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6th over: Sri Lanka 40-0 (Karunaratne 25, K Perera 14) Target 335 Pat Cummins has by far the most dot balls in the tournament so far (159 of them before today, Archer in second place about 30 or so behind) but he’s going around a little bit today to begin. Karunaratne does as Perera did from this end a couple of overs ago, pulling a short ball away to the rope with real authority. Shot. A top ball in response from Cummins, jagging back and collecting an inside edge, but it misses the stumps and runs away for four more. Cummins changes up to go around the wicket, Karunaratne keeping the strike with deflecting one to third man.
5th over: Sri Lanka 30-0 (Karunaratne 16, K Perera 14) Target 335 Behrendorff starts his World Cup career with an excellent over from the Pavilion End. His left arm pace has been so effective in white-ball cricket for WA over many years, between various injuries. He twice beats the bat of Karunaratne and is also up for a leg before shout when going beyond his inside edge. The maiden is spoiled by Sri Lanka’s skipper from the final ball, clipping one. Still, a lovely set to begin.
“Afternoon Adam.” Hello Brian Withington. “The Sri Lankan openers appear determined not to die wondering. In passing, how can this possibly be the last use of the Oval in the tournament - surely some mistake?”
4th over: Sri Lanka 30-0 (Karunaratne 15, K Perera 14) Target 335 Cummins is back to his happy place as the artificial light completely takes over. It’s very, very dark. Perera picks out the fielders on the off side a couple of times before getting down the other end via an inside edge. Karunaratne’s turn, who is beaten outside the off stump when missing a cut shot, more convincing to finish with three off the front foot to cover. A tiny bit of rain falls at the end of the over as well. Surely not...
3rd over: Sri Lanka 26-0 (Karunaratne 12, K Perera 13) Target 335 Starc reverts to the toes and helmet approach after Karunaratne takes another couple from a length ball, this time to point. The yorker he sends down hits the radar at 90mph, nearly flooring the captain, then cramping him with a short one to finish. Better.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 24-0 (Karunaratne 10, K Perera 13) Target 335 This is a superb start! “A statement is being made early,” says Mel Jones on TV and she’s spot on, Karunaratne tucking three to square, Perera smashing four to midwicket then slapping again for four more! Stand and deliver stuff, all off the front foot.
1st over: Sri Lanka 12-0 (Karunaratne 7, K Perera 4) Target 335 The skipper is off the mark first up with one to third man, albeit off the outside edge. Starc pulls out of his approach from the next ball before giving Perera enough width to cut a boundary to get his own afternoon underway. It was uppish but there is nobody at point. “I like the tempo of this stroke,” says Kumar Sangakkara on TV. I spoke to the Sri Lankan great on the radio call earlier today and it is fair to say he isn’t a fan of the current domestic set up in his homeland. Back to Starc, who slips a quicker ball past Perera’s inside edge, appealing for lbw, but it is denied with Finch also denying his quick a review. Karunaratne finishes with four of his own, timing a wonderfully timed punch off the back foot to the point rope. Excellent start.
The players are on the field. Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera are opening for the Sri Lankans, Mitch Starc starting Australia off from the pavilion end. PLAY!
Afternoon. Thanks, JP.33 in the final five overs wasn’t quite what Australia were hoping for after Finch, Smith and Maxwell toyed with the Sri Lankans for the ten overs prior, but they still will be satisfied with 334/7 having bee sent in at the toss. Some magnificent death bowling prevented a final surge, Udana especially classy.
If Australia can defend this, it will move them to outright first on the table as we near the middle of the group stage. For Sri Lanka’s part, chasing 335 down will move then into equal second (on points, not net run rate), would you believe.
That was a peculiar old innings from Australia wasn’t it?
Finch and Warner looked in superb touch to begin with - the skipper in particular with his elegant drives within the V - before the introduction of de Silva slowed their momentum. Like a cyclist running out of puff riding uphill Australia just seemed unable to do anything to jolt themselves out of their growing slumber, one that accounted for the uncharacteristically somnolent Warner (26) and Khawaja (10).
50th over: Australia 334-7 (Maxwell 46, Starc 5) Perera to bowl the final over of the innings and it begins brilliantly with four singles and a two before Maxwell manipulates a boundary through midwicket from the final delivery. Weirdly, Sri Lanka will probably head to the interval the more upbeat of the two sides following that performance in the death overs. Still, Australia have more than enough runs to assure themselves of a semi-final berth.
49th over: Australia 324-7 (Maxwell 40, Starc 1) Superb death overs bowling from Udana and backed up by his own superb fielding. Not the conclusion to Australia’s innings that they were looking for.
Bad to worse for Australia. Another Udana yorker collected in his follow through but this time he throws down the striker’s stumps and Cummins is out for a golden duck. The ball between that and the previous run out almost bagged a wicket too but the thick edge that spiraled off Maxwell’s bat just cleared Angelo Mathews in the gully.
