Well that’s it from me – and for England’s hopes in this competition.That defeat of Bangladesh on October 10 seems a long time ago – since then a dirty great storm of poor form and spiralling lack of confidence. The holders still have two more games left – against the Netherlands and Pakistan – from which to salvage some pride and a possible Champions Trophy place.
Australia, meanwhile, are up and away, with clear water between them and New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan. A semi-final place is very likely, if not yet mathematically sealed. The reports from today will be in place soon, thanks for all your messages – goodnight!
Buttler did speak. This is what he said: “I feel like we are having the same chat after every game at the minute. There were improvements again today. We got back to more like how we can play but still short of it to lose by 30 odd.
“There’s plenty of ways to find those 30 runs we needed. It certainly feels like a low point. I’ve had a few but definitely as a captain. To be stood in this position having arrived in India with high hopes is incredibly tough and disappointing. It hurts a lot.
“We haven’t done ourselves justice. Coming into the tournament we fancied ourselves to have a real go and push whoever it was going to be all the way. It’s incredibly tough to reach those highs absolutely. Everyone knows how much hard work goes into that, and even when you come up short.
“We’ve let ourselves down. We’ve let down people down at home, who support us through thick and thin and we wear that on our own shoulders.”
Jos, dump that guilt. We all fail – but most of us without the huge success first.
Adam Zampa wins the player of the match award for his 3-21 off 10, and I’m not sure if I missed Jos Buttler, when I was trying to find the right channel, but there is no sign of him now
Moeen Ali has the short straw and is with Sky “ Obviously very disappointed, we just haven’t been good enough in this tournament, a lack of confidence in the side. A little better today. We tried so much, and as players tried to be really aggressive but we just couldn’t do it and lost wickets in clumps.
“The message has been clear, just go out and play our game, I think just the lack of belief in the side…we haven’t done it.
Stands by Buttler and Mott:“I think the clarity in the players, the messaging, has generally been the same but …. maybe we haven’t been talking to each other in the same way. Lack of runs, lack of wickets, you can feel embarrassed and internalise it a bit. In the past we’ve stuck our chest out but this time we haven’t done that.
“I know it is very disappointing at the minute but going forward with the players we have and the younger players coming through with the fearless attitude they have…” and then the feed drops I’m afraid.
A smiling Pat Cummins, “We knew at the start of the tournament we weren’t at our best, we’ve seen a marked improvement. Adam Zampa is a match-winner, and we’re lucky to have a few of them. We feel like we have a whole squad ready to play.”
England are knocked out of the World Cup
Put the calculators away – its all over. They go out with some pride after a hard-fought performance –despite today being their sixth defeat of the competition. They remain bottom of the table. Sky show what they think by flicking straight to the football.
WICKET! Rashid c Inglis b HAzlewood 20 (England 253 all out) Australia win by 33 runs and England are out of the World Cup
Swing, edge, out.
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48th over: England 253-9 ( Rashid 20) It IS Stoinis. Rashid and Woakes are breathing heavily, obviously. Cummins dries the ball, but it still slips out of Stoinis’ hand – a full toss, that Rashid edges behind slip for SIX! Woakes misses a slow bouncer, and has to attack the full toss. Very nicely batted.
WICKET! Woakes c Labuschagne b Stoinis 32 (England 253-9)
Woakes takes fly at a full toss – he has to – and it goes up, up and Labuschange collects, as tightly as the Aussies have all afternoon.
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47th over: England 243-8 ( Woakes 29, Rashid 13) Just three singles off Cummins until Woakes lets fly and slaps the ball straight back for six with a slotted spoon. England need 43 from 18 – with the two part-timer overs left. Tantalising!
46th over: England 233-8 ( Woakes 21, Rashid 11) A helicopter swish of the blade from Adil Rashid, and a diving Cameron Green on the boundary both loses the ball and his trousers. Seven from Hazlewood’s over, 54 needed from 24.
“Hola de Mexico,” nice to meet you Kat Peterson. “I’d like to join the foreign correspondents contingent. Thought I’d avoid England’s ignominy by being out and about but have inadvertently ended up in a city with public wifi everywhere. Thanks Mérida. Obviously I could stop constantly refreshing the score but it’s the hope etc etc.”
45th over: England 223-7 ( Woakes 19, Rashid 3) Superb over from Cummins, leaking just three. But as they point out on comms, Australia are still going to need two overs from their part timers.
“I don’t pretend to know why England keep stepping on rakes, Sideshow Bob style,” muses Niall Mullen, “but it is stark how a team for whom nothing seemed impossible has transformed into a team where nothing is possible.”
At this point, I should say they need two a ball for five overs.
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44th over: England 223-7 ( Woakes 19, Rashid 3) Woakes isn’t going down without a fight. Slaps Hazlewood through midwicket for four. Willey managed another four before being brilliantly caught by Zampa. This is still, tentatively, a possibility.
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WICKET! Willey c Zampa b Hazlewood 15 (England 216-8)
Another superb catch from Australia – this time a running, one-handed clutch and dive on the boundary rope from Zampa.
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43rd over: England 212-7 ( Woakes 11, Willey 15) Starc’s final over proving more lucrative for England than his first. A wide to start, then two handsome drives from Woakes for four, one square, one through cover. Thirteen from the over.
42nd over: England 187-7 ( Woakes 7, Willey 9) Zampa, baby-faced, even at 31, wheels through his final over, concedes just one. Congratulated by Warner, and Labuschagne, he tucks his towel into the back of his trousers and wanders away to his fielding position. Three for 21 today, 19 in the tournament. Fabulous stuff.
41st over: England 187-7 ( Woakes 6, Willey 10) An expensive eleven from Starc’s over, including a wide and two up yours boundaries from David Willey.
“Hi Tanya,” hello Edmund Bannister!
“My son loves the Pixar film inside out at the moment, I can’t help but see the parallels with this England team, once driven by joy, there now seems to be sadness, disgust, fear and anger at the control panel ….!”
40th over: England 187-7 ( Woakes 5, Willey 1) The required rate is ten an over. A third wicket for the excellent Zampa who now has 9-0-20-3.
“Maybe I’ll start the pizza early for everyone,” types Mark Beadle, a man suddenly in a hurry. “BYOB.”
WICKET! Moeen c Warner b Zampa 42 (England 186-7)
The end of Moeen, for a delicate run a ball 42. Cummins ushers Warner into position and Mo obliges by slog sweeping with pin point accuracy. As he hits, he knows, and drops his head in frustration. Warner celebrates with typical restraint.
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39th over: England 186-6 ( Moeen Ali 42, Woakes 5) And over that starts with a Moeen hook for four, ends with a Woakes upper-cut for four, with a single in between. The umpires reach in a chocolate box of balls for a new one. It has to be the dark chocolate truffle.
Merni writes to point out that, “All of India is also in the northern hemisphere!” Good point – I’ll go back and tweak.
38th over: England 177-6 ( Moeen Ali 37, Woakes 0) Zampa dries the ball. Three precious singles and an lbw appeal – turned down.
