Jason Roy is on form, Jofra Archer indispensable, so India and Australia want group wins to miss World Cup hosts in the semisSuddenly the square pegs are fitting into square holes. England have their semi-final at Edgbaston, where they like playing, and when Eoin Morgan said he was not bothered which side he would be playing against, it felt as if he was telling the truth rather than dutifully spinning. Their opponents will be India or Australia.England are starting to play with confidence and captain Morgan now seems to know his preferred team; it is the one that played in the last two games. Unless conditions dictate otherwise – and this would only happen if there is a very dry,...
Mitchell Starc peaked at the right time at Lord’s to extinguish England’s hopes of reaching Australia’s totalWelcome back then, England. It’s been a while. Just not, as it happens, quite long enough.On a sullen, grey day at Lord’s England were both oddly meek and jarringly aggressive en route to a comprehensive 64-run defeat by Australia that leaves their World Cup campaign, at best, intriguingly poised. Related: Australia deliver hammer blow to England’s Cricket World Cup hopes Continue reading...
Smith is a cricketer, not a criminal; he broke the Laws, not the law. So now the man who has been described as the new Don Bradman is back, he should be leading the sideWhen, or perhaps if, summer returns to England, I fancy wearing one particular cap. Of deep green with a gold Southern Cross on the bill, the cap would also sport four gold letters. MSCA: Make Smith Captain Again.Bad idea, you say? No, Brexit is a bad idea. This government is a bad idea. A particularly bad idea is the Hundred, harrumph. But reinstating Steve Smith as Australia’s captain makes compelling sense. It’s about time cricket grew up. Related: Aaron Finch and Mitchell Starc power Australia to...
David Warner and Aaron Finch laid a platform for a huge score but middle order’s failure to capitalise left Starc with work to doFor the second time in two World Cup wins, Mitchell Starc was the saviour for Australia. At Taunton on Wednesday, Pakistan had looked to have no chance to chase 308 when they slipped to 160 for six but from there the lower-order resistance from the captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and his big-hitting bowlers Hasan Ali and Wahab Riaz had built momentum. By the time Pakistan needed 54 from 48 balls, with Wahab well set on 39, it felt irresistible.Enter Starc, first tying things up with a tight over conceding three runs, then bursting past Wahab with pace to...
Australia opener’s century and mad axeman’s charge lit up a fine game but the World Cup has not been designed to thrillThe rain was interrupted by a cricket match on Wednesday, rather a good one actually, and played right through without the umpires even having to look heavenwards.Nonetheless, painterly clouds hung constantly over the Quantock Hills and a chill blew off them, suggesting this bout of traditional English summer weather is not going far away soon. I was grateful for the Quantocks, and the clouds. Otherwise I might have had no idea I was in Taunton. Related: Mitchell Starc sinks Pakistan’s pursuit of Australia after David Warner century Related: Michael Holding responds to ICC ‘censorship’ after criticising umpires Continue reading...