England bowlers make quick work of Aussies | The Daily Star
12:00 AM, July 12, 2019 / LAST MODIFIED: 01:36 AM, July 12, 2019

England bowlers make quick work of Aussies

Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid each took three wickets as England seized control of their World Cup semifinal against Australia at Edgbaston on Thursday, bowling out the defending champions for 223.

Woakes, who plays at Edgbaston for Warwickshire, utilised the conditions splendidly to finish with figures of three for 20 in eight overs.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Australian skipper Aaron Finch was the first back in the hut after receiving just one ball from Jofra Archer.

England’s new-ball bowlers were certainly fired up for the task, with both Archer (2/32) and Woakes hitting their line and lengths from the outset.

Woakes gained his just reward when he delivered a superb away-swinger to David Warner, who followed it to Joe Root at first slip.

New-boy Peter Handscomb, who was fresh in the team after replacing the injured Usman Khawaja, did not last long before he too was clean bowled by Woakes.

Australia were deep in trouble at that stage, and it seemed there was no way back at 14/3 after just 6.1 overs. But like the first semifinal at Old Trafford, the Aussies found two battlers in Smith and Carey.

The pair shared a 103-run partnership for the fourth wicket, and looked to be stabilising the innings before Carey played an ill-judged flick down deep mid-wicket’s throat.

Australia lost wickets in clusters throughout the innings, and the out-of-form Marcus Stoinis followed the Australian vice-captain back to the dressing room just two balls later when he was trapped by Adil Rashid.

The England leg-spinner was superb throughout the innings as he kept taking wickets through the middle to finish with three for 54, later adding Pat Cummins to Carey and Stoinis’ scalps.

He deservedly received a generous applause from England spin bowling coach Saqlain Mushtaq from the dressingroom’s balcony.

Earlier, Chris Woakes enjoyed a dream outing on his home ground, removing David Warner in the third over and adding the wickets of Peter Handscomb and Mitchell Starc while giving away just 20 runs from his eight overs in the World Cup semifinal yesterday. PHOTO: REUTERS

At the end of the first innings, Archer stopped by for a quick chat and told reporters: “From the New Zealand game it’s all been a semifinal for us so we just need to keep winning.

“Maxwell was my favourite wicket because he got me out at Lord’s so it’s good to get him back. Smith batted really well today, especially on this pitch.

“It nipped a lot more than it swung so we held the ball back and used more cross-seam deliveries.” The winners of the match in Birmingham will face 2015 runners-up New Zealand, who shocked mighty India at Old Trafford, in Sunday’s final at Lord’s.

Australia are bidding for a sixth World Cup title, having won four of the past five editions.


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