37th over: England 174-6 ( Moeen Ali 35, Woakes 0) England’s task looking increasingly tricky. The rate over nine.
WICKET! Livingstone c Abbot (sub) b Cummings 2 (England 174-6)
Livingstone pulls fiercely – but from nowhere at midwicket appears a flying Sean Abbot, who grabs with both hands and doesn’t let go.
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36th over: England 171-5 ( Moeen Ali 33, Livingstone 1) An admirable innings from Stokes, a man out of touch but trying to get there by aura alone. And another wicket for the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, Adam Zampa.
WICKET! Stokes c Stoinus b Zampa 64 (England 170-5)
Stokes throws his hands to the ground in despair after getting down low and sweeping -straight to short fine leg. He marches off, dumps his bat, throws off his gloves and his helmet, shakes his head and his long red beard. From the dugout, the other England players and support staff watch, clapping nervously.
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35th over: England 169-4 ( Stokes 64, Moeen Ali 32) Stokes swings at Hazlewood but can only pick up a single, the force isn’t yet with him. But Moeen Ali has found his mojo, and as dusk starts to fall here in Manchester, he drives effortlessly through the covers for four
And read all about Fakhar Zaman’s match-winning 126 as Pakistan start to work their magic:
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34th over: England 162-4 ( Stokes 63, Moeen Ali 27) Labuschagne is Stoinus’s chief ball drier. Stoinus starts with a yorker, and another, the next is tickled for four by Moeen. He and Stoke punch gloves. The next ball is short and Moeen pulls him for four more – and that’s the fifty partership off 53 balls. Stoinus is not best pleased with his fielders.
33rd over: England 152-4 ( Stokes 6s, Moeen Ali 18) They pause for drinks and to mop up the dew. Snappy fielding by Stoinis at cover cuts off more from Stokes. Fifty-five thousand people in today and nearly every one sighs in appreciation as Moeen Ali, all high elbow and perfect face, drives Hazledwood straight back down the ground for four.
Here is Ali Martin’s cracking World Cup diary:
32nd over: England 146-4 ( Stokes 61, Moeen Ali 13) Another SIX! Stokes pounds a short one from Head over deep midwicket. But Moeen hasn’t found his timing yet – eight from the over.
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Fifty for Ben Stokes!
31st over: England 138-4 ( Stokes 51, Moeen Ali 12) Starc, black sleeves under his yellow shirt. Stokes shares a smile with him, as sweat drips from his helmet. And, pow!, suddenly on comes the dazzling spotlight as Stokes pulls for six. He barely acknowledges it, a brief nod of the bat.
Peter Rowntree strokes his beard. “The side has got old. YJB hasn’t yet got back to the player he was before his accident. The inclusion of players such as Brook, Duckett and James Rew would certainly help to bring the average age of the side down. “
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30th over: England 128-4 ( Stokes 46, Moeen Ali 11) Through a clouded window, a figure leans his head on his hands. It is Jos Buttler. Just three singles off the tricky-to-hit Head. The rate raises to eight an over.
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29th over: England 125-4 ( Stokes 44, Moeen Ali 10) Warner throws himself about, a scrappy Terrier eager for sausages, sliding on the wet grass to cut off Stokes’s drive with one hand. Six from Starc’s over.
28th over: England 119-4 ( Stokes 41, Moeen Ali 7) Zampa starts his over with two wides, but follows that up with five dots – a misfield gives England a welcome single. Zampa’s six overs have now cost just 14 runs.
“Keeping up with the match on OBO in Miami Florida,” hello Thomas Walker! “Think the Aussies might just squeeze in a win, with England’s batting prone to collapse. One comment - on the Buttler wicket, Cam Green is most certainly not in ‘canary yellow’. That’s Australian Gold!” Reprimand accepted.
27th over: England 116-4 ( Stokes 41, Moeen Ali 6) A Cummins over that starts with a Moeen edge, ends with a Stokes pull – both go for four. Welcome relief for Stokes, who had scored just a single off his previous ten balls.,
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26th over: England 107-4 ( Stokes 37, Moeen Ali 0) As Zampa punches the air in delight, Buttler trudges a slow trudge back to the dug-out, lips set, slowly shaking his head. Moeen Ali leaps ahead of Liam Livingstone and must join Stokes at the crease. The last 24 balls have produced just six runs, and two wickets
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WICKET! Buttler c Green b Zampa 1(England 106-4)
Buttler tries to welly the ball down the ground for six, but its all over the place and Cam Green in canary yellow is waiting at long off. He throws the ball in the air in delight. The end of another short and miserable stay at the crease for Buttler.
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25th over: England 106-3 ( Stokes 37, Buttler 1) Stokes plays out a Cummins maiden, and at the half way stage, England are in with a chance. They need another 181 at more than seven an over.
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24th over: England 106-3 ( Stokes 37, Buttler 1) Just three singles off Zampa.
“Boa tarde Tanya,” hello, Geoff Wignall!
“I’m finding it hard to resist the thought that England’s openers illustrate their problems.
“Malan: routinely underrated, frequently unjustly overlooked yet the one batsman who’s turned up in this tournament.
“Bairstow: one glorious, outlier year apart a player who’s always promised far more than he occasionally delivered and has spent the tournament looking aggrieved with the universe for denying him his due, i.e. runs.
“Limited or denied opportunity for some, hubris for others (yes, you can achieve much and still be hubristic).”
23rd over: England 103-3 ( Stokes 35, Buttler 0) A top-edge hands Malan his fifty, off 63 balls, another nicely played innings, but he can’t take England to the finish this time. His wicket brings in Buttler –to a medley of his dismissals on Sky – the old two miracle working warhorses together at the crease. Buttler gets a customary edge, but this time it bobbles along to slip.
WICKET! Malan c Head b Cummins 50 (England 103-3)
Malan goes for broke and top edges a pull into the night, well held low at deep backward square leg.
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22nd over: England 101-2 ( Malan 49, Stokes 34) The 452nd six of the tournament belongs to Ben Stokes, who slaps Travis Head down the ground. Tries it again next ball and nearly loses his stumps.
21st over: England 92-2 ( Malan 47, Stokes 27) Malan eyes up Stoinis, two boundaries to fine leg, one a top edge hook down to the rope – but they all count.
20th over: England 82-2 ( Malan 38, Stokes 26) Travis Head whistles through another, for only three runs. Comparison wise, England aren’t too behind. If they can dig this out -unglamorous spade by unglamorous spade – they’re in there.
19th over: England 79-2 ( Malan 37, Stokes 24) Stoinis, thumb bandaged, chewing gum. Stokes swipes but can’t break the ring. Four singles.
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18th over: England 75-2 ( Malan 35, Stokes 22) Time for the part-time spin of Travis Head. Five singles, no problems, over in a flash.
17th over: England 70-2 ( Malan 32, Stokes 20) That’s more like it! Stokes takes a gentle step forward and drives Starc with gumption for four. Plays and misses at the next . And that’s the fifty partnership off 75 balls. Brick by brick, England building a foundation
16th over: England 62-2 ( Malan 30, Stokes 12) Zampa, slight of stature, skips in. Dries the ball, decorates the grass with a globule of spit. The last ball keeps low and Malan can only toe-end it back.
