That’s it from me, the OBO will return with more World Cup action.
In fact, you can tune into England v West Indies right here, right now. Ta-ra!
Stand in Australian Captain Travis Head speaks:
“Nice start. Renshaw and Stoinis’ partnership in the middle was really good. Kept us going. Zampa was exceptional in the second innings. Ellis is the leader of the attack, so great to see him stand up. Conditions seemed tough today, they might be different in two days’ time. We hit a lot of twos in the backend, attacking hard through the whole way.”
Stand in Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker speaks:
“Stirling took a bit of a knock on his knees while taking a catch in the first innings. He was brave going out there. We probably didn’t start as well as we would have liked. The spinners did pretty well to put us back in the game. I think maybe 150-160 was in our mind, the way we were set up we could have gone after that. Plenty of things can happen. We have to stay competitive and keen.”
Player of the Match Nathan Ellis (4-12) speaks:
“There wasn’t much swing or seam there, so that just dictates what I go with (on bowling delightful those slower balls) When I decide to go pace on, I try to bang it in. Otherwise I try to keep my arm speed as same as possible and create a big difference between arm speed and bowling speed.”
A very commanding performance from Australia, especially given their captain Mitch Marsh was declared unfit minutes before the toss. They were sensible with the bat, scampering plenty of twos when the boundary couldn’t be found to post an above average total on a wearing pitch. Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa were sublime with the ball, both ended up with four wickets apiece and provided T20 masterclasses in pace and spin bowling.
Ireland are staring down the barrel now after their second loss in as many games, their captain Paul Stirling looks an extreme doubt for the rest of the tournament too – retiring hurt after one ball having looked like he pulled his hamstring quite badly.
I’ll post some post match reaction shortly. In the meantime, Daniel Harris is tuning up the tools to bring you England v West Indies from Mumbai:
WICKET! Barry McCarthy c Green b Ellis 2 (Ireland 115-9) Australia win by 67 runs
Nathan Ellis returns for his final over. He razed Ireland’s chances with his sublime variations earlier in the piece and he finishes the job now too! McCarthy plinks to Cam Green at midwicket and that’s that, Australia win by 67 runs.
16th over: Ireland 112-8 (Humphreys 1, McCarthy 1) Zampa nearly gets Humphrey’s with his first ball to take his haul to five but the umpire says no and DRS confirms it was sliding down. Still, what a spell from Australia’s mystery man – 4-23 from his four overs.
WICKET! Mark Adair c Connolly b Zampa 12 (Ireland 111-8)
Zampa strikes again to pick up his fourth wicket. Adair heaves into the deep but can’t clear the ropes or Cooper Connolly. One more needed for Australia, I don’t think we’ll see Paul Stirling attempt to bat with his injured hamstring.
WICKET! George Dockrell st Inglis b Zampa 41 (Ireland 110-7)
Dockrell launches Zampa down the ground but the wily spinner has the last laugh, floating the next ball wide to evade an advancing Dockrell, Inglis whips off the bails with the batter stranded.
15th over: Ireland 104-6 (Dockrell 35, M Adair 12) Mark Adair gives it some humpty, up and over cover and a cut past point for four more. Fourteen runs off the over and the hundred up for Ireland.
14th over: Ireland 90-6 (Dockrell 32, M Adair 1) Zampa has 2-15 from his three overs and will be eyeing up Ireland’s tail. Mark Adair joins Dockrell, he can hit a long ball. Ireland need a relentless cavalcade of boundaries - 93 runs required from 36 balls.
WICKET! Lorcan Tucker c Connolly b Zampa 24 (Ireland 89-6)
Zampa breaks the partnership, tossing one up and Tucker can’t resist going for the big shot. Not enough on it and swallowed by Connolly in the deep.
13th over: Ireland 87-5 (Tucker 23, Dockrell 31) Matt Kuhnemann finishes with 1-29 from his four overs despite being clubbed for a SIX over the leg side by Dockrell.
