Australia v Scotland, T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 live: Marcus Stoinis rescues England
In its final tune-up before the Super 8 stages, Australia has scraped home against Scotland, eliminating the associate nation and ensuring England’s progress to the next round.
Marcus Stoinis saved Australia from the embarrassment – and awkwardness – of losing to Scotland, but not before England were forced to go to hell and back on a roller coaster ride to World Cup qualification.
Scotland was on track to cause one of the all-time boilovers in St Lucia, a result which would have eliminated England from the tournament, but also resulted in a few uncomfortable questions being asked in the wake of Josh Hazlewood’s comments about getting the Old Enemy ‘out of the tournament.’
That was before Stoinis took his career best form to another level with a signature knock of 59 off 29 – the second fastest half century of the World Cup so far – and snatched Scotland’s dream away from them in the blink of an eye.
Chasing 181 to win, a total Australia had only successfully mowed down once before in T20 World Cups, opener Travis Head was also instrumental with his 68 off 49 and, while Tim David got his eye in with 24 not out off 14 balls to ice the five-wicket win with a match-winning six with two balls to spare.
There was never any suggestion Australia would be doing anything other than trying to beat Scotland. Hazlewood never said that, nor was that ever reported.
The resting of Hazlewood and Pat Cummins and deliberately not bowling Stoinis against Scotland were also entirely justifiable decisions for a team that had already topped their group and have Super Eights matches to prepare for.
Still, Australia didn’t need to lose to Scotland and spark another Spirit of Cricket witch hunt being launched in England, particularly in a match where the Aussies’ fielding was uncharacteristically poor – with six dropped catches, including three drops in three balls.
“We were just terrible,” Mitchell Starc – who had three catches dropped off his bowling – surmised of the fielding effort.
Australian players have spent the past few days attempting to hose down Hazlewood’s refreshingly candid admission about it being in Australia’s best interests to have England out of the tournament, with Starc the latest to try and claim the entire thing was a media beat-up.“I think a throwaway line’s been blown right out of proportion by you lot,” Starc said.
“You don’t stuff around with Mother Cricket and try to worry about other results.
“We’re here to win games, it’s international cricket.
“England are now on the other side of the draw so it really doesn’t make that much difference for the next three games.
“I think that was blown right out of proportion by you guys.”
Hazlewood was never speaking on behalf of the team, and said as much in his comments, but what he said did mirror the opinion of many ex-Australian players, at least until it was realised that manipulating net run rate could technically constitute a code of conduct breach under rules brought in since Steve Waugh unapologetically manipulated net run rate in the 1999 World Cup.
World Cups are about winning and if it was a top team other than Ashes rivals England who stood to be the victims of net run rate, Australia’s tactics in the last match against Scotland would have hardly been of interest.
The other key point is World Cup rules that have failed to give Australia the reward they deserve for dominating their group also heavily contributed to the awkwardness around this last game, a point not lost on Starc.“I think there’s a big question to be asked about the pre-seeding. I’m not sure I’m a fan of that,” Starc said.
Due to the fact it did not matter whether you finish first or second in your group this World Cup, Australia’s reward for winning all four of their matches was to draw India and Afghanistan in the Super Eights, who both topped their respective groups.
Australia had nothing to gain and nothing to lose against Scotland, a situation that could have been avoided if tournament rules also offered the incentive of taking net run rate through to the Super Eights rather than knowing the slate would be wiped clean after the groups.
In a do-or-die match there is no way Australia would have left out Hazlewood and Cummins, no way they would have bowled 12 overs of spin in those conditions and no way they would have deliberately kept Stoinis out of the attack, even though he’s been one of their best bowlers.
But Australia does not need to apologise for doing so. The purpose of playing Ashton Agar and going spin heavy was because the team knows spin will play a big role towards the back end of this tournament, particularly in Australia’s Super Eights match against Afghanistan in St Vincent – the ground where South Africa almost lost to Nepal with a winning total of 116.
