ICC Champions Trophy 2017: England vs Australia - Rain breaking Australia's momentum is SK Turning Point of the match

Australia lost their momentum when a brief rain break allowed England to regroup

Billed as top favourites for the tournament, current World Cup holders Australia were knocked out of the Champions Trophy following an abject loss against traditional rivals England at Edgbaston. As is often said, one's misery becomes someone else’s gain. Australia’s defeat meant that Bangladesh vaulted into the semi-finals of a major ICC event for the first time in their history.

When England appeared to be in deep trouble during their run chase, a brief rain break allowed them to regroup. On the other hand, nature’s interruption also resulted in Steven Smith’s troops losing their momentum. The hosts’ immense batting depth came to the fore as their strong middle-order helped them cruise to a 40-run victory (on DLS method) with six wickets in hand.

Here’s how the events transpired in the entertaining encounter.

Early wickets rock England

Riding on half-centuries from skipper Smith, Aaron Finch and Travis Head, the Aussies had registered a decent total of 277. For a team which had amassed 300-plus scores in their last couple of games, the target seemed to a rather straightforward one.

However, murky overhead conditions made batting tricky as the fast bowlers moved the new ball prodigiously. Upon caressing the first delivery of the innings to the straight boundary, the out-of-form Jason Roy perished for a low score once again. The lack of fluency in his footwork was ruthlessly exploited by Mitchell Starc whose extra pace trapped him in front. Against conventional logic, the opener saw fit to risk a review much early in the piece. 

Josh Hazlewood, who had picked up six wickets at the same venue against New Zealand, struck in his first over. With Alex Hales caught in two minds, the metronomic seamer capitalised and extracted a tentative nudge which carried to first slip.

Even though the situation demanded a semblance of patience, captain Eoin Morgan did not veer away from his natural game. He made his intentions pretty clear by hammering Hazlewood for three boundaries in four deliveries. The seamer could have had his revenge in the same over but wicket-keeper Matthew Wade failed to latch on to a massive opportunity.

Nevertheless, the 26-year old put the Aussies on top by acquiring the prized scalp of Joe Root. The Yorkshireman’s dismissal consigned England to a precarious position at 35/3. The home team’s batting strength was being put to the sword.

Rain breaks Australia’s rhythm

As it did in their previous match against Bangladesh, rain arrived at an inopportune time for Australia. Even though the vagaries of nature had come to their rescue against the Kiwis, they would have been in a much better situation coming into this game if four more overs were sent down at The Oval.

This time around, the rain did not last longer to prevent a result. However, it turned out to be enough to break Australia’s rhythm. With his seamers looking in menacing mood, the sense of frustration was palpable on Smith’s face.

On the other hand, England got a chance to gather their thoughts and restrategize their batting plans. When rain relented eventually, they reemerged a different team and began to bat with complete authority. Their demeanour completely changed and the Aussies began to feel the pressure. 

Morgan and Stokes deliver knockout punch

Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes breathed life into England’s run chase

Morgan picked up from where he left off and smashed Starc for successive boundaries after play resumed. The shift in momentum was becoming evident as he combined with all-rounder Ben Stokes to launch a stirring counterattack.

Embracing the new England mantra of fearless cricket, the duo forged an enterprising partnership. Complementing a steady supply of boundaries with sublime strike rotation, they did not provide any window of opening for Australia to find a way back into the contest.

Smith tried to mix things by using his bowlers in short bursts. But the left-handers never allowed them to settle down. Despite the stakes being incredibly high, the fielding was not up to the task. When leg-spinner Adam Zampa sparked a rare moment of brilliance to run out Morgan for 87, it was all too little too late. 

Even as Jos Buttler maintained England's surge by unleashing himself on the proceedings, Stokes brought up his third ODI century. When they were 38 runs adrift of the target, rain intervened yet again. But the hosts were far ahead of the DLS requirement.

As a result, Australia found themselves exiting the tournament at the group stage itself. When they look back at the 2017 Champions Trophy sometime later, Smith’s team could be aggrieved that they were a bit hard done by the damp weather.