AHMEDABAD: Defen­ding champions England were eliminated from the 50-over World Cup after their 33-run defeat by Ashes rivals Australia on Saturday.

Australia posted 286 all out with Marnus Labuschagne (71) top scoring for them after the five-time champions were put in to bat.

England managed 253 in reply to slump to their sixth defeat in seven matches and stay rooted to the bottom of the table.

Opener Dawid Malan (50) and Ben Stokes (64) smashed half-centuries but England did not produce significant partnerships and were bowled out in 48.1 overs.

Australia spinner Adam Zampa (3-21) was player-of-the-match for his stellar bowling that included the prized wickets of England captain Jos Buttler, Stokes and Moeen Ali (42).

Australia are third in the standings after their fifth win in seven matches.

“It certainly feels like a low point,” Buttler said after the side’s premature exit from the 10-team tournament. “To be stood in this position having arrived in India with high hopes is incredibly tough and disappointing. It hurts a lot.”

Earlier, Chris Woakes (4-54) rattled Australia, removing both the openers inside six overs after Buttler elected to field at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

In his first over, Travis Head’s half-hearted dab ended up in Joe Root’s safe palms in the slip.

In Woakes’s third over, David Willey at midwicket had all the time in the world to settle under a skyer after David Warner, who had hit a six two balls earlier, mistimed his pull.

Labuschagne and Smith then shored up Australia with a 75-run partnership but England refused to throw in the towel.

Adil Rashid dismissed Smith and Josh Inglis in his successive overs to reduce Australia to 117-4 near the hal­f­­way stage of the Australian innings.

Cameron Green (47) and Marcus Stoinis (35) scored briskly and Zampa contributed a quick 29 runs to take Australia past the 275-mark.

England’s chase got off to the worst possible start with Jonny Bairstow falling for a first-ball duck tickling a loosener from Mitchell Starc which Inglis caught diving to his left.

Root fell after an eventful 17-ball stay during which he was dropped once, survived an lbw review, and eventually departed caught behind after Australia challenged the initial not-out decision.

Malan and Stokes revived England’s chase with an 84-run stand but England did not get another significant partnership after they fell.

Their title defence was effectively over when Stokes swept Zampa to Stoinis at fine leg.

“It’s been great. The boys have played brilliantly, every game we’ve found a way to win,” Australia captain Pat Cummins said of their five-match winning streak. “I still don’t think we’ve played the complete game. But we’ve had different match-winners.”

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2023