From the moment David Warner and Steve Smith appeared on the Southampton ground last night, the English fans kept booing the two Australians over their involvement in the ball-tampering saga in South Africa over a year ago.
Keep it up folks, you inspired Warner to 43 off 55 and Smith to 116 off 102 to score more than half the Australian total on the way to a 12-run win over England.
There was little in it, with both sides recording 22 fours and three sixes.
Sure there were key players missing – Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Glenn Maxwell for the Australians, and Eoin Morgan, Joe Root and Adil Rashid for England, with pacemen Matt Wood and Joffre Archer injured early in the game, but a win is a win in the lead-up to the World Cup.
Especially as England is the world number one ranked ODI nation, with Australia five behind India, South Africa and New Zealand.
But the Australians are the defending World Cup champions, and last night proved they are very capable of going back-to-back.
Smith was in total command, it was as if he’s never been away.
In his last four digs he’s constantly proved that with 89* and 91* against the Kiwis, and 76 against the Windies before last nights 116 – making it 372 runs for only twice out.
And last night he was controversially given out caught and bowled off the second last delivery of the innings, after playing shots all around the ground.
Warner looked set for a big innings as well until he was caught at the deep midwicket by Jonny Bairstow when it looked as though the ball was heading for six.
While Smith and Warner were major pluses, as was keeper Alex Carey with 30 off 14 batting seven, for some unexplained reason the batting order last night looked more like scrambled eggs.
Warner and Finch opened, the way it should be, with Shaun Marsh at three, then Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marcus Stoinis and Carey.
Compare that with the line-up against the Windies in the previous warm-up game of Finch opening with Khawaja, Warner at three, Smith four then Marsh, Maxwell and Carey.
It will be interesting to see what the order will be for the last warm-up game against Sri Lanka when obviously Cummins, Starc and Maxwell must play.
Let’s get last night’s negatives out of the way starting with Smith dropping Jason Roy off the fifth ball of the innings from Jason Behrendorff with no runs on the board – a straight-forward first slip chance knee high that proved costly as Roy was around for another 69 runs.
Skipper Finch dropped the dangerous Ben Stokes at mid-on off Stoinis, but that wasn’t costly as Stokes was stumped off Nathan Lyon two balls later.
While Carey missed stumping James Vice off Lyon on 54, but that only cost ten runs.
Stoinis, lucky to be selected in the squad, made a hash of his batting chances by pottering to score just 13 off 22 when quick runs were required with Smith, and his bowling wasn’t up to standard with his only wicket caught by sub Maxwell in the deep heading for six.
(Photo by Jono Searle – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images)
And Coulter-Nile was hammered for 24 of one over by Jos Buttler – the scorebook reading 4 6 4 0 6 4.
The pluses, apart from Smith, Warner and Carey with the bat were Jason Behrendorff and Nathan Lyon with the ball.
Both put their hands up for the Sri Lankan game after Behrendorff claimed 2-43 off eight and Lyon 1-37 off ten.
Some of the recent selections have been of Michael Cheika quality, let’s see what surfaces for Sri Lanka tomorrow night.
Bluesfan
Wow - assualt is according to you "stupidity" - not a criminal offence right - guy get's fined 11.5 K for assualting someone in the pub, who plays for an opposing team - really tough amount for a guy earning in the millions. There you go mate - pay what is to Warner a parking fee and off you go and play for Australia again! Then "No other country has done as much penalising for ball tampering offences/poor behaviour." What after punching people, cheating and then when getting found out - bursting into tears? Serious question - that was a tongue in cheek answer right?
badmanners
Roar Rookie
As demonstrated in my above and Ronan's post your "Moral Compass" seems to only apply to the Aus cricket team, you find no fault in your own. Warner got suspended for the stupidity in the pub and fined $11500. Still waiting for Bairstow to get fined/sanctioned. You are well aware of what fines and punishment were handed out to the dirty three. No other country has done as much penalising for ball tampering offences/poor behaviour. It may need more to stamp out poor behaviour, it will take time to see if there is a genuine improvement. The cricket world was fairly evenly split re the sanctions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Australian_ball-tampering_scandal so your demand of 10 years makes you a bit of an outlier.
