Australia pulled off a monster chase against England in the Champions Trophy on Saturday after Josh Inglis’ incendiary hundred helped them to prevail in a high-scoring Group B thriller by five wickets.
Opener Ben Duckett smashed 165 to propel England to 351-8, a record total in the tournament’s history until Australia overwhelmed it, after they were put into bat.
Inglis, born in Leeds, England, to English parents, hammered 120 not out off 86 balls while Alex Carey (69) and Matthew Short (63) chipped in with half-centuries as Australia reached the target with 15 balls to spare.
Photo: AFP
“We thought around 350 was going to be chaseable for a moment,” Australia captain Steve Smith said.
“For a moment, it looked like they were probably going to get over 400, so we’re pleased by that [bowling] effort,” he said. “And yeah, we were confident we could chase this down.”
The way Australia completed the highest chase in a men’s event in an International Cricket Council tournament was in stark contrast to their wobbly start.
Jofra Archer took a return catch to dismiss the dangerous Travis Head and Mark Wood removed Steve Smith with an 150-kph rocket.
Short and Marnus Labuschagne (47) propped up Australia before England struck back with their spin duo of Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone.
Inglis raised 146 runs with Carey, who was dropped on 49 by Archer, as Australia reclaimed control of the see-saw contest and never let it go.
Brydon Carse removed Carey in the 42nd over, but Inglis raced to a 77-ball hundred reaching the mark with a six off Archer.
Glenn Maxwell produced an unbeaten cameo of 32 off 15 balls to ease any pressure on Inglis, who sealed Australia’s victory with his sixth six.
Australia had arrived with a second-string pace attack, and their missing frontline quicks included skipper Pat Cummins.
Stand-in skipper Smith elected to field, and they did not have to wait long for a breakthrough thanks to Carey’s spectacular athleticism at mid-on.
Phil Salt had flicked a Ben Dwarshuis (3-66) delivery and Carey moved to his right, leapt and plucked a one-handed stunner on the edge of the 30-yard circle.
The bowler-fielder duo combined again to remove Jamie Smith, whose promotion to number three did not pay off.
Duckett combined in a stand of 158 with Joe Root (68) to lay the foundation for England’s big total.
Adam Zampa dismissed Root and Jos Buttler fell for 23, but Duckett went on to eclipse New Zealander Nathan Astle’s record for the highest individual score in the Champions Trophy.
Duckett struck 17 fours and three sixes before falling lbw to Labuschagne after a 143-ball knock.
England had put up a “pretty good score,” Buttler said.
“It’s a little bit wet, and there was always the worry, if the dew does come in, it may play a bit better and skid on,” he said. “However, all being said, whatever happens with the conditions, to chase down 350 is a fantastic effort.”
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Robinson Cano spent 17 seasons playing in the MLB in front of all kinds of baseball fans, but he said there is something special about his stint with the Mexican Baseball League’s Diablos Rojos. He is not alone. The league last week opened its 100th season, aiming to keep an impressive growth in attendance that began after the national team’s surprise run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and is already surpassing some first-division soccer clubs. After finishing third in the 2023 tournament, many casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed after Mexico were eliminated in the first round in the 2022
In-form teenager Mirra Andreeva on Thursday crashed out of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, after going down in straight sets to fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16. World No. 7 Andreeva, who already has two titles under her belt this season, lost 6-3, 6-2 against the 22nd-ranked Alexandrova in just over an hour. The 17-year-old Andreeva had defeated her elder sister Erika in the previous round on Wednesday, but Alexandrova quickly took control as she claimed her fourth win over a top-10 player this season. The 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in February became the youngest winner of a WTA
RSS