Australia has won the toss and will bowl first against Scotland.
— CODE Cricket (@codecricketau) June 16, 2024
Mitchell Starc is back, and Ashton Agar's been picked for his first game of the tournament.
Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins rested.
Follow the action live 👉 https://t.co/RR3G9Ls0gUpic.twitter.com/yxJ3iBhpH7
It would have been foolish for Australia not to get a game into Agar.
Scotland were still an outside hope of a miracle in the final over, but with three needed off the final four balls, David was dropped in the deep.
In the end though, Australia – partly by their own design – got themselves into a backs-against-the-wall situation where 70 was needed off the last six overs, and will take plenty from the fact Stoinis, Head and David were so efficiently and powerfully able to orchestrate a perfectly timed chase under pressure.
“I think we’ve got phenomenal power in our middle, well right through our order, really,” Starc said.
“When you’ve got Stoin and TD and even (Matt) Wade in the middle there, they haven’t had too many things to do in the first few games so to have a good hit tonight to get us home with the run rate going up a little bit and off a comparatively slowish start was good.”
Re-live the action in our live blog below!
1:48PM: AUSTRALIA WIN, ENGLAND GO THROUGH
Tim David finishes the match in style, hitting a six to seal victory.
1:43PM: AUSTRALIA CLOSING IN
Needing more than 12 an over at one point, Australia are suddenly in a position where a boundary-less penultimate over is perfectly fine. David and Wade collect seven runs between them from Safyaan Sharif’s final over, and Australia only need five runs off the last six balls.
1:39PM: DAVID STEPS UP FOR GOLIATH
Tim David has stepped up following the fall of Stoinis, and it’s now Australia’s game to lose. Either side of four leg byes he picks up boundaries, pulling the first find of leg before swatting the second over cover. Australia need 13 off 12.
1:35PM: STOINIS GONE
Just when it looked like he was going to carry Australia home, Stoinis perishes for 59 off 29, leaving Australia at 5-155 after 17 overs, bowled by Mark Watt.
1:29PM: 6, 6, 6, OUT
Sixty runs needed off 30 balls quickly becomes 41 off 27 as Travis Head smashes Safyaan Sharif for a trio of sixes only interuppted by a wide after the first two. Sharif goes around the wicket for the fourth and strikes immediately as Head picks out long-off, perishing for 68 off 49. Australia finish the over at 4-145, needing 36 runs from 24 deliveries – a rate of nine an over.
1:19PM: STOINIS GETS AUSTRALIA BACK IN CONTEST
Going into the 14th over and Scotland are firmly on top, with Australia 3-92 requiring more than 12 an over.
Marcus Stoinis, as he so often has this tournament, gets Australia back on course, plundering back-to-back sixes before a four in an 18-run over.
Australia 3-110 after 14 overs, needing 71 to win with a required rate of 11.83 an over.
12:55: WATT IS GOING ON?
The ‘Loch Ness Long Baller’ has bowled Glenn Maxwell to leave Australia in desperate strife at three wickets down – and England now a very real danger of being knocked out of the World Cup.
If Scotland pull off the biggest upset of the tournament, England will be out.
Scottish spinner Mark Watt is the Long Baller who often will release his deliveries at the 24-yard mark behind the umpire, rather than at the crease.
That wasn’t the case when he dismissed Maxwell, but the Australian great was still beaten all ends up.
Australia is in massive strife at 3-67 after nine overs and are way behind the required run rate.
Travis Head is still in on 38 not out and is going to have to bat through the innings for Australia to be a chance of defending 5-180.
12:40PM: MARSH FOLLOWS WARNER
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh has made a meek exit in St Lucia as Scotland hopes grow of causing a major World Cup boilover, which would knock England out of the tournament.
Marsh has had a sorry day, dropping three catches, hurting his finger and now falling for 8 off 9 with the bat.
Australia is 2-35 but it could have been worse, with Travis Head dropped on 15 in the fifth over.
