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22nd over: Australia 87-3 (Smith 37, Carey 30) England’s success has been built on Rashid and Plunkett taking wickets in the middle overs, and they could use one now. Carey, who is an excellent player of spin, sweeps off middle stump for a couple, and a handful of singles make it a decent over for Australia. I wonder if Morgan is tempted to give Archer a two-over burst. It’s probably too early.
“The ground has filled up but still a good many empty seats,” says David Malcolm. “Poor for such a critical match. Ground only has a capacity of 24000. Would not happen in any other sport where stadiums are much larger. Goes to show how much the Indian fans have boosted attendances. I think it fair to say there has only been a lukewarm response to the tournament in UK. Just look at the very limited media coverage. A big problem for English cricket that this has failed to attract interest beyond existing fans.”
21st over: Australia 80-3 (Smith 35, Carey 26) Plunkett replaces Wood, who bowled a scruffy spell of 4-0-20-0. A misfield from Stokes gives Smith a single and Stokes a zap of self-loathing. Two singles from the over.
20th over: Australia 78-3 (Smith 34, Carey 25) Adil Rashid replaces Liam Plunkett, who is more of a 150 for three bowler than 50 for three. Rashid has had a poor tournament, but he has a good record on this ground – including a matchwinning four-for against Australia in the Champions Trophy two years ago. Carey drives uppishly but between mid-off and extra cover for four. It looked like a chance but I’d say he had the placement under control. Make no mistake, Australia are right back in this game.
Meanwhile, here’s our star columnist Max Rushden on the possible impact of a free-to-air World Cup final. If if if.
Related: Tactical toilet breaks and apple on willow: what free-to-air cricket could inspire | Max Rushden
19th over: Australia 72-3 (Smith 33, Carey 20) Smith pulls Wood round the corner for four, another authoritative stroke. He has done the bulk of the scoring in the last few overs, with Carey – who has scored 12 from his last 31 balls - looking secure but strokeless. He’s got plenty in his locker when he decides it’s time.
“Very impressed by Carey, not just his courage, but his ability with the bat,” says John Jones. “Looks a top-class player to me and surely must play in the Ashes. As for Handscombe, was there anything more predictable than his embarrassing effort today? Was delighted when he was selected. Walking wicket.”
18th over: Australia 66-3 (Smith 28, Carey 19) Four from Plunkett’s over, which means Australia have scored 38 from the last six. They’re having a good spell, and a single from Smith brings up an excellent fifty partnership. I was going to say ‘clear-headed’ but I doubt Carey’s head feels too clear.
“Many reasons why England should win,” says Krishnamoorthy V.
17th over: Australia 62-3 (Smith 27, Carey 16) Wood has changed ends and replaces Stokes. Smith jumps across to work a short ball for two and then scythes a drive behind square for four. England are letting this drift a bit, although Australia with a lot of intelligence and mental strength – and, in Carey’s case, extraordinary courage.
16th over: Australia 55-3 (Smith 21, Carey 15) Liam Plunkett replaces Mark Wood. Smith, who looks much better after a jittery start, drives his first ball crisply whence it came for four. Carey does likewise later in the over, and a half-stop from Roy at mid-off saves one run. Australia have recovered impressively from that traumatic first 10 overs. The upside of such a bad start is that, if Australia do win, it will feel infinitely sweeter. The reverse is true for England.
“Rob,” says Romeo. “Rather than Kumble, Carey makes me think of another Aussie with a jaw problem, Rick McCosker, who was a bit of a hero in the Centenary Test of 1977.”
15th over: Australia 47-3 (Smith 16, Carey 12) The commentator Mel Jones makes the point that Handscomb will probably keep wicket for Australia. Carey’s injury looks really nasty, with the swelling increasing by the over, and I’m slightly surprised he’s continuing. That’s drinks.
“If....and it’s a big if.....Archer and Woakes continue to bowl as they’ve done all tournament, then is the big loser poor Stuart Broad?” says Kevin Wilson. “Archer must play in the Ashes and Woakes will find nibble and contribute nicely with the bat. Assuming Mo is the sole spinner at eight, surely Broad is sweating on Anderson’s injury?”
14th over: Australia 45-3 (Smith 15, Carey 11) Carey received more treatment at the end of the previous over, and now he has a full wraparound bandage like Anil Kumble all those years ago. It looks like his jaw is swelling up, yet he could barely look more composed at the crease. He really has got something about him.
His partner, Smith, gets his first boundary by dragging a short ball from Stokes through midwicket. England’s intensity has dropped since the double bowling change, and they need to be a bit careful about allowing Australia to build a partnership.
