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With that I’ll sign off from a mad game of cricket. You have to feel for Scotland. Poor David Sole will be having nightmares after that drop.
Thanks for sticking with me. Standby for Ali Martin’s report on a game that keeps England’s title defence alive.
Australia win by five wickets!
David spanks a six to win the match. Australia get over the line in style. Heartache for Scotland.
DROP CATCH! Oh no! David skies a slog that flies down to deep midwicket. Sole gets under it but can’t hold onto what wasn’t an easy catch, but t should have been held. They run through for two and just one is needed.
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Single down the ground. 3 off 4.
Wheal to close out the match. His first ball is full and David takes an easy single down the ground. 4 needed off 5.
19th over: Australia 176-5 (David 14, Wade 3) The final ball is bashed down the ground but clips the umpire on the way. So it’s just a single. Five needed off the last over. Can Scotland hold on?
It’s a wide! Sharif misses his mark outside off and it’s 6 off 7.
We’re down to ball by ball commentary.
After a single, a two, a dot, and a single, David hoiks Sharif for a couple down to deep backward square. 7 needed off 7.
18th over: Australia 168-5 (David 11, Wade 0) It’s a horror show from Wheal who offers a short ball for David to pull for four. Then a beamer clips the thigh pad and runs away for four. Then another half-tracker is spanked for four on the off side. A single off a length ball means Australia now need 13 from 12 balls. Scotland need wickets to stem the flow of runs.
WICKET! Stoinis b Watt 59 (Australia 155-5)
Another twist! Stoinis had just smashed a straight four and then delicately collected another with a reverse scoop over the infield. He tried the same shot again but Watt fired it in flatter and fuller and beat Stoinis to knock his stumps over.
Australia need 26 from 18 with two new batters at the crease. Scotland are three overs away from the promised land.
17th over: Australia 155-5 (David 2, Wade 0)
16th over: Australia 145-4 (Stoinis 51, David 1) Sharif claims the crucial wicket of Head but he goes for 24 in that over. Three sixes to Head who was seemingly clearing the ropes at will. Then Stoinis gets his fourth T20I fifty as he helps a rank half-tracker to the boundary behind square on the off side.
36 needed from 24.
WICKET! Head c Jones b Sharif 68 (Australia 140-4)
Massive moment! Shariff was getting spanked. This over read 6-6-wide-6-WICKET!
It was starting to get ugly for Scotland for Head, searching for a fourth maximum, holed out at long-off after Sharif changed to round the wicket. That puts the game back in the balance just as Australia were taking control.
15th over: Australia 121-3 (Head 50, Stoinis 47) Another decent haul for Australia. 11 off that Sole over thanks to consecutive boundaries for Stoinus. His first was clobbered down the ground with the second a fortunate outside edge that whizzed past the ‘keeper. A single down the ground for Head brings him a half century that he barely acknowledges.
Australia have shifted gears. If I had to take a punt I’d back them to get there. Feels like momentum is with them now. But a wicket would change things.
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That’s absolutely the correct emoji:
How's everyone feeling? 😬
— Cricket Scotland (@CricketScotland) June 16, 2024
14th over: Australia 110-3 (Head 48, Stoinis 38) Australia needed a big over and thanks to Stoinis they got one. Back to back sixes – first a reverse sweep/scoop and the other a mighty drive down the ground – were followed by a reverse sweep for four. Leask closes his four overs with 0-39. 71 runs needed off 36 balls.
13th over: Australia 92-3 (Head 47, Stoinis 21) The required rate is now up to 12. Only six runs from this over despite Stoinis smoking a cover drive to the boundary. Australia have to get a move on now.
12th over: Australia 86-3 (Head 46, Stoinis) Another top over from Scotland. New bowler Greaves gives away just four singles as the required rate climbs to 11.87.
Scotland have earned their flowers.
Whatever happens in the final 10 overs here Scotland have been superb at this T20 World Cup:
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) June 16, 2024
- Rained off defending 108 in 10 overs against England
- Clinical chases against Namibia and Oman
- Right on top against Australia in St Lucia
11th over: Australia 82-3 (Head 44, Stoinis 14) Head hits it as hard as anyone I’ve seen and a crunching cut shot explodes off his bat. But Sharif, back into the attack, holds his nerve and finds a better length, restricting the rest of the over to just three singles off the bat and one wide.
Australia need over 10 an over to win it. They’re currently going at 7.5.