Australia’s late-innings collapse continues apace. Carey is the latest to go, run out brilliantly by Udana, the bowler gathering a superb yorker in his follow through, spinning and, on his knees, throwing down the non-striker’s stumps.
48th over: Australia 317-5 (Maxwell 34, Carey 4) Another excellent death over by Malinga, seven from it, and it would have been tighter than that but for some questionable Sri Lankan fielding.
Aust are gathering in strength, but they are still having moments that shouldn't be happening in a first grade game let alone a World Cup. SMarsh's innings, in completely foreign circumstances for him, the latest #AUSvSL#CWC19
Terrific over by Udana, like Malinga before him landing a host of slower balls and yorkers to deny Australia any boundaries then jagging the wicket of a frustrated Marsh at the end of it, holding out to midwicket after labouring to just three runs from nine balls.
47th over: Australia 310-5 (Maxwell 31)
The #UniverseBoss is ready for #INDvPAK. pic.twitter.com/pcm9pfsa7b
46th over: Australia 306-4 (Maxwell 29, Marsh 2) After the carnage of the previous over Sri Lanka will be overjoyed at Malinga’s ability to concede just three singles and a leg-bye in a set full of yorkers and change-ups.
So far in this World Cup Glenn Maxwell has attacked 80% of the first 15 balls in his innings and has scored at 12.50 runs per over in that period of his innings - the highest run rate of any player in that phase. #CWC19
45th over: Australia 302-4 (Maxwell 27, Marsh 1) Oi oi! It’s Maxy magic time! 22 from Pradeep’s over. He begins short so Maxwell slaps it like a forehand smash wide of long on. The second is length and goes the journey over the bowler’s head. The third is dug out for a dot but the fourth is whipped with immense bottom hand force for four through midwicket. Ball five is a full toss carted through cow corner and salt is rubbed into the wound with a top edged pull over the keeper four more.
44th over: Australia 280-4 (Maxwell 5, Marsh 1) Well, that was unexpected. A wicket and just five runs from that Malinga over. Australia’s inability to put together a full 50 over innings is again coming back to haunt them.
Bosh! Vintage Malinga. Perfectly executed yorker from around the wicket to Smith and even the very best struggle to play them. Two quick wickets to Sri Lanka and that may buy them some hope at the innings break.
Excellent knock from Smith. Not only his 73 runs but his ability to play as Finch’s foil and add some impetus to the innings following the lacklustre displays of Warner and Khawaja.
43rd over: Australia 275-3 (Smith 73, Maxwell 1) Well played skipper. A massive individual knock and with the good grace to allow us a few overs of Glenn Maxwell before the close.
@JPHowcroft This is a pretty poor effort by Sri Lanka. Slow in the field, going through the motions. The best you can say for them is that they turned up. Barely.
No double century for Finch. He fails to pick an Udana slower ball and his mighty heave skews off the top edge and into the hands of Karunaratne at cover. Superb innings nonetheless featuring some exquisite timing, brutal hitting, and no shortage of patience as well. Top stuff.
42nd over: Australia 269-2 (Finch 152, Smith 69) Can Malinga stem the bleeding? No. Finch stands and delivers, muscling the ball through midwicket for four then Smith scythes a mighty blow across the line, sending the ball miles over cow corner accompanied by the sweetest “clack” you could wish to hear. That was pure ball striking.
41st over: Australia 255-2 (Finch 137, Smith 62) Smith may be the most awkward batsman in the world to bowl to once set. He ends up in such unfamiliar positions at the crease which allows him to work the ball to indefensible areas. Pradeep does nothing wrong at the start of his ninth over but a leg stump yorker ends up beating square-leg for four then length on off stump disappears to the third-man boundary. A single brings Finch on strike and with it creativity replaced by brute force. Poor Pradeep has nowhere to go as Finch wallops him over cover for a one bounce four then pulls him disdainfully for four more.
40th over: Australia 237-2 (Finch 137, Smith 53) Here we go! Finch has been winding up for a few overs now and he enters tee-off beast mode with a mighty heave across the line, depositing Perera into the stand behind square leg. He follows that up with a powerful cut for four.
39th over: Australia 224-2 (Finch 126, Smith 51) Pradeep’s back for another dart but he’s powerless to stop the insatiable Steve Smith from reaching his eighth 50 in ten World Cup matches. He might have been out of international cricket for a year but he hasn’t missed a beat on his return. Impossible to bowl to and his intent has revitalised Australia’s innings.