Bluesfan
Feel free - as least I know the cricket team that represents my country plays to the spirit of the game. It's very instructive that Brad Haddin is now one of the coaches of Oz - after what he said at the last world cup. What was the penalty of taking a swing at an opposing teams player in a pub? What was the penalty for taking sandpaper onto the field and cheating? 1 year out of the game - should be 10 years or lifetime bans morelike. But not in Stralia mate - we are Aussie's we know all about the game and it's about the ethics right? Australia are all class on the cricket field...
badmanners
Roar Rookie
So in your view it is OK to work against your team mates attempts to win a game for your own financial gain? And not report it despite knowing your obliged to? We rightly penalised our players, they should be allowed to play again, your "moral compass" spins like a top.
Bluesfan
You are comparising these two incidents to taking sandpaper onto the field or another goody - assualting another player in a bar? That you compare the two is truly indicative of how Australian crickets moral compass has disappeared.
Bluesfan
Hilarious - that the moral compass of Australian cricket is so far off - highlighting the above is laugable. Maybe highlight when's the last time another international team took sandpaper onto the field or how about remind me which team assualted an opposing team player in a bar? Little clue - same player was involved in both. That's Australian cricket - cheats and thugs and more importantly - not particuarly bright thugs...
badmanners
Roar Rookie
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/oct/15/brendon-mccullum-chris-cairns-spot-fixing http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/story/756729.html McCullum did not report the first approach. By your standards he should never have played for New Zealand again and certainly should never have captained them. I disagree. EVERYONE makes mistakes, they form your experiences, and experiences can be both good and bad. Most would find it hard to argue Brendon McCullum is not a very good man and a tremendous cricketer.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VomDIVMIV6M http://i.dawn.com/primary/2015/03/550fc1434483a.jpg No team is perfect, they all have their poor moments, even the Kiwis.
Bluesfan
You ain't seen nothing yet? Does that refer to more cheating to come? Credit where it's due I guess - good on you for supporting the Australian cricket team - even if they walk onto a ground with sandpaper in their pockets.
Bluesfan
Yeah great - 28 years ago.... Can you point out something in the last 10 maybe?
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Third umpire Joel Wilson should lose be dropped judging by his decision against Smith. Everybody but him it seems clearly saw the ball hit the ground after the bat on the slow motion replay! Of course, they shouldn’t only look at slo-mo replays, but still, how anyone could have come to that conclusion is bizarre. Lucky it wasn’t a “real” game.
badmanners
Roar Rookie
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/102573254/when-new-zealand-ball-tampered-got-away-with-it-and-nearly-won-a-test-in-pakistan
tom polich
Guest
Even murders get a second chance. Just suck it up princess you ain't seen nothing yet. Oh what about Mr Atherton and the sand in his pocket?? was the ECB so lame as not to have the guts to inflict a more severe penalty?
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
Every year that goes by we learn more about the issue. Much has been learned since Trotts incident. Deny that if you wish.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Not really. But it is difficult to accept your umbrage here without an element of skepticism, from the outside looking in. Besides Viv, they're responding with the bat and that's to be admired. Even the crowd will eventually acknowledge that. This reaction has been expected and prepared for as well.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Paul's right David. This is the World Cup and the pinnacle of the sport and these "practice matches" are opportunities for sides to try things and play with their roster before the big dance. Expose bowlers and tinker with partnerships and combinations. Players coming and going from the field, bit-timers getting a bowl. These opportunities could pay dividends further down the track in the event of injury or specialisation. Like the Cheika thing tho, especially in a World Cup year...
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
I get it... tit for tat. Nice.
David Lord
Expert
Wrong Paul, the most important game of any season is the next one, there are no "practice" games, nor "dead rubbers' - treat every game as if it was a limited-over world cup final, or a series deciding Test. Once you move away from the importance of every time the Australians wear the national cap, you are setting a dangerous precedent that can bite you when it counts. Let's see what Aaron Finch, and Justin Langer, come up with against Sri Lanka leading into the first World Cup game against Afghanistan on June 1.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
You mean like Trott's mental health Viv? Because Davey was most concerned on behalf of Australia...
Bluesfan
Slightly bizarre statement - but realistically that reflects on you and your attitudes around the Captain of your national side cheating. That's fine, but personally I put expectations that someone who captains the best and most dominant cricketing side in the world, would not drop to this level and if he does - he should not be on the field again. As a Kiwi - I at least can look at my side and say average cricketeers but hey at least they play in the correct spirit and are not cheats.