England reach Cricket World Cup 2019 final with victory over Australia

With a swing and a swagger captain Eoin Morgan fittingly smashed the winning runs so that after four years, 98 matches and countless records, England are into the World Cup final.

What a time for this band of brothers to click so perfectly and in such harmony to see off their oldest and fiercest rivals by eight wickets in what can only be described as a complete thrashing.

Take a bow Jason Roy who eyed up the target of 224 and took a huge 85-run bite out of it in the way that only the most destructive batsmen in the world can do.

Take a bow Jofra Archer, the most recent arrival into this setup but who has become a cult hero thanks to his pace, skill and nerveless ability to deliver 2-32 in just his 13 ODI.

Take a bow man-of-the-match Chris Woakes for his 3-20 wearing socks and shoes on his home turf, to dismantle the Australian top order and set the tone for the day.

And take a bow Adil Rashid, battling with a sore shoulder all tournament only to bamboozle the batsmen and break Australia's 50 World Cup century partnership at precisely the right time.

Don't forget that Australia were the reigning champions and had never lost a World Cup semi-final before this game.

Neither of those statements are true any longer thanks to a skilful, powerful and ruthless display at a ground that certainly knows how to make the most of English success.

Exactly one year to the day since England's footballer's failed to squeeze past Croatia in Russia, the Hollies stand broke out their own rendition of “Cricket's coming home!” and who would doubt this knowledgeable crowd now?

They will know that England have laid down some kind of Ashes related marker in the way that they played here, just three weeks before that contest gets underway, but let us park that great rivalry for just a moment, because this game was about putting to bed 27 years of 50-over failure.

There have been World Cup disasters mixed in with Champions Trophy semi-finals and finals disappointments which mean England are still yet to win a global 50 over trophy.

When they meet New Zealand on Sunday at Lord's, they have the chance of a lifetime to correct that anomaly, and they will get to do it by playing the game in their own courageous and attacking way.

No-one epitomises that ethos better than Roy, who should have crowned the day with a brilliant, blistering hundred but was denied by an awful decision by umpire Kumar Dharmasena who gave him out caught down the legside when he didn't hit it.

The only problem was that Jonny Bairstow had already burned England's review for a straightforward lbw decision and that meant Roy had nothing left for the howler.

He may have lingered a little too long to remonstrate with the umpires and it could earn him a fine, but there was plenty of confusion out there and it would be churlish of the officials to take it much further.

At least he had already provided plenty of entertainment smashing Steve Smith for three successive sixes to go with one he flicked off Mitchell Starc to show that his golden wrists are something else he has in common with school chum Danny Cipriani.

Smith had been the mainstay of Australia's innings, scoring 85 runs of his own from 54 more balls than Roy whose departure only made way for Joe Root and Morgan to finish things off in the same vein.

Source: Mirror

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England cricket team • Cricket World Cup • Australia national cricket team • Swing bowling • Eoin Morgan • Run (cricket) • England cricket team • Band of Brothers (miniseries) • Take a Bow (Rihanna song) • Jason Roy • Take a Bow (Rihanna song) • Archery • One Day International • Take a Bow (Rihanna song) • Man of the match • Chris Woakes • Australia national cricket team • Take a Bow (Rihanna song) • Adil Rashid • Batting (cricket) • Australia national cricket team • Cricket World Cup • Century (cricket) • Partnership (cricket) • Australia national cricket team • FIFA World Cup • England • England • Association football • Croatia • Russia • Eric Hollies • Cricket • England • FIFA World Cup • ICC Champions Trophy • Single-elimination tournament • England cricket team • Limited overs cricket • New Zealand national cricket team • Lord's • Chance of a Lifetime (1950 film) • Umpire (cricket) • Kumar Dharmasena • Jonny Bairstow • England cricket team • Leg before wicket • Steve Smith (cricketer, born 1989) • Mitchell Starc • Danny Cipriani • Australia national cricket team • Joe Root •