FIFTY! Another half-century for Steve Smith. His past 10 World Cup knocks:
95 v AFG
72 v SL
65 v PAK
105 v IND
56* v NZ
18 v AFG
73 v WI
69 v IND
10 v PAK
50* and counting v SL #CWC19pic.twitter.com/okdlrwKFk5
38th over: Australia 218-2 (Finch 122, Smith 49) This partnership is operating effectively at the moment. Smith is happy to rotate the strike and Finch is happy to smite boundaries, the latest a sledgehammer of a square drive. Remember when I asked if he could make 200+?
In response to Stephen Barnes (35th over) the mysterious Yum has an answer. “The former is the most heinous possible for the bowling side which is obvious if a wicket falls. Further logic would say that a front foot no ball would rate fairly highly on the heinousness scale because it is in fact cheating, in the sense of being able to get the ball to the batter an inch faster.”
37th over: Australia 210-2 (Finch 116, Smith 47) It’s getting a little gloomy at the Oval. The lights are on and the wind’s up. I wonder if we’re in for a shower at some point? Udana enjoys the change in conditions, sending down a ball that makes the rare journey past the outside edge of Smith’s bat but he can’t complete the set to Finch, his final delivery ending up at the extra cover fence after the Aussie skipper was allowed enough room to free his arms.
36th over: Australia 203-2 (Finch 111, Smith 45) The second and final drinks break heralds what should be a 15-over thrash to the line for Australia. It begins promisingly for the defending champions with a thick edge from Smith sending Perera to the third-man fence for four.
Finch's hitting against spin is categorised by how he stands in his crease, rather than coming down the track, and how he uses his long levers and clean swing to get underneath the ball. Only three players make contact with their sixes v spin later than Finch. #CWC19pic.twitter.com/HiC8gdN6J8
35th over: Australia 194-2 (Finch 108, Smith 39) Australia’s decision to attack is eased by Sri Lanka’s to recall Udana. Finch has looked to attack the left-arm paceman all day and he cracks another drive through extra cover to keep momentum flowing his side’s way.
“What is the logic of a free hit for a no ball but not for a wide?” asks Stephen Barnes. “Surely the latter is a more heinous crime? (Another sole buddy word pair, incidentally).”
34th over: Australia 190-2 (Finch 104, Smith 39) Sri Lanka are under the pump a bit now so they turn to Perera whose heavy line and length helped wrestle back control earlier in the day. He does a decent job but this match is now all about Australia deciding when to launch for home. With Glenn Maxwell padded up they don’t want to waste too many overs nudging ones and twos.
33rd over: Australia 183-2 (Finch 102, Smith 36) Siriwardana’s second over instills little confidence he deserves a third. Finch’s six to reach his ton was dismissive. After that session in the doldrums Australia are sailing along at a rate of knots again.
Finch reached his century with a six down the ground - his straight play was a defining feature of his knock. Today he was very secure against the new ball, playing no false shots in his first 30 balls. He then capitalised as the ball has got older and took on the spin. #CWC19pic.twitter.com/ZayAAcJoaY
Aaron Finch brings up his century with a clean strike over long-off for six. This has been an innings of three parts but deserving of three figures. Superb batting by the Australian skipper.
32nd over: Australia 176-2 (Finch 95, Smith 35) Malinga overpitches first ball of his sixth over and Finch presents the full face of his bat with enough encouragement to add four to his total. It’s a messy over for Sri Lanka, containing a wide and a no-ball for failing to adhere to the Powerplay fielding restrictions.
“Is it not ridiculous that a wide ball is given when a ball goes down the leg side off a spinner?” asks David Brown. “This ball is food and drink to a decent under 13 batsman but Australia are awarded a run and an extra ball when Finch fails to connect with a de Silva long hop.” It remains, as it always has been, a batsman’s game.
31st over: Australia 168-2 (Finch 94, Smith 30) Siriwardana is invited to bowl his left-arm spin but he has the misfortune of bowling to Smith with his eye in. His first delivery is worked away behind square for four and there’s only one dot thereafter.
30th over: Australia 159-2 (Finch 93, Smith 22) Australia’s counterpunch prompts the return of Malinga back into the attack and he delivers a boundaryless over, one full of those shots from Smith that look suicidal - stepping to off and uncovering his pegs - but end in easy ones and twos.
Peter Salmon again: “To Paul Griffin - I am a copy-editor, and hate the hyphen too. Unfortunately it is still standard in most style guides, so I tend to use it, but the hyphen in general is slowly being excised from the English language, retained only in cases where there is a possible ambiguity, which I don’t think there is in copy-editor. I’ve unilaterally decided to get rid of all hyphens in ‘-ly’ words for instance, eg. newly-wed - the ‘-ly’ makes it obvious the second word is modified by the first. We can all make a small difference.”
29th over: Australia 152-2 (Finch 91, Smith 18) Intent is such an interesting phenomenon in cricket. Australia began with lots of it then watched it ebb away, but since Steve Smith came out it’s returned again. After upping the ante in previous minutes the big over arrives, Finch taking de Silva to task for 4,6,6, in a rare flurry of brute force. Quite why Australia allowed themselves to be so becalmed for that spell remains a mystery, especially when Finch shows such control with his hitting.
