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41st over: Australia 269-4 (Marsh 20, Khawaja 13) Concerns about Khawaja’s ability to score quickly are dismissed with consecutive fours against Wahab, the first pulled powerfully, the second cut deftly. Marsh also joins in the fun, placing a full toss between cover and extra cover. Australia back up and motoring again.
40th over: Australia 256-4 (Marsh 16, Khawaja 4) Shaun Marsh crisply drives Australia’s first boundary in a while but it owes a lot to more grim Pakistan fielding with mid-off providing the kind of resistance one might expect from a damp piece of one-ply loo roll. Shaheen finishes with 2-70 from his ten overs. Remarkably, that’s his most economical figures of the English summer.
Shaheen Afridi has come back welll aftert a difficult opening spell. He's bowled progressively fuller, been far more economical and has taken the prize wickets of Warner and Maxwell. #CWC19#AusvPakpic.twitter.com/6x5veJcTrb
39th over: Australia 247-4 (Marsh 9, Khawaja 2) Since Finch’s dismissal Australia have lost wickets at regular intervals, slowing their momentum somewhat. They remain on course for a massive total but expectations have probably been revised down to around the 350 mark with this pair at the crease. Wahab continues his good work, he’s conceded just two boundaries in his six overs, as the two new batsmen regroup.
38th over: Australia 243-4 (Marsh 7, Khawaja 0) Finally, Khawaja gets a bat, but is it good for Australia he’s coming in at this match situation?
I’ve upset Laf Zuccarello. “JP, me old mate. I understand your barely contained glee at the semi-collapse of Australia but don’t you dare disparage Shane MacGowan. I grew up with that man crooning me to sleep (via cassette or CD not physically... that would have scarred me). I lost my train of thought but my outrage remains.” To make amends, here’s one of my favourite songs of all time.
Shaheen’s actually finding a decent rhythm now after his early travails, hitting the deck hard and crucially on a good length. And it pays dividends! After pinning Warner on his crease with some extra pace he offers a hint of width that the batsman chases but doesn’t time and the ball loops high in the air and into the hands of the cover sweeper. In an unexpected turn of events Pakistan hold onto the catch.
37th over: Australia 239-3 (Warner 107, Marsh 4) Good grief! Another drop! Wahab finally returns for his second spell, Warner rocks back and guides a cut straight to third man at waist height and Asif Ali’s butterfingers send the ball to the turf. Awful awful awful.
36th over: Australia 235-3 (Warner 104, Marsh 3) Not the worst over in the world from Shaheen, and he should have been the one celebrating when Warner was soaking up the adulation of the Taunton crowd, but this game remains firmly on Australia’s terms.
It not how, it’s how many. Warner brings up his century with an edge at catchable height that flies between keeper and slip and down to third-man. After pushing his heart down from his mouth and back into his chest he grins like a bearded Cheshire cat, raises his bat in the air and celebrates a 15th ODI ton.
35th over: Australia 228-3 (Warner 97, Marsh 3) It’s remiss of me not to focus more on Warner’s innings. He’s patiently accumulating his way to a very well worked century at almost exactly a run-a-ball. With Marsh at the other end he moves within one stroke of a ton.
33rd over: Australia 224-3 (Warner 95, Marsh 1) Maxwell just played the wrong line. I guess when you’re him and you’re 20 off eight in a match situation like this you’re entitled to go for your shots, but, well, more fuel to the fire for his detractors. Now it’s Shaun Marsh’s turn to bump Khawaja down the order.
“Just to add to this debate - ECB need to look at the example of cycling coverage,” emails Mark Berkeley. “ITV4 schedule cleared for daily coverage of the Tour de France with sensibly timed daily highlights on top. Increase in uptake of recreational cycling due in some part to exposure to exploits of Wiggins, Froome, Thomas et al.”
