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Preview Melbourne: Australia captain George Bailey believes his team’s recent domination of England in one-day internationals will count for nothing when the two sides meet on Saturday for their Cricket World Cup opener. Top-ranked Australia followed an emphatic 4-1 series win in England last January with a one-sided tri-series victory at home this month to make it the clear favorite to get its tournament off to a winning start at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. “I’d love to say (the past record) counts for something, but I honestly don’t think it does,” Bailey said Friday. “England has made some really positive changes to the way they play and their structure, and I personally think they look really dangerous. [caption id=“attachment_2098537” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  James Anderson. Getty Sports[/caption] “Unfortunately we all start on zero tomorrow.” Australia has won 13 of 15 ODIs against England over the past four years. The record in Melbourne is even more imposing, with England losing eight of its last 11 matches at the MCG — its last win coming in 2007. The MCG is expected to hold a near capacity crowd of around 90,000 for the match. “There’s a lot of talk about a big crowd, a big tournament and a big clash to kick it off,” Bailey said. “All things that the boys are very, very excited about.” England paceman James Anderson too was relishing the occasion. “I’ve played here a few times before and I know the atmosphere that 90,000 fans can create, and as a cricketer you want to play in games like this,” he said. “You want to play before big crowds and show off your skills and your talent, and hopefully we can do that tomorrow.” “We’re guessing that the majority (of the crowd) will be against us, that’s something we are prepared for,” he said. “If we start well we know we can quieten most of them.” Australia’s test captain Michael Clarke will skip the match as a precaution as he makes his way back from hamstring surgery, but coach Darren Lehman has no doubt he’ll play Australia’s second match on Feb. 21 against Bangladesh. “We’re happy with the way he’s pulled up and really happy with his progress,” Lehman said. “We’re going to stick to the plan and he’ll play against Bangladesh.” England has had a testing time since arriving in Australia last month, beating India to advance to the one-day tri-series final, only to suffer a resounding 112-run loss to Australia. Its form in warmup matches has been mixed, with a nine-wicket win over the West Indies followed closely by a four-wicket loss to Pakistan. England captain Eoin Morgan maintains that his team can produced an upset. “One change in things that we’ve started to turn around since we’ve come here is learning to adapt with what we do well in Australia as opposed to what anybody else does well,” he said. “If we can produce, what I believe, is our best cricket on Saturday we’ll be able to beat Australia.” England has failed to put it all together in the lead-up to the World Cup, but there have been encouraging individual performances that hint at what is possible. “Ian Bell has hit a great run of form, he’s class when he gets going and scores at a rate at which we feel applicable to score in Australia,” he said. “Moeen Ali obviously plays in the fashion that he does, when he’s at his best he scores at better than a run a ball … if we click together as a side, we can put a score on the board that’s significant enough to win a game.”
World Cup, Australia vs England, as it happened: Australia hammer England by 111 runs
Live coverage of the Group A World Cup opener between England and Australia.
 "World Cup, Australia vs England, as it happened: Australia hammer England by 111 runs")
That’s it from us for this game. We will be back tomorrow for both South Africa vs Zimbabwe and the big one – India vs Pakistan. While South Africa will canter against Zimbabwe, India and Pakistan offer the hope that one of the first four games will not be a blow out. Then again, knowing these two teams, you can’t rule anything out.
Until tomorrow then, ciao.
England lose by 111 and Mark Waugh says the scoreboard is flattering! @cricketworldcup proving predictable so far.....#CWC15
— Malcolm Conn (@malcolmconn) February 14, 2015
Aaron Finch is the Player of the Match.
Finch: It was nice. A little bit surreal. Great feeling to get a win first up. It is always a bit iffy first game of the tournament and there were a few nerves first up. Everyone contributed with either bat or ball or did something special in the field. Hopefully take the momentum through the rest of the tournament.
Can you be given run out after partner been given out lbw? Seems barmy if true
— Derek Pringle (@derekpringle) February 14, 2015
England’s turn to call for the DRS
Taylor – on 98 – is struck on the pads as he moves across his stumps. The umpire gave him out but Taylor immediately reviews. Hawk-Eye says the ball is missing leg and the umpire overturns the decision. Huge reprieve for Taylor.
Except it isn’t
OUT! The umpires have ruled Anderson is run out, which is a very strange decision. The ball should have been dead once Taylor was given out so the run out should not have counted. Taylor tries to make his case with the umpire but it falls on deaf ears. Another farce with DRS.
The final result is that Australia have beaten England by 111 runs. Poor Taylor remains not out on 98.
Goodish news at 225-9 England now can't fall to their biggest ever World Cup defeat! #AUSvENG #CWC15
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) February 14, 2015
Next time there is a choice on whether to go to the cricket or a One Direction concert, I know what I will do..... #cwc15
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) February 14, 2015
39 overs: England 218/9 (Taylor 92, Anderson 2)
Steven Finn took the unlikeliest of hat-tricks and five-fors when England bowled. Taylor is close to making the unlikeliest of centuries. A lovely glide off Starc to third man takes him into the 90s. He has played really well to get to this point but you get the feeling Anderson won’t hang around for two long. Taylor needs to get their fast or he probably won’t get there at all.
Cricket is all about avoiding playing against good opposition. Alastair Cook is the only winner here. #CWC15
— ꜱɪʀ ꜰʀᴇᴅ ʙᴏʏᴄᴏᴛᴛ (@FredBoycott) February 14, 2015
OUT! Nine wickets for the Mitches. Finn gets one of those head-seeking bouncers and can only fend it straight up in the air. Johnson waits and waits and then takes the simplest of return catches.
