Player ratings: Steve Smith digs deep, Marcus Stoinis falls short in World Cup semi-final loss to England

Amid the carnage of a comprehensive World Cup semi-final defeat to England a few Aussies still managed to raise their games - just not enough. How Australia’s players rated at Edgbaston.

• Match report: England crush Australia to make final
• Carey channels McCosker with incredible knock
• Roy lands heavy fine over x-rated show of dissent

Australia were steamrolled by a rampant England side in their World Cup semi-final, with too many players simply outgunned and outclassed.

But even amid the carnage a few men still stood up to the fight.

How the team rated at Edgbaston:

DAVID WARNER 3

Australia’s sole moment of pure joy came when Warner drove the first ball of the innings to the rope.

David Warner’s first ball four was to prove the high point of his short stay at the crease.

Warner played one more cracking shot, but then tickled the next ball to second slip. He was sharp in the field and has enjoyed a stunning tournament, but leaving Australia 2/10 was a hole it was never recovering from.

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AARON FINCH 2

The super skipper had a greater contribution with the coin than the bat, winning an important toss and electing to bat. Finch’s first golden duck since 2016, but he copped a cracking delivery first-up from Jofra Archer. It was a beauty, although since Finch raised the bat with a hundred against England at Lord’s he has recorded 4/11.

STEVE SMITH 9

In desperate circumstances he played a delightful innings. Smith’s 360-degree hitting unsettled England’s bowlers as he dug in when plenty of teammates dabbed out.

Smith’s fury at every wicket he watched — from Alex Carey to Marcus Stoinis to Glenn Maxwell to Pat Cummins — was a window into his boiling frustrations at the looming loss. Tossed a slippery ball for one over in the field as the weather turned, Jason Roy made it rain sixes.

But leaking 21 runs shouldn’t detract from his batsmanship. Averages 103.7 in World Cup knockout games, all at No.3.

PETER HANDSCOMB 1

Would’ve been out for a golden duck if the umpire’s finger had gone up for a lineball lbw decision, and was then out for four. Never looked comfortable facing the fire of Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer. The spin specialist was thrust in during the powerplay and speared out long before England’s only tweaker, Adil Rashid, was brought into the game.

GLENN MAXWELL 5

Bonus points for some acrobatic fielding acts but Maxwell, again, teased instead of tortured. It was a wicked tournament for Maxi, who went wicket-less and nearly lost his place for a semi-final.

Glenn Maxwell did little with the bat to justify his 11th hour reprieve ahead of the semi-final.

Maxwell was set to be omitted before a backflip as his short-ball weakness was exposed. Lasted only eight Jofra Archer deliveries after facing seven against Kagiso Rabada on Saturday. But don’t write him off … Maxwell remains a major weapon in Australia’s bid to lift a maiden T20 World Cup in 2020.

ALEX CAREY 8

A bloody great knock, literally. Carey’s chin was swollen and held together by tape and six stitches after a nasty Jofra Archer delivery took off his helmet.

Carey coolly caught his lid, which stopped it crashing into the stumps, and looked at home at No.5. Will he make the Ashes squad? You couldn’t rule it out. The good bloke factor is a nice extra string to his crisp batting.

MARCUS STOINIS 1

A second duck for the tournament, both suffered while batting with either one or two side strains.

That’ll burn this bloke, who is a competitive animal. Wanted to play himself into the Ashes squad with the white ball but that now looks unlikely. The sore boy was given just nine overs in the past three games. Saved plenty of runs in the field.

PATRICK CUMMINS 6

Appeared to taper off and, while his economy stayed strong, the wickets dried up.

Cummins has 3/220 from the past five games, a victim of Jason Behrendorff being preferred as the new-ball partner for Mitchell Starc. His only semi-final wicket was generous, given as Jason Roy copped a dud decision that saw him fined 30 per cent of his match fee for dissent.

MITCHELL STARC 5

Starc had to attack given the low total Australia was defending but missed the mark, which is rare to say in a World Cup game.

Mitchell Starc had another stellar World Cup, but the semi-final saw a rare off day for the quick.

Still, when he trapped Jonny Bairstow lbw it was official — Starc’s 2019 World Cup was the greatest by any bowler, given that was his 27th wicket. That topped Glenn McGrath (26) in 2007.

Cameo with the bat ensured a competitive total was set. That’s, surprisingly, where his value lay at Edgbaston.

JASON BEHRENDORFF 5

The swing bowler couldn’t quite match the movement Chris Woakes generated when he knocked over Pete Handscomb.

Behrendorff delivered maidens against Jonny Bairstow and Eoin Morgan but failed to strike. But the pressure was, largely, released at the other end.

Jason Behrendorff toiled hard but couldn’t find much movement off the Edgbaston deck.

NATHAN LYON 2

Targeted and taken down by Jason Roy.

Lyon waited 31 years for a World Cup crack and, after being left on the bench for the first six games, bowled with supreme control at the business end.

But coming on against set batsmen and without the quicks taking wickets was always going to spell trouble for the Test ace.

Originally published as Player ratings: Steve Smith digs deep, Marcus Stoinis falls short in World Cup semi-final loss to England