The answer to my rhetorical question is a resounding “no”. Sarfraz returns to pace and after gifting Warner a boundary Shaheen lands one in a decent area, Maxwell misses it, and his stumps are splayed like Shane MacGowan’s teeth.
33rd over: Australia 218-2 (Warner 90, Maxwell 20) Even a circumspect Maxwell can’t turn down a couple of gifts from Hafeez. The first is short and loopy and slapped through midwicket. The second is a fraction too short, fails to turn and the Victorian is on it in a flash, smashing it over long on. The blood pumping he then just caresses a checked drive straight over the bowler’s head for the easiest six you’d ever see. Could that be the start of something special? Maxwell is already 20 off just eight balls.
32nd over: Australia 202-2 (Warner 89, Maxwell 5) This phase of the match feels like a middle distance race with the front-runner just dropping the pace to make sure they’re primed to sprint on the bell. Against Shoaib Maxwell and Warner are content to dab ones and place the ball into gaps for twos instead of attempting the big heave-ho.
“Wahab Riaz remains the only good bowler against Australia at a World Cup even as he faces sloppy fielding from the rest of his own team... What’s new?” emails OB Jato. Wahab has bene decent but Amir has been the standout by a mile. Surprising Sarfraz hasn’t paired them in a spell to really put the pressure on Australia.
31st over: Australia 196-2 (Warner 86, Maxwell 2) More darts, this time from Hafeez, and Australia are happy to nudge the singles and keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Apologies David Seare, I was a little late to this: “Amir to Warner and Smith. Cricket’s most dishonest contest? Ultimate cricket shithousery.”
30th over: Australia 191-2 (Warner 82, Maxwell 0) Shoaib’s darts are on the money again, rattling through an over containing five dots to Warner from around the wicket.
“Hey, emailing from Karachi, Pakistan,” hey Tara Khan. “It’s an hour and a half till my workday finishes, am MEGA stressed both due to my not doing any of my work and this frustrating play from our men – not sure I want work to end because that means I’ll have to watch. We care more about cricket than we do our own families. Have never been interested in sport, nor particularly patriotic. But have risen up out of my slumber to become both. Bad timing, although with our team it’s impossible to know when is good timing.”
29th over: Australia 189-2 (Warner 81, Maxwell 0) And here comes Maxwell! Who knows what Australia are doing with their batting order, holding back Khawaja and Marsh, but I’m not complaining. 20 overs of Maxwellball could send this score into the stratosphere.
@jphowcroft - can you or any OBO readers recommend a good pub in central London in which to watch the England game on Friday?
Darts from both ends for Pakistan now with Shoaib and Hafeez bowling in tandem. And it works! Smith goes too hard outside off stump, the ball holds up in the surface and she skews a high catch that Asif does well to claim in the covers. The second Australia to perish in that manner and Pakistan will feel they’re on their way back into this contest.
28th over: Australia 187-1 (Warner 80, Smith 9) Apologies, some gremlins in the system just getting in the way of providing these updates. You haven’t missed any wickets, but Warner is now starting to tee off, launching Shoaib over long-on for a satisfying six.
26th over: Australia 165-1 (Warner 62, Smith 6) More middle-overs darts, this time from Shoaib Malik and they do the job.
Related to Ian Forth’s comment (12th over), my son is studying neuroscience at university (he gets his brains from his mother). Any discussion about how he is getting on tends to end with me saying, “but it’s not exactly rocket science, is it?” He was understandably a little miffed about it, until I made him watch the following Mitchell and Webb sketch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THNPmhBl-8I
25th over: Australia 165-1 (Warner 62, Smith 6) More brilliance form Amir. He is making his teammates look pretty foolish now, moving the ball both ways and proving difficult to get away. He has 1-16 from his six overs, the rest of Pakistan’s figures are considerably uglier.