Head smashed one sky high and the Scottish fielder was unable to complete the catch despite doing well to get to the bombed ball in the outfield.
Scotland made 5-180, their highest ever total in a World Cup match.
If Australia chase it down it would be only the second time they have ever chased down a total in excess of 180 in a World Cup.
England are nervous.
12:20PM: WARNER FALLS EARLY
Scotland suddenly believe they can beat Australia and knock England out of the World Cup after dismissing David Warner for just 1.
Australia had made an uncharacteristically subdued start to the match, bringing up just two runs from the first over and then Warner skying one in the second.
Scotland exploded in celebration and are beginning to rally.
If Scotland win, England will be eliminated.
Mitchell Marsh has come to the crease after dropping three catches and hurting his finger in the field innings.
Scotland’s 5-180 was their highest ever total in a World Cup and is the highest ever total from an associate nation against Australia.
INNINGS UPDATE
Scotland has posted its highest ever total in a Twenty20 World Cup match … leaving England nervously teetering on the edge.
If Scotland can defend 181 and defeat Australia, England will be knocked out of the tournament.
Australia put in an uncharacteristically sloppy day in the field, dropping a staggering six catches.
Scotland’s own version of ‘Baz Ball’ took full advantage, with Brandon McMullen hammering 60 off 34 which included six sixes to put Australia to the sword and make England sweat.
Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma are the only other two batsmen to have hit Australia for six sixes in a T20 World Cup match.
Although most of Australia’s drops were difficult chances, by their high fielding standards it was a well below par performance and Scotland made it to 5-180 from their 20 overs.
It seemed as though Australia was getting deliberately funky as well experimenting different strategies given this is essentially a dead rubber game for them, having already qualified for the Super Eights and unable to take their net run rate forward to the next stage.
The fact a fit Marcus Stoinis was not bowled could not be explained otherwise given he has been one of Australia’s best bowlers so far this tournament.
Scotland took to Australia’s spinners, but despite that Australian captain Mitchell Marsh continued to bowl Ashton Agar, Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa.
Marsh himself dropped three catches, hurting his finger with the last attempt.
Australia at one point dropped three catches in as many deliveries, and it helped Scottish captain Richie Berrington stay to the death with 42 not out off 31 balls.
The death bowling from Australia was very good though, with Zampa, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Ellis finishing off strongly.
Starc had three catches dropped off his bowling – and one from Zampa in the outfield should have been taken.
12:02PM: SCOTLAND POST BIG TOTAL
We’ve got a game on our hands. Scotland finishes its innings at 5-180.
Enough for Australia and England to worry about.
11:40AM: SLOPPY AUSSIE’S HORROR FIELDING DAY
Australia has now dropped six chances against Scotland in a horror fielding display.
Mitchell Marsh appeared to hurt his fingers in his third individual drop of the game, while Adam Zampa, Travis Head and Matthew Wade have also put down opportunities.
Glenn Maxwell has copped some serious punishment with the ball but has taken two vital wickets – the second from a rank full toss.
Scotland is 4-144 in the 16th over and is well positioned to post a highly competitive score.
If Scotland can cause a major boilover and win, England will be eliminated from the tournament.
Marsh’s first two attempted catches were difficult, but the third should have been taken diving forward at cover.
The Australian captain jammed his fingers into the ground attempting to take the chance and is in pain.
Zampa should have taken his chance on the boundary rope.
Wade’s opportunity down leg side was difficult but catchable.
Head’s was a diving attempt at cover and would have been a screamer if held.
Surprisingly Marcus Stoinis, one of Australia’s best bowlers this tournament, is yet to bowl even though the spinners are being attacked.
11:30: SCOTTISH BAZ BALL FINALLY OVER
A Scottish version of ‘Baz Ball’ is threatening to knock England out of the World Cup … but the six-hitting exhibition has come to an end.
Brandon McMullen smashed the fastest half century from a Scotsman in World Cup history and was properly bending Australia out of shape with his excellent 60 off 34 balls.
