Smith show his superb class contineously

Steve Smith has continued his winning ways as captain of Australia, guiding his men to what was ultimately a tense four-wicket ODI Tri-Series win over England at Blundstone Arena.

Smith finished unbeaten on 102 as the hosts chased 304 with one ball to spare to officially book themselves a spot in the final Waca, Perth on February 1.

The hosts’ victory overshadowed a magnificent 141 by England opening batsman Ian Bell, who became his country’s most prolific run-scorer in the 50-over format.

Australia now head to Sydney for the Australia Day clash against India, while England travel west to Perth meet India in what could be a do-or-die match for the remaining final spot.

Smith won his first toss as ODI captain, but the move looked to be a poor one when Bell and Ali creamed the new ball attack to all parts to bring up the England fifty inside nine overs.

Bell was classical on the front foot, lacing boundary after boundary through the covers and straight past the bowler to raise his own half-century off 42 balls with eight fours.

Ali at the other end was finding it hard to get bat on ball. Half a dozen balls flew past the left-hander's searching blade before the shackles were broken with a trio of sixes over mid-wicket off Pat Cummins.

The joy was short-lived for Ali, undone by James Faulkner for 46 to end the opening stand on 113, and one wicket quickly became two when James Taylor failed for five 19 runs later.

But Bell was unmoved, motoring to his century from 92 balls, and in the process becoming England’s highest run-scorer in ODI cricket, surpassing Paul Collingwood.

Together, Bell and Root put on 121, guiding England to 250 shortly after the 40th over, but when Bell and Eoin Morgan fell within three balls of each other, then Root 20 runs later, hopes for a score close to 350 quickly vanished.

Australia may have wasted the new ball, but with the old they were at their frugal best, restricting the visitors to just one boundary in the last six overs, finishing the innings with a team hat-trick to chase just over a run a ball.

On 76, Australia lost their first wicket in Finch for 32, bowled by Ali with one that dipped under the batsman’s attempted drive to the on-side.

Sixteen runs later Marsh’s drive found a thick outside edge and Bell at backward point, and when Cameron White returned to the ODI crease for the first time in four years, he was sent back two balls later without scoring to have Australia teetering at 3-92 in the 17th over.

However, around their captain, Australia rallied.

 

Smith combined with each of Maxwell (37), Faulkner (35) and Brad Haddin (42 off 28) for half-century stands as Morgan could only bump Australia’s chase and not derail it.

A towering six off James Anderson took Smith to 96, and a tuck off the hip next over brought up his third ODI century to become the only Australian to score a century on Test and ODI captaincy debut.

Brad Haddin’s 29-ball cameo took the wind out England’s sails, but a tense finish followed thanks to some crafty death bowling by Woakes.

Henriques was run out off the third ball of the final over with still two required for victory, but singles to Smith and Mitchell Starc iced the game for the Australia to remain unbeaten.

Allrounder out for next match

Shane Watson has been out of Friday's ODI Tri-Series match against England with a tight right hamstring. Allrounder Moises Henriques has been called into the squad

National Selection Panel chairman Rod Marsh said: "Moises is one of our leading all-rounders, he has international experience, and in Shane Watson's enforced absence it made perfect sense to draft him in for this match

Watson had left Australia's net session in Hobart on Thursday after bowling but he did not bat.

He later returned to watch the remainder of the training run from the back on the practice area.

George Bailey (suspension) and David Warner (hamstring soreness) will also miss tomorrow's clash against England, with Shaun Marsh to open alongside Aaron Finch, and Cameron White to bat in the middle order.

Left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty could return to the side for his home ODI after missing Australia's last-start win over India in Melbourne on Sunday.

Australia squad: Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Cameron White, Steve Smith, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin, James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Gurinder Sandhu.

Wasim Akram shows believe on Starc

Australia’s lethal left-arm swing bowler Mitchell Starc is “almost there” amongst the world’s best fast bowlers according to Pakistan champion bowler Wasim Akram.

Akram spoke at the unveiling of the new Ricky Ponting and David Boon stands at Blundstone Arena today where he applauded the efforts of Starc and fellow southpaw Mitchell Johnson for their progression and performance with the swinging ball.

“I am very impressed with both of them,” Akram said in Hobart.

“Mitchell Johnson - unbelievable last couple of years and Starc is also looking good, he’s improving ever game.

“The more he plays the better he’ll become. He’s got the pace, he’s got the swing, he’s tall, he’s strong, and he’s the using the crease as well, bowling over the wicket, around the wicket.

