Batsmen beware: Ashes nightmare awaits

Jofra Archer looms as a key man during the Ashes series. Picture: Getty Images

Who’d have thought England would prove braver, bolder and better than Australia on the big stage?

Coaches, selectors and players need to be congratulated for backing a high-risk, high-energy approach to batting in the ODIs that has placed them a level above other sides.

Australia were embarrassed by their performance in the semi final, but should be proud of their efforts overall. They played good cricket for most of the tournament, but fell short against a better team.

MORE: England through to World Cup final

The stars shone for Australia for most of the World Cup and the positives outweigh the negatives, but the Achilles heel were the two all rounders who disappointed at every turn — despite being given every opportunity.

Glenn Maxwell must be infuriating to coach. One of the most talented all round players in the world, he failed to fire as he so often has in this World Cup.

Glenn Maxwell. Picture: AFP

He scored 177 runs from 10 innings at an average of 22. He came to the crease half way through the game last night with the score 5-118. Steve Smith was batting well at the other end and he needed to stay with him, complement his tempo.

He started well then squandered it.

Maxwell’s disciples will argue he was a little unlucky. The one day he was on he was run out by Usman Khawaja.

The only thing consistent about Maxwell is his ability to consistently come up short of the expectations rightly placed on a player with so much ability.

A return of 0-295 with the ball further emphasises his failure with the bat.

Maxwell’s talent was on display in the 2015 tournament where he averaged 64 with the bat at a strike rate of 182.

Marcus Stoinis. Picture: AFP

Any talk of him playing Test cricket will go away now. His weakness against short pitched bowling was on display for the world to see and will not be forgotten.

It was a surprise that Marcus Stoinis played the semi-final. He’d missed earlier games with a side strain and was scanned for a strain on a different side ahead of the final.

Selectors had the chance to bring in Mitchell Marsh but gave the all rounder one more chance. He lasted two balls, fooled by an Adil Rashid wrong un, he finished the tournament with 87 runs at an average of 14.5.

He only bowled two overs in the semi-final.

He needs to improve his batting if he is to play for Australia again.

Selection wouldn’t have saved Australia against England last night but there was a chance to play Matthew Wade ahead of Peter Handscomb and with hindsight it is easy to say it should have been taken.

David Warner. Picture: AP

David Warner and Aaron Finch failed at the top of the order but there is no shame in that. Warner is and will remain the leading run scorer in the tournament. His 647 runs were a statement about his intent and talent made after the darkest 12 months of his life.

Finch had been magnificent, leading from the top and scoring over 500 runs.

Just quietly, Alex Carey is gold. He averaged 62 in the series. His courage to bat on with blood dripping from his chin and his face swelling showed the sort of character that’s endeared him to football and cricket teams.

His keeping needs to improve but he will serve Australia well for a long time and has the potential to step up when Tim Paine retires from Test cricket.

Alex Carey, left, and Steve Smith. Picture: AP

It did become clear last night that Steve Smith needed to bat at No 3 from the start of the tournament. It is his favoured position and his determined 85 defied a streaky start and a perilous game position.

England snatched Australia’s chances at a sixth World Cup and stole a break ahead of the highly anticipated Ashes series.

Jofra Archer will make life hell for the batsman. The 24-year-old Barbados born paceman only became eligible to play for England earlier this year, but he is the future of its bowling.

He is going to be an absolute handful for the openers. He is fast, swings the ball and he’s smart. He got the white Kookaburra to do just enough to trap Aaron Finch for a golden duck over night. When it stopped swinging he employed the knuckle ball to make a knuckle head of Maxwell who was totally fooled by the delivery.

He will join Stuart Broad, James Anderson (who is under a fitness cloud ahead of first Test) and Mark Wood to form a fearsome bowling unit.

It’s going to be no fun for batsmen on either side with Australia choosing from Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Jhye Richardson in the series.