Better late than never for Cup favourites

While Australia’s new-ball bowlers have been destructive in the Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series, on Friday it was their display at the death that showed why they’re considered a World Cup favourite.

Australia reduced England to 4-67 and India to 3-62 early in their first two matches of the series, but in Hobart the three prong pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Gurinder Sandhu failed to snare a breakthrough.

But the trio, along with Tasmanian allrounder James Faulkner, more than made up for their fruitless start with a masterful display with the ball late in the innings.

Quick Single: Captain Smith anchors superb Aussie chase

Harnessing the often-elusive yet ever so powerful reverse swing in the final 10 overs, the hosts restricted England to 59 runs – a number unheard of in an era of oversized bats, flat wickets and shortened boundaries.

At 2-244, the tourists were looking at a total close to 350, but the suffocating skills of Australia’s speedsters had England skipper Eoin Morgan conceding his side needed to employ a different tactic to counter the hostile threat.

“Those last ten overs – high quality death bowling,” Morgan said.

“If we come up against that more often than not we will learn as we go on. So today is a learning curve for us.

“But I don’t think we will.

“The ball was swinging a lot, and trying to get a boundary every ball might not have been the right way to go about (it).

“If we had have known, with the advantage of hindsight, we might have worked it around a bit more and scraped and scratched.”

Quick Single:  Smith blazing a trail as skipper

Australia surrendered only four boundaries in the final 10 overs – and none in the last 36 balls - which had stand-in skipper Steve Smith applauding his bowler’s display in the back half of England’s innings.

“The last 20 overs they scored 120 runs at a run a ball after being two down - that was outstanding there and really helped us,” Smith said.

“We were probably staring down the barrel of 350 there at one moment, and to get 300 on that wicket was probably around par.

“The way the boys bowled there at the end, they’ve got pretty clear plans how they go about their business.

“We try not to be too predictable. I thought those guys at the death did an outstanding job to restrict them to 300.”

NSW Blues fast bowler Pat Cummins was one of the pacemen Smith used in the latter stages, and despite finishing as Australia’s most expensive bowler, his captain is confident the 21-year-old will be better off for the experience.

“Patty’s done it beautifully at the death for us in the past,” he said.

“He’s an exceptional bowler, and he’s been bowling really well for us.

“Those days happen and I’m sure he’ll learn a lot from how he went about it today.”

While England’s batsmen struggled to find the rope at the end of their innings, Faulkner and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin had no trouble picking off boundaries in the final 10.

Haddin hit four fours and a six in his 29-ball 42 to take the burden off Smith and put Australia in the box seat before the tense final-over finish.

“He comes in and plays positive from ball one and it really takes the pressure off,” Smith said on Haddin’s knock.

“He’s done it on plenty of occasions now, particularly in the last couple of games.

“It’s nice to have someone there at number seven who does a job like that and Faulkner, who usually bats behind him as well, who’s been terrific.”