“So he’s getting there. The other day he got wickets against India and to me it looks like he’s there now, he’s getting there.

“Bit more hard work and he’ll be up there.”

The 104-Test veteran first spoke to Starc during the 2012-13 New Year’s Test against India, alerting the Australian to the importance of a supple wrist when releasing the ball.

Starc’s ability to conventionally swing the new ball and reverse the old one has reaped 10 wickets at 8.5 runs apiece in Australia’s two Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series matches.

The 24-year-old was devastating up front in game one against England, trapping Ian Bell and James Taylor with two perfectly pitched inswingers to leave the tourists in tatters at 2-0 after three balls.

Akram also credits Johnson’s re-discovery of that elusive swing for his return to the summit as one of the world most feared bowlers.

Johnson claimed 37 Ashes wickets last summer in a year that saw him regain the fearsome pace and accuracy that had him crowned the ICC Player of the Year.

“Mitchell Starc’s natural swing is inswing. Johnson has learned (how to swing the ball) in the last couple of years, that’s why he’s been so consistent and so lethal because of his pace.

“145-150(kph) clocking every time. It shows the fitness of the man as well.”

Bell makes history

35 – Number of fifty-plus scores for Ian Bell in One Day Internationals, the most by a batsman from England. Bell has three centuries and 32 fifties.

He trumped Kevin Pietersen, who had 34 fifty-plus scores (nine hundreds and 25 half-centuries). The 32-year-old Bell is also now just five runs away from becoming only the second English batsman -  after Paul Collingwood – to make 5,000 ODI runs.

Finn's five fires

Almost a year to the day after leaving Australia a shattered man, Steven Finn returned career-best one-day international figures to inspire England's nine-wicket romp over India in Brisbane on Tuesday night.

Finn (5-33) claimed his maiden ODI five-wicket haul, combining with fit-again James Anderson (4-18) to rout India for 153 within 40 overs.

England then cruised to a bonus point victory when Ian Bell (88 not out off 91 balls) and James Taylor (56 not out off 63 balls) shared an unbroken 131-run second wicket stand to reach 1-156 with a staggering 22.3 overs to spare.

Finn claimed man of the match honours barely a year after leaving the Ashes tour with a huge question mark over his career.

He wrapped up the innings with three wickets in eight balls.

When Anderson bowled Bhuvneshwar Kumar for five he notched wicket No.38 against India - a new record in India-England one-day clashes.

He then claimed India's top scorer Stuart Binny (44) and Mohammed Shami in consecutive balls to bring an end to their innings.

England lost Moeen Ali for eight before the break.

 

Bell and Taylor both went for ducks in England's opening Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series loss to Australia but looked in top form against India.

Bell clocked his first ODI half-century in 10 innings, while Taylor registered a third 50 in six matches.

England's thumping victory ensured India are winless in eight matches on tour in Australia.

England meet Australia in the next tri series clash in Hobart on Friday.

Smith lead to Australia in next ODI

Steve Smith has been named captain of Australia's one-day team for Friday's Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series match against England with George Bailey suspended after a second slow-over rate offence in Sunday's match in Melbourne.

Shaun Marsh and Cameron White have both been called up for the fourth match in the tri-series, with David Warner not travelling with the squad to Hobart to recuperate after picking up a slight hamstring strain earlier in the series.

Smith will become Australia's 22nd ODI skipper and his appointment was made following approval by the Cricket Australia Board of Directors.

"Steven's appointment was a straightforward decision given the excellent impression he made in charge of the side during the Commonwealth Bank Test series when he stepped in for the injured Michael Clarke," said National Selector Rod Marsh.

"It is unfortunate for George Bailey that he will miss the match in his home state but in Steven we have a dynamic player who leads from the front, by example, and we look forward to him doing so again on Friday."

SQUAD

Steven Smith (captain), Patrick Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Gurinder Sandhu, Mitchell Starc, Shane Watson, Cameron White

James Anderson is back

England's fast bowler include in playing XI in the today's match against India for the 3rd match of Tri-series. Both team get defeat from the Australia side.

Australia comfortable victory in tri-series opener

David Warner’s first one-day international century in almost three years has guided Australia to a three-wicket, bonus point win over England in the first Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series match at the SCG.

Warner’s 127 from 115 balls was his first since March 2012 as Australia chased down England's 234 all out with 61 balls to spare to secure five competition points.