“Australia are currently going faster than their highest ever score, 434 against South Africa in 2006,” emails Piyush Pushkar. Stats from Cricinfo here - http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/14676/statistics/238200/south-africa-vs-australia-5th-odi-australia-tour-of-south-africa-2005-06. From the worm, it looks like they were around 130-140 at over 22. Could they score higher than that? They’ve got the wickets in hand...” Two words: Glenn Maxwell. Anything is possible.
He doesn’t, the batsman was so far outside the line of off stump he was practically in Swindon.
Amir thinks he has Warner LBW...
24th over: Australia 163-1 (Warner 61, Smith 5) Can Pakistan back up Amir’s excellence? Can they heck as like! Hassan over-pitches twice and on both occasions finds Warner’s perfectly timed blade, the ball ignoring any advice to decelerate on its way across the Taunton turf until it collides with the boundary rope. If those two strokes were glorious they’re nothing on Smith finding the fence for the first time with a drive on the up a mile outside off stump that’s so majestic the batsman could retire immediately, satisfied he had conquered cricket.
23rd over: Australia 149-1 (Warner 52, Smith 1) Oof! What an over from Amir He has been the pick of the bowlers this morning, the only one to hit that good length consistently, and he finds it repeatedly at the start of his second spell. Finch went unnecessarily hard at one to throw his wicket away but Warner has shadow batting to a couple that sliced through him. It goes to show how testing this surface could have been had Pakistan found their range sooner.
@JPHowcroft oof, Australia are going to get over 400 aren't they? Is this Pakistan being much worse than India, or India being really good against Australia a few days ago?
Out of nowhere, a breakthrough! After offering two previous chances Finch is finally caught. He’ll be disappointed with his shot too, launching at the first delivery of the returning Amir only to sky a thick edge that was taken soundly by Hafeez in the covers.
22nd over: Australia 146-0 (Finch 82, Warner 50) It’s hard to discern a bowling strategy from Pakistan this morning. Amir showed the way early and Wahab’s deck-hitting has hinted at a plan B but there has been a lot of thoughtless dross in and around that. Hasan is the latest to disappoint, missing with his line and length and front foot in a poor over.
21st over: Australia 137-0 (Finch 79, Warner 44) Australia were happy to milk Hafeez in his second over but Finch can’t resist going the tonk this time around. To balls three and four he hoicks powerfully over midwicket for consecutive sixes - clickety click in bingo money. Effortless and brutal. Pakistan are flailing.
20th over: Australia 122-0 (Finch 66, Warner 43) Hasan Ali gets another go and he’s in the right areas often enough but this partnership is in cruise control now, just turning the strike over at will.
Sarah O’Regan’s back. “Me again. Pakistan’s bowlers seem to be employing my questionable bowling technique - I’m known as a slow, non-spin bowler. Still, at least I’m enthusiastic about it, and it’s not my day job. Put some welly into it, lads!” Indeed. It has been a poor showing, enlivened once every couple of overs by one that does something off a length. Wahab has shown a bit of back bending can produce results but it needs to be backed up in the field and from both ends, which it hasn’t.
19th over: Australia 117-0 (Finch 63, Warner 42) Much tighter from Hafeez’s second over. His old school middle-overs darts keep Australia to three singles and a leg-bye.
18th over: Australia 113-0 (Finch 61, Warner 41) Shaheen’s over after drinks is a textbook example of Pakistan’s issues this morning. When he hits the right length the pitch looks juicy and in the bowler’s favour but he only does that once and from the other five deliveries Australia accumulate proactively.
There’s been a few of you helping out Derek Stocker - you’re a lovely bunch - recommending he seeks out Guerilla Radio for an unofficial commentary feed, and also that if he goes to the ICC’s homepage he can access BBC TMS. Thanks to all of you who contributed.
A quick catch-up on the correspondence that’s been flooding in following Andy Bull’s column on the difficulty to access the World Cup on TV in the UK.
