Starc credits ‘incredible’ Hazlewood for helping assert Australia’s powerplay dominance

Australia’s new bowling ball in surprisingly useful conditions and the batting of its openers made the difference in a tense semi-final. Mitchell Starc, who took the first wicket of the match and finished with outstanding figures of 3 for 34, said this, having also been in the middle when the winning runs were struck.

Although it was a tough tournament for Starc the bowler, he and Josh Hazlewood reduced South Africa’s top order to 24 for 4 in the first 12 overs and took five wickets between them. Although the match will have many dramatic moments later, this period will likely prove to be the most definitive.

“I think our power play is probably what allowed us to progress,” Starc said. There were other key moments of the day with bat and ball, but to start the match like that with Joshie and I was brilliant. Powerplay wickets probably weren’t our strong point all along. throughout the tournament, so it’s good to have a numerical advantage of what, 2 for 18 or something like that. The way Josh played to finish two for 12 (from eight overs) was incredible.

“Looking at Josh’s pitch map, that’s what he does so well in Test match bowling. He was unbelievable today and the way we competed to have that power play that we have done and to maintain some momentum through to the intermediates was the way we want to start matches. So it was good to do that in a big match.

In the championship match these teams played, Quinton de Kock scored a century as an opener, and South Africa scored 311 for 7, with Aiden Markram also adding a quick fifty. However, neither de Kock nor Markram could make a serious impact with the bat in the semi-final.

“We know South Africa are very strong at the back if they have wickets in hand and if we can get David Miller and Heinrich Klaassen in early or in the first 20 overs then we are on the right track. “

With the bat, later, Australia reached 60 in six overs, as David Warner hit 29 from 18 balls, and Travis Head went on to make 62 from 48, with Australia chasing 213.

“I think the way Trav but also Davey batted put the pressure right on South Africa in the first 10 overs. We saw throughout the tournament how difficult the first 10 overs can be at certain times. moments of the day, with the new hard balls When you’re ready to face the game like that and sometimes you take a bit of luck with you, but the guys were fantastic in that opening partnership.

Head’s innings in particular saw Australia post 106 runs – almost half of the required runs – in the first 14 overs. South Africa’s spinners were now taking wickets and making the game close, but Australia’s middle and lower orders had little left to do.

“Then Trav held on a little longer and he probably looked a little bit threatening not to go further – closer to 100,” Starc said. “It definitely took a little bit of the pressure off at the start with the way the guys started. Those runs were much needed considering how we saw the game ending. It gave us a little extra time to not not having to go so hard at the end.”