World Cup 2019: Twitter reacts as England demolish Australia to seal a spot in CWC finals after 27 years
The Englishmen made a complete mockery of the 224-run target set by Australia in the second semi-finals of the World Cup. Given the pressure of a World Cup semi-final, and Kangaroos' dominance in the league phase, it was expected to be a challenging run-chase for Eoin Morgan's side.
On the contrary, a blazing opening partnership from Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow set up England's emphatic victory- completing the run chase with more than 17 overs to spare and eight wickets in hand. It was Australia's first-ever defeat in a World Cup semi-final.
England's new-ball bowlers set the tone, dismantling the Australian top-order as they lost three wickets with just 14 runs on the scoreboard in the seventh over. The Aussies played catch-up from there on as they tried to secure a decent total after 50 overs.
Steve Smith and Alex Carey's respective knocks of 85 and 46 proved vital in otherwise disappointing performance with the bat as they failed to play a full quota of 50 overs, and managing just 223 runs. This score wasn't expected to be a cakewalk for England as New Zealand defended 240 successfully against a formidable Indian side.
With title-decider set to be played at Lord's on July 14, the Kane Williamson and Eoin Morgan will fight for their respective countries' maiden World Cup title. This will be England's third final appearance in the quadrennial event and their first since 1992.
Chris Woakes was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his efficient bowling figures of 3/20. The English skipper was all praise after his team's comprehensive victory over the Ashes rival. Below is an excerpt from his post-match interview:
“I’d like to thank the fans – we’ve had unbelievable support. Edgbaston has always been very kind to us, but our support today has been exemplary. We took a lot of confidence from the last two group games. We set the tone from ball one, and when we got on top we made Australia pay a little bit."
Catch some of the best Twitter reactions below.
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