But Head is still there and the pitch is still a belter. It’s all in the balance.
10th over: Australia 74-3 (Head 39, Stoinis 12) Another good over from a Scottish spinner. Stoinis started it with a boundary from a delicate revere sweep, but Leask came back well. Extra bounce and a bit of turn almost caught the outside edge of the right hander as Stoinis was jabbing at it from his crease.
9th over: Australia 67-3 (Head 38, Stoinis 6) Watt pulled a Stuart Broad celebration after the Maxwell wicket – wide eyes, hand over his mouth in disbelief. Stoinis’ first ball was cut away past Leask who should have done better at backward point and the burly all-rounder collected a boundary. Four singles elsewhere in the piece keeps Scotland on top.
WICKET! Maxwell b Watt 11 (Australia 60-3)
JAFFA! An absolute peach! What a ripper!
My goodness this is a brilliant delivery. Watt, back into the attack, lands it on a good length and turns Maxwell inside out as he beats the outside edge and takes the off stump. Round the wicket, straightening off the deck and hitting the top of off. That’s a game changing ball.
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8th over: Australia 59-2 (Head 36, Maxwell 11) Leask is back into the attack and almost gets a wicket with a half-tracker. Head goes back to play it but almost gets dragged into spooning it straight to cover. Fortunately fo the Aussie it’s wide of the diving fielder.
Maxwell – of course in a cap – joins the party with a stiff six down the ground.
7th over: Australia 47-2 (Head 33, Maxwell 2) This isn’t over while Head is at the crease. He’s taken six off the target with a carved cut shot that screamed over the backward point rope. A wide from Sole, a couple clipped off Head’s pads and a single for each batter has this chase back on track.
6th over: Australia 36-2 (Head 24, Maxwell 1) Fantastic over from Sharif who grabs a wicket and concedes just two runs. Scotland were 54-1 from their powerplay and have kept the Aussies on a leash so far. Things are starting to look dicey for Australia (and England).
WICKET! Marsh c Tear b Sharif 8 (Australia 34-2)
The skipper goes! Sharif, into the attack, gets a wicket with his first ball and lets out a mighty roar. Dug in, Marsh goes back to pull but can’t get the elevation needed to beat the fielder in the deep. I think that was a trap given the direction of the stiff breeze. Scotland are on top!
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5th over: Australia 32-1 (Head 23, Marsh 8) Head is dropped! it would have been a screamer from Jones who had to run back and track the ball in the swirling wind as it descended from high. But it is a drop. Head then popped Sole down the ground for a well-timed four and the Aussie pair added seven more runs along the way.
In an email titled ‘Quiet parts loud’, reader John Atkinson has come off a long run up:
Hi Daniel
Australia have left out 2 key fast bowlers.
They have let Scotland score 180 in a tournament where the average is below 150.
They have dropped 6 catches.
They’ve now scored 3 runs in 2 overs of a powerplay.
How many coincidences do we need?
This is not a country that loses if it wants to win - see Maxwell vs Afghanistan.
No sign at all of that energy today
I agree. They’ve been flat. But I won’t accept that they aren’t trying to win. They’re competitive animals and one of the best teams on the planet. The USA beat Pakistan. Nepal almost beat South Africa. This is a very good Scotland team. Australia, having already qualified for the next round, are perhaps not thrumming with the same intensity.
4th over: Australia 23-1 (Head 15, Marsh 5) Head is underway. The extra pace from Wheal means he can rock back and scythe a lovely cut shot behind square for four. Then he rocks back and unfurls a beautiful pick-up pull that almost goes for six. If he gets going this will be a pedestrian chase.
3rd over: Australia 14-1 (Head 7, Marsh 4) Not a good over from Watt who couldn’t find his length. Twice he dragged down and twice he was knocked to the boundary. Marsh first, with a pull up and over midwicket. Then Head who popped one off the back foot through the off side.
2nd over: Australia 3-1 (Head 1, Marsh 0) Just a leg bye from Wheal first over means he opens with a wicket maiden and the big prize of David Warner. Astonishing. Long way to go but Scotland will start believing.
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WICKET! Warner c Berrington b Wheal 1 (Australia 2-1)
Now then! That is a big fish and Scotland are in dreamland. Wheal, who has serious wheels through the air, had Warner in a tangle from his first ball, swining oit back in and thudding his thigh pad. His second ball is pushed slightly wider and Warner plays an ugly agricultural hack that skies into the off-side and Berrington pouches it. Not sure what Warner was trying to do. Scotland won’t care. They’re up and running.
