two changes, with all-rounders Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis replacing Glenn Maxwell (concussion) and Mitchell Marsh (personal reasons).
3.24am – Zampa does it all
He can bat, he can bowl, and he sure can take a catch — Adam Zampa can do it all.
The Aussie leg spinner has taken what Nasser Hussain called “a breathtaking catch”.
Running in from the boundary, Zampa had to dive, snagging the catch of David Willey and handing Josh Hazlewood his first wicket of the day.
3.15am – Zampa strikes again
Adam Zampa has essentially pushed Australia to a win here.
His 19-ball 29 was essential at the end of the Aussie innings, as well as 3/21 off his 10 overs, including the last wicket of Moeen Ali for 42.
A top edge off a sweep was caught on the boundary, and it leaves Australia in the box seat to claim the victory.
Zampa has been exemplary, moving to the top of the World Cup wicket-takers ladder with his 19th wicket of the tournament.
2.51am – Cummins strikes, Livingstone gone
Australia have hit again, leaving England 6/174 with 13 overs remaining.
Cummins had been bowling tight but got a bit shorter and Liam Livingstone looked to tee off.
However, his pull shot went near Sean Abbott, who took an excellent catch to leave England with a lot of work to do to chase down Australia’s 286.
2.43am – Stokes is gone
Thank you Adam Zampa — Ben Stokes is gone for 64.
The Aussie spinner has done it again, taking the big wicket for Australia with Stokes sweeping straight to Marcus Stoinis at short fine leg.
It’s a huge wicket and it leaves England needing 118 off 87 with five wickets remaining.
2.38am – The Poms are picking up speed
He’s doing it again …
Ben Stokes is doing Ben Stokes things once more, having moved into the 60s, and building another 50+ run stand with Moeen Ali.
Former England skipper Michael Atherton said: “Just some of the body language in the last 5- 10 minutes, from Australia, senses that a few of those memories or nightmares are coming back.”
Well when you’ve been burned so many times, there’s sure to be some scars.
2.19am – Stokes brings up 50
There’s nothing scarier than Ben Stokes taking his time in the middle if you’re an Australian cricket fan.
Stokes has brought up his 50 with a towering six, achieving the milestone off 74 balls.
But Aussie fans will feel like they’ve seen this play before, and will be hoping for Stokes’ wicket in the very near future.
1.55am – Patience is paying off
After an 84-run stand between Dawid Malan and Ben Stokes, it’s like England have remembered their last on the ladder and have begun capitulating once more.
It’s now two wickets for three runs after Jos Buttler was caught on the boundary by Cameron Green for a seven-ball 1.
It’s 4/106 off 25.1 overs.
1.41am – Aussies strike after Malan hits 50
England’s Dawid Malan has brought up his half-century against Australia, as England pass the 100 mark of the chase.
But he’s holed out to Travis Head after Pat Cummins brought himself back on.
The Aussie skipper has an unnatural ability to take wickets almost the second Australia need them and he’s done it once again.
A top edge went high and was well taken by Travis Head at the square leg boundary.
It’s 3/103 off 22.3 overs.
Cummins wicket ended an 84-run partnership between Malan and Ben Stokes.
1.13am – Australia keeping it tight
We’re 15 overs in and while England have only lost the two wickets, the Poms are struggling along.
While Australia knows only too well what Ben Stokes can do when he frees the arms, he’s 12 off 34 balls, while Dawid Malan is keeping the runs ticking over on 29 off 38 balls.
But after 15 overs, England are 2/58, batting at slower than four runs an over.
12.27am – Marnus got a DRS call right?!?
The world truly is turned upside down — not only did Aussie skipper Pat Cummins listen to Marnus Labuschagne for a crazy appeal, he was bang on right.
England at 2/19 with Starc nabbing a second wicket as Joe Root departs for 13.
The ball went past the bat but Labuschagne was adamant it was out.
“That was a huge noise, I don’t know what you guys saw but that was good,” Labuschagne said on stump mic.
“Massive noise. I heard a massive noise boys.
Despite having burned a review in the first over, Cummins sent it upstairs, with the snicko finding the edge.
It has England 2/19 and Australia well on top.
12.07am – Australia in disbelief over first ball stunner
Mitchell Starc had the perfect start to their bowling innings with Jonny Bairstow strangled down the leg side.
It was a poor first ball of the innings to be honest as Starc threw down a loosener down Bairstow’s leg side but the English opener got a little edge on the ball through to Josh Inglis.
“Even though Jonny Bairstow is English, I feel sorry for him,” former Aussie star Shane Watson said. “It is such a stiff way to get out. First ball especially.”
Strikers WBBL star Amanda Wellington tweeted: “Starc with a first ball wicket!!”
Wisden editor Lawrence Booth wrote: “Needless to say, Jonny Bairstow is caught behind first ball down the leg side off Mitchell Starc’s loosener.”