28th over: Australia 132-2 (Finch 73, Smith 17) Michaels Clarke and Slater are on commentary together. In the blink of an eye the subject turns to Bon Jovi. That chat is mercifully cut short by Smith’s intent converting to four runs with a well-timed square drive. Udana is again the bowler to concede runs.
27th over: Australia 124-2 (Finch 71, Smith 11) Smith is starting to work through the gears, hustling and shuffling like a toddler ready for the loo. De Silva’s accuracy restricts Australia to singles but there’s a change of vibe out in the middle after that long spell of Sri Lankan control.
26th over: Australia 119-2 (Finch 69, Smith 9) Udana’s back into the attack but he sends down the first over in an age that Australia find easy to score from, Smith in particular getting into line early and showing intent. The highlight is a whip to midwicket for four that he took from around off stump after stepping a mile to off to the left-arm over bowler.
Paul Griffin’s joined in: “Forgive the impertinent pedantry but are we sure that “copy-editor” should be hyphenated? I’m on Greek beach and have neglected to pack a style guide. This also explains the mauve swimwear, with which the locals remain unwowed (or possibly un-wowed?).”
Australia's WinViz reached a high point of 86% during their opening partnership. The double strike and tight bowling from Dhanjanaya has dragged things back and now Australia sit at 69%. #CWC19
25th over: Australia 110-2 (Finch 67, Smith 2) Any thoughts of that mighty hit breaking the shackles are quickly dashed by de Silva’s sixth over and his latest demonstration of control on a two-paced surface.
“I would just like to point out to Bill Pairman that not all dells are dingly. Some, at least, are bosky.” Thanks Martin Wright.
24th over: Australia 108-2 (Finch 66, Smith 1) This is a splendid duel between Pradeep and Finch. The bowler has enjoyed the upper hand for a while now and again challenges Australia’s skipper but the over ends with Finch pulling hard to a delivery outside the line of off stump that bounced grille-high. He connected superbly and the ball soared behind square leg for a much needed six.
“Splendid stuff from Peter Salmon,” commends Brian Withington. “I found myself wanting to see ‘spittle’ (partner, ‘lick’) amongst his list of fossil/binomial words but not sure if it qualifies? His reference to once in an era words had me segueing to the sort of (very) occasional bowler that you let loose just once in a competition, probably in the grand final when the chips are down, introduced ominously by the umpire as ‘right arm, hapax legomenon’.”
All that pressure has earned another wicket, and another for de Silva. Khawaja looked to break the shackles, slog-sweeping firmly but straight into the hands of the midwicket sweeper.
23rd over: Australia 100-2 (Finch 60, Smith 0)
22nd over: Australia 97-1 (Finch 56, Khawaja 10) Sri Lanka are now well on top of this passage of play and Pradeep is all over Australia, appealing unsuccessfully for an edge against Khawaja then whistling one through Finch’s unconvincing pull before testing Khawaja’s reflexes with a slippery lifter.
8 - Aaron Finch has recorded his 8th ODI score of 50+ in 2019, his most ever in a calendar year (7 in 2014). Reliable. #cwc19#SLvAUSpic.twitter.com/puhBsR4E6s
21st over: Australia 95-1 (Finch 55, Khawaja 9) Brendon McCullum on commentary has mentioned how the Oval can exhibit “spongy” bounce on occasion and it does appear that may be a factor in Australia’s declining run-rate. Especially against spin the ball is just holding up or popping up, forcing the batsmen to check their drives and reconsider any abandon.
“I refer John Starbuck (over 17) to oxforddictionaries.com: In the phrase wrought havoc, as in they wrought havoc on the countryside, wrought is an archaic past tense of work and is not, as is sometimes assumed, a past tense of wreak.” Thanks, Andy Killeen.
20th over: Australia 93-1 (Finch 54, Khawaja 8) Sensing an opportunity to strike Karunaratne recalls Pradeep and it so nearly does the trick. The opener begins his second spell by beating Khawaja’s outside edge, then he finds a thick edge next ball before the normal service of tight lines and watchful batting resumes.
Ok, so I’ve been out of my depth with all this wordplay for a while, but this from Dom Cole might have tipped me into delirium. “Surely it should be hapax legomena and not hapax legomenons. Though There are perhaps different criterions to support the other point of view.”
19th over: Australia 87-1 (Finch 53, Khawaja 3) More of the same: decent bowling, conservative batting, and de Silva restricts Australia to four singles.