12th over: Ireland 80-5 (Tucker 22, Dockrell 25) Ten off the over as Tucker and Dockrell dig in but the game is done as a contest. Glenn Maxwell pulls off a neat save on the boundary but then signals immediately to the dugout, hopefully just some strapping needed for his fingers.
Updated
11th over: Ireland 70-5 (Tucker 22, Dockrell 15) Nathan Ellis returns. He beguiles once again, mixing up his pace and proving impossible to hit. Just four runs off the over.
10th over: Ireland 66-5 (Tucker 19, Dockrell 14) Tucker trots out of his crease to turn a Connolly full ball into a full toss, threading through the covers for four. It’s nice but it’s not enough.
9th over: Ireland 58-5 (Tucker 12, Dockrell 13) Dockrell is a good player of spin. He lofts Zampa down the ground and then rocks back to club a slower ball through midwicket for four more.
8th over: Ireland 47-5 (Tucker 12, Dockrell 2) Connolly twirls and whirls through another over, just four runs off it. Nowhere near enough for Ireland.
7th over: Ireland 43-5 (Tucker 10, Dockrell 0) George Dockrell joins Tucker and Zampa finishes the over with a dot. Ireland need eleven an over from here and only have four wickets left with Stirling hamstrung.
WICKET! Gareth Delany c Inglis b Zampa 11 (Ireland 43-5)
Adam Zampa into the attack. He’ll be a handful on this surface. Sure enough there’s an lbw call against Tucker right away but the review shows it hit the batter outside the line of off stump and umpire Richard Illingworth can stay with his original decision.
Gone! Zampa sends down a flighted ball, Delany attempts a huge heave across the line and gets an under edge that is smartly snaffled by Inglis behind the sticks. This could all be over very soon, Ireland’s net run rate will be taking a pummelling too.
6th over: Ireland 40-4 (Tucker 9, Delany 11) Matt Kuhnemann into his third over and finally Ireland get some respite and find the fence courtesy of a couple of lusty blows from the blade of Gareth Delany. A four and SIX down the ground, the second of which clatters into the sight screen.
5th over: Ireland 28-4 (Tucker 8, Delany 0) It’s a wicket maiden from Nathan Ellis. A masterclass of T20 bowling - slower balls, short balls, cutters and full and fast. He has 3-5 from his two overs!
WICKET! Ben Calitz b Ellis 2 (Ireland 27-4)
Another one to Ellis! He goes full pace this time and a bit of extra bounce sees Calitz get an under edge and chop onto the stumps. Ireland are in pieces.
4th over: Ireland 27-3 (Tucker 8, Calitz 2) Tucker climbs into a length ball from Kuhnemann and deposits down the ground for SIX. Brief respite for Ireland.
3rd over: Ireland 18-3 (Tucker, Calitz 0) Lorcan Tucker and Ben Calitz have a heck of a rebuild job on their hands.
WICKET! Curtis Campher c Green b Ellis 4 (Ireland 17-3
Ellis strikes again with the slower ball! Campher is suckered this time, plinking a catch to Green at midwicket. Ireland are effectively 17-4 with Stirling retired hurt. Carnage in Colombo.
WICKET! Ross Adair b Ellis 12 (Ireland 13-2)
What a peach! Ellis completely flummoxes Adair with a slower ball first up, the ball floats out of the back of the hand, Adair is so confuddled he’s on the back foot and the ball ploops into his middle stump!
Did I mention this week’s Spin was all about the art of the slower ball? That was a very fine example.
2nd over: Ireland 13-1 (R Adair 12, Campher 0) Curtis Campher joins Adair in the middle…
(Yes that is an ellipsis of doom…)
WICKET! Harry Tector c Green b Kuhnemann 0 (Ireland 13-1)
Matt Renshaw has just dropped an absolute goober! Adair plinks a simple catch to cover but Renshaw is almost beaten by the slowness and puts it down. Wow. You don’t often see a catch so simple shelled at this level.
Adair takes a single to get off strike. Tector then launches into the off side but doesn’t time it… Cameron Green settles underneath the ball and takes the catch. That’s how you do it Matthew. Poor shot from Tector and he drags himself off the field.