CODE Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy added: “MITCH STARC FIRST BALL AGAINST ENGLAND AGAIN!!!!”
Incredibly, it’s the fifth time Starc has taken a wicket with the first ball on an ODI innings.
It almost got so much better the following over when Marcus Stoinis dropped a chance at cover.
After three overs, it’s 1/14.
11.28pm – Zampa to the rescue as Australia all out for 286
It could have been so much worse but Australia have a total to bowl at in Ahmedabad, thanks mainly to a 19-ball 29 from Adam Zampa.
The Aussie spinner hit four fours and took Australia from 8/247 to 9/285 when he was dismissed.
Earlier it looked like Australia was nowhere near getting 300, but the leggy got Australia most of the way there.
But Mark Taylor said it might have backfired on the Aussies having Zampa tee off late.
“In the back of their mind they will be thinking ‘Have we underscored here’,” Mark Taylor said.
“Because if a tailender can come in and do that, imagine what you do with set batters, if Green and Stoinis is there, if Labuschagne or Smith had gone on and batted late. That will be the one worry for Australia.”
It was a largely frustrating innings for Australia with the two-paced wicket making it difficult going at times.
Marnus Labuschagne’s 71, Steve Smith’s 44 and Cameron Green’s 47 were all starts but Australia needed at least one of them to go really big to bat England out of the game.
Taylor said it was an “even game” but that Australia may be “15 to 20 short”.
“I always thought about 300 was going to be a pass for today,” Taylor said. “As you will see from the scorecard, too many starts, not enough big scores.
“It was only really that little cameo at the at the end for Adam Zampa who made 29 off 19 balls that got Australia to 286, which as I said, it is quite a good score. Whether it will be enough or not we don’t really know.
“You felt Australia could have made 300. If one of the batsmen at the top of the order had made that 100, that’s with was missing today, that finishing touch to the starts that they got.”
Taylor added that it was a “worry” that Australia were bowled out after batting first, the third time it’s happened this World Cup.
While the Poms have been largely hopeless with the bat this World Cup, it’s exactly the type of game the side would have pencilled into their diaries for a big game.
10.56pm – Two in quick succession
It’s over to the tail.
Marcus Stoinis got 35 off 32 balls, including 10 runs off the first three balls of the 44th over.
But the Western Australian went one to many times, picking out Jonny Bairstow on the boundary to leave Australia 7/241.
There’s still 39 balls left and hope Australia can get to 300, but it’s a lot harder when it’s Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc at the crease.
“He had done the damage and then holds out on probably the longest boundary at this ground,” Mark Taylor said.
“That’s once again leaving too much for the bowlers to do. There is still 6.2 overs left.
“We now have got Starc to join Cummins. So that 300 is not going to be easy to get from here because we are running out of batsmen.”
Pat Cummins then followed the following over, chopping Mark Wood down to third man for four, before top edging an attempted pull shot straight to Dawid Malan.
10.42pm – Green gone at the worst time
Australia has Marcus Stoinis and the bowlers with which to get to 300 after Cameron Green had his leg stump removed by David Willey.
Green went to work the ball around the corner but saw the leg pole knocked out of the ground.
“It was a poor shot from Cameron Green,” Mark Taylor said.
“Still 9.2 overs left in the innings. Just a bad time to get out. It left the bowlers a lot to do again because there is the best part of 10 overs left.”
Green had played well for 47 off 52 balls.
10.22pm – 200 is up
There’s 13 overs to go and Australia are 200.
Cam Green has moved to 39, while Stoinis is 11 off 10 balls.
After 37 overs, Australia is 5/202.
But Australia will need to accelerate as it’s believed after sunset it will become easier to bat on.
10pm – Just as Australia right the ship …
That was the one thing we didn’t need.
Australia’s innings could have gone one of two ways after Steve Smith and Josh Inglis were dismissed four runs and nine balls from each other but Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green have righted the ship somewhat.
Combining for a 61-run stand, Labuschagne appeared heading for a hundred, but Mark Wood, who has been shaking his head for most of the day, finally snared a wicket.
Marnus reviewed but it was out and Australia at 5/178 off 33 overs.
Channel 9’s Mark Taylor said: “The run rate is OK, but Australia you suspect is going to need something around 300, or certainly high-200s. Looks like a pretty good pitch. Generally batting second here in Ahmedabad is an advantage.”
9.30pm – Marnus has 50 …
… but we’re going to need a lot more.
After 27 overs, Australia is 4/138.
The pitch appears to settle after the lights go on, which could make this a long night if Australia can’t build a good score here.
Marnus appears to be the key although it would be welcome if Cameron Green can bounce back to form.
9.17pm – We’re in a bit of trouble
Australia is in a bit of trouble here …
Josh Inglis is out for three as Adil Rashid takes his second, with the Aussie reverse sweeping to the one man on the edge of the circle.