My favourite OBO emailing homonym Matt Dony is around. “Calling back to Ian Forth’s musings on nouns that are followed by their adjective, I once ‘enjoyed’ a lively debate about ‘Gins and tonic’ vs ‘Gin and tonics.’ I guess it all comes down to how you treat the word ‘tonic’. If it is an abbreviation of ‘Tonic water’, then that’s where the plural sits. But if it’s being used in terms of its effect on the gin, that it acts as a tonic to the gin, then ‘Gin’ gets the S. Either way, it wroted havoc on the bar order.”
18th over: Australia 83-1 (Finch 51, Khawaja 1) Aaron Finch shrugs off the loss of his opening partner to reach his third half-century of this World Cup. He looked superbly early on but has since been becalmed. Australia really have relinquished the impetus here. It may be decent bowling, it may be the pitch becoming a tad two-paced once the hardness of the new ball has disappeared, but there’s a diminishing amount of intent on display at the crease.
Brian Withington again: “Apparently ‘havoc’ is a military order permitting seizure of goods after victory, as in Mark Antony’s call of ‘Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war’. A good rallying call in the dressing room before unleashing a pack of fast bowlers on a lively green top. By the way, I think Mark (Charles Jefford) Nicholas could just about pull off the Mr Darcy role in the commentary box.”
17th over: Australia 80-1 (Finch 49, Khawaja 0) No messing around today, Khawaja is in at three.
John Starbuck’s returned, drawing a line from Richard I to Buffy, as you do. “‘Time immemorial’ is a well-established legal phrase, used to refer to English statute law dating from the reign of Richard I. This is an inaccurate credit to Richard, who didn’t much care for England except as a money source for fighting wars, but leaves out his father Henry II who pulled together and created the foundations of our current legal set-up. Also, I don’t much care for ‘wreaked’ as a past tense. It probably comes from American usage, who are notoriously poor at handling irregular verbs. An early episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer demonstrates this, with Anthony Head having to say ‘slayed’ should be used instead of ‘slain’; while it was in the script and he didn’t have much choice, he should still be thoroughly ashamed.”
Sri Lanka have been tightening the tourniquet slowly over a number of overs and it finally pays dividends. Australia’s openers have been content working ones and twos against some solid bowling but the moment Warner looks to improvise he’s undone. Stepping back and across he gives himself room to cut de Silva but doesn’t pick the quicker arm ball that skids through and sends the zing bails skywards. Excellent bowling from the spinner and a reward for a long spell of patient cricket from Sri Lanka.
16th over: Australia 79-0 (Warner 26, Finch 48) Another solid over from Perera and Sri Lanka. It’s been a while since we saw a boundary. The bowlers are landing in good areas and the batters are respecting it. Tidy cricket.
15th over: Australia 76-0 (Warner 25, Finch 46) Time for spin with Dhananjaya de Silva brought on from the Vauxhall end and it’s a promising start, especially to Warner with the right-arm bowler coming around the wicket and making a couple misbehave, forcing rare false shots. Nothing of great alarm for the batsmen, but in the context of their serene progress so far worth keeping a close eye on.
David Farrelly must be tired or wired. “It is 4:15 ish am here in the Rockies so apologies if I lower the tenor of the conversation; but didn’t Titus Andronicus invoke the gods to send down justice to wreak our wrongs? Or was that Shane Warne?” I think Warnie was sent down to tweak our wrong’uns wasn’t he? Boom and indeed tish. Try the veal.
14th over: Australia 73-0 (Warner 24, Finch 44) Sri Lanka are enjoying a decent spell with Udana and Perera after Australia’s confident start. Length has been key and Perera is again in the right areas, restricting Warner and Finch to a diet of singles.
13th over: Australia 69-0 (Warner 22, Finch 42) Udana continues his tidy spell. Nothing fancy going on, just consistent line and length keeping Australia honest.
The grammar chat really has got you all interested, hasn’t it? Back to Peter Salmon: “Being a copy-editor, I’m enjoying the word chat as much as the cricket. What you’ve got with ‘wreak/havoc’ is a binomial. ‘Dingly’ is a fossil word - one which only occurs in one context (often in a binomial) - other examples include bygones, champing, eke, fettle, fro, kith, petard, riddance, shebang, spick and yore - I won’t supply the context. Then of course there is the rare hapax legomenon - words which appear only once in a era, community, text or oeuvre - Shakespeare only ever used ‘satyr’ once. There’s about 400 hapax legomenons in the Hebrew Bible, and they get acsribed a fair bit of significance in that Hebrew Bible sort of way.” We should OBO Countdown sometime.
12th over: Australia 63-0 (Warner 21, Finch 37) Better from Perera, including that very tight LBW appeal. An over of heavily bowled length deliveries that Australia are happy in the main to play from the crease with angled bats in search of ones and twos behind square.
One of the joys of the OBO is unearthing the likes of Nick Cherkas. “The term is “collocation”; words which are frequently found together. The example of “wreak havoc” is a strong collocation, as those words are, as we’ve seen, good mates. Collocations are great fun and, for those learning English, arguably more important to be aware of than grammatical rules. They help in building vocabulary, as in “slip fielder” (a strong collocation) and “maiden over” (a fairly strong collocation).”
