full and straight on middle and leg, Taylor looks for a flick and seems to have almost fallen over. Big appeal from the bowler, umpire Dar thinks and then gives it. Taylor immediately reviews it and it appears the ball might be skating down leg. Century still on the cards, it would seem. Funnily though, Aaron Finch had come up and started shaking hands with Taylor thinking the match was done. But wait, Dharmasena was checking for the run-out as the batsmen were looking to sneak a leg bye and it appears Maxwell has found his target to leave Anderson short of his ground. But how can that be considering Dar had given it out lbw and that means the ball should be dead, right? The question is, was he run out before the umpire's finger came up or was it after.... Taylor keeps telling it is dead ball, repeating it over and over, but Australia are already shaking hands and the umpires confirm that Anderson is indeed run out
Australia vs England, 2nd Match, Pool A at Melbourne, Feb 14 2015 - Ball by Ball Commentary
That's all we've got for you from the MCG, but plenty more will be pouring in. Analyses from the ground, quotes from the players, craziness from Jarrod Kimber and of course, the match report from Brydon Coverdale. So look out for those, but this is Alagappan Muthu slipping away quietly to change my name to possibly research how I can change my name to Mitch
"It was a very very special moment, especially when the national anthems started. When you see the top stands filling up you know it's going to be a good crowd [it was 84,336 people]," says George Bailey. "The track slowed up later so it was nice to have a crack on the pitch first up. Home ground for Finch and he rose to the occasion, that's what we want gfrom the top order. I dont think he bowled that many overs in a row, I wanted him to take five wickets and I had to worry about the medical staff yelling at me. Good partnership, we lost a couple of wickets and it was nice to set up the innings or Mitch and Hadds and Maxi."
"I think it was probably above par, the wicket is really good and we probably let ourselves down in the field," says Eoin Morgan. "Death bowling let us down. 310 was par, but we needed all our guns firing. It's one of our strengths, we've been top in the first 10-overs and with Jimmy and Broady back, bowling was a good decision. That's the most frustrating thing, we started slow and cold in the field with drop catches and run outs. Finny taking his second five for on this tour so far and James Taylor very unlucky not to get a hundred. They're probably our two toughtest games in the group stage, and if we keep testing ourselves like this we'll go on to the quarter finals. I think the senior players need to stand up that's all."
10,00 pm England have struggled all through this game, but they did not deserve an end like this. James Taylor batted like a champion without any support and is left stranded on 98 for seemingly baffling reasons. Lots to talk about on Match Point
England's top order seemed to be a bit confused on which approach to take and Australia's fast bowlers - Mitchell Starc in particular - did not help matters with their express pace and fuller lengths. Then with the middle-order starting to wobble, Mitchell Marsh took over and sealed the match. If not for Taylor and his medley of slices and dabs, pulls, sweeps and reverse sweeps, England's margin of defeat would have been even more mammoth
"Surreal, it's just sinking it. We knew it was going to slow up a little bit. We would've batted first, it's a bit nervy being the first game of the tournament. [Dropped catch] thought I hit it nicely off the middle, you're not allowed to put fielders there. Just moving past that. Everyone contributed with bat or ball and contributed in the field as well. Good to take this win and hopefull build momentum in the tournament," says Aaron Finch, the Man of the Match
Warner torpedoes himself towards the ball that had lobbed up from Anderson's leading edge. Terrific short ball from Hazlewood, but he
goes short, Taylor goes for a pull and it lobs over the keeper for a single to long leg. It is leg-byes though, so he remains on 98
full and on off stump, Taylor tries to slice it through the covers. But can't quite manage it
runs down the track and hammers a shortish ball to the left of mid-on. Marsh is the man cutting across, but he misfields and gives away a boundary
Hazlewood now
good length ball outside off and Anderson stays alive for another over. Meanwhile, Starc's gone down, and stretches his left leg
fuller delivery outside off, Anderson pushes with an angled bat and beats the lone slip in place
fuller delivery on off stump, defended
almost! Anderson had jumped down the track while making room and manages an inside edge to a yorker. Seems to be a bump ball as Haddin leaps to his right to cling on
Mark: "A good day for the host nations. They've both scored similar totals and it is likely that they'll both have a big win by a similar margin."
short and a shade wide of off stump, Anderson attempts a feeble cut and is beaten
back of a length on off stump, tapped into the leg side
tip-top short ball at 143 kph, Taylor weaves inside the line and survives. But can Anderson?
slower ball outside off, Taylor moves across and heaves it to long leg
Long-off has gone back
he's taken a bit of a hit there while trying to pull a short, 143 kph delivery. No run as the ball sneaks towards point
slower ball outside off, Taylor tries to slice it towards third man but it dribbles through after pitching and puts both him and the keeper off
runs down and slaps a good length ball at cover
Galen: "@Paul, has anyone ever done it at all?" --- One name springs to mind...
that's a touch short and wide, Anderson taps it to deep third man
Varun Batra: "Told you class batters like Taylor can adapt."
another one in the blockhole and it's somehow been sliced away past the keeper and into the third man boundary
Bailey leaps after it, sticks out his right hand and almost had a hold of it! Propelled himself off the turf to try and end the innings but he just can't quite manage it. Beautiful lines and lengths from Starc, yorker after yorker after yorker
Paul: "If Taylor scores a century, will it be the first time that a team would end on the losing side after having recorded a hat-rick and a century?" Sounds pretty plausible, that
full and on the base of middle and leg, whipped to deep square leg