“ATAA,” Hello Mark Beadle. “Saturday is the traditional make my signature spicy veggie gluten free pizza while listening to the Tanzhalle radio show here in Berlin. Timed perfectly so that the show finishes at the same time as the pizza and then it’s open the wine and slap a DVD in. ‘The Last of Us’, tonight, I wonder if that’s symbolic in some way?” That sounds divine, is it open house for OBO readers?
15th over: England 58-2 ( Malan 29, Stokes 12) Starc comes back, Stokes pulls a short one for two. Malan pulls nicely but only to the fielder on the rope. England unerringly finding the fielders. In the dugout, Harry Brook puts a towel round his neck and prepares for duty. Drinks.
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14th over: England 50-2 ( Malan 27, Stokes 9) Zampa whistles through another over. England’s current run rate is 3.74 – but this is the rebuilding stage.
Hello John Starbuck! “Hi, it could be that the ECB have given up on the shorter forms of the games and are planning the next generation already. Meanwhile, the current squad can rehabilitate themselves by proving a whizz in Tests. Not very likely, I know, but you wouldn’t rule out anything which involves cricket manipulations. For now, here’s what Australians retreat into when the modern game gets all too much.”
13th over: England 50-2 ( Malan 21, Stokes 7) I’m very grateful for the peanut butter sandwich that arrives in the living room. Cummins gambols through his over. Stokes swipes ineffectively. At the same point in the innings, Australia were 61-2.
12th over: England 45-2 ( Malan 21, Stokes 7) Time for the be-spectacled Adam Zampa, drying, drying, drying his hands. Malan picks a single off the first ball and Stokes plays out the rest of the over with various stages of aplomb..
11th over: England 44-2 ( Malan 20, Stokes 7) Another boundary for Malan, who top edges a four off Cummins, six from the over, and touch of dazzle suddenly in the England footprints.
And over at Bengaluru, the game is called off. Pakistan win! That leaves Pakistan Afghanistan and New Zealand on 8 points and the fight for the semi-spots alive.
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10th over: England 38-2 ( Malan 9, Stokes 6) Hazlewood stays on for a fifth. A decent crowd seems pretty enthused by the contest in front of them. And that’s cheered them up even more as Malan drops to his knees and sweeps a huge SIX.
Do you think pretty much all of this side should be jettisoned and a rebuild start from scratch @tjaldred (yes, I know about the contracts)?
— Gary Naylor 85 (@garynaylor85) November 4, 2023
People, some of whom have never seen county cricket, say nobody is pushing for a place, but they haven't been given a chance.
I woudn’t jettison all of them, even most of them, but the second-string side who played under Stokes during Covid shows there is lots of talent waiting in the wings. Will they be a good as this exceptional team – a once in a generation side?Probably not. But some shuffling of the cards probably in order.
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9th over: England 31-2 ( Malan 9, Stokes 5) A bowling change, as Cummins replaces Starc. Stokes drives with abandon, but straight to point. Australia have a tight circle of fielders restricting the Stokes run gathering. Can Stokes restrain the desire to recklessly hit himself into form?
8th over: England 29-2 ( Malan 8, Stokes 4) Hazlewood again, for what will probably be his last of this stint. A scampering Warner saves a boundary from a-not-quite-on-it slap from Stokes.
7th over: England 25-2 ( Malan 7, Stokes 1) Malan square drives gloriously for four to spoil what was otherwise a tight over from Starc.
It is still raining in Bengalaru, with Pakistan ahead on D/L and the cut-off time in just over half an hour.
6th over: England 20-2 ( Malan 3, Stokes 2) Stokes plays out a maiden from Hazlewood. Beard not bristling.
The ECB and the BCCI are the target of Anand’s “OBO rant for the day.”
“Just realised that the ECB did not want to be outdone by the BCCI. Hear me out...
“The whole mismanagement reg. ticketing for the world cup has been covered sufficiently.
“ECB higher ups probably decided that they can’t be left behind. So, they decided to release their contracted player list in the middle of the world, ensuring that the one guy who is performing decently will retire. I wonder what Rob Key would have said about this if he were still a SKY pundit!
“However, I still think BCCI is still on top of the mismanagement table but England are in 2nd place.”
I’m still baffled by the contracts thing, though Willey said he knew when the players came together pre tournament he was the only one without a contract. I guess the ECB wanted to tie players down before they got locked into lucrative T20 contracts, but now they’re left paying some players whose better days may be behind them. And I still don’t understand why they announced it mid tournament.
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5th over: England 20-2 ( Malan 3, Stokes 2) The sight of Ben Stokes striding out to the middle has, temporarily, lost its aura. Memories of that agricultural hoick against India will live long in the memory. Starc, exceptional, has a second wicket.
WICKET! Root c Inglis b Starc (England 19-2)
Marnus Labuschagne bounces up and down at cover and convinces Cummins that he heard a “huge noise” a Root edge on a worry of a caught behind. No-one else looks particularly convinced – but Marnus’s ears earn Australia a second wicket. An out-of-sorts Root pulls his chin strap over his chin and shuffles back.
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4th over: England 19-1 ( Malan 3, Root 13) Hazlewood again. Root busy, trying to buy his runs through the alleyways, up the riverbed, but it isn’t easy. Is he dropped again? Smith is on his knees at second slip but the replays show the ball flying just wide of Smith at second slip.
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3rd over: England 14-1 ( Malan 3, Root 9) Root dropped at cover by Stoinis, who crouches into position but somehow mistimes his hands. He cuts his hand in the process and the rest of the side look on in dazed amazement. Root gets a life. Starc bowling like a dream.
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2nd over: England 11-1 ( Malan 2, Root 7) Root and Malan talk seriously, helmet to helmet. Hazelwood has the ball: he’s neat: a couple of singles, a wide and one that beats the bat.
England need 287 to win!
1st over: England 8-1 ( Malan 1, Root 6) A long way from an ideal start. It was a pie of a ball, wide down the leg side, but Bairstow gave himself away by immediately darting his head behind him. And off he must march, with as much furious purpose as he marched on about a minute before. From the ridiculous to the sublime – an off drive then dances across Root’s bat to the rope. An lbw appeal – not out on the field, Cummins is persuaded to review, slightly reluctantly, but it was too high.
WICKET! Bairstow c Ingliss b Starc (England 0-1)
Ahem. First ball. A cough of an edge to a wide ball down the leg side, Stac can’t contain his smile.
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Key event
A banana huddle of Australians, Steve Smith laughs and jokes with collar up, Mike-Brearley style. . Down the steps stride Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow, YJB waits for him on the boundary edge and they touch gloves.
“This will be a hell of a chase – Australia are an in-form team.” says poacher-turned-gamekeeper Eoin Morgan. Everyone is worried about the dew again – fyi, it hasn’t fallen yet.