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1st over: Australia 2-0 (Head 1, Warner 1) Neat start from Leask. Flat and fast through the air, he’s pushing back both lefty openers and conceding a single to each of them. So far so good for Scotland.
We’re back! Leask with the ball to skid in some finger spin to Head and Warner. A massive 20 overs coming up.
A reminder that if Scotland win they’ll knock England out.
Andrew Benton reckons that’s giving them a lift: “I’ll bet Scotland are getting extra oomph by the possibility of keeping the auld enemy out of the later stages. Serious motivation there.
While Paddy is saying the quiet part out loud: “You have to be suspicious when Australia leave out their two best fast bowlers surely?”
For what it’s worth, I just think one team is playing at their apex and the other is not.
Six! That’s insane!
Six dropped chances in the field for Australia tonight so far, they’ll be frustrated given how strong that aspect of their game is.
— Henry Moeran (@henrymoeranBBC) June 16, 2024
Good thing the Scots aren’t playing Germany. As John Catchlove from Melbourne points out:
Scotland might have a rubbish football team, but their cricketers are right up there.
Scotland were great, but that was a largely shoddy show from Australia in the field.
Brian Withington agrees:
Hi Daniel
All credit to Scotland but I can’t recall a sloppier, lower energy performance from Australia. Maybe that’s because I rarely watch them against the associate countries, but they fully deserve to lose this by a distance at the moment.
Scotland set 180-5
That’s a decent haul and one Scotland will back themselves to defend. Their innings lost some momentum over the last five overs, but thanks to a brilliant knock from McMullen, Scotland have their highest score in a T20 World Cup game.
Ellis conceded two wides in his final over but did well to restrict Greaves and Berrington to scampered singles and two. His bagged 1-34 from his four overs.
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19th over: Scotland 171-5 (Berrington 37, Greaves 8) That’s the end of Starc’s contribution with the ball. 0-31 from his four overs. This final set was decent despite the leg side wide. Full and fast, Scotland’s batters couldn’t get him away, which is why they risked a second run from Greaves’ slice down to deep third. Were it not for a spectacular dive, he’d have been run-out.
18th over: Scotland 165-5 (Berrington 35, Greaves 5) Berrington goes with the wind and deposits another six. A gorgeous swing of the bat and it clears the rope by a distance over midwicket. Their six hitting tonight has been remarkable. Zampa concedes four singles and there’s a quickly scampered two off the final ball. Zampa closes his innings with 1-30 from four overs.
17th over: Scotland 152-5 (Berrington 27, Greaves 0) It all rests on the captain’s shoulders now. Berrington is playing well but he has to be not out at the end. That was a handy set from Ellis who coughed up just four runs and nabbed a wicket.
WICKET! Leask c Starc b Ellis 5 (Scotland 152-5)
Ellis deserves that. He’s mixed it up this over with slower balls and bouncers. This time he pushes it up and asks if Leask can thwack it? The batter takes the bait but doesn’t get all of it so it floats tamely to Starc down at long-on who cups his mitts around it for a safe catch.
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16th over: Scotland 149-4 (Berrington 26, Leask 3) The Scotland captain is taking responsibility now. He starts Agar’s final over with a thumping six from a slog sweep. Agar adjusts and gets out of the batters’ arc but he can’t stop five consecutive singles and signs off with 1-39 from his four overs.
15th over: Scotland 138-4 (Berrington 17, Leask 1) Good over from Maxwell who closes his four over spell with 2-44. A wicket and just three singles has helped Australia claw their way back into the fight.
WICKET! Cross c Agar b Maxwell 18 (Scotland 136-4)
Rubbish gets wickets! That’s what they say and Maxwell can count himself lucky with that scalp. It was a rank full toss knuckleball that Cross could have spanked anywhere he liked. Instead he got underneath it and spooned it straight into the breeze. Agar down at cow corner held on.
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14th over: Scotland 135-3 (Berrington 26, Cross 6) Zampa puts down a catch at fine leg and knocks it over the rope for six. He had to move to his left after Berrington hooked Starc, but that was a messy show from the wrist spinner in the deep. A good set for Scotland. A fine edge from Cross to a full ball raced to the deep third rope. Cross then collected three down to deep extra cover before the Berington six took the over’s tally to 14.