1st over: Ireland 11-0 (R Adair 11, Tector 0) Ross Adair is not messing about though, a bunt over mid off for four is followed by a crisp drive down the ground that is timed all the way for SIX. Great shot. You’d think Ireland won’t go down without a fight here. Eleven off the first over and the dramatic retirement of Stirling.
Updated
Paul Stirling retires hurt
Paul Stirling and Ross Adair come out to open the batting for Ireland. Xavier Bartlett starts with the ball for Australia. Stirling clips off his toes and sets off for a single… OH NO! Stirling has pulled a hamstring setting off for the single and he can’t continue. A huge blow to Ireland’s hopes, Stirling hobbles off and grimaces in pain. He retires hurt so could technically come back later if the match goes down to the wire but that is terrible for Ireland and Stirling in this match and for the latter probably the tournament too.
Australia will look to bowl spin and go pace off with the ball in hand. Good job someone has just written this week’s Spin column all about the slower ball eh?
In case you missed it, there was quite a match over in Ahmedabad this morning:
Australia set Ireland 183 to win in Colombo
20th over: Australia 182-6 (Connolly 11, Bartlett 11) Australia end strongly and Ireland will have it all to do on a spinning, used pitch. Connolly swipes Adair’s slower ball for SIX and Bartlett squirts a bonus under edge for four to make it 13 runs off the final over.
It is hot out there, Connolly has a brief word with the tv crew on the way off and is absolutely dripping in sweat, shades of the pilot in Airplane. “I felt like I could have done with another pre-season out there” he laughs.
19th over: Australia 169-6 (Connolly 3, Bartlett 6) Ten off McCarthy’s over, big Barry has had an expensive day, 0-37 from three overs. It’s definitely a pitch for pace off bowling in Colombo. Bartlett shows brute strength to muscle a length ball down the ground. Australia’s score is already an imposing one…
18th over: Australia 159-6 (Connolly 0, Bartlett 0) Two new batters at the crease for Australia and two overs to get through for Ireland. A target of 180 would be tough going on this pitch for Stirling’s men. Ireland’s captain hasn’t been seen on the field since taking that early diving catch but should be ok to open up the innings for his side.
WICKET! Marcus Stoinis c Calitz b MR Adair 45 (Australia 159-6)
DROP! Not another! Delany shells Stoinis at short cover! Hit hard but should have been taken, Ireland can’t afford to be this loose with their catching. Salt meet wound. Stoinis then smokes a Mark Adair slower ball over square leg for a huge SIX.
Gone! Phew. A topsy turvy over ends in Stoinis clubbing a full toss to Ben Calitz in the deep and the catch is HELD! Stoinis walks over knowing he’s left a few death over runs out there after doing the hard work.
17th over: Australia 149-5 (Stoinis 35, Connolly 0) Close! Cooper Connolly is the new man and he is nearly yorked first ball by another quicker delivery from Humphreys.
WICKET! Matt Renshaw b Humphreys 37 (Australia 149-5)
Bowled ’im! Lovely ball from Humphreys! Renshaw has to go after having his middle stump uprooted by a quicker ball.
16th over: Australia 142-4 (Renshaw 35, Stoinis 30) Barry McCarthy returns but the pace on the ball has cost Ireland again, thirteen runs off the over to give the burly seamer 0-27 from his two overs. Renshaw muscles the final ball of the over down the ground for four as Australia look to put their foot down.
15th over: Australia 129-4 (Renshaw 29, Stoinis 23) Dockrell finishes with 1-31 off his four overs, he blots his copybook slightly with a full ball that is driven for four by Renshaw off his final delivery. That is Australia’s first boundary in 18 balls. A disciplined performance in the field so far from Ireland. They let it go at this stage against Sri Lanka, conceding too many runs off the final five overs. Can they keep the pressure on here in Colombo?
14th over: Australia 120-4 (Renshaw 24, Stoinis 19) Ireland are squeezing well in these middle overs, Delany rattles through his six balls for the cost of just four runs. A mixture of fired in darts and back of the hand flighted balls keep Renshaw and Stoinis guessing, a few signs of frustration starting to set in for the Aussies. Time for a slurp of electrolytes for the players. (Kenco pour moi. Ou la la) .