Australia's P1 batting in this tournament: 55-0 v Afg, 48-4 v WI, 48-0 v Ind, 56-0 v Pak and 53-0 v SL. The match against West Indies is the only match when Australia have lost a wicket in the first ten overs. Warner & Finch have generally been providing solid starts. #CWC19
It looked optimistic in real time but it was much closer than I expected on review. Perera struck Finch’s front pad on the press forward and the ball was going on to hit the stumps but the batsman was saved by umpire’s call for contact point outside the line of off stump.
Perera calls for a review of an LBW shout against Finch that was declined onfield...
11th over: Australia 57-0 (Warner 20, Finch 35) Udana again does well, landing his left-arm over pace on a decent length around a testing fourth stump line. However, there is no indication Australia will lose a wicket any time soon.
With regard to Mr Withington's point (9th over) @JPHowcroft, isn't David Gower a Jane Austen character who happened to play and then broadcasts about cricket?
10th over: Australia 53-0 (Warner 17, Finch 34) It’s a double change for Sri Lanka with Perera entering the attack but he is popgun to Finch on a surface this true. The Aussie skipper tucks in, hitting sweetly and with poise through the line of the ball to collect fours through the covers and point. I’ve never seen Finch bat better than this. He could end with 200+.
“Thinking of havoc and that mighty cricketing legend The Judge. I am put in mind not so much the havoc wrought by Robin Smith back in the day as the havoc wrought by that bloody Ray Illingworth, who if memory serves me correctly was the self styled supremo of English cricket who did so little for so many England players. I am thinking Tuffnell, Malcolm, Smith, Hick, Ramprakash; well all those who played during that era. Illingworth was such a self righteous known all, I think he managed to get the worst out of a lot of teams and players. He wroak a whole load of havoc.” Gah! Thanks for the PTSD flashback Charlie Jeffery.
9th over: Australia 44-0 (Warner 16, Finch 26) Udana has recovered well enough from his early injury to join the attack and he begins smartly, restricting Australia’s openers to just a single.
Brian Withington is in the building. “Ian Forth’s splendid literary references to Isa Guha had me wandering further back and idly picturing a Pride and Prejudice mash up in the commentary box, with Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy exchanging zingers during the high tea interval. Expertly acerbic analysis laced with smoulderingly repressed sexual tension - what’s not to like?” I can picture it now... Darcy: “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me - outside off stump.”
8th over: Australia 43-0 (Warner 15, Finch 26) Australia are turning the screw here, presenting the full face of the bat to every delivery, selecting their shots well, and playing with that puffed out chest masculinity that so intimidates opponents. Warner converts that equation into four runs off Pradeep’s first delivery, crunching it square, then he and Finch rotate the strike with ease. Finch does so holding every shot long after the ball has entered the fielding side’s purview in another intimidatory display of body language.
Back to words with - and without - friends...
7th over: Australia 33-0 (Warner 8, Finch 25) Yet another sumptuous straight drive for four from Finch who is timing the ball gloriously this morning. Malinga responds by moving around the wicket in an effort to force the Australian skipper to play outside his V. Finch declines the offer, drilling another four straight through mid-off who - to misquote an old World Cup goals video I once had - was as much use as a lace curtain interrupting the path of a bullet.
6th over: Australia 23-0 (Warner 8, Finch 15) Better from Pradeep who lands an over on a tight line and length to keep Australia honest. Some quick housekeeping: the pitch is doing nothing, and neither is the ball.
“I think ‘wreak’ is very happy to work with ‘vengeance’ as well as ‘havoc’” emails Tim Wiseman. Is it just me or did reading that provoke the image of Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction in everyone?
5th over: Australia 20-0 (Warner 6, Finch 14) Another tight Malinga over respected by Australia’s openers. The only delivery of note was a slower ball that just held up on the surface and forced a checked drive from Warner that almost induced a c&b. Isuru Udana is back on the field.
“As an Indian born in this century, I experienced neither the pleasure of watching Robin Smith live nor the pain of witnessing yet another Indian bowling attack getting pummeled all around the ground in the 90s,” emails Abhijato Sensarma. “But I have watched highlights featuring Mr Smith in the past, and the one you have provided today solidifies my opinion: he was rather good.” Delighted you agree. As I’ve mentioned before he was one of my first cricketing idols and his yellow bat grip was the first item of cricketing equipment I selected to emulate a professional. Unfortunately I was, and remain, cack with bat in hand.