13th over: Scotland 121-3 (Berrington 14, Cross 5) No boundaries, but a three off a thin edge past the ‘keeper, a couple past cover point and a single down to long-off – all for Berrington – as well as two more singles means this Agar over goes for eight runs. Scotland are going at 9.23 an over.
12th over: Scotland 112-3 (Berrington 9, Cross 1) Outstanding from Zampa. A crucial wicket and just a single to the new man, Cross. His variation out the hand is one thing but he also has great control with his variations in ball speed and where he pitches the ball. That McMullen wicket was procured by dangling it out wide of the off-stump. Elite bowling from an elite operator.
WICKET! McMullen c Starc b Zampa 60 (Scotland 111-3)
Oh no! Have I put the commentator’s curse on him? Seems like it. Zampa tempts McMullen into a wild swipe which catches a thick outside edge which flies down to Starc at short third on the circle. The big fella dives forward and does well to cling on just above the deck. A wonderful innings comes to an end. His teammates have to continue his good work. 170-odd is par here. Can they get there?
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11th over: Scotland 111-2 (McMullen 60, Berrington 9) Brandon McMullen – remember the name! This is fast becoming one of the great T20 World Cup knocks. An inside out lofted cover drive that was barely struck sails over the rope for another six off Maxwell. Berrington gets four with a back foot punch that beats the sweeper at deep point. Two singles, a wide and a couple for Berrington adds up to 15 off the over.
10th over: Scotland 96-2 (McMullen 53, Berrington 2) Great over from Zampa. Just four singles from it. McMullen seems content to slow things down and build a new partnership with his skipper. Though, Zampa forced the conservative approach with some nifty variations throughout the set.
I think Kathy Phillips speaks for many:
Hi Daniel,
Very conflicted at the moment. As an Aussie supporter, I’d obviously like to see them win this, but would also really like to see Scotland go through. Nothing to do with seeing England knocked out either (though the English team must but be a bit nervous right now!).
I’m with you Kathy. These Scots are a joy. It would be a shame to say goodbye to them.
WICKET! Munsey c Ellis b Maxwell 35 (Scotland 92-2)
Six and out! Munsey just bashed Maxwell – back into the attack – with a slog sweep but couldn’t repeat the trick to next ball. Maxwell went wider outside off and that meant Munsey had to reach for it. All he could do was lob a high catch for Ellis out on cow corner and a solid knock comes to an end.
9th over: Scotland 92-2 (McMullen 51, Berrington 0)
8th over: Scotland 83-1 (Munsey 28, McMullen 50) My goodness, these Scots are playing the innings of their lives! McMullen in particular who reaches his half century in the over, crunching two sixes – one a monster that cleared the stands on the leg side, the other a delicious lofted straight drive that could be one of the shots of the World Cup – and collecting two singles. Truly superb batting. McMullen needed just 26 balls to reach his second 50 of the competition.
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7th over: Scotland 67-1 (Munsey 27, McMullen 36) Zampa joins the attack and gets spanked as well. McMullen leans into a lofted drive and with the sweetest timing clears the fielder at long-off. Zampa over corrects, dragging it down, so McMullen leans back and threads the fielders at backward point and cover to add another four to the total. Three singles elswhere on what is clearly a superb deck and Scotland notch up another successful over.
6th over: Scotland 54-1 (Munsey 26, McMullen 24) Scotland are flying! Ellis drags one short and McMullen climbs into a pull shot, placing it well in front of square. It’s fearless batting. The half century is reached with a steer down to the sweeper on the off side and the powerplay is closed with a boundary, this time from Munsey who uses the pace of Ellis to swivel a pull away to the backward square leg fence.
5th over: Scotland 43-1 (Munsey 21, McMullen 18) Munsey gets stuck in to Maxwell! First a glorious reverse slog-sweep that sails over the ropes. He follows that with a good ol’ fashioned mow that screams off the middle of the bat for another six. The close out the over he beats a diving mid-on with a flick of the wrist to go 6-6-4 from the last three balls. Excellent batting. Scotland are climbing through the gears now.
4th over: Scotland 25-1 (Munsey 4, McMullen 17) There’s a dropped catch at mid-off. It’s the skipper, Marsh, who slightly mistimes his jump and can’t hold on to Munsey’s looping bunt with one hand. A tough chance, but one that maybe could have been made easier with better footwork.
