Cricket World Cup 2019: Aaron Finch scores hundred but England limit Australia to 285/7
Australia, who were once cruising at 173/1, lost next 6 wickets for 112 runs and failed to put up a big total.
Aaron Finch scored a hundred while David Warner scored a fifty but Australia squandered a solid opening stand and were restricted to 285/7 against England in the 32nd match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on Tuesday.
Finch and Warner continued their fine run of form and put up another hundred-plus run partnership (123 runs) before Moeen Ali dismissed the latter for 53. Warner was jeered on his way back into the pavilion.
While Finch and Khawaja put up a 50-run stand, Ben Stokes got the left-hander to begin the Australian side. The defending champions, who were looking set for a big total, were reduced to 259/7 from 173/1, losing six wickets for 86 runs.
Finch earned a reprieved when James Vince at backward point could not hold a tough chance. The Australia skipper completed a 61-ball fifty and then looked to up the tempo with a legside six off Moeen Ali.
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Finch went to his century thanks to a misfield by Woakes but next ball he miscued a hook off Archer and Woakes made no mistake with the catch at fine leg.
Finch faced 116 balls, hitting 11 fours and two sixes. His exit saw Archer become the tournament’s outright leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps.
New batsman Glenn Maxwell hit a straight six and four off successive deliveries from Archer only to fall for 12 when caught behind trying to ‘ramp’ Mark Wood, leaving Australia 213-4 in the 39th over.
England, bidding to win the World Cup for the first time, were unchanged from the side that suffered a surprise 20-run loss to Sri Lanka.
Australia made two changes from the team that Bangladesh by 48 runs in Nottingham, with off-spinner Nathan Lyon replacing leg-spinner Adam Zampa and Jason Behrendorff coming in for fellow paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile.
Brief scores: Australia 285/7 (David Warner 100, Aaron Finch 53; Chris Woakes 2/46) vs England
(with inputs from AFP)