Thanks Jonathan, great stuff. Tricky one to call this – before the tournament an England supporter would have happily skipped out for an afternoon of errands, safe in the knowledge that Buttler’s men would get this with overs to spare. But a month is a long time ….. Meanwhile, over in a cracker at Bengaluru, Pakistan have been helped by the weather. The rain came when they were 160-1 off 21, chasing New Zealand’s incredible 401-6. They now need another 182 runs from 19.3 overs and have nine wickets in hand.
Follow it here:
Australia 286
On a two-paced surface that was hard to score fluently on, Australia will feel 286 is a solid score. At 38-2 and 117-4 they were under threat, but managed to eke out runs to keep their innings going, even though it never gained any real momentum.
On another day they would have succumbed to something much lower, but Australian batters had a knack of miscuing shots to vacant portions of the field. They also benefited from England’s inability to hit the stumps with run-outs at their mercy.
The big-hitting Warner (15), Head (11), and Inglis (3) all fell cheaply, leaving the scoring to the grinders Smith (44), Labuschagne (71), and Green (47). Some lower order biff added some gloss, but it was a workmanlike innings that ultimately overachieved.
England bowled tidily but failed to get the rub of the green. Rashid (2/38) was the standout but Woakes (4/54) and Willey (1/48) found lines and lengths to suit the conditions. Wood deserved better than his 2/70, while the combined ten overs of Livingstone and Moeen accounted for 1/70.
2019 England would gobble this run chase for breakfast. The 2023 vintage, I’m not so sure. The toss call suggests Buttler expects batting to become easier (and bowling more challenging) as the dew falls, but this brittle England line-up, devoid of confidence, will have to see off Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood with the new balls under lights before they can factor in those permutations.
To see you through to the close I will hand the tools to Tanya Aldred. Thank you for joining me this afternoon, I’ll be back again next week.
WICKET! Starc c Moeen b Woakes 10 (Australia 286)
And another. Starc doesn’t get everything on an offside slash and Moeen claims a tidy catch in the covers.
WICKET! Zampa c Buttler b Woakes 29 (Australia 285-9)
Finally, finally, a miscued slog finds a fielder. Zampa tries to launch Woakes into the stands but can only send up an edge that Buttler claims early and pouches with the gloves. A long overdue success for England and the end of a very handy innings from Australia’s No 10.
49th over: Australia 285-8 (Starc 10, Zampa 29) The penultimate over of the innings takes an age. England’s frustration continues to grow, and understandably so. Amongst the hodge-podge of activity there’s a wide, yet another miscued slog into no-man’s land, an unconventional boundary, and forlorn looks all around the field as Australia tick towards 300.
48th over: Australia 276-8 (Starc 8 Zampa 23) Woakes returns to finish the job, but after a couple of dots Zampa swings him away behind square for four. From 178-5, Australia will be very pleased with their lower order.
47th over: Australia 268-8 (Starc 7 Zampa 16) It’s a cruel cruel game. England really cannot catch a break this world cup. Wood is too fast for Zampa but still has to watch in horror as a faint edge clears Buttler and screams away for four. The bowler pitches up, but the batter, waiting deep in his crease, gets the full face of the bat to it to send it back from whence it came with interest. Another mistimed slog squirts off the splice and lands safely in the on-side. On another day Australia could have been out for under 200. As it is, they will be defending close to three hundred after barely leaving third gear.
46th over: Australia 257-8 (Starc 7 Zampa 5) Liam Livingstone expected to remain in the attack following his success in the previous over, only for Buttler to recall Willey instead. Poor Livingstone looked crestfallen. Morgan and Ponting would definitely have backed in the leggie as the more attacking option against two tailenders. As it is, Willey goes for four singles and a two, as well as watching Starc miscue a pull safe in front of square and Zampa spiral an edge that somehow evades both Buttler running back and third steaming in.
45th over: Australia 250-8 (Starc 3 Zampa 2) Seven runs and the wicket from Wood’s over. This latest pair of Australians seem happy just to survive for a few minutes before going the tonk at the very death.
WICKET! Cummins c Malan b Wood 10 (Australia 247-8)
After gambling with Livingstone, Buttler gambles with the pace of Wood. As with the previous call it begins badly with Cummins riding the pace and guiding a cute four down to third. But just as the previous over the batter doesn’t know when to hold’em or fold’em, and he pulls his next delivery tamely off the splice to Malan at midwicket inside the ring.
44th over: Australia 243-7 (Cummins 6 Starc 2) 12 runs and a wicket from an eventful Livingstone over.
WICKET! Stoinis c Bairstow b Livingstone 35 (Australia 241-7)
Buttler, looking for overs, calls on Livingstone. Marcus Stoinis licks his lips at the decision, slog sweeping the allrounder into row z, then belting a long hop over the bowler’s head for a one-bounce four. He tries to make it three in a row but he perishes! It was another fierce hit but he couldn’t clear the leaping Bairstow sweeping the midwicket boundary, the sometime keeper taking a magnificent catch above his head. Another untimely dismissal for Australia who were just gathering momentum.
43rd over: Australia 231-6 (Stoinis 25, Cummins 6) Willey is bang on the money, beating both batters on the outside, as well as watching a loose Cummins drive squirt over point. England have not allowed Australia to get away from them at any point this afternoon.
42nd over: Australia 226-6 (Stoinis 24, Cummins 2) The eagle eyed among you may have noticed Adil Rashid was withdrawn nine overs into his spell. Well, with Cummins on strike he returns for his tenth. The Aussie skipper isn’t taking the bait, dead batting three deliveries, then he and Stoinis exchange safe singles. Rashid finishes with 2/38. Superb figures from an excellent spell.
41st over: Australia 224-6 (Stoinis 23, Cummins 1) Aaron Finch explains that while that dismissal looked very ugly, it actually wasn’t bad batting (in theory). Nonetheless, he’s back in the hutch and England have a chance to bowl Australia out.
“Aussies looking good for 270 - 290 then? Maybe a few more, maybe a few less. Given that England’s only real innings so far was against Bangladesh and that they are like rabbits in the headlights/floodlights in front of a seriously streetwise bowling attack... Re Buttler’s decision to insert, would you trust this lot to post a total at the moment? Maybe he’s thinking of the crowd, trying to give them at least 70 or 80 overs of entertainment for their entry fee? I’m guessing they’re already looking at re-booting from as low a position as possible in the rankings, from that point it’s all Yazz.” Jeremy Boyce, I honestly have no idea. England’s approach this world cup has been unfathomable, why would they change today?
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WICKET! Green b Willey 47 (Australia 223-6)
Massive wicket for England. Out of nowhere, Green goes across to the offside and tries to slog sweep Willey wide of the very fine fine-leg. He doesn’t. He misses the ball. The ball hits the stumps. It all looks very ugly. Australia’s bowlers have a job to do with the bat.
40th over: Australia 220-5 (Green 47, Stoinis 20) Not for the first time today a tidy over from Woakes is undone by a needless bouncer that sits up begging to be punished by Marcus Stoinis. This pair are not yet motoring but both are looking to assert themselves. Everyone seems to acknowledge the next wicket is crucial with Australia into the bowlers if this partnership is broken.