Tom Wellman: “Can’t agree more with Andy Bull, James Walsh et. al. This World Cup is going to pass without being noticed by the public at large, even if England win it. Staggering short-termism by the ECB. I’ve seen more brains in a pork-pie, to quote the inimitable Yorkshireman.”
17th over: Australia 106-0 (Finch 58, Warner 38) Time for spin and Mohammad Hafeez, and - oh dear - another drop! This was tougher than Asif’s but still gettable. Finch got a thick edge to a wide one outside off but it ricochets straight out of Sarfraz’s gloves with the keeper up to the stumps. Finch reacts by bludgeoning the right-arm offie down the ground for four, slashing him through the covers for four more, then completing the set with a high and handsome flick over midwicket for six! Australia have ridden their luck this morning but they are now rampant. Pakistan only have themselves to blame.
16th over: Australia 91-0 (Finch 44, Warner 38) Better from Shaheen, finally, beating Finch with one that just misses off stump then follows it up with a nice inducker that clips the pad and prompts an outrageous celebrappeal. After five strong deliveries the good work is undone by a limp dive by mid-on allowing a checked drive to scuttle through for four.
“Dear Jonathan I have been the organiser of the mighty Dulwich 7th XI’s annual tour to Somerset on the Whitsun bank holiday weekend since 2008. We have had around 50 matches scheduled over that time (won only about 5 but hey we are the 7th XI). Anyway, we’ve only had a couple or so games washed out over the years. Perhaps more importantly in the context of today’s game, experience shows that any forecast suggesting showers late in the day is likely to be wrong. There’s always a lovely glow at the end of the day and expect nothing less today. We will get a full match today, I assure you. On a side note, we’re always looking for ringers so do let us know if anyone willing to play with a bunch of mediocre, middle-aged (some are a tad older I must admit) cider-swilling egotists? Up your strasse? Best, Pan ‘Pangry’ Pylas, Tour Organizer of Dulwich 7th XI annual tour to Somerset.”
15th over: Australia 86-0 (Finch 40, Warner 38) That was an all-action over from Wahab. Aside from the LBW shout there was almost a run-out at the non-striker’s end, Finch was roughed up by the first proper bouncer of the day and the speed gun topped 90mph for the first time. Still, Australia survive and are now very handily placed.
It didn’t look out to the naked eye but improves somewhat with DRS showing the ball pitched in line with leg stump and wasn’t bouncing that high despite being short of a length. However ball tracking eventually ends with umpire’s call, height being the issue and the ball just clipping the bails - which as we know is no given this World Cup.
Wahab is convinced he has Finch LBW but it’s declined onfield.
14th over: Australia 79-0 (Finch 37, Warner 34) Pakistan are simply bowling too short. It’s poor cricket. Australia’s batsmen are just waiting on the crease, nudging ones and twos and collecting the boundaries when they’re available. Not for the first time this morning Warner works one effortlessly off his hip behind square for four. Shaheen has gone for 35 off his four overs so far. The policy fo both sides not to select a front line spinner looks like being a miscalculation.
Sticking with frustration at TV coverage, Derek Stocker can’t even get the radio! “GGGGGGGGrrrrrrrr. So blinking frustrated. I am an OAP living in Bulgaria which may as well be a chunk of space rock bouncing off the atmosphere. I cannot understand why the BBC radio coverage keeps coming up - this is not available in your location. Bad enough that I cannot afford to breach the paywall but not being able to listen is a slap in the chops with sticks. Thank goodness I can stay with the Guardian and get my cricket jollies from your typed commentary.”
13th over: Australia 76-0 (Finch 35, Warner 33) Oh dear, it’s going from bad to worse for Pakistan. Finally the first chance of the day is created but ASIF ALI GRASSES FINCH AT SLIP. Wahab slanted one across the right hander at pace, Finch threw the kitchen sink at it but could only send an edge flying straight to Asif just in front of his face but the ball bursts the fingers and runs down to the third-man boundary. Insult is added to injury next ball with four glanced off Finch’s hip to fine-leg.
