Birmingham, June 10:
England knocked Australia out of the Champions Trophy with a convincing 40-run win via Duckworth-Lewis method in a crucial rain-hit Group A match here today.
England rode on Ben Stokes’s brilliant hundred and some incisive bowling by Mark Wood and Adil Rashid, who returned with four-wicket hauls each at Edgbaston here.
Australia’s loss paved the way for Bangladesh to clinch a maiden berth at the semifinals of the Champions Trophy. The Tigers had stunned New Zealand by five wickets in Cardiff yesterday.
Opting to bowl, Wood (4/33) and Rashid (4/41) returned with superb four-wicket hauls as Australia suffered a late batting collapse to post 277-9.
Aaron Finch (68) and Steve Smith (56) scored twin half centuries at the top to lay the foundation but Australia lost five wickets within 15 runs to lose the momentum. It was Travis Head’s unbeaten 71-run innings which helped them manage a respectable score.
Chasing 278 to win, England were reduced to 35-3 in the 6th over but Eoin Morgan (87) and Ben Stokes (102) resurrected England’s runchase with a strokeful 159-run partnership in 26.1 overs for the fourth wicket here.
After Morgan’s dismissal, Stokes and Jos Butler took England close to victory, reaching 240-4 in 40.2 overs, before another rain interruption brought an early end to the game as England were declared winners by 40 runs in Duckworth-Lewis method.
With England already through to the semifinals, pressure was on Australia to perform after washouts against New Zealand and Bangladesh hurt their chances of making the last four.
Defending the total, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc dealt a blow with his second ball itself, dismissing opener Jason Roy (4) in the first over.
Seamer Josh Hazlewood then dismissed Alex Hales (0), before getting rid of Joe Root (15) early to leave England tottering at 35-3 in the 6th over when heavens opened up and play was stopped for around 40 minutes.
After resumption, Morgan and Stokes brought up the fifty for England in 7.4 overs. The duo batted with purpose and piled up the 100 in 14.4 overs.
The two batsmen shared their 100-run partnership in 93 balls, before taking England across the 150-mark in the 24th over.
In the 32nd over, however, a terrible mix-up cost Morgan his wicket as England slipped to 194-4.
Stokes and Butler (29) then guided England to 240-4 in 40.2 overs when rain once again returned to interrupt the play. The Match was then abandoned and England were declared winners by 40 runs on Duckworth-Lewis method.(PTI)
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