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...
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...
Hamid Hassan generates plenty of pace but David Warner is in no hurry for dominant AustraliansOf course they booed David Warner when he came out to bat, and he will have to get used to that. And in the quiet moments one could catch occasional catcalls on the wind too, cries of “Oi! Warner...”Up on the balcony of one of the flats at the Ashley Down Road End there were a couple who had come dressed, you guess, as sheets of sandpaper. Only from a distance one might have confused their homemade outfits for a couple of chips, or perhaps a pair of Weetabix. Had Warner eaten his that morning? He did not bat like it. This was his first...
Sport often welcomes back a bad boy turned good but some offences lie so far beyond the pale a return is almost impossible despite protestationsSteve Smith and David Warner were booed during Australia’s warm-up fixtures against West Indies and England in Southampton. The Aussies won both matches, and Smith got runs in both, so perhaps they won’t care about a phenomenon that seems likely to continue throughout the World Cup, even if they get to the final on 14 July.According to Smith, who spoke after taking a ton off England’s bowlers at the Hampshire Bowl on Saturday, the chants of “Cheat! Cheat! Cheat!” are like “water off a duck’s back – it doesn’t bother me”. But it should, because it...