12th over: Australia 65-0 (Finch 25, Warner 32) Shaheen’s back for his second effort after he wasted the new ball. His radar is slightly better but now he has two set batsmen to bowl to and they’re waiting on the crease to bunt those unnecessarily short deliveries around for ones and twos.
Ian Forth is a fan (like me) of Steve Rhodes leaning on manking putting a man on the moon to advocate for reserve days. “Love the ‘man on the moon’ reach. I was in a meeting recently where my colleague claimed the task he’d set his team was “hardly rocket surgery”. I always think it wisest to suppress one’s guffaws on these occasions and forward the comment to an international newspaper later.”
11th over: Australia 60-0 (Finch 23, Warner 30) Wahab remains shorter than the optimal length but he’s bowling a heavier ball than his colleagues, hitting Warner’s bat harder than the Australian expects and drawing the first false stroke in an age. As with all Pakistan’s bowlers so far the consistency is lacking a floaty half-volley turns a tidy over into a decent one for Australia. Frustrating for Sarfraz so far with only Amir offering him any control.
10th over: Australia 56-0 (Finch 22, Warner 27) Hassan’s promising opening over now looks like an early peak as another over goes for handy Australian runs. Four of them arrive in leg-byes with the line to Warner too tight while the length is again consistently too short. This has not been what Pakistan wanted after winning the toss.
Martin Coult has joined in the lamentation on access to cricket on TV. “I know the cricket authorities probably think the jam that Sky provides today is worth cordoning off the game to the general public, HOWEVER with the majority of schools no longer having facilities for the game one wonders where future generations of decent cricketers are going to be found. I grew up in the era of all tests being on the BBC – and it truly fuelled my love of the game.”
9th over: Australia 49-0 (Finch 22, Warner 24) Wahab Riaz is the fourth Pakistan quick to try to exploit what should be favourable conditions but he can’t get the ball to talk either. He does beat Finch with one that zips off the pitch angling across him but it’s too short to induce an edge.
There is furious agreement with James Walsh and Andy Bull about the ICC/ECB handling of broadcast rights. John Starbuck has emailed his thoughts while Guy Hornsby is in on the tweet.
I forcefully second James Walsh's @JPHowcroft. It's staggeringly self-harming of the ECB to leave this World Cup in a walled garden. All the cash they'll get just isn't worth it. Imagine England winning FIFA or RWC, Davis Cup, or Olympic golds on only subscription tv. Insanity.
8th over: Australia 47-0 (Finch 21, Warner 23) Australia are flying. Hassan can’t repeat his excellent opening over, again falling prey to that shorter length and enduring Finch driving him square on the up and Warner punching him off the back foot. Ominous signs for Pakistan with both batsmen playing with intent, running hard, looking singles, and punishing anything in their hitting zones.
7th over: Australia 35-0 (Finch 16, Warner 18) Finally a loose delivery from Amir who leaks onto Warner’s pads and is clipped confidently through midwicket for four. That shot was a good example of how punishing the outfield is here at Taunton with the square stretching near enough from cover to midwicket, meaning anything hit square just races away off the multitude of strips in various stages of preparation.
6th over: Australia 28-0 (Finch 15, Warner 12) Unsurprisingly Shaheen is removed and Hassan Ali comes on in his place. This changes the line for Australia’s batsmen with Hassan a right-arm over bowler. He begins tidily, hitting the deck hard at 85mph, initially bowling a tight line to Warner then whistling one past the outside shoulder of the bat. After ten dots in a row Warner finally breaks the shackles, bunting a single into the on-side. Excellent start from Hassan.
Gil Southwood has emailed in, and we all need to send our good wishes their way. “My bicycle was stolen from central London yesterday, and only an Australian victory can bring back the kind of joy that it brought me. Please give a small cheer to the Australian side to lift my spirits on this rather overcast day. PS - if you see anyone speeding off on a black road bike with a white saddle with a thieving demeanour, tackle them for me.”