Brendon McCullum’s nickname gave birth to ‘Baz Ball’ in his role as coach of the England cricket team.
But McMullen’s version of ‘Baz Ball’ was just as enthralling and has English fans nervous about being knocked out of the tournament.
If Scotland upset Australia, England will be eliminated from the World Cup.
However, Adam Zampa eventually dismissed McMullen in the 12th over, with Mitchell Starc taking a classy low catch at third slip.
Scotland is 3-117 and the game is on a knife’s edge.
11:10AM: PARTNERSHIP BROKEN
Glenn Maxwell has bounced back from being smashed for 18 runs in an over to deliver the wicket Australia desperately needed against Scotland.
The Scots are 2-92 after nine overs with England starting to get nervous about being knocked out of the tournament.
A Scottish upset against Australia would eliminate England.
Opener George Munsey hammered Maxwell out of the ground but then next delivery held out to Nathan Ellis in the deep to depart for a well made 35 off 23.
At the other end, Scotsman Brandon McMullen is 50 not out and absolutely flying.
11:06: FIFTY UP FOR McMULLEN
Australia’s bowlers are getting punished by the Brave Scots in St Lucia, with No.3 Brandon McMullen smashing a brilliant unbeaten half century off just 26 balls.
It was the fastest half century ever by a Scotsman in a World Cup and featured five booming sixes.
Australia is now 1-83 after eight overs and are going at more than 10s with no Pat Cummins or Josh Hazlewood in the attack.
Mitchell Marsh’s team got off to a flyer, but Scotland fought their way back in the second half of the power play and are using the wind to their advantage to send bombs flying out of the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
Glenn Maxwell was sent for 18 runs in the fifth over, before Nathan Ellis was dispatched for 11 in the next, and even Adam Zampa went for 13 runs.
Then it was Agar’s turn to cop some treatment, with McMullen hitting him out of the ground twice in the eighth over.
10:49AM: McMULLEN FREEING THE ARMS, AUSTRALIA DROP CATCHES
Australia has put down two catches in the one Mitchell Starc over as Scotland start to get going in St Lucia.
Ashton Agar struck for a wicket in the very first over, but Scotland are now asserting themselves in the power play with George Munsey smashing two sixes and a four off Glenn Maxwell’s first over.
Maxwell was punished for 18 runs off the over, with Australia trying out some new combinations.
Not only is Agar playing his first match of the tournament, but Nathan Ellis was given an over early in the power play.
Australia dropped both Munsey and Brandon McMullen in the one over – although both were tough chances.
Marsh couldn’t hold onto an audacious one hand attempt going over his head, before Travis Head missed a diving chance at cover.
10:34AM: AGAR STRIKES IN HIS FIRST OVER OF THE TOURNAMENT
Picked today with an eye on the turning tracks to come, Ashton Agar gets first use of the new pill and makes it count.
Firing them in flat, fast and stump-to-stump as is his style, he draws a cross-batted shot from Michael Jones at the end of the over and it falls tamely off his pads onto the stumps.
Scotland 1-3 after the first over.
10AM: AUSTRALIA WIN THE TOSS
Ashton Agar has been thrust into Australia’s XI to face Scotland as Australia cast an eye forward to a potentially treacherous wicket against Afghanistan in the Super Eights.
Captain Mitchell Marsh has won the toss in St Lucia and Australia will bowl first against the Scots – who must cause the upset of the tournament to progress to the next stage and send England packing in the process.
Australian selectors made two changes for the final group game against the Scots, with Agar and Mitchell Starc in for Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
There is nothing wrong with Cummins or Hazlewood – and both wanted to play in St Lucia – but selectors felt it prudent to get a game into second spinner Agar, with an expectation they may need him for their second Super Eights match in St Vincent.
South Africa were nearly upset by Nepal on the St Vincent surface where the ball is spinning sideways and Australia want to get Agar some much-needed match-practice.
