Smith Stars in Successful Chase
England have had issues with their top order. Ali has got off to start but has failed to capitalise ODI against India but one can say that was not of real significance as their was barely any pressurs on them then. The top order will surely look to fire today and get into the thick of things. On the other hand, England's bowling came all guns blazing and liquidate the India batting line-up. The return of Anderson was a big plus for England and the pace stalwart did not disappoint on his return.
Australia had won the toss and elected to bowl first. The pitch has a bit of moisture and will assist the bowlers. Morgan reckons it is not a bad toss to lose. England go with the same side whereas their counterparts make three changes. Marsh, White and Henriques comes in for Warner, Bailey and Watson.
We are ready to get underway. Moeen Ali and Ian Bell are the England openers and Mitchell Starc will start with the new ball. Ali and Bell gave England a strong lead. OUT! This was on the cards! Ali slings down the track and tries to smack it on the side but gets a top edge that goes high in the sky towards covers. The substitute Doherty settles under it and takes a simple catch. Nonetheless, a good innings at the top of the order. He has set the momentum for the visitors. James Taylor came to the crease at no.3. He was out soon. OUT! Taylor perishes! Full around off, Taylor tries to scoop it over the infield but ends up slicing it to mid-off where Faulkner pouches an easy catch. An unconvincing stay at the crease for the young Yaylor comes to an end. Joee Root comes to crease. Root and Bell started to build the innings. These partnership had took the score to 253 runs. Wicket! End of an extraordinary knock by Ian Bell! Clever change in pace by Sandhu to deceive the batsman. He serves it on a short of a length on middle, Bell walks down the track to smash it over mid-off but fails to get wnough wood behind it. The ball balloons in the air and Starc does well to run in to his left to take the catch at the edge of the circle with a dive. He does well to hang on tobit as the lands and his elbows hit the ground. Bell scored 141 runs from 125 balls. Skipper Eoin Morgan is the new batsman out to the middle. Wicket! Golden duck for Morgan! One wicket brings another one for Australi, we have seen quite a few times in this series. Good length ball angling away from the batsman, Morgan reaches out for it away from his body, pushes inside the line and gets a faint edge to the keeper. He hit a century in the last game against Australia and gets a duck today. Cricket is a great leveller. Jos Buttler is the new batsman out to the middle. Wicket! Australia picking wickets at right time! Cummins dishes out a slightly short of a length ball but fails to get the desired elevation. Finch at the edge of the circle takes the simplest catches. The idea was right from Root but not the execution. Anyways, a good knock by Root. Ravi Bopara is the new batsman out to the middle. The score was good,these was the last partnership that have score a run. Wicket! Terrific presence of mind by Starc, Bopara exposes his leg stump and the bowler serves it full and strait. Bopara fails to work it on the leg side and the leg stumped was distrubed. End of a nightmarish innings of Bopara! Chris Woakes is the new batsman out to the middle. Last two balls left to finish the first innings. Wicket! Run-out this time! Starc angles across a full length ball outside off, Woakes flashes and misses and they attempt for a bye. Haddin is aware to the situation and scores a direct hit at the striker's end. Buttler is found short in the replays. Stuart Board is the new batsman out to the middle for the last ball of the innings.Team Hat-Trick For Australia! Starc runs in and delivers a full length ball outside off, Board back away a bit and then leaves alone, strangely. Then they attempt for a bye and Haddin comes up with yet another direct hit. Woakes is found short and it's a terrible end to England's innings, 303/8 in 50 overs.
Sensational death bowlng by Australia! They picked up 6 wickets in the last 10 overs and conceded only 59 rubs during that period. England will be deeply disappointed with the way they ended and will feel they are at least 50 runs short. The English openers gave a century stand after a gap of 48 matches. Ian Bell and Moeen Ali looked in fine touch and the former, in particular, batted throughout his innings with a strike rate over 100, something we normally don't associate with him. he went on to stroke a fluent century and his 121- run stand with Joe Root set a perfect platforms for the tourists. The wicket of Ian Bell started the down side and the lower order just failed to get going. Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner bowled superbly at the death while Gurinder Sandhu was the pick of the bowlers, claiming two wickets at a decent economy rate.