13th over: Australia 116-4 (Renshaw 21, Stoinis 18) Matthew Humphreys returns and gets in and out with a frugal over, just six runs off it as the bowler fires in at the leg stump and doesn’t allow the batters to get under the ball.
12th over: Australia 110-4 (Renshaw 18, Stoinis 17) Marcus Stoinis opens those American fridge sized shoulders to carve for four through the off side. Tector then drops short and is punished through square. Twelve off the over and the partnership building ominously.
11th over: Australia 98-4 (Renshaw 17, Stoinis 6) No boundary off Dockrell’s third over but Australia still manage to pocket eight runs off it. Tector is coming back for another.
10th over: Australia 90-4 (Renshaw 14, Stoinis 1) Marcus Stoinis joins Renshaw and gets off the mark with a poke into the covers. Ireland hanging in there but they need to keep taking wickets and get a hold on the run rate. The tv shows the Maxwell wicket, it was an under edge which makes Tucker’s catch all the more impressive.
WICKET! Glenn Maxwell c Tucker b Tector 9 (Australia 88-4)
Huge wicket! Great catch from Lorcan Tucker stood up to the stumps and Maxwell is on his way!
9th over: Australia 86-3 (Renshaw 12, Maxwell 8) Dockrell drops short and Maxwell doesn’t miss out, pulling to the fence with ease for four. Nine off the over in total, which is about Australia’s run rate for the innings. Wickets needed for the boys in emerald green.
8th over: Australia 77-3 (Renshaw 9, Maxwell 2) Harry Tector is such a Le Carre-esque name. Less the Spy Who Came In From The Cold as The Part-Time Spinner Given a Twirl In The Heat. Maxwell and Renshaw rotate strike and pick up eight off Tector’s offerings.
7th over: Australia 69-3 (Renshaw 3, Maxwell 0) Here comes the Big Show. Glenn Maxwell arrives in the middle. Another couple of wickets and Ireland are well in this game. Have to get Maxwell cheaply, mind.
WICKET! Josh Inglis c Stirling b Dockrell 37 (Australia 69-3)
George Dockrell picks up a big wicket to mark his 350th game for Ireland! Inglis tries to go over extra cover once more but he doesn’t get enough of it to beat the ursine Paul Stirling who dives and plucks the ball like a grizzly pouching a spring salmon!
Updated
6th over: Australia 64-2 (Inglis 33, Renshaw 2) Inglis unfurls a beautiful extra cover drive in-to-out off Delany’s first ball but the leg-spinner comes back strong and the over goes for eight in total.
5th over: Australia 56-2 (Inglis 27, Renshaw 0) Matt Renshaw joins Inglis and Gareth Delany is called upon for the next over.
Updated
WICKET! Cameron Green c Dockrell b MR Adair 21 (Australia 56-2)
Josh Inglis survives a bunny hopping catch from Delany on the square leg boundary as the fielder steps on the sponge in taking the catch so it is SIX runs. Has to go down as a missed opportunity, those catches are taken so readily these days. Inglis survives and Australia bring up the fifty in just 4.4 overs. Green then rubs salt into the wound with a massive SIX on the breeze over the leg side into second tier of the stadium…
Green falls off the last ball though! Tries to repeat the shot but Adair held it back a little and the big fella mistimes it to Dockrell at midwicket. Ireland hold a catch - finally – and breath a sigh of relief for the time being.
4th over: Australia 40-1 (Inglis 19, Green 14) Fourteen runs off the over as Cam Green uses those long levers to muscle Barry McCarthy down the ground for a four and then a towering SIX with the Colombo breeze. Australia hitting back after the early loss of Travis Head.
3rd over: Australia 26-1 (Inglis 18, Green 1) Humphreys returns after a decent start. Inglis picks up four through cover and then swivels a leg side ball for four. Humphreys arrows in a quicker ball but Inglis manages to edge it away for a third four in the over.
