OTD 2019 – England beat arch-rivals Australia in ODI World Cup 2019 semi-final
England played in three ODI World Cup finals before 2019. In 1979, they lost to the West Indies by 92 runs at Lord’s. At the Eden Gardens in 1987, they suffered defeat against arch-rivals Australia. In 1992, they were beaten by Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, the rub of the green finally went their way on July 14, 2019, at the Lord’s Cricket Ground against a spirited New Zealand side.
After a disappointing campaign in 2015, England understood they needed to make changes. They were playing a brand of cricket which was not suitable at the time. The Three Lions needed players who could take the attack to the opposition from ball one. They appointed Eoin Morgan as the skipper and went about giving opportunities to fearless youngsters like Jason Roy and Jofra Archer, among others. The batters were given the license to go for runs and not worry about their places in the side. The assurance allowed players like Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, and Ben Stokes to express themselves.
In the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup, England would post 300-plus totals and chase them down for fun. They entered the marquee event as the favourites. Before the final against New Zealand, England had to go through traditional rivals Australia in the semi-final. England lost to Australia in the league-stage encounter by 64 runs at Lord’s.
The second semi-final between England and Australia was played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on July 11. The Aussies batted first and were dismissed for 223 in 49 overs. Steven Smith top-scored with 85 runs off 119 balls. Alex Carey also chipped in with a handy 46, while Mitchell Starc played a gutsy 29-run knock under pressure. However, Australia were way short of a par score. Chris Woakes was the pick of the English bowlers, bagging a three-for and giving away just 20 runs in eight overs. Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer also chipped in with three and two wickets, respectively.
In reply, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow got England off to a flying start. They added 124 runs inside 18 overs before the latter was dismissed for 34. Roy smashed 85 runs off just 65 balls, hitting nine fours and five sixes. After his dismissal in the 20th over, Morgan joined forces with Joe Root. They added an unbeaten 79-run stand off 75 balls to take England to victory in just 32.1 overs. The home side won the match with eight wickets to spare, much to the joy of the home fans. For Australia, only Starc and Pat Cummins were among the wickets. Root and Morgan remained unbeaten on 49 and 45, respectively. Woakes won the Player of the Match award for his exemplary bowling performance.