“I’ve just been looking at the wicket, the surfaces that we’re going to come up against,” National Selector George Bailey said.
“In St Vincent, the ball was spinning between 5-7 degrees off the middle of the wicket.
“Deep in a tournament, when the same grounds are being used a lot, we’re starting to see some wickets that are starting to show a bit of fatigue in the West Indies.
“And as the tournament goes on, that’s what we’re going to see. A lot of the guys we’ve got in the group had got a bunch of cricket behind them, either through the IPL most recently or have played quite a bit in this team.
“But Ash, just coming off his injuries and the way we’ve structured up, when he has been available, just hasn’t been able to get much game time, as much as he’d probably like.”
Bailey said it was important for new captain Marsh to experience what it’s like to marshal an attack with two spinners, plus Glenn Maxwell.
“For Mitch to be able to navigate what it’s like with a number of spinners in the team,” Bailey said.
“Every ground we’ve been there’s been a decent breeze and potentially a short side (boundary) and potentially how he navigates that and how he utilises the other bowlers around and how he incorporates Ash into the bowling group.”
Marsh is unlikely to bowl against Scotland but is close to being passed fit to bowl in the Super Eights if required after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Australia gave thought to also blooding reserve batsman Cameron Green against Scotland, but felt it was important for the batsmen to maintain their continuity.
Later in the tournament, Australia will play their critical final Super Eights clash against India in St Lucia and this is a valuable opportunity for the batsmen to familiarise themselves with the conditions.
Selectors felt Cameron Green is in good form from the IPL and didn’t need a match as badly as Agar.
“He’s got a really good run in the IPL. I think his game is in a really good place,” Bailey said.
“Potentially, in an ideal world you’d love to get the balance of being able to give everyone a game but you do need to offset that with making sure you give the guys that are playing the prep that they need and the opportunity to be able to keep their rhythm and continuity.
“We talked about, let’s see if we can give Greeny a game, but we are really confident that he’s in a good place. And if he does need to come in, his work in the IPL will hold him in good stead.”
9AM: WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR AUSTRALIA?
Virtually nothing to be completely honest.
Whether Australia finishes first or second in its group, it will be drawn into Group 1 of the Super Eights due to pre-tournament seedings.
That group already features India and Afghanistan, with the fourth competitor likely to be Bangladesh.
Still, there’s nothing like momentum in tournament cricket and the Australians will be intent on building on what has been a near-flawless campaign thus far with eyes on its final Super Eights match against India on June 25.
8AM:ONLY SCOTTISH BOILOVER COULD DOOM ENGLAND NOW
– AFP
England has lifted itself to second in the group and only a Scottish upset against Australia can cost Jos Buttler’s side now.
In a rain-shortened match, England beat Namibia by 41 runs via the DLS method. The defending champions set Namibia a target of 127 at Antigua on Saturday (local time), and held the associate side to 84 in reply.
A match already reduced to 11 overs per side following a three-hour delay to the scheduled start, was cut to 10 overs per team when a fresh downpour halted play with England 82-3 off eight overs.
England then smashed 40 runs off the last two overs, with Harry Brook 47 not out and Liam Livingstone on 13 after hitting a pair of sixes off the first two of the mere four balls he faced from Ruben Trumpelmann (2-31).
Already-eliminated Namibia’s target was adjusted to 127 under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method for rain-interrupted matches.
England collapsed to 2-13 after being sent into bat by Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus.
But a stand of 56 in five overs between the Yorkshire duo of Jonny Bairstow (31) and Brook revived England’s innings and they completed their 10 overs on 122-5.
Trumpelmann bowled England captain Jos Buttler, one of the world’s best white-ball batsman, for a four-ball duck as he nipped one back sharply off the pitch.
The experienced David Wiese then produced a magnificent slower ball to have Phil Salt, England’s other opener, caught behind.
But Bairstow and Brook then turned the tide, with teenage paceman Jack Brassell’s two wicketless overs costing 32 runs.
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