Australia’s ODI form trough deepened yesterday as they were flayed by England’s hyper-aggressive batting line-up in the series opener at the MCG.
The hosts made enough runs – their total of 8-304 set England the task of a record chase at the MCG – but their bowling was simply not good enough against a very strong batting unit.
The defending World Cup holders now have a thoroughly ordinary win-loss record of 21-20 over the past two years.
The key issue amid that slump has been inconsistent batting displays, in particular from their middle order. Yesterday it was their bowlers who misfired. In a horrendous spell with the new ball, Ashes stars Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins leaked 72 runs from eight overs.
Even though each bowler picked up a wicket during this period, their frequent loose offerings allowed England to reduce the greatly required run rate to just 5.54 runs per over with 42 overs to go. From there Australia was always going to have to bowl the visitors out. With Starc and Cummins struggling, that was a task beyond Australia.
Seamer Andrew Tye was disciplined on ODI debut, maintaining a nagging line and length and displaying his fine array of changeups. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa bowled extremely well for his first six overs before taking some tap later on.
(AAP Image/SNPA, John Cowpland)
It was clear from the opening 30 minutes of England’s innings that the belligerent Jason Roy would be the key wicket. The Englishman rode his luck and rode it and rode it all the way to a very streaky but nonetheless match-winning knock of 180 from 151 balls.
It was an innings which showcased all the strengths and flaws of Roy. He played some truly gorgeous strokes alongside some horrible hacks, a multitude of which saw the ball lob off his blade tantalisingly close to fielders. In the end, however, all that mattered was his massive score.
The one major positive to emerge from the match for Australia was the composed manner in which their new-look middle order put them back on track yesterday. While Australia’s top order has been strong for years now they have been soft in the middle for too long.
It was the frailty of Australia’s middle order which was the decisive factor in their recent 4-1 ODI series loss in India.
In the final three matches of that series, Australia got off to good starts with the bat before their middle order folded. At Indore, they were 1-224 with 12.2 overs remaining, well placed to make 350, before losing 5-69 and finishing with an under-par total of 6-293.
The following match at Bangalore, Australia were even better placed at 0-231 with 15.1 overs left and 400 a distinct possibility. Then they lost 3-5 and only managed to make 103 from those final 91 balls.
Finally, at Nagpur, they were 1-100 off 19.2 overs with Warner and Smith cruising before their innings was derailed and they managed just 9-242.
Yesterday Australia found themselves vulnerable at 3-78 with their two best batsmen Warner and Smith already gone. Instead of blaster Glenn Maxwell coming out at number five, as he often did the past two years before being dropped this month, it was in-form all-rounder Mitch Marsh.
The 26-year-old played an impressively patient knock of 50 from 68 balls. Rather than relying on boundaries, Marsh worked the ball around nicely, handing strike over to his well-set partner Aaron Finch (107 from 119 balls) during a 118-run stand.
Then Marcus Stoinis continued his extraordinary start to his ODI career with a blistering 60 from 40 balls. He found an able ally in newly-installed wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine, who played a neat cameo of 27 from 31 balls.
Australia’s total of 304 was slightly above par at the MCG. It swiftly became far less daunting due to the awful start with the new ball by Starc and Cummins.
Granter
Guest
Surely Khawaja or SMarsh are better options than Head?
Tony
Guest
No problem Nudge...we have the best fast bowling attack in the world.They will do it.
Mitch
Guest
Finch Warner S marsh/Khawaja Smith Stoinis Paine Agar/Turner/Nair/Matt short/Darcy Short Cummins Starc Tye/Hazelwood Boyce/Lyon/Ahmed We need a second spin option who is handy with the bat.
Nudge
Guest
Geez Tony, I hope our bowling attacks rips them apart.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
You're watching too much Big Bash Jimbo. Swepson has a career bowling average of nearly 60 in List A cricket! And Mitch Marsh has a fantastic ODI record, absolutely destroyed the JLT Cup and is in the batting form of his life - dropping him now would be an utterly bizarre call. Let alone ditching him for D'Arcy Short, an unproven 50-over player with a grand career total of 228 runs in List A cricket. As for Peirson he's a fairly ordinary keeper who relies on his batting, yet he only has a career batting average of 24 in List A cricket - he's a long way from being ready for ODIs.