If Pakistan win a game on Duckworth Lewis after conceding 400 to qualify for a World Cup semi it will be the newly most Pakistan thing of all time. #CWC23
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 4, 2023
39th over: Australia 212-5 (Green 45, Stoinis 15) David Willey also returns to the attack and a decent over goes for just two singles thanks to some neat out-fielding. That does not include Rashid failing to throw down the stumps to run out the stranded Green – England’s fourth failure of its kind. Although, to be fair to Rashid, the blame may lie with Willey who appeared to gather the ball in front of the pegs, interrupting its journey, which seemed on a good course. Guess we’ll never know.
Peter Salmon is determined to prove Ponting > Smith. “At the risk of going down a rabbit hole (too late) it seems that Ponting’s Test average at 34 (in 2008) was nudging 60, slightly higher than Smith’s. Can’t find equivalent in one-dayers, but Ponting’s overall 42 and Smith’s current 43.4 suggest something similar. And Ponting’s ODI strike rate of 80.39 pre crazy times is surely the equivalent of Smith’s 87.63? So I think we can all agree Ponting is better. Plus there’s this for fans of direct hits and nice segues.”
Peter, I am definitely here for this and hope this prompts a long read with reams of statistical comparisons somewhere. I very much prefer RP as a cricketer (and love him as a commentator) so would be delighted for the stats to back up my eye. I just presumed Smith’s orgy of runs put him in a whole different stratosphere.
38th over: Australia 210-5 (Green 44, Stoinis 13) Cameron Green welcomes Chris Woakes back to the attack with one of the shots of the day, an imperious cover drive, on the up, to a decent length delivery. England miss their third run-out attempt of the innings. I’ve said my piece on that. This partnership is now 32 at better than a run a ball.
Meanwhile, it’s raining in Bengaluru, and Pakistan – chasing 402 – are ahead on DLS!
37th over: Australia 202-5 (Green 39, Stoinis 11) Wood continues hurling himself towards Australia with the intensity of Ted Hastings going after bent coppers. Green tries to pull a short ball but again doesn’t time it. He then opts to get out of the way and accept a strike-rotating glance down to fine-leg. Stoinis doesn’t look fluent but after a couple of dots pierces the offside ring for a square boundary.
36th over: Australia 197-5 (Green 38, Stoinis 7) Stoinis does not look comfortable at all against Rashid, prodding and poking… until he slog sweeps a massive clean six. The follow-up is slower, tempting, spinning past the groping outside edge. Who’d be a bowler?
35th over: Australia 190-5 (Green 37, Stoinis 1) That wicket from the final ball of his previous over probably earns Wood another go. He might wish he hadn’t after losing his line and length and going for a brace of twos, but he responds with a terrifying short ball that Green doesn’t pick up and is lucky to end up gloving in front of his throat. The follow-up is a fast yorker with a hint of reverse swing, but the batter does superbly to angle his blade and steer a boundary wide of third. Excellent cricket.
34th over: Australia 181-5 (Green 27, Stoinis 1) Plenty of chat on the telly about Stoinis struggling against spin and how the sweep is his only out shot. Cue the sweep, straight to the man on the 45, followed by a nervous prod at an unpicked googly. Lovely bowling. Rashid has been England’s trump card today.
“Regarding the supposed Steve Smith conundrum from a few overs ago,” emails Geoff Wignall, “mightn’t it be simply that as you say, ‘with such an idiosyncratic approach to begin with, it relies so much on timing and hand-eye coordination – more like a golf swing. Consequently, the margin for error is smaller’ - and that supreme hand/eye co-ordination doesn’t survive beyond the early thirties Incidentally a point Bishen Bedi made the first time he watched Kevin Pietersen.” I agree Geoff, and I was in the process of adding that to my earlier response, but the cricket was getting away from me and I had to rein myself in while I searched for Smith’s birthday. He’s 34, by the way.
33rd over: Australia 178-5 (Green 26, Stoinis 0) Three wides, two boundaries and a wicket in a potpourri of an over from Mark Wood that also featured Green miscuing a pull off the splice.
“The highest score by England in this WC while chasing is 215,” emails Krishnanmoorthy, “so we can officially end the misery in another six overs, right?” I would streak at the MCG if Australia declared.
WICKET! Labuschagne LBW Wood 71 (Australia 178-5)
Fast and full from over the wicket, angling in, beating the batter for pace and crashing into the pads. Marais Erasmus liked the appeal on the ground, and his decision was backed up by DRS. The review was not without merit considering Wood’s angle and the height on the pad that the ball struck the batter, but Labuschagne has to go.
Australia Review!
Labuschagne is given out on-field LBW to Mark Wood.
Meanwhile, over in the other match, New Zealand remain on top of Pakistan.
32nd over: Australia 166-4 (Labuschagne 67 Green 21) Labuschagne gets off strike early which allows Rashid to settle into his rhythm against Green, pinning down the big allrounder. Eventually the strike is rotated again, whereupon Labuschagne is unfortunate to only earn a couple for a very handsome extra-cover drive.
Time for a drink.
31st over: Australia 162-4 (Labuschagne 64 Green 20) Buttler’s faith in Livingstone comes to an end, with the spinner replaced by the speed of Wood. England will just be testing the water in search of some reverse swing. And there’s a hint of tail into the right-handers but that merely allows the ball to arc into the middle of Green’s blade, sending the ball racing square of the wicket for four. The Australian allrounder is no match for the follow-up though, that same tail rushing past his outside edge at serious speed. Then… a bouncer… a pull… the bat flies out of Green’s hands and towards square leg… the ball lobs in the air almost vertically…. four fielders converge… none make it in time to gather the catch! Massive let off. Green then flashes a wide one behind square for four more to rub salt into the wound. Mark Wood has not enjoyed the rub of the green this tournament.
30th over: Australia 153-4 (Labuschagne 63 Green 12) Lovely battle between Rashid and Labuschagne this over. The bowler shows all his class, landing variations with subtle changes of flight and speed. The batter is alert at the crease, looking for gaps with delicate glances and nimble footwork. It ends with Australia increasing their total by just one run. Excellent cricket.
29th over: Australia 152-4 (Labuschagne 62 Green 12) Buttler is playing with fire keeping Livingstone in the attack as Australia look to accelerate. Forcing strokes are aimed at four of his six deliveries, for which England will be delighted go for only six runs.
28th over: Australia 146-4 (Labuschagne 59 Green 9) Boundaries in consecutive overs for Australia wtrh Labuschagne looking increasingly assured at the crease. He cuts Rashid behind point for a handsome four as the momentum starts to shift Australia’s way for the first time in an age.
27th over: Australia 138-4 (Labuschagne 52 Green 8) Livingstone replaces Moeen and it immediately looks a bad call form Buttler. Both batters seize the opportunity to look for runs, and that includes the becalmed Green, who opens his boundary account by whipping a full toss through midwicket for four.
