England send Australia packing
England notched a comfortable win over Australia by DLS as rain brought an end to their Champions Trophy with the hosts on the cusp of a win.
Australia had earlier suffered a remarkable collapse that saw them limp to 277/9 in their fifty overs.
David Warner’s lean run in England continued as he nicked off to England strike bowler Mark Wood for 21.
Steve Smith joined Aaron Finch and the pair looked to be putting Australia well on top as they added 96 for the second wicket before a Stokes leg cutter got the latter to sky one.
Moises Henriques (17) batting at four has been one of the great head scratchers of this tournament and he yet again failed to impress with Adil Rashid making him the first of his four victims.
Steve Smith (56) couldn’t convert his start into a big score with Wood benefitting from a brain fade from the Aussie skipper who chipped one to mid on.
Travis Head (71*) showed great maturity but the same could not be said for Australia’s alrounders and tail, once Maxwell (20) had been nipped out by Wood it started a procession.
Australia could only add 57 runs in the last ten overs losing five wickets while Head ensured they got to something resembling a defendable total.
England found themselves in trouble early on slipping to 35 for 3 as Jason Roy (4), Alex Hales (0) and Joe Root (15) fell victim to the opening bowling partnsership of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
However England’s foreign-born middle order stalwarts Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes mounted a brilliant counter-attack after consolidating.
Morgan and Stokes added 159 and both looked set to record well deserved hundreds before the skipper was run out.
The captain Morgan (87) was guilty of ball watching and found himself short of his ground but Jos Buttler (29*) would help Stokes (102*) reach his century and when the rain came down England were 40 runs ahead of the DLS par score.
Australia have been eliminated from the tournament with Bangladesh and England progressing to meet as yet undetermined opponents in the final four.
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