5th over: Australia 27-0 (Finch 15, Warner 11) Amir has much greater control than his new ball partner and like a left-handed James Anderson slants three across Finch on a decent length then gets one to hoop back in and almost trap him on the crease. He finishes his second maiden over by throwing a wide one for Finch to chase - which he does - and almost feathers an edge behind. There are two games operating in parallel right now - a tough one for batting against Amir and an exhibition of stroke making against Shaheen.
4th over: Australia 27-0 (Finch 15, Warner 11) What was that about length? Shaheen drops short to Finch and he’s walloped over midwicket for six without a moment’s pause. That was instinctive and brutal, like a viper springing out of a pit. More runs follow in the form of a couple of twos before it’s Warner’s turn to feast on length, carting Shaheen through cow corner for four. There are two slips lurking in the cordon but they are passengers if Pakistan don’t land it in the right areas. Australia motoring now.
Lovely stuff from James Walsh. “Re: Andy’s excellent column, it has felt a bit of a Schrödinger’s World Cup. In England the sport is in its sky box, so we don’t know for certain it’s dead. But it probably is. Heads should roll over the lack of visibility of cricket’s showpiece event in the host country, but of course they won’t. It’s an utter shambles.”
3rd over: Australia 10-0 (Finch 4, Warner 5) Testing again from Amir, beating Finch with one that skims past the outside edge. Wasim Akram on TV explains well how this is a length pitch. Anything short is hittable, anything full doesn’t appear to swinging, but anything on a good length looks very testing with the new ball. It certainly doesn’t appear to be unplayable at this early stage.
“Morning Jonathan,” morning Brian Withington, “I think we may have had this conversation before (?), but is Liam Plunkett an example of slightly thwarted nominative determinism or just splendid cricketing onomatopoeia? In passing my only linguistic joke involves a helter-skelter and that single word as a punchline from one missing friend being sought by another ...”
2nd over: Australia 7-0 (Finch 1, Warner 5) Left arm pace from both ends it is with Shaheen Afridi sharing the new ball but he’s too short to Warner, gifting him an easy four off his hip second ball. He then fails to adjust to the right-hand half of the right-left opening combination, slinging a wide down the legside. Both Aussies exchange singles in amongst all that and the defending champs are up and running.
Shaheen Afridi in England, 2019
10-0-80-1
10-0-83-0
10-0-82-4#AUSvPAK#CWC19#WeHaveWeWill
Hitting the replica World Cup trophy at the long on boundary is surely the equivalent of hitting the Mercantile Mutual Cup sign. $50k to the batsman who collects it with a six. #CWC99#AUSvPAKpic.twitter.com/vZatucxXw2
1st over: Australia 0-0 (Finch 0, Warner 0) Excellent opening over from Amir. Finch has a nibble to the first delivery on a testing length just outside off stump but avoids the edge and the ignominy of a golden duck. He lets the next one go, keeping his eye on any movement in the air or off the pitch in testing conditions. The left-handed Amir then shapes the next couple back into the right-handed batsman from over the wicket showing excellent skill and control. Finch fails to cash in on a wider one then defends soundly from the crease. Maiden to start.
David Warner and Aaron Finch are out in the middle. They are joined by umpires Nigel Llong and Ruchira Palliyaguruge. Ian Gould has his feet up watching the TV. Mohammad Amir has the new white ball in his hand. Here we go!
Anthem time, which means it’s nearly go time.
This column from Andy Bull is superb, skewering the ICC and ECB for their lamentable decisions to make accessing this world cup in England expensive and difficult, despite the levels of supposed “engagement”.