13th over: Australia 36-3 (Smith 7, Carey 10) Mark Wood replaces the brilliant Chris Woakes (6-0-16-2). “He should really enjoy this surface,” says Ian Bishop, a millisecond before Wood spears a first-ball wide outside off stump. He beats Carey for pace later in the over, before brilliant fielding from Woakes at fine leg and then Stokes at backward point saves a total of five runs. Wood’s over, a mixed bag, includes three wides - but he finishes by zipping one past Smith’s outside edge.
Alex Carey showed a great presence of mind to avoid losing his wicket by catching his helmet after being struck by Jofra Archer.
Had his helmet hit the wicket, Carey would have been out under Law 29.1.1.4.
Read it in full ⬇️
12th over: Australia 28-3 (Smith 6, Carey 9) Ben Stokes replaces Jofra Archer, who bowled a majestic opening spell of 5-0-11-1. Smith drives a single through the covers, which gives Stokes three balls at Carey. This guy is a dangerous customer, and he has played beautifully since wearing that bouncer from Archer. For now he is happy to build an innings rather than counter-attack, and those three deliveries are all dots.
“England have home conditions, better players and now a dream start,” says Gary Naylor. “If they don’t get this over the line, we’ll never win this thing.”
11th over: Australia 28-3 (Smith 5, Carey 9) Woakes’ sixth over, probably the last of this spell, yields just a single to Smith. England will surely keep hunting wickets, having watched Australia recover from abysmal starts with the bat to beat both West Indies and New Zealand earlier in the tournament. Never give a sucker an even break.
10th over: Australia 27-3 (Smith 4, Carey 9) The game is starting to settle down after that eye-widening start. Smith works a short ball from Archer off the hip for a single, his fourth from 24 balls. That scoring rate is fine in the circumstances.
“Half empty ground for a World Cup semi-final,” says David Malcolm. “I know this is because Indian fans bought up most of the tickets thinking their side would play at Edgbaston but it does not look good.”
If you’re into the whole optimism/pessimism thing, Australia have also won a World Cup semi-final from 39 for six – and it was against England. But they were chasing a target of 94.
9th over: Australia 24-3 (Smith 2, Carey 8) Carey is fine to continue, and he crunches a cover-drive for four off Woakes. He has started really impressively.
“The narrative for this game,” says Alex Netherton, “has been thrown into stark disarray.”
8th over: Australia 19-3 (Smith 2, Carey 4) Carey punches Archer down the ground for three, an impressively assured stroke. He doesn’t look so assured when Archer draws blood with a brutal bouncer. It hit Carey on the grille, knocking his helmet off and cutting him just above the chin. There will be a break in play while he receives treatment
“There was near-unanimous agreement among cricket commentators that losing Khawaja mightn’t be such a bad thing,” says Joe Roberts. “How much are they missing him now? Seems like just the man for this job.”
7th over: Australia 15-3 (Smith 1, Carey 2) Alex Carey, who has quietly been one of the players of the tournament, has been promoted to No5. He edges his first ball on the bounce to second slip. Australia have won a World Cup semi-final from the depths of 15 for four, so they will know there’s a way out of this. But at the moment they are in oodles of trouble. Woakes and Archer have bowled with forensic skill.
That was lovely bowling from Woakes, especially to a creasebound player like Handscomb. It was full and shaped back in, and all Handscomb could do was inside-edge a drive onto the stumps.
Chris Woakes has knocked him over with a ripper!
6th over: Australia 14-2 (Smith 1, Handscomb 4) Archer beats Handscomb with a sensational delivery that seams past the outside edge. He is bowling outrageously well, and the next ball holds its line to beat the bat once more. Archer’s figures of 3-0-4-1.
“Typo?” asks Boris Starling. “I like ‘Jonny Bairstow took the match’ rather than ‘took the catch’..... (in fairness, you did say the first 10 overs might decide this either way.)”
5th over: Australia 13-2 (Smith 1, Handscomb 3) Handscomb survives another huge LBW appeal from Woakes. There might have been an inside-edge. Woakes wants to review but Morgan and Buttler overrule him. It’s the right decision, becuse replays show there was a late inside edge. Australia are hanging on for dear life. But if there’s one team that can win after such a torrid start, it’s them.
4th over: Australia 12-2 (Smith 1, Handscomb 2) Smith flashes and misses at Archer, who then sends down a blistering bouncer that Smith avoids. He has started very nervously, although he often does. If he gets through this opening spell, he won’t care how many false strokes he plays.
