STREWTH! ENGLAND THRASH AUSSIES
NOW BRING ON KIWIS IN FINAL
EOIN MORGAN says England must grab the chance to make cricket “cool” again after his side blasted their way into a firstWorld Cup final for 27 years.
News that England’s clash with New Zealand at Lord’s on Sunday will be broadcast on Channel 4 was released after victory over Australia was sealed to a soundtrack of “Cricket’s Coming Home” from the crowd at Edgbaston.
And Morgan claimed the coverage of their shot at glory can turn back the clock to 2005 and the Ashes series which put the sport at the forefront of the
WITH a swing and a swagger, captain Eoin Morgan fittingly smashed the winning runs.
And so, 98 matches and countless records since the last World Cup, England galloped into the final.
What a time for this band of brothers to click so perfectly to see off their oldest and fiercest rivals by eight wickets in what can only be described as a complete thrashing.
Take a bow Jason Roy, who took a huge 85-run bite out of the 224 target in the way only the most destructive batsmen can do.
Take a bow Jofra Archer, the team’s most recent arrival who has become a cult hero with his pace, skill and nerveless ability to deliver. He took 2-32 in just his 13th ODI and cut Alex Carey’s chin with a bouncer.
Take a bow man-of-the-match Chris Woakes for his 3-20 on his home turf to dismantle the Australian top order and set the tone for the day.
And take a bow Adil Rashid, who bamboozled the batsmen and broke Australia’s 50th World Cup century partnership despite battling with a sore shoulder throughout the tournament.
From the first ball of the second over, England were in control. David Warner, booed out to the middle, had crunched the first ball of the match for four but there was no such joy for Aaron Finch.
The Australian skipper was trapped plumb lbw first ball by Archer, who was outstanding.
Finch took his side’s only review with him, and Woakes soon had Warner caught at slip to allow the fans to clear their throats again.
When Peter Handscomb was bowled by local hero Woakes, reigning champions Australia – unbeaten in six previous semi-finals – were 14-3.
It was a skilful, powerful and ruthless display by England on an Edgbaston ground they love.
A year to the day since England’s footballers failed to squeeze past Croatia in football’s World Cup semifinals in Russia, the Hollies stand broke out a rendition of “Cricket’s coming home!” and who would doubt that now?
England put down a marker here, just three weeks before the Ashes get under way. But let us
park that great rivalry for just a moment, because this game was about putting to bed 27 years of 50-over failure. There have been World Cup disasters – such as 2015 when they failed to make it out of the group stages following defeat by Bangladesh – mixed with Champions Trophy disappointments, so England are still yet to win a global 50-over trophy. When they meet New Zealand on Sunday at Lord’s, they have the chance of a lifetime to correct that.
No-one epitomises their courageous, attacking ethos better than Roy, who should have crowned the day with a brilliant, blistering hundred but was denied by an awful decision by umpire Kumar Dharmasena, who gave him out caught down the legside when he did not hit it.
Jonny Bairstow had already burned England’s review for a straightforward lbw decision, which left Roy marooned.
He may have lingered a little too long to remonstrate with the umpires, and it earned him a fine of 30 per cent of his match fee, about £2,000, and two demerit points.
He had smashed Steve Smith for three successive sixes to go with one flicked off Mitchell Starc.
Smith had been Australia’s mainstay, also scoring 85 runs from 54 more balls than Roy, whose departure made way for Joe Root and Morgan to finish things off.
England put down a marker here, three weeks before the Ashes get under way