The ECB blames the ICC, because it controls the broadcast rights. Anyone who is at all familiar with how the ICC works might be surprised to find that it has so much autonomy, especially when the chairman of the ECB, Colin Graves, also happens to be chairman of the ICC’s finance and commercial affairs committee, which has power of approval over all the ICC’s broadcast arrangements. The ICC on the other hand, point towards Channel 4, because it arranges its own schedules. But there is a significant caveat to that. The broadcast deal stops the broadcast channel from starting its highlights show within three hours of the end of play, so it is in effect banned from showing the games before the watershed.
Related: Cricket World Cup’s efforts to ‘engage’ doomed by terrestrial TV void | Andy Bull
“Morning Jonathan!” Morning Sarah O’Regan. “Looking forward to the match today. I’d like to reassure everyone about the weather - I’ve put in a word with the appropriate authorities and they’ve agreed not to include rain in the official schedule.” Smashing, thanks so much. If you could just set a reminder to keep doing this for the next couple of months that would be swell.
The Taunton pitch has been undercover sheltering from the rain for the past few days. Unsurprisingly there’s a liveliness to it that Pakistan will be keen to exploit.
However, Taunton is famed for its run-scoring and with Somerset posting 353 and 358 in the Royal London Cup earlier this season we can expect those short boundaries to be peppered again today. Little can be gleaned from New Zealand’s shellacking of Afghanistan earlier in the tournament but the three previous ODIs at the ground include England posting 300+ in 1983, and India smacking 373 in 1999.
When these sides last met in a bilateral series Australia whitewashed Pakistan in the UAE. Pakistan were understrength, the conditions were very un-English, and the resulting stats are not especially eye-catching.
However, one does stand out. Aaron Finch was the leading run-scorer in that series, almost doubling the total of the next best batsman. His 451 included two tons, two fifties, and came at an average of 112.75. The Aussie skipper has been in modest form since arriving in the UK so the prospect of filling his boots against opponents he should feel confident facing arrives at an opportune moment.
We're all set and ready to go at Taunton, and the atmosphere is building nicely!#CWC19pic.twitter.com/cBR0HiNc0b
Max Bonnell is a tad concerned. “Either I can’t count, or Australia needs ten overs from Maxwell with Finch the only real backup. No margin for error there.” That’s right Max, unless Smith’s leggies are hauled out of storage.
Speaking of Bootsy Collins, the zing bail resemblance is not limited to a shared commitment to the groove. Perhaps some of the bassist’s 80s outfits featured on the bail designer’s mood board?
Don’t forget to listen to the latest The Spin podcast including the panel’s take on the zing bails and their Bootsy Collins-like reluctance to deviate from a groove.
Related: Stubborn bails, Warner's go-slow and an apology to Jason Roy – The Spin podcast
Pakistan XI: Imam ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c/wk), Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Wahab Riaz, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi
One change for Pakistan who have dropped Shadab Khan for Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The Pakistan team are wearing black arms bands today to mourn the deaths of former team-mate Akhtar Sarfaraz and former Test umpire Riazuddin #CWC19#AUSvPAK
Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson.
Two changes for Australia, the enforced one sees Shaun Marsh coming in for the injured Marcus Stoinis, while Kane Richardson replaces Adam Zampa in a selection switch. Australia going into this one without a frontline spinner.
Big toss win for Pakistan! Green top, overcast, rain later, suddenly Pakistan have the edge.
Just for clarification I checked the origin of Taunton and it led to be an excellent Wikipedia entry that may have been submitted by Alan Partridge.
The town name derives from “Town on the River Tone” – or Tone Town. Cambria Farm which is now the site of a Park and ride close to Junction 25 of the M5 motorway was the site of a Bronze and Iron Age settlement and Roman farm.
Related: Smith and Warner will not be jeered by Pakistan fans, says Sarfaraz Ahmed
One of my favourite distractions is nominative determinism - that idea that people gravitate to professions because of their names (e.g. former Somerset stalwart Peter Bowler, Australian international Ashton Turner, or all the Mr Men characters). Anyway, seeing Australia are today playing at Taunton and one of the sidelines to their tournament experience has been the booing of Steve Smith and David Warner... well, you fill in the gaps.