ST Finn c & b Johnson 1 (6b 0x4 0x6) SR: 16.66
England 195 for 9 and headed off into the sunset.
OUT! Broad goes for a first ball duck. Full and straight from Starc and Broad was camped on the back foot and had no chance. Broad’s batting has all but disappeared and his bowling is a pale shadow of what it used to be too.
SCJ Broad b Starc 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
England now 194 for 8 after 36.1 overs. Taylor is still fighting the good fight with 76 from 73 balls.
OUT! Woakes has departed. Tried to loft Johnson over the infield but didn’t time it. Smith takes a far easier catch this time.
CR Woakes c Smith b Johnson 37 (42b 2×4 0x6) SR: 88.09
England 184 for 7 after 35.2 overs and Johnson has his first wicket of the match.
35 overs: England 184/6 (Taylor 66, Woakes 37)
Taylor and Woakes have now added 92 from 13.3 overs. This is one reason ODI cricket is losing its charm. The results isn’t in doubt so Australia are no longer trying to actively win the game. In effect, it has become a practice match. Sports is best when there is tension. The tension has leaked out of this game like air from a punctured balloon. If Mitch Johnson and his moustache can’t rescue it.
Fifty for James Taylor
He gets there with an audacious semi-scoop over his left shoulder that goes over the fine leg boundary for SIX! He owes Bailey a thank you note for taking his foot off England’s neck and allowing Taylor and Woakes to breathe.
30 overs: England 153/6 (Taylor 43, Woakes 29)
Bailey decides he can give Smith and his legspinners a bowl. He has Maxwell at the other end so part-time spinners bowling in tandem. Taylor and Woakes say thank you and help themselves to some easy runs. Taylor even pulls out of the reverse-sweep and smacks Maxwell through the covers. Whatever you can do, I can do better. Woakes is happy to sweep Maxwell powerfully to fine leg too.
I do not understand why Bailey has taken his foot off the gas here. He is just letting the game drift now and the lack of intensity can be seen in Finch’s dropped catch and poor bowling of Maxwell and Smith.
I'm thinking Zim will be slightly more competitive v SA tomorrow than England today.... 😳
— 🗡️Charles Dagnall 🗡️ (@CharlesDagnall) February 14, 2015
It's going from bad to worse for Australia. First Taylor is dropped, then they waste their referral. England roaring back into it. Roooaaarr
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) February 14, 2015
Stat: No. of ducks in World Cups by England captains - 10
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 14, 2015
The next highest - 3
Eng 115/6 http://t.co/CNy0swc5gB #CWC15
25 overs: England 113/6 (Taylor 20, Woakes 12)
England have brought up their hundred but it doesn’t matter. This has been an epic disaster and the team will to rethink their strategy. Taylor is trying to throw his bat around but England would be better served if he tried to bat for as long as possible. England are not going to win this match even if Taylor morphs into the love child of Viv Richards and Glenn Maxwell.
And to think this England team beat India twice in the Tri-series. Shows you just how bad India were in that tournament and why Indian fans aren’t overly enthusiastic about their team’s chances.
Owzat. https://t.co/bVDZBD40Ga (via @Mattys123)
— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) February 14, 2015
England is the new India
— Ashok Malik (@MalikAshok) February 14, 2015
OUT! Oh! My! God! Steve Smith has pulled off a blinder at short cover. Butler absolutely hammered the ball and Smith leapt like a cobra to his left and took it two-handed while practically parallel to the ground. Marsh has five wickets but that should come with an asterix. Smith deserved that wicket. Butler couldn’t belief he was out and frankly neither can I.
JC Buttler c Smith b Marsh 12 (12b 1×4 0x6) SR: 100.00
England now 92 for 6 and fading fast.
Mitchell Marsh in ODIs before today - 6 for 290 off 57. Today: 4 for 15 off 6.
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) February 14, 2015
20 overs: England 81/5 (Taylor 8, Butler 7)
For some reason, Bailey has brought on Maxwell with England five down for less than 100. That is the perfect way to east the pressure. Why not just go for the jugular here?
And people thought Alastair Cook was in bad nick, Morgan goes cheaply
— Derek Pringle (@derekpringle) February 14, 2015
OUT! Marsh has a fourth wicket. Morgan went to pull a bouncer from wide outside off. Was early on the shot, the ball took the back of the bat and Haddin was alert enough to dive full length and pouch the ball inches of the ground with his left hand. Haddin promptly jumped up and took off on a celebratory run, arm aloft and holding the ball in triumph.
EJG Morgan c †Haddin b Marsh 0 (6b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
It seems England’s one-day captain – whomever it is – simply cannot score runs. England now 73 for 5. Defeat is rushing at them like a bullet train.
Only 16 overs into the England innings, and the crowd is done. Mexican Wave time. This game became uncompetitive pretty quickly
— Tristan Lavalette (@trislavalette) February 14, 2015
17 overs: England 72/4 (Morgan 0, Taylor 4)
Mitchell Johnson and his moustache continue to charge in at England’s batsmen and distract them from the real threat – Mitchell Marsh, who has 3 for 12 from 4 overs,
Johnson does beat Taylor with a one that draws him forward then leaves him helpsless but in the main he has not been the fearsom grizzly bear everyone was hoping to see.
In case anyone wants to know, the required run-rate is now 8.21.
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