4th over: Australia 17-0 (Warner 4, Finch 13) The ball is finding the middle of Finch’s bat regularly, and most of the time with the kind of timing normally associated with Deontay Wilder and another man’s jaw. Pradeep does some excellent fielding off his own bowling to deny another on-driven four but there’s nothing he can do with a boundary clipped forward of midwicket. Isuru Udana did his best trying to haul that shot in before the rope but he failed, and in doing so dived headlong into the LCD advertising boards, jarring his left shoulder in the process. He has now left the field in some discomfort.
3rd over: Australia 12-0 (Warner 4, Finch 8) In a sign of Warner’s new-found maturity he’s happy to allow Malinga to sling down a maiden, respecting the line and length and his inability to pierce the infield with those meaty defensive-ish strokes of his.
“Another interesting aspect of ‘wreaking havoc’ is that there is no proper past tense,” emails John Starbuck. “You have to use ‘wrought havoc’ or adopt versions of ‘play havoc (with)‘. Havoc is obviously a difficult customer.”
2nd over: Australia 12-0 (Warner 4, Finch 8) Goodness me, how’s the touch from Aaron Finch!? First delivery of the day from Nuwan Pradeep is on a decent line and length but the Aussie skipper stands tall and caresses a textbook off drive on the up for four: think vintage Michael Vaughan. Four balls later he times another sweet sweet boundary, this one driven with the full face of the bat past the non-striker in a stroke that Finch holds for so long it looks as though the wind has caught him and he might never change. This would actually be fine because it was such a glorious follow through to a perfect on drive.
“Nice shout out for words with only one friend” emails Bill Pairman. “My favourite is “dingly dell” which works both ways. The only dingly thing is a dell, all dells are dingly. They’re like an elderly couple who have been together since childhood, ever-faithful to each other, still as deeply enamoured as the day they first kissed.” Very high standard of emails this morning. High fives all round.
1st over: Australia 4-0 (Warner 4, Finch 0) Malinga opens from the Vauxhall end and he begins superbly, swinging one into Warner’s pads then beating the outside edge with a length delivery. Warner is typically unfussed, clipping the next off his pads through midwicket with a firm push that races away for four like it’s hopped on an airport travelator. This is a fast outfield.
Aaron Finch and David Warner are out in the middle. Lasith Malinga has the white ball in his hand. There’s plenty of blue sky among the fluffy clouds in south London. Time for cricket.
If today’s lopsided looking contest fails to deliver, just wait until tomorrow...
It is a match that – on the surface at least – is just one of 48 at this rain-splattered Cricket World Cup. But when India and Pakistan face off in Manchester on Sunday the sporting contest will be magnified and warped by so much else: the 70-plus years of shared history and antipathy between the two countries, the recent political tensions in Kashmir, and the stultifying pressure that comes when several hundred million eyeballs are watching on.
Related: Not just cricket: India and Pakistan prepare to renew rivalry at World Cup
It’ll be interesting to see who opens the bowling for Australia later today now that Jason Behrendorff has been selected. Behrendorff is a new ball specialist but Cummins’ recent record in P1 is superb & Starc is the attack leader. #CWC19https://t.co/sPzoXjXWsF
Anthem time. A quick opportunity to inform you that today’s officials are Aleem Dar and Richard Illingworth with Michael Gough keeping his eye on DRS.
“My new number one cricket journo is without doubt Isa Guha. She has the ironic air of a daughter in an Ivy Compton-Burnett novel - trapped inside a Victorian country house with her father, a tyrannical male landowner, and his bumptious son, with only her native wit and charm available to combat them.” I told you Ian Forth logging on was good, didn’t I? Isa Guha is indeed brilliant. In Australia she is often saddled with some unenviable commentary box assignments which he handles with a grace I doubt I could emulate.
Just staying with The Judge a little longer, it may well contain the greatest cover quote of all time from Mike Selvey in reference to Smith’s famed Square Cut. “Should I ever be condemned to beheading, I would like Robin Smith to be the swordsman,” he wrote. Brilliant.
“Pleased to see the word ‘pundit’ here,” emails Peter Salmon. “My friends and I got obsessed with the word a while ago in relation to Aussie Rules football - we loved that the pundits were always ‘being proved wrong’. Looking into the etymology it turns out pundit comes from the Sanskrit ‘pandita’, meaning a teacher of any field of knowledge in Hinduism particularly the Vedic scriptures, dahrma, Hindi philosophy, or secular subjects such as music. So it seemed eminently reasonable they didn’t know much about Aussie Rules, hence getting it wrong. More generally it means ‘knowledge owner’ and I have to say Alistair Cook’s first stint on the wireless yesterday showed him as a pretty good ‘knowledge owner.’” I haven’t heard much from the Chef so I’ll withhold judgement, but I’m delighted he’s made a good start to life behind the mic.
The last time I was on here (Australia vs Pakistan) I shared that Robin Smith was one of my cricketing heroes growing up. That was in reference to a new autobiography being published about Smith’s eventful life (written with OBO guru Rob Smyth).