Back for the chase! The players are back on the field. Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch were the Aussies openers. 304 runs were needed in 50 overs. Chris Woakes to start the proceedings. Finch and Marsh partnership was going good. They played some classy shots. Marsh and Finch gave a decent start to their side. Wicket! Moeen Ali, the partnership breaker. He tosses it up in the air and tempts the batsman to have a go. Finch comes down the track for a big heave across the line but is very early into the shot. The ball misses his blade and goes on to the distrub the wooden framework. Steven Smith is the new batsman out to the middle at number 3. Wicket! Finn gets on the breakthrough and once again Marsh fails to convert his start. Finn serves a full length ball around off, Marsh gets on the front foot to drive it square of the wicket on the off side but fails to keep it down. It flies off the bottom part of the bat and a simple catch for Bell at point. Good pleasure bowling by England. Marsh scored 45 runs. Cameron White is the new batsman out to the middle. He is making is comeback, played his last ODI in 2011. Wicket! once again a wicket produced another one. Not a good comeback game for Bear, he departs for a naught, leaving Australia in trouble. Australia where 92 for 3 after 16.3 overs. Terrific delivery by Finn, very full in length and tailing back into the batsman at 140 kph. White initially looks to flicks it but the length is not quite there and the finger was upped immediately. Finn was on fire again! Glenn Maxwell is the new batsman out to the middle. Maxwell and Smith were taking the runs ahead. These two started to build the innings. Wicket! Maxwell holes out! Once again Moeen Ali strikes when the partnership started to look threatening. Floated full ball on middle, Maxwell goes on the knee and slogs it in the air over midd-wicket. He seems to have made good connection but Root near the fence does well to take the catch over his head and maintains his balance as wel. Good judgement! Maxwell scored 37 runs. James Faulkner is the new batsman out to the middle. He was promoted up the order, normally we have seen him finishung the game for Australia. Faulkner was batting well. Faulkner and Smith trys to go to target as soon as possible. Faulkner was looking dangerous. Wicket! Massive breakthrough for England, the danger man Faulkner departs by scoring 35 runs. Woakes serves it on a length outside off. Some extra bounce, Faulkner tries to play it straight, pushes at it and the extra bounce takes a outside part of the bat. The ball loops in the air towards point where Bell takes a good low catch. Faulkner walks back staring at the pitch, the point from where the ball got the extra lift. Brad Haddin is the new batsman out to the middle.
Sensational death bowlng by Australia! They picked up 6 wickets in the last 10 overs and conceded only 59 rubs during that period. England will be deeply disappointed with the way they ended and will feel they are at least 50 runs short. The English openers gave a century stand after a gap of 48 matches. Ian Bell and Moeen Ali looked in fine touch and the former, in particular, batted throughout his innings with a strike rate over 100, something we normally don't associate with him. he went on to stroke a fluent century and his 121- run stand with Joe Root set a perfect platforms for the tourists. The wicket of Ian Bell started the down side and the lower order just failed to get going. Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner bowled superbly at the death while Gurinder Sandhu was the pick of the bowlers, claiming two wickets at a decent economy rate.
Back for the chase! The players are back on the field. Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch were the Aussies openers. 304 runs were needed in 50 overs. Chris Woakes to start the proceedings. Finch and Marsh partnership was going good. They played some classy shots. Marsh and Finch gave a decent start to their side. Wicket! Moeen Ali, the partnership breaker. He tosses it up in the air and tempts the batsman to have a go. Finch comes down the track for a big heave across the line but is very early into the shot. The ball misses his blade and goes on to the distrub the wooden framework. Steven Smith is the new batsman out to the middle at number 3. Wicket! Finn gets on the breakthrough and once again Marsh fails to convert his start. Finn serves a full length ball around off, Marsh gets on the front foot to drive it square of the wicket on the off side but fails to keep it down. It flies off the bottom part of the bat and a simple catch for Bell at point. Good pleasure bowling by England. Marsh scored 45 runs. Cameron White is the new batsman out to the middle. He is making is comeback, played his last ODI in 2011. Wicket! once again a wicket produced another one. Not a good comeback game for Bear, he departs for a naught, leaving Australia in trouble. Australia where 92 for 3 after 16.3 overs. Terrific delivery by Finn, very full in length and tailing back into the batsman at 140 kph. White initially looks to flicks it but the length is not quite there and the finger was upped immediately. Finn was on fire again! Glenn Maxwell is the new batsman out to the middle. Maxwell and Smith were taking the runs ahead. These two started to build the innings. Wicket! Maxwell holes out! Once again Moeen Ali strikes when the partnership started to look threatening. Floated full ball on middle, Maxwell goes on the knee and slogs it in the air over midd-wicket. He seems to have made good connection but Root near the fence does well to take the catch over his head and maintains his balance as wel. Good judgement! Maxwell scored 37 runs. James Faulkner is the new batsman out to the middle. He was promoted up the order, normally we have seen him finishung the game for Australia. Faulkner was batting well. Faulkner and Smith trys to go to target as soon as possible. Faulkner was looking dangerous. Wicket! Massive breakthrough for England, the danger man Faulkner departs by scoring 35 runs. Woakes serves it on a length outside off. Some extra bounce, Faulkner tries to play it straight, pushes at it and the extra bounce takes a outside part of the bat. The ball loops in the air towards point where Bell takes a good low catch. Faulkner walks back staring at the pitch, the point from where the ball got the extra lift. Brad Haddin is the new batsman out to the middle.