“Steve Smith is a bit of a puzzle these days isn’t he?” asks Peter Salmon rhetorically. “Never really seems to get going in any form of cricket. I remember being told once that the odd thing about Formula 1 cars is you can’t really drive them slowly, they are made to go fast and basically fall to pieces if they don’t. It feels to me like Smith started driving under brakes a couple of years ago and the same thing is happening. Definitely past time to reinstate Ricky Ponting as Australia’s second best ever.”
Plenty to unpack there. Surely Smith > Ponting on stats alone for a long while yet. As for why, I’d suggest he is such a technique tweaker that he can end up being too clever by half and breaking something that doesn’t need fixing. Plus, with such an idiosyncratic approach to begin with, it relies so much on timing and hand-eye coordination – more like a golf swing. Consequently, the margin for error is smaller.
26th over: Australia 129-4 (Labuschagne 50 Green 1) Accepting responsibility for run-scoring, Labuschagne plays Rashid away for two twos and a single, in the process bringing up his half-century. Green meanwhile is just one from nine.
25th over: Australia 124-4 (Labuschagne 45 Green 1) And for the second time today that man Labuschagne is fortunate to see an outside edge run away for four after being beaten by Moeen. After the strike’s rotated Moeen then ties Green down with line and length.
Returning to the subject of fielding, Matt Davies enquires: “I wonder if the advent of T20 hitting has meant fielders are practicing their boundary riding skills more as well to counter the six hitting - means less time spent on fielding drills thrown at a single stump?” Perhaps, but that suggests it’s a zero-sum game. Surely all fielding drills improve the skillset and the greater exposure increases opportunity? Considering the array of shots batters have perfected, and the myriad slower balls, it feels like direct hits have lagged way behind.
24th over: Australia 119-4 (Labuschagne 40 Green 1) Rashid now was 2/8 from three overs and is threatening to turn the game very much England’s way. Australia need to regroup again, which puts a lot of pressure on Labuschagne, the ‘in’ batter, to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Australia batting with the carefree abandon of a team that knows they already have plenty.
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) November 4, 2023
WICKET! Inglis c Moeen b Rashid 3 (Australia 117-4)
They’ve done it again! Rashid the bowler, Moeen the fielder at backward point, and this time it’s Inglis who perishes, slapping a firm reverse sweep straight to the man. Not a smart piece of thinking at the crease. Australia must hope this is not another middle-order collapse.
23rd over: Australia 117-3 (Labuschagne 39 Inglis 3) Three singles from a very speedy Moeen over. He is getting through his work with Jadeja-like efficiency.
Bowlers to dismiss Steve Smith the most in ODIs:
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 4, 2023
1. Adil Rashid - 7
2. Hardik Pandya – 5
3. Mohammed Shami – 4#CWC23 #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/84lXunEpEB
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22nd over: Australia 114-3 (Labuschagne 37 Inglis 1) Josh Inglis comes out at No 5 for Australia, which feels a place or two too high for the wicket-keeper at this stage in his career. Still, he’s off the mark straight away.
“Isn’t it mad how a we now see a missed direct hit run-out as a fielding error?” emails Mark Hooper, to which I answer: no. “It used to be the preserve of Flintoff or Rhodes style heroics, now every player is capable of it.” Sure, they’re capable of it, but how often do we actually see it? And we’re 20-30 years on from those fielding pioneers. Considering the volume of white ball cricket, the value of direct hits, the professionalisation of all aspects of the game etc etc I am staggered there aren’t more direct hits. Surely it’s a Dave Brailsford marginal gains opportunity.
WICKET! Smith c Moeen b Rashid 44 (Australia 113-3)
Steve Smith’s luck runs out! He has to go for 44 off 52. Full and wide from Rashid, but also deviously slow – and a wrong’un. Smith goes for the forceful shot but only loops a top edge to Moeen at a deepish gully.
21st over: Australia 111-2 (Smith 43, Labuschagne 37) Smith has ridden his luck a few times this innings and he gets away with one again, driving Moeen just to the right of the diving Woakes at mid-off. Australia are trying to up the tempo a fraction, and with Rashid at one end, Moeen is the obvious target to push the score along.
20th over: Australia 101-2 (Smith 35, Labuschagne 35) Finally Buttler turns to Rashid, and England’s premier spinner begins brightly, working through his variations with Smith in particular struggling to pick them.
19th over: Australia 98-2 (Smith 34, Labuschagne 33) Moeen Ali replaces Mark Wood and he’s unfortunate to see Labuschagne squirt an outside edge for four after failing to read the length. There’s no fortune involved when Smith plays the same shot very deliberately a few balls later to achieve the same outcome. In between England fail with their second run-out opportunity of the afternoon – Livingstone this time failing to hit the target with Smith struggling to make his ground.
18th over: Australia 88-2 (Smith 29, Labuschagne 28) Every delivery of Livingstone’s over is worked away easily for a single. We are in the middle overs ladies and gentlemen.
ENGLAND LOSE A REVIEW
17th over: Australia 82-2 (Smith 26, Labuschagne 25) After five overs without a boundary Labuschagne finds the fence with an excellent drive to extra cover as Wood overpitches. The follow-up is superb with Wood sending Labuschagne almost to the turf with an inswinging yorker. That looked very close to LBW live, but umpire Erasmus isn’t interested. After an age ENGLAND REVIEW but ball tracking upholds the umpire’s superb judgement with the crucial factor Wood’s starting line from wide on the crease.
16th over: Australia 76-2 (Smith 25, Labuschagne 21) Livingstone continues after drinks. Both teams seem happy enough with a boundaryless over worth six runs.
15th over: Australia 70-2 (Smith 23, Labuschagne 17) Wood continues to bend his back, pushing 150kph every delivery and slipping in the odd tasty bumper. Australia are happy to play watchfully, soak up the pressure and deal largely in singles, apart from one appallingly communicated three that almost led to a run-out chance. This partnership is now 32 from 56 deliveries.
When teams have been put in to bat in #CWC2023, the average 1st innings score is 294
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) November 4, 2023
For teams choosing to bat first, the average score is 260
14th over: Australia 64-2 (Smith 21, Labuschagne 13) Interesting bowling change from England with Liam Livingstone invited into the attack ahead of Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali. The allrounder lands his leggies reasonably, and there’s some slow turn on offer, but Australia will be disappointed to have only knocked him away for three singles.
The commentary crew on TV cannot understand why Rashid hasn’t been brought on yet, and pull up some flattering stats to prove their point. England’s premium spinner has a very good record against Steve Smith. That crew, incidentally, is now Howwy (Mark Howard), Watto (Shane Watson) and Daddy (Eoin Morgan).
13th over: Australia 61-2 (Smith 19, Labuschagne 12) *Very Crocodile Dundee voice*: Now that’s a bouncer. Fast and short and menacing from Wood, forcing Labuschagne to sway inside the line. The batter stays alert to rotate the strike next delivery, but Wood is landing his stock ball on a good length, restricting the partnership’s ability to push on.
12th over: Australia 58-2 (Smith 17, Labuschagne 11) Woakes continues into his sixth over, and it begins tidily, but for reasons best known to himself he drops in a short ball that Labuschagne is onto in a flash, smiting a boundary with relish. Woakes responds well by inducing an outside edge from the same blade that bounces just wide of the slipper Root.
