Flying Finn clinches clinical series win
STEVEN FINN inspired England to another crushing victory against Australia as the hosts wrapped up the one-day series. England’s eight-wicket triumph owed much to Finn’s remarkable spell of fast-bowling and Australia’s batting deficiencies.
With just a year until the next Ashes series, Michael Clarke’s side suffered another chastening experience against what is universally accepted as the best bowling attack in world cricket.
Finn’s 4-37 was the highlight for England, while James Anderson reached 500 international wickets to leave him just 28 behind his country’s all-time leader, Sir Ian Botham.
Only a determined innings by David Hussey ensured Australia recovered from 96-6 to post a respectable total of 200-9. But Ian Bell’s 69 and an unbeaten 64 from Jonathan Trott ensured England’s seventh consecutive home series victory and realised we had to bowl a fuller length and we did that well as a unit. We are very happy to be 3-0 up in the series.
“I have tried to be as consistent as I can in one-day cricket for the last 12 months and wherever that leads me to in Test cricket, I will take.”
While England swatted Australia away with minimal difficulty, the tourists looked like a side short on confidence. Both Brett Lee and Shane Watson were forced to leave the field with injuries as Australia turned to eight different bowlers in their attempts to curtail England’s charge.
From the moment Cook won the toss and elected to bowl, Australia’s fate was sealed as they simply crumbled in the face of England’s devastating pace attack.
Finn produced a mesmeric spell as he obliterated the tourists. He dismissed David Warner and Peter Forrest in consecutive deliveries to leave the tourists reeling on 6-2.
George Bailey and Shane Watson were both sent walking as Australia reached 96-4 before Finn repeated his two-ball trick.
First, he trapped Clarke lbw and then had Matthew Wade brilliantly caught behind by Craig Kieswetter as Australia collapsed to 96-6.
Hussey’s knock of 70 off 73 gave Australia some hope but any chances of a shock victory were crushed by another efficient England batting performance.