The win was set up by Australia’s new ball attack which ripped the tourists’ top order apart, with Mitchell Starc picking up two wickets in the first three balls of the match to finish with figures of 4-42 from 8.5 overs.

England recovered from the horror start thanks to Eoin Morgan’s first hundred as the full-time 50-over captain, scoring 121 off 136 balls to give his bowlers a respectable total to bowl to.

England’s leading ODI run-scorer in 2014 Joe Root lasted 15 balls before a thick outside off the pace of Pat Cummins found Shane Watson’s safe hands at first slip to reduce the visitors to 3-12 inside four overs.

More trouble would follow when Moeen Ali succumbed to George Bailey’s trap at deep point to go for 22 from 21 balls and sink England to 4-33.

Amidst the carnage, Morgan established a steely presence at the crease, and in tandem with Ravi Bopara saw England through the mandatory 10-over power play the drinks break.

With the players rehydrated and the lacquer all but gone from the pair of white kookaburras, Bailey turned to his specialist spinner Doherty, who wasted no time in removing Bopara at backward point to continue the visitors’ decline.

Morgan found an ally in wicketkeeper Jos Buttler as the pair worked singles, ran hard for twos and defied Bailey’s attempts to break through and expose England’s lengthy tail.

It would be more than 14 overs in between boundaries for the tourists, but the six that broke the dought brought up Morgan’s fifty in the first over of the batting powerplay.

The batting powerplay is designed to provide batsmen a five-over block to hit out before the obligatory final stages blitzkrieg, but invariably produces wickets. That trend continued when England’s rear guard partnership of 67 was broken by James Faulkner who removed Buttler to a good catch by David Warner at deep point.

As Morgan pushed England towards 200 and his own century, Woakes offered Steve Smith arguably the easiest catch of his blossoming career at mid-wicket, and the 25-year-old obliged to send the fast bowler on his way for eight.

Twelve runs off Glenn Maxwell’s sixth over had Morgan within one blow of reaching his seventh ODI ton, and two overs later a lofted drive over cover for four got him to triple-figures from 127 deliveries.

Another fifty-run stand came in flash between Morgan in Jordan before the fast bowler picked out Maxwell in the deep to go for 17, and two lusty blows and 10 runs later, Morgan’s valiant knock came to an end to give Starc his third wicket, before wrapping up the innings with Steve Finn first ball.

While Warner’s Test form has reached new heights over the past 18 months, his form in the 50-over format has been forgettable.

But the dynamic left-hander set about fixing his one-day dilemma in the first match of 2015 by launching at the English attack with the fearless stroke play that’s made him one of the most feared batsman in Test cricket.

Six boundaries in the first 10 overs had Warner on his way, but his opening partner Aaron Finch failed to match his partner’s exuberance, chopping Woakes on for 15 off 18 balls.

Warner was joined by the broad shoulders of Watson in the middle, and after a clip and cut for four each, Watson’s uneasy time with the blade was prolonged when he top edged Jordan to be caught short of the square leg boundary for 16.

At one stage the 25-year-old was nine off 26 balls, but in a blink of an eye, the blond batsman was 33 off 40 and had Australia in the box seat to take out game one of the seven-match tri-series.

But as Warner closed in on his hundred, an uncharacteristic rush of blood by Smith saw him run past an Ali off-break to be bowled for 37.

Skipper Bailey survived a strong appeal for lbw that on replay was proven adjacent, but his luck ran out on 10 when he skied Woakes to Buttler when 36 runs were needed with 82 balls remaining.

The rub of the green went England’s way three balls later when Maxwell was judged to have edged Woakes behind, but this time it was Hot Spot that found the Victorian not guilty of hitting the ball.

However, any hope of a miracle England victory was dashed when Brad Haddin belted three consecutive boundaries to have not only the win secured, but a bonus point in their sights.

Striving for the necessary quick finish for the extra competition point, Warner hit Woakes for a brace of boundaries before the hunt for a third found Bell at point to end his blockbuster knock on 127.

A mix up saw Haddin run out for 16, leaving Faulkner – Australia’s modern Michael Bevan – to ice the game and deliver the bonus point.

Australia’s next match is against India on Sunday in Melbourne, while England travel to Brisbane to take on MS Dhoni’s men on Tuesday.

Australia XI: George Bailey (c), Aaron Finch, David Warner, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin, James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty.

England XI: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, James Taylor, Joe Root, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Stuart Broad, Steve Finn.