3rd over: Australia 11-2 (Smith 1, Handscomb 1) “Sure, Mr. Alt-J wrote in,” sniffs Mac Millings, “but I’ve written in many times, and you’ve *not once* mentioned that I was in Glistening Mother. We played two shows (in China - long story). The band collapsed after three of us (we were a five-piece) didn’t turn up to the second gig, and of the two who did, I was far too drunk to sing.”
I’m sensing the great lost Netflix documentary.
Blimey. This is extraordinary stuff. That would have been another golden duck for Australia. Replays showed it was just hitting the top of the stumps, which means England keep their review.
This looks incredibly close.
This is an awesome start for England. Warner had dumped the previous ball back over Woakes’s head, a shot of spectacular disdain. Woakes followed up with a sharp back-of-a-length delivery that Warner could only fence to first slip, where Warner’s mate Jonny Bairstow took the match with unashamed glee.
David Warner has gone!
Test Match Special linkGo here, and click ‘Listen Live’
2nd over: Australia 6-1 (Warner 5, Smith 1) Steve Smith is the new batsman. It’s Warner and Smith v England, yet again. Archer greets Smith with a bouncer, and then induces an inside-edge into the leg side. This is a scorching start from Archer, who bowled so poorly against Australia at Lord’s. Smith gets off the mark with a quick single, and then Warner tucks a short ball off the hip for another.
That Finch review looks a poor one, because he missed the ball by a fair way, but Michael Clarke makes the point that his bat thumped into his pad and the combination of sound and sensation probably made him think he might have inside-edged it.
He’s out! Aaron Finch has gone for a golden duck! It was a beautiful inswinger from Jofra Archer, and it was hitting the top of middle. Australia lose their captain - and their review.
Oh my. It might have been bat then pad. If not, he’s in trouble.
1st over: Australia 4-0 (Warner 4, Finch 0) Now that’s how you set a tone. David Warner leans into the first ball of the match, which is a bit too full from Woakes, and times it thrillingly through extra cover for four. Whatever you think of him as a man, he is the most magnificent cricketer. Woakes pulls his length back thereafter, and the remainder of the over - five dot balls - is excellent.
“How about the Bruminator?” says Brian Withington. Hmm, doesn’t that sound a bit like a groundbreaking toilet brush?
There have been two opening partnerships of note against England in this tournament, and they lost both games. There’s a credible scenario whereby this first 10 overs decides the game.
David Warner is heartily booed on the field, which is a bit tedious, and probably counter-productive. Chris Woakes will bowl the first over, and things are about to get exceedingly real.
Edgbaston nickname “Just ‘the Edge’,” says Jane Evans. “If it works for pretentious rock musicians ... As the game progresses, I will be on edge. Or at the edge of reason.”
A few of you have also suggested ‘Edgbastard’, which is kind of catchy, if slightly problematic for the host broadcaster.
The Million There has been a lot of talk about the visibility of this World Cup, but this is a nice story from our friends at the ECB:
Ahead of England’s World Cup semi-final clash against Australia, England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and International Cricket Council (ICC) celebrated the impact that the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has had in inspiring young people – with over one million children aged five-12 connecting with the sport.
The milestone was celebrated at Yorkmead Primary School in Birmingham with ambassadors Jonathan Trott and Danielle Hazell in attendance alongside local schoolchildren who will join the players on the pitch for the national anthems at the hotly anticipated fixture at Edgbaston tomorrow.
Thanks for all your emails. I have approximately 0.00 per cent chance of reading them all during the game, but please keep them coming!
Also, I’m disappointed that none of you noticed that Mr Alt-J emailed this morning (or somebody with the same name).
The pitch is bald and dry, which suggests Nathan Lyon and Adil Rashid could play a big part in the game. But a lot of the pitches at this tournament have been bald-faced liars, so we shouldn’t assume too much.
Play starts in 15 minutes. I’m off to procure a dangerously strong coffee. And then it will be time for Australia v England, the World Cup semi-final.
“G’day Rob,” says Seb Prowse. “A shout out from my no. 19 tram in Melbourne to any Aussies supporting the opposition today. Of course, it’s hard to get behind the Poms with real enthusiasm. But the alternative — creaming NZ in the final to complete the rehabilitation of Warner, Smith and Cricket Australia — doesn’t bear thinking about. Carn the Kiwis.”
“Morning Rob,” says Nick Parish. “Defeat is unthinkable? Blimey. And there was me thinking you were a long-suffering England supporter. Defeat couldn’t be more thinkable. I’ve been thinking about it non-stop ever since Saturday evening.”
My point exactly.
Painful statgasm Seventeen of the last 21 matches at this tournament have been won the team batting first. England will point to the fact it’s a fresh pitch, and they loved chasing before the tournament. It’s an excellent toss for Australia to win, though, NQAT.