Then another drop. This was a genuinely difficult grab as Head, diving at extra cover, did well just to get there.
Between that McMullen smoked Starc over cover for Six, skipping down the track and bludgeoning the ball into the stiff breeze and over the rope. He’s enjoying pace on the ball.
Brian Withington has been in touch with some praise for the Scots:
Hi Daniel
Shame that there are no NRR machinations to entertain us, but if Scotland can somehow beat Australia then they fully deserve to go through to the Super 8s as the only unbeaten team in the group.
Meanwhile Australia must surely want to win this one and take their victory over England with them into the next stage rather than a loss to Scotland.
In passing that Ellis lad looks a bit useful.
3rd over: Scotland 15-1 (Munsey 2, McMullen 9) Agar is hooked and replaced by Ellis, who is bustling with a fast twitching action. There’s early swing and good pace but McCullen is equal to it, unfurling a staggeringly good straight drive which goes high into the night sky and comes down just over the rope at deep mid-off. A wide and three singles means its a productive over for the Scots.
2nd over: Scotland 5-1 (Munsey 1, McMullen 1) Top start from Starc. His first ball ended with a prolonged appeal for lbw, though his searing yorker always looked like it was missing Munsey’s leg stump. There was a jaffa in the mix, one that was full and swining and just missed Munsey’s off stump. McCullen gets off the mark with a push to mid-off.
WICKET! Jones b Agar 2 (Scotland 3-1)
What a start from Agar! He’s been zipping them through this over and this one is slightly shorter to the right handed Jones, who leans back and tries to play it square through the off side and gets an inside edge. Great bowling and that’s the end of the first over that was full of control.
1st over: Scotland 3-1 (Munsey 1, McMullen 0)
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Right then. It’s Ashton Agar with the ball in his hand. Michael Jones and George Munsey will be desperate to set the tone with bat in hand. Looking forward to this!
It’s a sparse crowd in attendance. A pity that.
As Flower of Scotland rings out, quickly cast your eye across this to find out why the Scots are so confident of achieving the improbable:
This is the first T20 international between Australia and Scotland.
Would be one helluva way to start a rivalry by bagging one of the all time upsets.
Australia win the toss and bowl
“Looks a really good surface,” says Aussie skipper, Mitch Marsh.
“It’s like another World Cup game,” he adds. Quite right, Mitch.
Australia make two changes with Cummins and Hazlewood rested. Starc and Agar join the team.
Australia: Warner, Head, Marsh (c), MAxwell, Stoinis David, Wade (wk), Starc, Ellis, Zampa, Agar.
Scotland’s skipper, Richie Berrington, is just keen to get going: “For us, the chatter is out of our control. We knew we had to beat some of the best teams to qualify. We have gone with the same team as last game.”
Scotland: Munsey, Jones, McMullen, Berrington (c), Cross (wk), Leask, Greaves, Watt, Cole, Wheal, Sharif.
So there’s a chance….
England up to a net run rate of 3.611, which means that Scotland can still progress while losing as long as Australia score 1010 and Scotland make 1009. #T20worldcup
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) June 15, 2024
Preamble
No one actually thinks Australia have any intention of throwing this game, but I’d bet there are a good few Aussie fans who wouldn’t mind seeing their boys lose to Scotland.
If this World Cup adds another remarkable upset to its collection, England’s run would end with Australia and Scotland progressing to the Super 8.
Josh Hazlewood sparked this contentious debate by pointing out the obvious that a World Cup without England in the mix would be easier to win. He said it would be in Australia’s “best interest” to well, allow Scotland to get the job done.
Now there’s talk that skipper Mitch Marsh could face a two-match ban as Clause 2.11 of the ICC’s code of conduct specifically mentions “inappropriate manipulation of a net run-rate” for “strategic or tactical reasons such as when a team deliberately loses a pool match in an ICC Event in order to affect the standings of other teams in that ICC Event”.
Of course, Scotland have the tools to beat Australia in a fair fight. The Scots were cruising at 90-0 after 10 overs against England when rain ended the match. They’ve swatted aside Oman and Namibia and will back themselves to catch the Aussies cold.
It should be a belter. And after all the rain over the past two days, let’s hope for a full 40 overs.
First ball at 10:30 AEST / 01:30 BST from the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia.
Toss, teams and more updates to come.