Century number 3 for Steven Smith in ODIs! He raises his bat to the crowd and enjoys the ovation. What a lovely knock by the skipper! Another record to his name, he becomes the only players to scores a century both ib Tests and ODIs ob captaincy debut. Take a bow, Superman! Haddin and Smith took the run chase Near. But unfortunetly these partnership was broken. Wicket! Haddin departs after playing his part, a wicket too late for England. Slower short ball from Woakes, wide outside off, Haddin tries to play the upper cut over short third man but fails to get hold of his attempted shot. The ball takes a top edge and balloons in the air. Bell takes a simple catch at point. Australia needed 7 runs From 15 balls. Moises Henriques the new batsman out to the middle. Wicket! Henriques is run out! Too full length on off, Henriques squeezes it out to midd-off and crosses for an impossible single. Taylor has one stumped to aim at and he finds the target. Henriques is not in the picture. Australia were needed 2 runs in three balls. Mitchell Starc is the new batsman out to the middle. Good thing is that Smith wilk be on stike. All the fielders were inside the ring. Buttler is coming up to the stumps. Fuller length ball on the middle and off, Starc goes back and hits it firmly through the line. The ball goes on one bounce over the cover fielder for the winning runs. Australia win by 3 wickets! Excellent win for the hosts and they qualify for the finals.
Superb knock by Superman Steven Smith! He truley played a captain's knock on his debut as Australia's ODI skipper and steered his side to victory. Chasing a shift target, the Aussie opener provided a good platform and Steven Smith batting at number 3 capitalized on it. He was involved in crucial stands with Maxwell and Faulkner but the match winning partnership came between him and Haddin, where the pair added 81 off 61 balls. Brad Haddin's 29-balls 42 took the pressure away from Smith and almost closed the doors on England.However, the Britishers made it tough by taking it into the final over. Australia with three wins in a row, march into the finals and if they manage to best India on Monday. It will be a knockout match between England and India on 30th January.
Eoin Morgan: It was not a bad day in general. Ian Bell played well in particular. Today their last 10 overs specially. Their variations were pretty good. I think 300 was about par, if we would have batted well it could have been a 350 scores and credits to Australia for pulling things back. It's preparation for the World Cup, ideally we want to win the tri-series, obviously we need to qualify for the finals first.
Steven Smith (Man of the Match): It is nice to get few more runs tonight. We chase pretty well till the end. Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner bowled outstandingly well at the death and hopefully they will keep up with their form. 300 was probably a good score for us to chase down. I will never forget this summer and will keep trying to score. Haddin played nice and positive and took the pressure off me. Starc was pretty cool when he came out to bat and took us home. The Australia Day game is very big for us and I can't wait to come out at play in front of my home crowd.
Eoin Morgan: It was not a bad day in general. Ian Bell played well in particular. Today their last 10 overs specially. Their variations were pretty good. I think 300 was about par, if we would have batted well it could have been a 350 scores and credits to Australia for pulling things back. It's preparation for the World Cup, ideally we want to win the tri-series, obviously we need to qualify for the finals first.
Steven Smith (Man of the Match): It is nice to get few more runs tonight. We chase pretty well till the end. Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner bowled outstandingly well at the death and hopefully they will keep up with their form. 300 was probably a good score for us to chase down. I will never forget this summer and will keep trying to score. Haddin played nice and positive and took the pressure off me. Starc was pretty cool when he came out to bat and took us home. The Australia Day game is very big for us and I can't wait to come out at play in front of my home crowd.
That's all we have from these match. We look forward to your company for the all important game for India on 26th January against Australia at the SCG. Until then, it's good bye and cheers!!
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