Eoin Stoked after victory
BEN’S A REAL BELTER
BEN STOKES and Eoin Morgan’s brutal counter-attack dumped Australia out of the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston yesterday.
England were in trouble at 35-3 chasing 278 after both Australia’s opening bowlers took a wicket with their second delivery.
But a stunning 102 not out from Stokes (right) and 87 from Morgan was enough for the hosts to win by 40 runs on DuckworthLewis after rain interrupted play late on.
Morgan said: “Every team would want Ben in their side – the IPL auction proved that.
“He always wants to be in the game.
“His potential is through the roof.
BEN STOKES a nd Eoin Morgan’s explosive stand of 159 helped dump Australia out of the ICC Champions Trophy as England cruised into the semi-finals.
The remarkable Stokes led the way with an exhilarating 102 not out after he came to the crease with England in deep trouble at 35-3.
Captain Morgan weighed in with a brilliant 87 from 81 deliveries, after Adil Rashid (4-41) and Mark Wood (4-33) had earlier blasted through the Aussies.
The win came via a 40-run DuckworthLewis result after rain took the players off with England still needing 38 runs to win. But in truth, the game had been won long before.
England had restricted the Aussies to 277-9 before what became a comfortable run chase at an overcast Edgbaston.
Morgan’s men do not yet know their opponents for the last-four clash but they will play on Wednesday in Cardiff – against either India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or South Africa.
The crowd of 24,227 was the record one-day international attendance for the Birmingham venue.
England’s reply got off to the worst possible start, as out-of-form opener Jason Roy departed to the second ball, lbw to Mitchell Starc for four.
Alex Hales followed six balls later, edging Josh Hazlewood to Aaron Finch at first slip for a duck.
Then Joe Root nicked Hazlewood to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade for 15.
A 40-minute rain delay gave England time to reflect on their horror start.
And the break successfully deflated Australia’s momentum as Morgan struck two crunching cover drives off Mitchell Starc from the first two balls after the restart.
Stokes hooked Starc for a six over square leg to register his half-century.
Morgan was equally aggressive to anything slightly wayward and his six over long-on off Glenn Maxwell’s first delivery raised the hundred partnership with Stokes.
Durham all-rounder Stokes went into the 70s with a nonchalant flick off a good length delivery that sped through long-on. The shot was so good that India captain Virat Kohli took to Twitter to say, “That was a ridiculous shot by @ benstokes38 off Cummins. One of the best shots I’ve seen for a while!”
The duo matched one another blow for blow. Morgan’s six off Hazlewood, after he advanced down the pitch, was lifted high into the stands at long-on.
You just knew it was England’s day when Australia’s best fielder Glenn Maxwell made a complete mess of a comfortable catch to get rid of Jos Buttler.
Buttler cut Starc to Maxwell at backward point and instead of pouching an easy catch, the ball just somehow evaded his hands altogether and went for four.
That c ould have been 212-5 with 65 still required to set up a much tighter climax, but it wasn’t to be.
Stokes got his ton with a cu t shot o f f l eggie Adam Zampa over extra cover.
One ball later, the players left for rain, as even the weather waited for Stokes to enjoy his moment.