KNOCK ’EM DOWN UNDER) AND OUT
Morgan: My young scrappers can add to Aussie misery and send them packing
EOIN MORGAN has told his Ashes virgins to dump Australia out of the Champions Trophy on England’s favourite ground.
Six of England’s side at Edgbaston today have never played a Test against the Aussies – including one-day skipper Morgan, who was in the squad for the 2010-11 triumph Down Under, but only carried the drinks.
Australia must win to avoid the kind of prompt exit from a global tournament once the preserve of Scotland footballers at the World Cup.
And Morgan, whose side are already through to a semi-final in Cardiff on Wednesday, ordered his inform team to make the most of their opportunity to eliminate the Baggy Greens, saying: “This may be the closest you will ever get to beating an Australian team.”
England are unbeaten against the Aussies at Edgbaston in all forms of cricket since 2001 – a sequence including the epic two-run win in the 2005 Ashes, a six-wicket demolition in the Champions Trophy semi-finals 13 years ago and a splendid altercation between Simon Jones and Matthew Hayden in a one-day international.
And Morgan is feeling so chipper these days he has even begun to sing the national anthem, Begorrah Save The Queen.
This is one coalition between true blue uniforms and an Irish ally we can all swing behind – especially if it tweaks the kangaroo’s tail in the last AngloAustralian summit before the first Ashes Test in 166 days at the Gabba.
Asked if playing against the Aussies made the beans jump more than other assignments, Morgan said: “I think they do – there’s always something more on it.
“Anybody that’s been there and played against them before, when you win against Australia you know you’re beating one of the better sides in the world.
“I’m in a position where I haven’t played Ashes cricket and certainly there are other guys down in the changing room who are in the same boat. So from that side of things, if you never get to play in an Ashes Test, it’s the closest you will ever get to beating an Australian team.
“It’s important we don’t take our foot off the gas – we need to emphasise the positive way we play, which can look a bit reckless at times and put us in some sticky situations, but we’ve got nothing to lose. We’re already through whereas their tournament is on the line.
“This is a really good ground for us – we love coming here, it’s normally a beautiful wicket and a high-scoring ground, which suits us.
“The atmosphere is always quite lively, regardless of how the game is going and we always seem to get results here. That’s part of home advantage.”
Australia, whose first two matches in the competition were curtailed by rain, have the added distraction of a long-running pay dispute with their board.
Lamborghini-driving vicecaptain David Warner has attacked Cricket Australia’s handling of the row, but Morgan joked: “We will have a whip-round for them – but I don’t think Dave will be short.”
Skipper Steve Smith (left) admitted: “Obviously it’s a must-win match for us and that does usually bring the best out of the Australian team in big tournaments.
“It’s essentially a quarterfinal for us and England are through to the next round already – hopefully they don’t turn up and play the sort of game they are capable of playing.”
England will stick with opener Jason Roy, despite his fallow trot of just 47 runs in seven one-day innings at an average of 6.71 this summer.