England win takes Tigers to semis

England batsman Ben Stokes plays a shot during their ICC Champions Trophy match against Australia at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Saturday. — AFP photo

Bangladesh have qualified for the Semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time thanks to England’s 40-run win under Duckworth/Lewis system over their arch-rivals Australia in their last group match in Birmingham on Saturday.
Ben Stokes hit a career-best 102 not out and captain Eoin Morgan made 87 as England, replying to Australia’s 277, reached 240-4 in 40.2 overs when rain suspended the game for the final time at Edgbaston.
Australia had to win this match to join already-qualified England in the semi-finals of a tournament featuring the world’s leading eight ODI teams after no result washouts in their previous two Group ‘A’ fixtures.
But this defeat saw Bangladesh, who beat New Zealand by five wickets in Cardiff on Friday, into the last four instead and set up their semi-final clash against yet to be decided Group B champions at same ground on June 15.
The Tigers had Stokes and Morgan to thank for keeping them in competition after the duo found England in a similar situation to Bangladesh, who were reduced to 33-4 before clinching a scintillating win over Kiwis.
England collapsed to 35 for three before left-handers Morgan and Stokes did a Sakib al Hasan and Mahmudullah to change the course of the game with a fourth wicket partnership of 159 off 158 balls.
Stokes’s third one-day international century was his highest score at this level after the all-rounder had twice made 101.
When a second downpour finally saw play abandoned for the day, England were well ahead of the 200 they needed for victory at that stage on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method for rain-affected limited-overs matches.
England opener Jason Roy’s miserable run continued when he was lbw for four to left-arm quick Mitchell Starc.
Roy’s review proved fruitless and this score meant he’d managed just 51 runs in eight ODI innings this season.
Fellow opener Alex Hales fell for a duck when he edged Josh Hazlewood low to Aaron Finch at first slip, with Hazlewood following up to have Joe Root (15) caught behind.
That left England 35 for three before a brief rain break halted Australia’s charge, with Morgan — dropped on 12 when wicket-keeper Matthew Wade failed to hold a tough diving legside chance off Hazlewood — 14 not out and Stokes yet to get off the mark.
Morgan and Stokes then counter-attacked, with the pair particularly severe on first-change Pat Cummins (none for 55 in eight overs).
The fast bowler, struggling for line and length, bowled a full toss which Stokes clipped for a legside four and when Cummins switched to around the wicket, the all-rounder drove him through extra cover for another boundary.
Stokes completed a 39-ball half century featuring eight fours when he hooked Starc for six, with Morgan following him to the landmark in 51 balls.
Morgan went to 85 with a huge soaring six after clubbing Hazlewood into the stands to the delight of the 24,227 crowd — a record ODI attendance at Edgbaston.
Morgan, however, fell 13 short of a century when, after Stokes’s chip fell just short of midwicket, he did not respond to a call for a single and was run out by Adam Zampa’s direct hit.
Stokes though was not to be denied, forcing leg-spinner Zampa for his 13th four to complete a 108-ball century also featuring two sixes.
Earlier, fast bowler Mark Wood and leg-spinner Adil Rashid both took four wickets as Australia were held to 277 for nine after Morgan won the toss.
Durham quick Wood returned ODI best figures of four for 33 in his maximum 10 overs, while Rashid’s haul of four for 41 was the Yorkshireman’s best against a Test nation at this level.
Travis Head’s unbeaten 71 kept Australia in the game after earlier fifties from Finch (68) and captain Steve Smith (56).

Source: New Age