Smith recently spoke to Donald McRae and provided a glimpse at how raw some passages of The Judge are likely to be.
Related: Robin Smith: ‘I drank vodka from the bottle. There were no half measures’
“What do you think about Lasit Malinga?” asks CS Pancham. “Will he cause problems for Australian batsmen?” I would expect so, yes. I think he’s a terrific bowler and ideally suited to the kinds of pitches we’ve seen so far this tournament which have benefited that two-length approach (very full or very short). He averages 24.65 against Australia in ODIs with a strike rate of two wickets per ten overs.
Ian Forth has logged on, which is always an enjoyable moment on the OBO. “OB Jato makes a very pertinent point but my eye was drawn to “wreck havoc”. It’s more usually “wreak havoc” but wreak’s one of those funny words that only really likes hanging out with one friend, to wit, in its case, ‘havoc’. See also: ‘fell swoop’; Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali; Teresa May and her cat.”
One change also for Sri Lanka with Milinda Siriwardana replacing Suranag Lakmal. That means doubts over both Nuwan Pradeep (injured finger) and Lasith Malinga (flew home to attend funeral) have been resolved with the two bowlers making the starting line.
Sri Lanka XI: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera (wk), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Nuwan Pradeep, Lasith Malinga
One change to Australia’s line-up with Jason Behrendorff replacing Nathan Coulter-Nile. Finch indicated the hero of his side’s win over the Windies was a little stiff and sore.
That still means a four-man pace attack with ten overs to be found from Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch, or even the lesser spotted Steve Smith, who was seen rolling his arm over in the nets this week.
Aaron Finch called incorrectly (his fifth lost toss in a row this World Cup) and Dimuth Karunaratne wasted no time sticking Australia in. Finch agreed with the strategy suggesting he would also have bowled first to take advantage of some overcast conditions and any life in the new pitch.
Want to know what the Oval’s like behind the scenes? Of course you do! And as luck would have it here’s Mark Butcher to show you around.
This is also an opportunity for me to segue into nominating Butch as my favourite cricketing pundit (and your chance to email or tweet me with your alternatives - with supporting information, of course). I’ve long enjoyed his well-informed perspective on the game, his ability to move with the times, and most crucially how he argues his point confidently but respectfully in a manner that advances debate.
This is a lovely read from Barney Ronay on the presence of rain during the early phase of this World Cup.
Rain tells you the summer game is also about melancholy and boredom, that this is a story told often in minor chords too, its moments of colour bordered by vital passages of grey. In the current battle for the sport’s soul rain stands on one side saying this is not a product to be sold by the yard. Formats will come and go. But you have to be made to love cricket, not simply offered it up ready-made. In England, at least, the uncertainty remains. Cricket will always fight with the skies.
Related: Why the Cricket World Cup will taste sweeter once the rain has passed | Barney Ronay
If you missed any of yesterday’s action you can catch up here in written and audio formats. TLDR: England hammered the Windies but Roy and Morgan picked up injuries.
Related: England win again, rain delays and autocorrect v cricket – The Spin podcast
Related: Eoin Morgan says injuries in win over West Indies are no cause for panic
Related: Wind of change for West Indies as Chris Gayle gradually blows out | Andy Bull
“Sri Lanka’s pacers could wreck unlikely havoc today, but I am concerned with only one query regarding Australia right now,” emails OB Jato, “Stoinis?”.
Indeed, Australia’s line-up is unbalanced without their allrounder and the selection strategy against Pakistan did not look like one capable of winning a World Cup. Marcus Stoinis remains unavailable for selection with the side strain he suffered against India but he is expected to return to training next week.
Mel Jones has had a look at the pitch for Australian TV and she likes what she sees. It’s a fresh surface and Jones reckons it’ll have plenty of pace, unlike the worn tracks that have been used at the Oval so far this tournament that have lacked the venue’s customary pace and bounce.
Let’s get the weather out of the way early - it’s dry, and it is forecast to remain dry for the majority of play with just the slight risk of a shower during the afternoon. It’s a bit nippy out still though with the temperature unlikely to get out of the teens while a brisk southerly will keep everyone on their toes.
Unusual scenes of clear blue skies! @cricketworldcup@OfficialSLC@cricketcomau#SLvAUS looking forward to good day I hope. pic.twitter.com/Vzzjqb2uGa
Hello everybody and welcome to match 20 of Cricket World Cup 2019 featuring Australia and Sri Lanka from the Oval.
For Sri Lanka it’s the first in a series of intimidating must-win fixtures if they are to make the semi-finals. After suffering a hammering at the hands of a merciless New Zealand in their tournament opener Sri Lanka have endured the misfortune of consecutive washouts against Pakistan and Bangladesh, two opponents they would have fancied their chances against. Results are now required against four of the top five ranked teams in ODI cricket, starting with the defending champions.