Key events
3rd over: Australia 27-0 (Warner 18, Marsh 9) The first shot in anger almost brings about a wicket! Warner doesn’t get to the pitch of an attempted off-drive, dragging an inside edge onto his boot and almost onto his pegs. He dwells on his good fortune for no seconds, carving the next four deliveries for four – three behind point, one just in front – as Dutt errs a fraction short on his fourth stump line. The Delhi feast is underway.
2nd over: Australia 11-0 (Warner 2, Marsh 9) Spin from both ends with Colin Ackermann taking the second new ball. Over the wicket to the right-handed Marsh, around to the left-handed Warner, there’s no spin to speak of, but the line and length is impeccable and he concedes just three singles. Again, Australia keep their expansive shots in the locker for the time being.
1st over: Australia 8-0 (Warner 0, Marsh 8) I like idea of opening with an offie and beginning Australia’s trial by spin as soon as possible. Unfortunately for the Netherlands, there’s no spin to speak of, and consequently no early breakthrough, with Marsh leaning into a gentle cover drive for four, then thick-edging four more through third. Nothing expansive but still a healthy start for the Aussies.
Also to add, Australia are wearing black armbands today to pay their respects to Fawad Ahmed whose young son died this week.
Now the players are on their way to the middle. David Warner and Mitch Marsh in vivid lemon yellow ready to face the unexpected off-spin of orange-clad Aryan Dutt. Here we go!
Anthem time in Delhi, during which I am distracted by how much Scott Edwards reminds me of Andy Murray.
A quick scan of Twitter (terrible idea) reveals Pakistan Cricket Twitter (yup) is fully behind the Dutch today, knowing Australia are now in the driving seat for that fourth semi-final spot. I’m sure that will be a calm corner of the internet for the next few hours.
This is only the third time Australia and the Netherlands have met in ODI cricket. Unsurprisingly, yellow bested orange by sizeable margins in 2003 & 2007.
Today’s pitch is the same one that was used for South Africa and Sri Lanka’s run-fest.
Netherlands XI
The Netherlands back in the same XI that did the business against South Africa and pushed Sri Lanka hard. Curiously, Scott Edwards said at the toss that his side was looking to bowl first anyway.
Netherlands: 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Colin Ackermann, 4 Bas de Leede, 5 Teja Nidamanuru, 6 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 7 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Logan van Beek, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Paul van Meekeren
Australia XI
One change to Australia’s XI, but it’s not the one we all expected, with Cameron Green deputising for Marcus Stoinis who has a calf niggle. Travis Head will have to acclimatise by running drinks.
Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Marnus Labuschagne 4 Steven Smith, 5 Josh Inglis (wk), 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Cameron Green, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam Zampa
Australia won the toss and will bat first
Pat Cummins is the man with a smile on his face. “That boundary looks a bit small” he grins as he ponders putting his feet up for a few hours and watching the scoreboard click beyond 400.
It is a hazy afternoon in Delhi – one of those where the weather forecast is more about the air quality (not great, hazardous probably, bordering on dangerous). It’s hot, but at around 30C with “only” 50% humidity, not as inhospitable as other playing conditions we’ve seen this tournament.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium has been a batter’s paradise so far this world cup. First South Africa smashed a bunch of records against Sri Lanka, then India chased down 272 in 35 overs, before Afghanistan made England’s attack look inadequate during their stunning upset.
Win toss, bat first.
While Warner deserves credit for his savagery at the crease against Pakistan, he deserves opprobrium for his reluctance to accept his LBW dismissal against Sri Lanka. Warner was given out on-field, a decision confirmed by DRS, but still that wasn’t enough to soothe the 36-year-old veteran of 109 Tests and 154 ODIs.
Courtney Walsh addressed the subject of Warner suggesting the reason he missed a straight one is because Joel Wilson’s stats weren’t shown on the big screen before play. Or something.
Warner’s proposal, regardless of the motivation, could invite a ripple-down effect of ridicule. His assertion umpires are unaccountable is also contrary to fact. Performance is important and umpires can and are dropped, some of them with very public profiles.
Geoff Lemon was in Bengaluru to witness Australia’s world cup campaign ease through the gears against Pakistan, driven by the powerful David Warner.
Friday in Bengaluru was one of those David Warner days. Sure, he got glitter-bombed by the Luck Fairy when he was on 10, his second attacking swing of the bat looping to mid on where it was wildly, impossibly dropped by Usama Mir. But from there he savaged Pakistan’s bowling with a purity of hitting well matched in power and variety.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and welcome to live OBO coverage of match 24 of the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Australia v Netherlands will get under way in Delhi at 2pm local time (7.30pm AEDT/9.30am BST).
At the midpoint of the group phase of this marathon tournament the table is taking the kind of shape that is going to make for a lot of redundant fixtures. India are clearly the standout side, South Africa’s batting is terrifying, while New Zealand just keep on keeping on. On paper there’s a battle for fourth place, but Australia have the Netherlands today as well as Afghanistan and Bangladesh still to come. Besides, none of the Test playing nations below can be trusted to string the required victories together.
IND 10pts from 5 games
SAF 8pts from 5 games
NZL 8pts from 5 games
AUS 4pts from 4 games
PAK 4pts from 5 games
AFG 4pts from 5 games
NED 2pts from 4 games
SRI 2pts from 4 games
ENG 2pts from 4 games
BAN 2pts from 5 games
That’s not to say Australia are especially trustworthy either. Comprehensively beaten in their opening two encounters, they enjoyed the good fortune of Sri Lanka throwing away a 125-run opening partnership to belatedly get their campaign up and running, before Pakistan unfurled one of the poorest and costliest dropped catches in world cup history to gift David Warner a life on 10. He went on to make a gazillion bonus runs at better than a run-a-ball.
But such is sport, especially tournament sport at the elite level. It’s not how, it’s how many, and Australia have demonstrated time and again they have an ability to find something when it counts.
And that ability will be helped by the return to the side of Travis Head. Arguably the form top-order batter in the country, Head’s recovery from a broken hand offers benefits to the bowling attack as well, which has been short of spin options in his absence.
He will relish the opportunity to be eased back into action against the Netherlands, but the Oranje cannot be taken for granted, as their victory over a powerful South Africa proved.
That should do for now, so settle in while I steer you through the pregame and first innings, after which James Wallace will see you through to the end of play.
If you’d like to get in touch while I’m on, please fire all communication to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