11th over: Australia 51-2 (Smith 14, Labuschagne 6) As the fielding restrictions change so does England’s attack with Wood replacing Willey. The speedster hurries up both batters without threatening to take a wicket. England continue to keep things tight. Australia are understandably playing within themselves.
“I’m considerably more than cautiously optimistic that the planets will align causing Pakistan to easily chase down 402 whilst England simultaneously bowl Oz out for less than 200 and knock them off in ten overs to stay in the tournament with a much improved NRR,” lies Kim Thonger.
10th over: Australia 48-2 (Smith 13, Labuschagne 5) Woakes goes for just one in an over that includes Labuschagne swinging and missing with all his might at a delivery that just shapes away in the air and goes further off the seam. Very good powerplay for England.
9th over: Australia 47-2 (Smith 12, Labuschagne 5) Much better from Labuschagne. Willey is a fraction full and Labuschagne keeps the maker’s name pointing towards the non-striker as the ball rockets off the bat and away for four. After the strike is rotated Smith takes an injudicious run that Bairstow should do much better with at cover and Australia escape. Is it just me, or did the future of fielding 20-25 years ago promise nailed-on direct hits to all ring fielders? Back during the Ponting/Rhodes/Collingwood emergence? Considering all the specialisation it still amazes me how few direct hits we see.
Meanwhile, over in the other match, New Zealand have tonked up 401 against Pakistan.
Updated
8th over: Australia 41-2 (Smith 11, Labuschagne 1) Australia have not to grips with this surface yet, continuing to play angled bat shots without getting anywhere near the middle of the stick. Smith is the latest to invite a play-on as Woakes gets one to just tail in a hair. Only two from the over as Australia dig in after those early setbacks.
7th over: Australia 39-2 (Smith 9, Labuschagne 1) Blimey! Labuschagne is inches from playing on, trying to guide Willey down to third. The bowler, left-arm over, slanting the ball across the right-handed batter, continues on the same line-and-length, keeping Australia’s No 4 honest at the crease and earning a maiden.
Kim Thonger has logged on. “My friend Charlie Palmer has messaged me from his macchiato and biscotti perch in Rome. ‘England think they are a chasing team! Which they are at the moment if the total is sub 120’. Before England give up entirely, if indeed we are in a simulation, what has occurred in this World Cup so far could be dismissed as a mere glitch in the matrix. Or perhaps the simulation creator is an Afghanistan supporter and this was all planned.” We need Eoin Morpheus back and Ianeo Bell to deal with Agent Smith. Good grief that was tortured. Sorry about that.
6th over: Australia 39-2 (Smith 9, Labuschagne 1) That was a good slower cutter from Woakes that deceived Warner who was through his shot too early. This is Australia’s first major test with the bat since they began their resurgence. With this pair at the crease expect a long phase of accumulation with few fireworks.
WICKET! Warner c Willey b Woakes 15 (Australia 38-2)
Woakes goes full so Warner smacks him back over his head for a six that requires cartoonish sparks and the smell of gunpowder to do full justice to. Woakes responds by pulling his length back, Warner can’t control himself and goes for another tonk but this time only slaps a high thick edge to the safe hands of Willey at midwicket. Australia have lost both openers.
5th over: Australia 32-1 (Warner 9, Smith 9) Willey is one delivery from completing another tight over but he finishes his work with a leg-stump half-volley that Smith whips behind square for a boundary.
NOT OUT (Review Retained)
Warner survives with ball-tracking indicating only a smidgen of the leg stump was at risk from a very good delivery.
England Review!
David WIlley bowls an absolute pearler that cuts David Warner in half. There’s a noise as balls passes bat – LBW or caught behind? England thinks it’s something. Umpire Erasmus was not interested onfield.
4th over: Australia 26-1 (Warner 8, Smith 4) Another tight LBW appeal from Woakes to Smith with the Australian missing the ball this time after going on his jaunt to the offside. England consider a review but the margins were too fine to risk and replays indicate the batter would have survived. Warner, starved of the strike early on, then gets into his work with a couple of couples and a smeared pull-slog thing for four that was as effective as it was ugly.
“The pieces in your preamble - the Peter Cook quip, Jonathan Liew’s piece - reflect an ongoing problem, but I think I have the solution,” emails Colum Farrelly. I fear he’s setting me up. “England shouldn’t be allowed to win things,” yep, there’s the kicker. “After winning, they get cocky rather than focus on how they won. But if they didn’t win anything, this problem wouldn’t arise. Simples!” There is a future career writing for The Thick of It Colum, I like your work.
3rd over: Australia 15-1 (Warner 0, Smith 4) David Willey concedes only one run in an over that appeared to the naked eye to have gone for plenty.
“The Jos Buttler ‘interview’ might be a candidate for least promising Captain’s statement since poor Oates mentioned he might be a while as he left the tent,” emails Brian Withington. “Ominous.”
2nd over: Australia 14-1 (Warner 0, Smith 3) There’s an audible “Oof!” from Aaron Finch on the telly as Woakes is so so close to pinning Smith LBW on the crease. The Australian took his customary jaunt to the offside and the bowler almost angled the ball beyond the unconventional defence, only for an extremely awkward leading edge to glance the ball away behind square on the offside for a fortunate three.
WICKET! Head c Root b Woakes 11 (Australia 11-1)
Woakes starts more promisingly, getting one to hit the seam and wobble past Head’s tentative outside edge. But he follows that up with a wide half-volley that the Australian climbs into with violence, but again the soft outfield means it’s just two not four. Woakes returns to the spot he needn’t have relinquished – and he gets his man! Not enough width to cut and not enough length to steer but nonetheless Head tries for the delicate glide down to third, only to provide catching practice to Root at slip.
Updated
1st over: Australia 9-0 (Head 9 Warner 0) Head dabs the opening ball of the match for a couple in front of point. He played that with so much time it was like he was being generous to a young net bowler so as not to dent his confidence. Two balls later he larrups Willey over his head for what should have been four but it hits the green and spins down the false front. No bother, a ferocious whack outside off stump next ball makes the fence with ease. Australia are on their merry way.
John Burrell: “Is it the case of mates picking their mates with England? Maybe the team is a little too cliquey? Bowling first seems bizarre unless they just want to get out of India ASAP.”
I just don't get this anymore @JPHowcroft. We've been abysmal, often bowling first. It's hot, and we're unchanged. It's like we're just hoping things will change with no basis for it. And these over 30s are giving the next generation no experience here either. Bizarre & selfish.
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) November 4, 2023
It’s almost go time in the middle. Travis Head on strike, David Willey with the ball.
“Playing for pride doesn’t seem to work, but if we could help the Afghans to nick a semi place from the Aussies then the tournament wouldn’t be a complete write-off,” hopes Alex Cooper.
Regardless, Afghanistan deserve to be the story of the group phase and their success – and that of the Netherlands – has to be nurtured by the international cricket community.
It’s anthem time on the outfield. A chance to confirm that Australia will be top to toe in yellow, England studs to lids in blue.