South Africa have beaten Afghanistan after a second Super Over in Ahmedabad! Keshav Maharaj somehow gets the Proteas over the line, Jonathan Trott’s side falling short by four runs in a quite extraordinary game.
2nd over: Australia 12-1 (Inglis 5, Green 0) Cameron Green joins Inglis in the middle. Ireland buzz around but Inglis calms a few nerves with a languid back cut for four through the off side.
WICKET! Travis Head run out (Calitz/MR Adair) 7 (Australia 7-1)
Head is run out! Squirts a shot behind square and sets off for as dodgy single, doesn’t get there and is gone!
1st over: Australia 7-0 ( Head 7, Inglis 0) Travis Head and Josh Inglis start for Australia. Matthew Humphreys to open the bowling for Ireland with his left arm tweakers. Play!
Humphreys drops short and Head doesn’t miss out, clubbing away through point for four. Head clips two to the leg side but is then DROPPED! Gah. Ireland spilling chances once again, Head rasps a cut shot to point where it is shelled on the dive. I’ll have the name of the guilty party in a second. Big appeal for lbw off the final ball of the first over but it looked to be going over and Ireland opt against a review. Phew. What a start!
Over in Ahmedabad, South Africa have just pongoed 23 off their second super over! Over to Afghanistan…
The players take the field in Colombo but we interrupt this broadcast to tell you that Afghanistan and South Africa are going into a second Super Over!
What drama in Ahmedabad, Tristan Stubbs needed to hit a six off the last ball for the Proteas to stay alive and he duly bunts a full bunger from Fazalhaq Farooq down the ground for… SIX!
Afghanistan have just hit 17 off their Super Over in Ahmedabad. Pressure on South Africa now!
Teams:
Australia: Josh Inglis (wk), Travis Head (c), Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann
Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Ben Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys
Australia win the toss and will bat first
Travis Head gets the rub of the coin and Australia will have first used of what the moustachioed marvel says “looks like a good surface.” A slightly rueful looking Paul Stirling admits he would have done the same. Teams incoming!
Meanwhile, Afghanistan have just taken South Africa to a Super Over in Ahmedabad with both sides posting 187. Drama!
Breaking news: Australia captain Mitch Marsh ruled out
The news has just landed that Aussie captain Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of this opening match against Ireland having suffered a blow to the groin during training earlier this week. Apologies if you are just dipping into your morning muesli or evening meal but Marsh is suffering with “testicular bleeding.” Poor chap.
“He [Marsh] is experiencing ongoing pain and discomfort which is restricting his movement,” say Cricket Australia in their statement. “Scans have confirmed internal testicular bleeding, and he will require a period of rest and rehabilitation. His return to play will be guided by symptom resolution and medical advice. Standby player Steve Smith will travel to Sri Lanka as cover to acclimatise and prepare, should he be required.”
So Steve Smith is called up to join the squad, we’ll have more news at the toss shortly. Australia only have 12 fit players to pick their starting XI from! Travis Head will captain today’s match in Marsh’s absence. Steve Smith is likely hot footing it to an airport with a smile on his face (whilst showing requisite concern for Marsh’s injured gonads of course…)
Updated
Preamble
All good things come to those who wait? Australia finally get their T20 World Cup campaign underway in Colombo today. The Aussies are the last side to make their tournament bow and will come up against an Ireland side they don’t really have much experience of playing – the two sides have only met twice in T20Is and just once in all international cricket since 2016.
Ireland will be looking to put on a strong showing after a rather disappointing first match against Sri Lanka where they squandered plenty of opportunities to get something out of the game – dropping a host of chances and letting the match slip with bat and ball when they had the chance toput the hosts under real pressure.
Australia will be glad of the delayed start to their tournament as their squad has at times resembled a field hospital with green and gold curtains. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are completely absent, Tim David is expected to miss at least this first game as he recovers from a hamstring injury whilst Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis have struggled with niggles recently too.
We’ll find out the teams and the result of the toss at 8pm AEDT/9am GMT with the match starting half an hour after that. Welcome along and please do get in touch if you are tuning in.
Updated
