Smith ton helps Australia edge past England

Carlton Mid Tri-series, Australia                                                                                       Date: 23/01/2015

Game 4

Australia Vs England at Bellerive Oval, Hobart

It is not often in one day cricket that you come across a match where you cannot tell one innings from the other. So similar was the progress made by both England and Australia at Hobart today that the match was decided by a passage of 9 overs where one team decidedly lost the momentum.

Score at the end of over	England	Australia		Runs scored in overs	England	Australia
5	34 for 0	39 for 0		1 to 5	34 for 0	39 for 0
10	69 for 0	67 for 0		6 to 10	35 for 0	28 for 0
15	98 for 0	90 for 1		11 to 15	29 for 0	23 for 1
20	119 for 1	120 for 3		16 to 20	21 for 1	30 for 2
25	150 for 2	149 for 3		21 to 25	31 for 1	29 for 0
30	175 for 2	171 for 4		26 to 30	25 for 0	22 for 1
35	205 for 2	201 for 4		31 to 35	30 for 0	30 for 0
40	244 for 2	230 for 5		36 to 40	39 for 0	29 for 1
45	276 for 5	272 for 5		41 to 45	32 for 3	42 for 0
50	303 for 8	304 for 7*		46 to 50	27 for 3	32 for 2*

Statistics Source: ESPNCricinfo.com 

England had placed themselves in a dominant position and could have shut Australia out of the game. At 244 for 2 after 40 overs, a score close to 330 was there for the taking. Ian Bell was in sublime form and had reached 134 off 119 balls. England lost the plot from here though and the disciplined Australian attack kept them to just 59 runs off the last 10 overs. England lost 6 wickets in the process and ended up with a sub-par 303.

Australia won the toss and their debutante captain Steven Smith chose to bowl hoping the moisture in the surface would assist his new ball bowlers. Ian Bell and Moeen Ali, though, started briskly. Ian Bell was flashy in the beginning but soon settled in a smooth rhythm. The pair added 113 for the opening wicket rendering Smith’s reading of the pitch incorrect. James Taylor, who replaced Ali, did not last long and fell for 5. Bell and Joe Root then added 121 runs off 19 overs for the third wicket. Sandhu broke the stand in the 42^nd over removing Bell and took out Eoin Morgan in the same over to put brakes to England’s scoring. England could not regain momentum and over the next 8 overs managed only 49 runs losing 4 more wickets.

Australia’s new opening pair of Finch and Shaun Marsh added 76 in just 70 balls before Finch fell to a horrendous slog sweep to Moeen Ali. Marsh, on his comeback, was motoring along nicely towards a big score when he cut uppishly and was caught at point by Bell off Finn for 45. Cameron White’s 4 year wait ended in disaster when he could not do anything but offer his front pad to a spearing yorker from Finn and was adjudged LBW. He lasted only 2 deliveries. Steven Smith took charge from here and added 69, 55 & 81 with Maxwell, Faulkner & Haddin respectively to take his team to victory. He remained unbeaten on 102.  

Australia went into this game with three changes. David Warner, Shane Watson and captain, George Bailey were missing and were replaced by Shaun Marsh, Moises Henriques & Cameron White. England went with the same side that beat India 3 days ago.

It was a day of records for both the centurions of the match. Steven Smith, leading Australia for the first time in ODIs, became the first batsman to score centuries in his first innings as captain in both tests and one-dayers. Ian Bell, on route to his 141, became the leading run-scorer for England in one day internationals. He now sits at 5136 runs from 153 games having overtaken former captain Paul Collingwood’s tally of 5092. Curiously, the leading run scorer for England is placed a distant 65^th in the pecking order of the 50-overs run plunderers.

Australia have marched into the final of this tri-series. Their defeat of England gives another opportunity to India to qualify for the final. However, they will have to show significant improvement in all aspects of the game if they truly want to see themselves at Perth on Feb 1^st. The next game of the Carlton Mid Tri-Series will be played between India and Australia on Jan 26^th at the Sydney Cricket Ground.