England humiliated as Australia command World Cup opener

Finch blasted an impressive century as England suffered an embarrassing defeat in their World Cup opener.

Australia dominated proceedings as they cruised to a 111-run victory against a sorry England outfit who made just 231 in their chase of Australia's mammoth total of 342/9.

Aaron Finch launched the tournament favourites towards a monolithic score as the big-hitting opener made 135 after England had won the toss and decided to field first. Contributions from the in-form Glenn Maxwell (66) and skipper George Bailey (55) compounded England's misery.

James Taylor's highest score in ODI cricket of 98 not out sparked late controversy after he had been judged to be the final England wicket to fall lbw to Josh Hazlewood and, despite successfully overturning the umpire's decision, the ball was deemed to not be dead and Anderson was run out to deny Taylor the opportunity to reach a maiden century. 

England's innings capitulated in front of a packed crowd at the MCG, one which witnessed an impressive display from Mitchell Marsh on his World Cup debut, as the young seam bowler claimed 5-33 to dismiss the majority of England's top order. Steven Finn continues to be England's leading light with the ball returning figures of 5-71, but a top score of 98 from Taylor was not enough as England were humiliated on cricket's biggest stage.

England were outplayed in all aspects by their hosts. Australia were dynamic in the field, ruthless against England's below-par bowling attack and their own bowling attack was several classes above where it needed to be to defeat an abject opponent.

The visitors started with intent and were rewarded for their application as Stuart Broad claimed wickets in successive deliveries to remove David Warner (22) and Shane Watson for a golden duck with the score at 57/2.

With most of Australia's batsmen currently enjoying some sort of devastating form with the bat, every wicket was vital for England, but none more so than that of Steve Smith who was bowled by Chris Woakes for 5. 

Maxwell added to England's misery.

Having pegged Australia back to 70/3, England seemed to be up for the fight, but the brute force of Finch and Maxwell was too good for England's bowling attack and complimented by another superb one-day innings from captain Bailey. The lack of a frontline spinner to negate this threat through the middle overs came back to hurt England as Moeen Ali suffered a wicketless spell of nine overs for 60 runs.

Finch and Bailey added 146 for the fourth-wicket partnership as England toiled in the field, before Finn came back in to the attack to give England some hope. A superb knock from Finch was the highlight of the innings and the opening batsman went on to reach his sixth ODI century in 102 deliveries.

He continued to accelerate before he was run out for 135, but Maxwell assumed the role of the aggressor adding a 30-ball fifty with three consecutive boundaries. The innings finished on a bittersweet tone for England as Finn claimed a hat trick with the final three deliveries, but the damage had been done and Australia coasted to the finish line as Taylor and Chris Woakes salvaged a shred of pride after England's top order once again failed to deliver. 

Ali recognised the urgency of England's situation and the early pressure of the scoreboard forced him into playing a rash shot, but Ian Bell continued his recent form with an impressive display of typically off-side stroke play. 

Gary Ballance (10) was promoted to number three and also appeared to be in good touch, but he found Finch at short mid-wicket after he had only just been moved by Bailey into this fielding position - such was England's lack of fortune. The man who he demoted, James Taylor, finished England's spirited innings as top scorer, something which England may have to rectify before their next game against New Zealand on Thursday.

England batting collapses border on cliche in recent times, a sad reality that may have made it easier to see England outplayed by every stretch of the imagination, for the first half of their run chase at least. All of the talk prior to this game had centred around a certain Mitchell Johnson, but the vast majority of people were watching the wrong Mitchell as his namesake, Marsh, stunned England with figures of five wickets for 15 runs inside seven overs. 

The visitors slumped to 92/6 as Marsh followed-up his dismissal of Ballance by claiming the more prized wicket of Bell (36), who was unfortunate to pick out Mitchell Starc in the deep with the score at 66/3.

It is possible that even at this early stage with the required run rate already approaching eight runs per over that English heads had dropped and their confidence continued to take hit after brutal hit as Marsh and his Australian colleagues gave an unforgiving performance on home soil. 

Marsh claimed wickets in successive deliveries to remove Joe Root for five, but one of the biggest concerns in the England side at present, the form of captain Eoin Morgan, continued to be an issue as he was removed for his fourth duck in five innings thanks to an impressive catch from Brad Haddin. 

Taylor's efforts were in vain as England
suffered a humbling defeat.

An even more superb effort in the field came from Smith, who held onto a fierce strike from Jos Buttler (10) as Marsh collected his fifth wicket. Having already admitted defeat, Taylor and Woakes doubled England's score with a 92-run stand for the seventh-wicket partnership as the visitors redeemed a modicum of respect. 

Taylor made his fifth ODI half-century in 61 deliveries with an emphatic six off Marsh and Woakes complimented his batting partner with the patient addition of 37 before he skied a Johnson delivery to Smith. Broad followed for a first-ball duck with the score at 194/8 as Taylor continued to prove why he is England's most dangerous batsman in recent times.

Johnson collected his second wicket when Finn (1) chipped an innocuous delivery back to the fast bowler, but Anderson was defiant as he attempted to assist Taylor towards a maiden century. 

But, in a cruel twist of fate, Taylor fell two runs shy of this milestone, not because he had been trapped lbw by Hazlewood in the 42nd over, but because the umpires, after a lengthy discussion, decided that the ball was still live and that Anderson had been run out, as England's disappointing innings was ended in the most disheartening fashion.