Finch, Marsh Drives Aussies to Huge Win

Melbourne: Finch score 135 in 128-balls and Marsh picked 5-33 as Australia defeated Engalnd by xxxx runs at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Australia have kick-started their pursuit of a fifth Cricket World Cup crown in thoroughly resounding fashion, running out 111-run winners over England in front of a packed and parochial MCG crowd of 84,336.

A sixth ODI century for Aaron Finch and a blistering 66 from Glenn Maxwell paved the way for Australia’s 9-342 – the most they have ever scored at the venue – before paceman Steve Finn closed the innings with the first hat-trick by an Englishman in World Cup history.

It was then the turn of Mitchell Marsh to take centre stage with the ball, as the allrounder claimed the best figures of his burgeoning career, running through the England batting order with 5-33.

No.6 James Taylor enhanced his own reputation with a superb 98 not out from 90 balls, but it was very much a case of too little, too late for England.

Finch has often played second fiddle to his more high-profile opening partner David Warner, but the 28-year-old now has twice as many ODI hundreds as his NSW counterpart, and his 135 from 128 balls in his maiden World Cup outing stole the show on the grandest of stages and laid the foundation for a mammoth total.

Finn (5-71) finished the Australian innings on a high with a hat-trick and a five-wicket haul from the final three deliveries, but his personal achievement was put into harsh perspective when England began their innings.

The first breakthrough came in the fifth over, when Moeen Ali was rushed into a pull shot off Mitchell Starc and was caught at mid on for 10.

Earlier, England have won the toss and have opted to field.

England dropped Ravi Bopara, Gary Ballance replaced him.

Teams:

Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Steven Smith, George Bailey (Capt.), Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood

England: Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (Capt.), James Taylor, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, James Anderson

Brief scores
Australia - 342/9 (Finch 135, Maxwell 66, Bailey 55, Finn 5-71)
England - 231 (Taylor 98*, Marsh 5-33)
Result -  Australia won by 111 runs
Points - Australia 2, England 0