If any sub-editors read this and use the headline TAUNT-ON in tomorrow’s papers with a picture of a fan holding up some sandpaper, I’d like a credit please.
Amod Paranjape has logged on. “Your mate, the great Geoff Lemon, seems to have the knives out for one David Warner. Not that I/We (everyone other than the Australians) am/are complaining.” I haven’t spied Geoff with his whetstone but I’m sure his logic is sound and his prose rich in persuasive imagery. He wouldn’t be alone wondering what was going on with Warner though. Still, that’s the beauty of such a long group phase for teams like Australia, it gives them time to readjust as the tournament progresses and for talents like Warner to recalibrate.
Ordinarily around this point I’d direct you to any action you may have missed yesterday, but instead I’ll signpost you towards people whingeing about rain and the lack of contingencies to deal with washouts.
Star of the show is Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes who pulls out the “we put a man on the moon” card in support of reserve days.
We really targeted this sort of game to get two points, and I know that Sri Lanka would have fought very hard and been no pushovers at all. But we do see it as one point lost and that’s disappointing. But realistically, what can we do about it? Absolutely nothing. It’s out of our control, the way the weather is.
If you know the English weather, sadly, we’re going to get a lot of rain. We never know when the rain’s going to come. At the moment, we’re seeing some problems.
Related: Bangladesh call for reserve days after another World Cup washout
Rob Sim has joined in the Robin Smith group hug. “Used to park my deckchair square of the wicket on the boundary hoardings at Southampton just for “that” square cut, with no regard for my health and safety at all!!” You must have got RSI from hurling the ball back to the fielding sides.
How do you see this match going? Pitch looking like a green top.
I hesitate to offer predictions where Pakistan are involved but I would say whoever wins the toss is going to have the upper hand. It does look a greenish pitch (more on that to come) and with these chilly overcast conditions it is a no-brainer bowl first toss to win. Add in the possibility of showers later and the ability for the side batting second to control the chase is going to be a big advantage.
The hair, the tache, the chain, the cut shot... a hero growing up https://t.co/kcB26AckPA
Yes! The first cricketer I ever properly emulated with the yellow bat grip. I also overly fixated on the square cut. The Judge was one of the first cricketers I ever interviewed too, and very generous he was. Smith + Smyth = must read.
It'll be interesting to see Australia's balance without Stoinis today. One option would be to bring in Behrendorff & promote NCN to seven, open the bowling with Behrendorff & Starc & use Cummins through the middle - a shame given Cummins' P1 record, but a necessary move. #CWC19
Behrendorff has been spotted marking out his run-up. However, on Australian TV Shane Warne just made a decent case for Kane Richardson, arguing he would prove more useful during the middle overs and avoid disrupting the established new-ball order.
Weather update: Good news! It’s dry in Taunton! Well, dry-ish, dry enough, and the forecast is cautiously optimistic for the remainder of the day. There is some rain around the West Country, especially later on, so we may have the occasional interruption for a passing shower. Even so, we should comfortably have enough time to avoid a washout, even if we don’t see 100 overs.
Covers off at Taunton County Ground and no obvious puddles like yesterday. Both teams on the ground training. Amazingly, we could get a full day of cricket here. #CWC19#AUSvPAKpic.twitter.com/SRPvF3LZrB
It is by far the coldest day here in Taunton,numb!! Looks like a proper green top.. #AUSvPAK
Hello everybody and thanks for tuning in to live OBO coverage of match 17 of the 2019 Cricket World Cup between Australia and Pakistan from Taunton.
That opening line may read unambiguously like a cricket match will take place in Somerset today but with the weather that’s been hanging around the past few days that’s not something we can take for granted. We’re still an hour out from the scheduled start of play and the forecast is not too bad so after consecutive washouts we should hopefully enjoy a positive result.
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