“This is a huge challenge now for Australia,” Ricky Ponting said.
“When you look at that, probably feels a little unlucky. Just the one man there. As far as I’m concerned, no need to play that shot.
“Wickets like this, you have to lower your expectations. It is not a wicket like Ali, you won’t get 380. Lower your expectations, partnerships, keep yourself in the game and hope to explode in the latter overs.”
9.10pm – Smith gone for 44
Although the run rate is still ticking over, there’s a lot of work still ahead for Australia’s middle order.
Steve Smith was dismissed in the 22nd over to make it 3/113 after he cut Adil Rashid with Moeen Ali taking a low catch at a short third man/gully position.
Smith had 44 off 52 balls.
Australia are still batting at five an over so 250+ is definitely on the cards, although what we could do with a 40-ball Glenn Maxwell century …
8.45pm – England keep Australia quiet
It’s not as easy as it seemed early.
After racing to 39 before David Warner’s wicket in the sixth over, Australia are still only two down but with 70 on the board after 15 overs.
Arguably in Australia’s favour is that Narendra Modi Stadium at Ahmedabad has had 15 matches with the average first innings score 235, while the second innings average is 205.
Unfortunately, both games this World Cup have seen the chasing team win.
The highest total at the ground during this World Cup was 1/283, set in the opening game of the tournament, when New Zealand chased down England’s 9/282.
The other match had Pakistan bowled out for 191, which India chased down three wickets down with nearly 20 overs up their sleeves.
8pm – Double blow rocks Australia
This hasn’t gone to plan.
While Australia would have liked to heap the misery on England, the old enemy have shown their right up for this, taking two wickets inside the opening 6 overs.
And those wickets were last match centurion Travis Head and Australia’s leading run scorer David Warner.
Warner top edged a rash pull shot and was easily caught for 15, giving Chris Woakes his second wicket of the match.
2/39 off six overs.
7.40pm – England take a huge scalp
There’ll be no replay of Travis Head’s heroics against England after he was dismissed in just the second over of the day.
With a little juice in the wicket it seems, Chris Woakes drew the edge to have Head caught by Joe Root at slip.
Head looked to be aggressive but didn’t seem to be timing the ball as well as last game out with a few lofted shots not finding the boundary.
He was dismissed for 11 off 10 balls as he looked to knock the ball down the third man, but instead steered it into the hands of Joe Root.
It’s 1/14 off two overs.
7.05pm – England win the toss and bowl
England have sent Australia in, believing the pitch is “tacky” and “will get better as the day goes on”.
Aussie captain Pat Cummins said he would have batted first anyway.
Australia have made two changes with Glenn Maxwell out through concussion and Mitchell Marsh heading home for personal reasons, with Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green coming into the side.
It’s the first time Australia and England have met since the Ashes, which was overshadowed by the Jonny Bairstow saga that has reared its head in recent times.
England chose not to have post-series drinks after the fifth Ashes Test and it’s set to be a fiery battle when the Poms face the Aussies once again.
Team line-ups
AUS XI: David Warner, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
ENG XI: Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Jos Buttler (c) (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
7pm – ‘Crap’ England finally see the truth
England’s Ben Stokes on Friday conceded that “nothing’s worked” in a disastrous World Cup campaign.
The defending champions have lost five of their six matches to lie bottom of the 10-team table and another defeat on Saturday in Ahmedabad against arch rivals Australia will end even their slimmest hopes of squeezing into the semi-finals.
“I think the problem is that we’ve been crap. To be honest with you, we’ve been crap,” Stokes said.
“Everything we’ve tried throughout this World Cup, through trying to put pressure back onto the opposition in a way in which we know, or trying to soak up the pressure in a different way, which we know we’ve done before and been successful with, it’s just not worked.” Stokes added: “Every opportunity that we’ve had in front of us where we feel like we can take control of the game, the opposition’s managed to get it back towards them. And we’ve just not been able to put a full game together.
“We’ve had a disastrous World Cup and there’s no point sugar-coating that because it’s the truth. But we know these last three games, for us, we’ve got a lot to play for.
“I think the biggest thing that we’ve got to play for is obviously the pride of what it is to put the three lions on your chest, walking out onto the field every time is a very special occasion and something that we value very highly.”
England have brushed aside any talk of an unlikely mathematical miracle of making the final-four even if they win their remaining three matches.
But a clash with five-time champions Australia does excite Stokes and his teammates, three months after an acrimonious Ashes series ended 2-2.
“England-Australia in any sport whenever the two nations play against each it’s always a big occasion,” said Stokes.
He said, “There’s always a bit more chatter when England play Australia and whatever it is. So yeah, you just see it and I understand why. It’s a bit like when India and Pakistan come and play each other.”
With AFP
Originally published as Cricket World Cup Australia vs England live: Stunning ‘blinder’ leaves England in ruins
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