A shock move from England, who have recalled Sir Ian Botha- sorry, let’s try that again.
England are unchanged. Australia bring in Peter Handscomb for Usman Khawaja, which is surely a good thing, especially as it means Steve Smith will go up to No3. This is Handscomb’s World Cup debut. He’s got nothing on Ned Larkins, who made his international debut for England in the 1979 semi-final.
Well that was fun while it lasted. Eoin Morgan says he’s “not really bothered” but that he would have batted first.
The toss is a couple of minutes away. And it looks a pretty good one to win.
A few of you have suggested ‘Edgbastion’ as England’s answer to the Gabbatoir. “Not exactly fear-inducing,” says Richard Hart, “but I think it has a pleasing and understated Englishness about it.”
Why don’t we just call it the Melbourne Cricket Ground and make Australia feel even more comfortable?
Today’s soundtrack
“Hi from Singapore,” says Honor Harger. “So without wanting to tempt fate or anything: when was the last time Australia won a match at Edgbaston again?”
It was when Tim Henman was a Wimbledon semi-finalist. A while ago, then.
“Dear Rob,” writes Gus Unger-Hamilton. “Long time follower, first time emailer. I’m just thinking, seeing as England supposedly love playing at Edgbaston so much, don’t we need a fear-inducing nickname for it, à la the Gabbattoir? Perhaps people have some ideas better than Sledgbaston, which is terrible.”
It’s not that good. Any suggestions?
Never mind the cricket, there’s enough ebb and flow in the weather forecast. We are now promised sunny intervals changing to cloudy at lunchtime.
“Morning Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I’m off out for a bracing walk. It’s good for your mental health. Be back in eight hours...”
“It’s just a cricket match,” says Jane Evans. Only cricket. Not important. Just a cricket match. Just cricket. Only cricket ...”
I’m sure you know the story of England’s last World Cup semi-final, the rain-affected farce against South Africa in 1992. What I really want to know is: has this poor chap recovered yet?
There are infinite possibilities today, with so many matchwinners on both sides. It could come down to three things: the toss, the battle of the opening partnerships and how England respond to adversity. They are probably the better side, but Australia are probably the tougher side. They have won all seven World Cup semi-finals (if you’re into the whole pedantry thing, they’ve won six and tied one) and have fought back to win a few games in this tournament.
England got themselves out of a hole to quality for the semi-finals, and were enormously impressive in doing so. But they haven’t really come from behind to win a match at this tournament. They are formidable front-runners, and the ideal scenario is that they bat first, are 100 for nought after 15 overs and control the game throughout. It’s not going to be like that. If I had to pick the deciding factor in this game, it’s how England cope if they are 10 for two or Australia are 100 for nought.
The toss Guardian exclusive: whoever wins it will bat first.
Australia hammered England in the league match two weeks ago. The margin of victory – 64 runs – isn’t huge, but trust me, it was a doing. England have rationalised it as a hangover from the Sri Lanka fiasco, which is a clever move, if they genuinely believe it. I suspect they do. But I wouldn’t want to go fishing round their subconscious without a protective suit.
If the match ends in a tie - like the last World Cup semi-final on this ground - the match will go to a Super Over, and we’ll all be reduced to wibble.
Breakfast reading
Related: England are back to their best, says Eoin Morgan before Australia semi-final
Related: Australia absorb mishaps knowing World Cup demons are England’s | Geoff Lemon
Related: England have the chance to make history but Australia stand in the way
The weather It’s beautiful at Edgbaston this morning, although the Met Office are forecasting thunderstorms for early evening. That means DLS could be a factor in this match. There is a reserve day scheduled, but I think the match will finish today as long as 20 overs have been bowled in the second innings. There’s a strong whiff of potential farce and controversy there. But the playing conditions have a level of clarity usually reserved for mudheaps, so I might be wrong.
Hello again. Glad you’ve logged on – you’ve obviously heard there’s a cricket match today. It’s Australia v England, for the right to play New Zealand in the World Cup final on Sunday. This game is almost too big to function. It’s England most important since September 2005, Australia’s since March 2015. For both countries, defeat is so unthinkable that it hurts trying not to think about it.
There’s a rare old Royal Rumble of feeling and emotions this morning/evening: hope, fear, nervousness, anticipation, fear, curiosity, fear, fear, greed, nostalgia, pride - and I suppose, if I’m being brutally honest, there’s also a soupçon of fear. But most of all, as Eoin Morgan said yesterday, there is excitement about what might be achieved. In one hemisphere or another, a lot of grandchildren are going to hear about the events of 11 July 2019.
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