Bloodbath: Aussies smash woeful England

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

AUSTRALIA exploded out of the blocks in ominous pursuit of a fifth World Cup triumph, as Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh savaged England in Saturday night's electric opener at the MCG.

Hometown hero Finch basked in the glory of a masterful hundred in front of 84,336 fans to inspire the 111-run bloodbath, before Marsh chose the perfect stage to inflict his first five-wicket haul and finish the job.

In the players' race pre-match, David Warner and bar fight nemesis Joe Root exchanged looks that could kill, but it was Finch who landed the blows – 12 fours and three brutal sixes to be precise in a scintillating innings of 135 off 128 balls.

MATCH CENTRE: CLICK HERE FOR FULL SCORECARD, VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS AND EXTENSIVE STATS

FINCH ENJOYS HIS GREATEST MOMENT

VIDEO: IS THIS THE WORST HAT-TRICK EVER?

THE WATERBOY: CLARKE PLAYS WAITING GAME

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Even if he was dropped on zero by Chris Woakes in the first over of the match, it was easily the best of Finch's six ODI centuries, as he powered Australia to 9-342 – the biggest ever total by the hosts at the MCG and the largest England has ever suffered in a World Cup.

"(After being dropped on zero) you just put it out of your mind don't you," Finch said after being named man of the match.

"Everyone contributed right through the order with bat or ball or did something special in the field. So it's a great feeling to get this one out of the way and take momentum through the rest of the tournament."

Mitchell Marsh celebrates the wicket of Eoin Morgan. Picture: Colleen Petch. Source: News Corp Australia

Even considering last summer's Ashes whitewash, this was a humiliating defeat of epic proportions, and that was with Mitchell Johnson only coming to the party late as England wilted to be all out for 231 after 42 overs.

In moves typical of their scrambled World Cup mindset, England changed tact at the last minute by recalling Gary Ballance to No.3, even though he hadn't played a match all tour, before winning the toss and making the negative choice to bowl.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Now it's difficult to see how England can lift themselves off the canvas in a tournament they look no closer to ever winning.

England villain Stuart Broad had Australia on the rocks for a while at 3-70 when he removed Warner and under-pressure Shane Watson in successive balls.

But a fighting 146-run stand between Finch and George Bailey (55) turned the match on its head and in the process, revived the vice-captain's bid to remain in the side when Michael Clarke returns to the fold next week.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Glenn Maxwell also rose to the occasion in front of his home fans with a spectacular knock of 66 off 40 featuring 11 boundaries, and Marsh (23 off 20) and Brad Haddin (31 off 14) also had their fun.

Steve Finn (5-71) took just the eighth hat-trick in World Cup history off the last three balls of the innings, but it was nothing to write home about – Haddin, Maxwell and Johnson all went down swinging to every corner of the ground.

Finch's blazing hundred was always going to be hard to top, but 23-year-old sensation Marsh may have cemented his place in Australia's full-strength XI – even when Clarke and James Faulkner return – with his career-best haul of 5-33.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Marsh became the third player in the match (after Broad and Finn) to find himself on a hat-trick ball after removing danger man Ian Bell (36) and Root in the 14th over to leave England 4-66.

Although he didn't join Finn in the hat-trick club, Marsh took up from where Johnson left off in Perth – and removed England's battling captain Eoin Morgan for yet another duck – his fourth in five innings.

It took a stunning catch by keeper Haddin down the leg-side to remove Morgan, but Steve Smith went one better and laid down an early marker for catch of the tournament with a flying effort to send Jos Buttler packing and give Marsh his fifth.

Stuart Broad celebrates after dismissing David Warner. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Corp Australia

Australia's catching and work in the field was poor during the Test summer, but it couldn't have been sharper on Saturday night – much to the delight of coach Darren Lehmann, who says that fielding wins World Cups.

Once the damage was done at 6-92, England batsman James Taylor dug in and deserved a hundred only to be dramatically stranded on 98 not out after DRS saved him from an lbw dismissal but partner James Anderson was run out at the other end.

England skipper Morgan admitted his side needed to do much better to be any sort of force at this tournament.

"Yeah we started a bit slow and cold which was disappointing," Morgan said. "Finny taking his second five for on this tour so far has been great and James Taylor at the end very unlucky not to get a hundred.

"If we keep learning hopefully we'll hit our straps by the quarter-finals.

"Senior players need to step up, myself included."

The only problem Australia face in their chase of a memorable Cup win on home soil is a good one – who to leave out?

When Clarke and all-rounder James Faulkner return to fitness, selectors face some tough choices as they look to settle on their best XI for the finals' charge.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

See how all the action unfolded in our blog below

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Bloodbath: Aussies smash woeful England

Dengan url

https://beritaolahragakuat.blogspot.com/2015/02/bloodbath-aussies-smash-woeful-england.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Bloodbath: Aussies smash woeful England

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Bloodbath: Aussies smash woeful England

sebagai sumbernya

Berita Olahraga