Ben
Guest
I thought Zampa was very good, it just wasn’t his night
Brisguy51
Roar Rookie
After the loss to England in the 1st ODI in Melbourne,i think there should be just a couple of changes a couple of players being dropped and a couple of new faces being brought in.Here would be my team for the next ODI : Finch Warner Smith Short Stoinis Carey(wk) Cummins Starc Hazelwood Boyce Tye. As you can see i dropped M.Marsh and Tim Paine.It is along the line of thinking that since the majority of the side played in the Ashes series,i think it is a bit harsh for them to backup and play the ODIs also especially when there is more than enough talent in the T20s to make the change.
qwetzen
Guest
Alternatively; How about a respectable part-timer who turns the ball more than Zampa *and* can open the batting? D Short anyone?
Jimbo
Guest
1. Warner (c) 2. Finch 3. Sos 4. Smith 5.D. Short 6. Stoinis 7. Pierson 8. Faulkner 9. Starc 10. Swepson 11. Hazelwood I think this is the best ODI 11 we could put forward- good top order stability coupled with decent finishing power at the back end, plus really decent bowling options. I think we really miss Faulkner's variety, i know his form with the bat is subpar lately but he is too handy a cricketer at the death to leave him out. Would be happy enough to swap S. Marsh for Khawaja at 3 too. Pierson looks to goods for a lower order finisher since he got dropped as opener for the heat plus really clean keeper. Never thought Zampa would be good enough at this level, he surprised me initially but he is being found out now...
qwetzen
Guest
You're missing another blame option. Smith could be dictating what the bowlers send down.
Rob
Guest
Happy to see any batsman that doesn't get the bat in front of the pad and hit outside the line of off given. That's what happened. It's just my opinion but that is the intent of the rule "To stop the pad thrust being the primary defence against a moving ball". If the ball beats the bat first before hitting the pad outside the line I have no problem. Batsmen have been foxing umpires for ever.
Mitch
Guest
That sucks there is so much talent within the JLT that doesnt even get a mention.
Bob
Guest
Maxwell has been in top form this summer- nearly the leader batsman in the shield and the BBL. Not quite what else he needs to prove.
Mitch
Guest
Paine does a good enough job and gives you the security of having a proper gloveman behind the stumps. I cant stress this point enough seriously the only person i would swap for Paine is Tim Ludeman.
Andrew
Guest
Take nothing away from both of the batters, they both played very well with Australia being 3-80 odd. My minor issue was they were both set and Finch in my mind should have carried his bat at least another 5 to 10 overs while MM upped the run rate. If MM went out then we'd still have someone who could have kept the rate ticking over. Having 2 new batsmen cost 20-40 runs at least.
Perry Bridge
Guest
#Andrew Finch was playing an attacking shot - and perhaps feeling a little squeezed by the slowness of Marsh at the other end. He'd missed his attempt to hit through the off side and England had the fields on the onside - he'd cleared them to move to 100, but it was a risk to go again - I reckon he should've waited a little longer before going back to the cow corner well again. Assume though that the instruction from the rooms would've been to push it along. So - he was playing for the team. Marsh wasn't playing an attacking shot - he just got himself in a tangle, didn't read the ball and missed by a mile leaving a huge gap between bat and pad.
MrJSquishy
Roar Pro
Liam, I am not saying, "Let's bring this rule in, pronto". I, like you mentioned, would like to see something like this trialed, or in the very least discussed. The spirit of the game was discussed in the BBL last week and I think this is another example. Alex Ross was given out for obstructing the field when in reality the ball got to the stumps quicker than it would have had his bat not hit it (Wade was at least 2 metres from the stumps - where the ball was heading). Yet, Ross still made his ground. As the cricinfo article mentioned, if a batsman simply takes a long stride down the wicket (right hander facing an off spin bowler bowling over the wicket), he can then use his pad as a "blocker" and put his bat outside that. To me, that is not in the spirit of the game. The ball is on his "open" side, he should be doing everything in his power to hit it, or judge that it is missing the stumps and leave it. If he doesn't hit it with his bat, then hasn't the bowler beaten him?
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
Deliberately avoiding a shot happens in test cricket when there are close in fielders around the batsman
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
" the ball must be pitching outside off"?
Steve
Guest
Straight drives aren't the same as top edges over the keeper. You've forgotten the 20m of the pitch which is the difference between 66m and 86m.