ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Ben Stokes' brilliant century powers England to win and sends Australia crashing out

The Durham all-rounder’s third – and undoubtedly best – ODI hundred helped Eoin Morgan’s team to a 40-run Duckworth-Lewis victory

Ben Stokes' brilliance earned England the win and sent Australia crashing out (Getty)

Ben Stokes bludgeoned a brilliant unbeaten century to knock Australia out of the Champions Trophy and maintain England’s winning run in the tournament.

The Durham all-rounder’s third – and undoubtedly best – ODI hundred helped Eoin Morgan’s team to a 40-run Duckworth-Lewis victory as their pursuit of 278 was brought to a halt on 240 for four by the Birmingham weather.

Australia had to win to stay in the tournament following washouts in their opening two games.

They can have no complaints about this result, though, given England, needing 38 from 58 balls, were cruising to victory when the final deluge of the day struck.

Things had not been so straightforward for the hosts when they were reduced to 35 for three early in their run chase.

Among those early wickets was Jason Roy, whose wretched form this summer continued as he was dismissed for just four.

However, a high-octane, counter-attacking stand of 159 between Morgan and Stokes set England, who had already qualified for the semi-finals, back on course for a victory that underlines their status as tournament favourites.

This result, achieved in front of a raucous ODI record Edgbaston crowd of 24,227, means Bangladesh will join the hosts in the last four following their famous victory against New Zealand at Cardiff on Friday.

England, who play their semi-final in Cardiff on Wednesday, had nothing to play for in this match.


 Mark Wood once again got England wickets at key times 
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Yet the chance to knock Australia out of the tournament and land an early psychological blow ahead of this winter’s Ashes series was always going to provide plenty of motivation.

In Stokes they have a player who will not only be vital in England’s bid in this competition to land a first 50-over title but also a man who looks destined to hold the key to his country’s chances in that Ashes series in Australia later this year.

England can also be thankful for superb bowling performances from Adil Rashid and Mark Wood that helped restrict Australia to 277 for nine.


 Adil Rashid prompted Australia's collapse 
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Wood’s four for 33 was the Durham fast bowler’s best return in international cricket and the measure of just how good he was came from the fact that of his 60 deliveries 40 were dot balls.

Rashid’s four-wicket haul, with 41 runs conceded, was his best ODI performance against a Test nation, with only his five for 27 against Ireland in Bristol last month bettering those figures.

The leg-spinner bowled beautifully and the fact he did not concede a single boundary during his ten overs was remarkable.

Rashid’s first wicket, Moises Henriques caught at mid-on in the 28^th over, was the third Australia had lost after Wood dismissed David Warner for 21 in the eighth over and Aaron Finch, set on 68, skied Stokes to Morgan at mid-off.


 Stokes led England's fightback after a nightmare start 
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The key moment of the whole innings was the first ball of Wood’s second spell in the 33^rd over when Steve Smith drove him to mid-off, Australia’s captain departing for 56 with his side on 181 for four.

A 58-run partnership between Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell took Australia to 239 in the 43^rd over.

But they then imploded, losing three wickets in 10 balls.

Wood started the collapse when he had Maxwell caught spectacularly on the midwicket boundary by Roy. Rashid then came to the fore with two wickets in the next over to reduce Australia to 245 for seven.

Matthew Wade was the first, sending a leading edge back to the Yorkshireman attempting to sweep. Mitchell Starc then spooned a full toss up into the air three balls later.


 Australia could do nothing after their early wickets 
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Australia did at least bat out their 50 overs as Head, who top-scored with an unbeaten 71 from 64 balls, marshalled the tail.

England would have been confident of chasing down their target.

The chase, though, got off to the worst possible start as Roy, Alex Hales and Joe Root all fell cheaply within the first six overs.

Roy’s desperate run of form continued when he was trapped lbw to just the second ball of the match from Mitchell Starc. His place must now surely come into question ahead of the semi-final.


 Captain Steve Smith could do nothing but watch Stokes' fireworks 
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Josh Hazelwood then induced edges from Hales, out for a four-ball duck, and Root, falling for 15, that left England in dire straits at the first rain break of the day.

Once play restarted, Stokes and Morgan let loose to shred the Australian attack.

Morgan had been dropped on 12 off Hazelwood before the rain delay. And, alongside Stokes, he made the Australians pay as England’s fourth-wicket pair took just half an hour to put on 50 in 44 balls.

Both then reached their individual half-centuries, Stokes getting there first with a brilliant pulled six off Starc. It had taken him just 39 deliveries, with 20 amazingly dots.

Morgan was pedestrian in comparison, getting there in 51 balls.


 The rain came to secure England's win and send Australia crashing out 
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The century stand between the pair, in 93 balls, was brought up in 22^nd over when Morgan bludgeoned Maxwell for six over long on.

By the time Morgan was run out on 87, caught out of his ground by a brilliant direct hit from spinner Adam Zampa at midwicket, England, on 194 for four, required just 84 runs to win from 109 balls.

Stokes brought up his century in the 41st over by stroking Zampa through midwicket for four.

England now needed just 38 to win. But one ball later the players were forced off by more rain for the final time.