Finch, Marsh get Australia’s campaign off to a flying start

Co-hosts star with both bat and ball in massive 111-run win against England.

MELBOURNE:

Mitchell Marsh proved the unlikely bowling star and Aaron Finch blasted the first ton of the World Cup as Australia crushed England by 111 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

The tournament favourites ruthlessly swept to victory in their opening Pool A match by posting their highest-ever ODI total against England of 342-9.

They then dismissed their hapless arch-rivals for 231 with more than eight overs to spare.

All-rounder Marsh, making his World Cup debut, claimed 5-33 as Australia latched on to their catches with Steve Smith’s mid-air screamer to dismiss Jos Buttler the best of the highlight reel.

It was a comprehensive victory that signalled Australia as the team to beat as they bid to win their fifth World Cup and their first at home since going out in the semi-finals to England when they last hosted the event in 1992.

“I don’t think we’ve made any secret about it, we’re here to win the World Cup like 13 other teams are,” said Finch.

“I suppose what was great was that everyone contributed either with bat, ball or in the field, so from a team point of view it’s really good to see everyone playing well and peaking at the right time.”

Taylor misses out on century

It was a grim night for England, who only narrowly avoided their heaviest World Cup defeat – in terms of runs – following a 122 run-thrashing by South Africa at The Oval in 1999.

And apart from their bowlers getting flogged and dropped catches, England skipper Eoin Morgan was out for his fourth duck in his last seven innings.

“Probably the most frustrating thing was that we were making errors that we haven’t made this trip and again Australia played well but we had opportunities to take the game to them and we didn’t,” rued Morgan.

James Taylor’s face-saving unbeaten knock of 98 not out was the lone bright spot, with England now having won just two of their last 16 ODI encounters Down Under.

However, England didn’t even have the consolation of seeing the gutsy Taylor get to a maiden ODI hundred when the match ended in confusion.

Taylor was adjudged lbw but overturned the decision on review. However, Anderson was given run out for eight as he went for a single with Taylor’s protestations that the ball was dead when he was initially given out failing to impress the umpires.

Officials later admitted that the umpires got the decision wrong when the Playing Control Team (PCT) met and reviewed the final ball of the game.

Article 3.6a of Appendix 6 of the Decision Review System Playing Conditions states that the ball should have been deemed dead when the batsman (Taylor) was given out leg before wicket. No further runs or dismissals were possible.

The PCT spoke to the England team management and acknowledges that the game ended incorrectly and an error was made.

(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM ICC)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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