For those just joining us, bottom-placed England named an unchanged XI after opting to field first in 35C Indian heat.
"I have learned from my mistakes, and I am sure I can repeat them exactly."
— MacCocktail (Mastodon: @MacCocktail@zirk.us) (@MacCocktail) January 9, 2020
― Peter Cook (died this day, January 9, 1995) pic.twitter.com/VxS5UAC106
(Credit to Tom V d Gucht).
“Given the shambles their batting has been, why is Brooks not walking into the team straight away?” asks S Raman. “He could even replace an out of sorts Stokes.”
England's reluctance to pick Harry Brook does seem curious. They've gone for the team of eleven 30-plus players again.
— John Etheridge (@JohnSunCricket) November 4, 2023
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Meanwhile in domestic cricket:
You are kidding?!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 4, 2023
WA's Mahli Beardman picks up his maiden #MarshCup wicket in bizarre fashion! #PlayOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/XbcueVZ9Hw
“Excited to see which happens first,” emails Phil Russell, “England getting knocked out when New Zealand beat Pakistan, or England getting knocked out by losing to Australia. Suspect it will be the former given England have opted to bowl, unless declarations are allowed at the World Cup?” I don’t think we’ll see any declarations today Phil, after all, Australia’s po-faced batters don’t know the meaning of Bazball.
Today’s umpires are Chris Gaffaney (NZL) and Marais Erasmus (SAF).
This is the second match of the day. In the early starter New Zealand are doing their darnedest to eliminate Pakistan with Rachin Ravindra becoming the first man under 30 to hit three centuries in the same world cup.
It is fiercely hot, dry and airless at what Geoff Lemon has nicknamed the Big Bertha stadium in Ahmedabad. Air quality is on the borderline between moderate and poor. Fielding first is not going to be fun for England if they struggle to take early wickets.
There have been two matches at the venue this world cup so far. In the first New Zealand made a mockery of England’s 282, then India skipped past Pakistan’s 191 in the second to the delight of the most supporters in the history of cricket.
There may be some aspects that don’t entirely whelm, but it’s still Australia v England, in the World Cup, at the Big Bertha stadium in Ahmedabad.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 4, 2023
Hear us all day on @abcsport and @bbctms. pic.twitter.com/XfbhpIIU1d
Australia XI
Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green come in for the concussed Glenn Maxwell and absent Mitch Marsh. Australia have still yet to play their preferred XI this world cup.
For what it’s worth, Pat Cummins would have batted first anyway.
Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Josh Inglis (wk), 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Cameron Green, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood.
England XI
England are unchanged. That means the now-retired David Willey retains his place.
England: 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Adil Rashid
England win the toss and elect to field
“We’ve just got to play better cricket,” offers Jos Buttler at the toss, without being asked.
Updated
In more heartwarming news, Afghanistan stand to profit from England’s misery. Their victory over the Netherlands yesterday moved them into fifth place on the table with four wins and three defeats from their seven matches. Not only can Afghanistan still reach the knockout phase, the victory also guarantees them the top-seven finish required to compete in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
“In some ways, I wonder if Mott has played a blinder in terms of being able to introduce his own systems and ideas moving forward,” ponders Tom V d Gucht. “He inherited a team that was set up well and had enough credit in the bank to make it difficult for a new coach to make any significant changes. But, by letting them carry on until crumbling point, he’s given himself the freedom to start on a blank canvas.”
I don’t mind that as a line of thinking if the coach was, say, Eoin Morgan or an obvious long-term English project – but Mott feels very itinerant to me and the kind of easy scapegoat in a post tournament review.
Have you tasted enough pain yet? Well there’s plenty more where that came from. Like the decision not to award the now-retired-but-still-playing-today David Willey a central contract…
… or Ben Stokes going under the knife.
Mark Ramprakash takes us inside similar dressing rooms and ponders the role of England coach Matthew Mott.
England’s problems go a lot deeper than Mott, but now he needs to react to them. He arrived at the World Cup with the nucleus of a great, experienced side but under the relentless examination of competition it has proved not to be a strength at all. I didn’t see it coming, but from a distance what has happened looks slightly familiar. I’ve been involved in the past with successful teams full of experienced professionals, and I’ve seen how over time they can lose their edge. I’ve witnessed the disintegration of the very professionalism and dedication that allowed a group of people to achieve success. Sometimes it is age, sometimes it is attitude, but at some point, without realising, professional sportspeople can just go over the threshold.
Barney Ronay puts the men’s 50-over side’s humiliation in the context of wider problems in English cricket.
For all the talk, the PR initiatives, the glossy montages, four years on from those pre-Covid days cricket in England is still a shrinking summer pastime, largely invisible to the unconverted, walled up in its private garden. If anything it is more remote now, more niche. The real issue for the ECB is not that the England team is in a state of chaos, but that the wider world really doesn’t seem to care that the England team is in a state of chaos; that what we have here is a binfire in a vacuum.
Simon Burnton plays his analysis with a straight bat.
It is obvious now that England’s preparation for this tournament was inadequate.
One upside to England’s crapitulation is the quality writing it has generated. And there is no finer example than Jonathan Liew’s magnificent column on the topic.
But if you think about it, all of this really stems from one central issue, which you might call the Genius Fallacy. England essentially tried to win the 2023 World Cup by treating it as a 2019 tribute act, as if muscle memory and champion aura would do the rest. So you chase, because that’s what you did before. You pick most of the same guys, because that’s what you did before. You rip up your team balance to accommodate your retired all-rounder, who is – slight inconvenience – no longer an all‑rounder. Brydon Carse, your Liam Plunkett wig and costume is hanging in your locker. And you do this because on some level you have convinced yourselves that four years ago you discovered the secret to cricketing genius, and all you need to do is find the blueprints.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live OBO coverage of match 36 of the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Australia v England will get under way in Ahmedabad at 2pm local time (7.30pm AEDT/8.30am GMT).
Newsflash: England have been “crap” so far in this world cup.
England’s crapness undercuts the tension of what should be one of the highlights of the group phase. These are, after all modern ODI heavyweights and historic rivals, going through a bitter phase in their relationship following a toxic Ashes series, one whose discharge continues to pollute the discourse.
We will riff on England’s world cup pain in depth shortly, but suffice to say here that they have already effectively been outed from the tournament after being outbatted, outbowled, outfielded, and outcaptained in a run of five defeats in six matches.
Meanwhile, after a slow start, Australia are beginning to believe they could replace their old enemy on the world cup trophy following four straight victories. A win today, with matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh to follow, will put the Aussies in a strong position heading into the semi-finals.
A stunning opening partnership between Travis Head and David Warner saw to New Zealand in their last outing, since when they’ve enjoyed a week’s rest and recuperation.
But that hasn’t gone according to plan with both Mitch Marsh and Glenn Maxwell missing out today for different reasons, introducing an element of uncertainty.
That should do for now, so settle in while I steer you through the pregame and first innings, after which Tanya Aldred will see you through to the end of play.
If you’d like to get in touch while I’m on, please fire all communication to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
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