Nottinghamshire’s James Taylor was left unbeaten on 98 not out as England were comprehensively defeated in their opening match of the ICC World Cup, losing to Australia by 111 runs at Melbourne.
In front of a crowd of 84,336, Australia scored 342-9, thanks to an innings of 135 from Arron Finch, backed up by a brutal 66 from Glenn Maxwell and 55 from George Bailey.
England’s bowling lacked discipline for the most part but Steven Finn could take some small consolation from taking a hat-trick with the last three balls of the innings to finish with 5-71.
The Australians ruthlessly demonstrated why they are many people’s favourites to lift their fifth title with a thoroughly competent all-round performance.
Chasing an unlikely 343 to win England were shot down from an early stage, losing their first six wickets inside 22 overs, five of them to Mitchell Marsh, who ended with figures of 5-33.
Taylor made his runs from 90 balls, hitting 11 fours and two sixes but England could muster only 231 from 41.5 overs before the game ended in slightly bizarre circumstances.
Taylor’s county team-mate, Stuart Broad, bowled with good pace to collect figures of 2-66 but the third Notts player in the squad, Alex Hales, was omitted from the starting line-up.
Put in to bat, after Eoin Morgan had won the toss, the co-hosts were ruthless from the start and put on 57 for the first wicket in only 7.3 overs and it was some relief to the fielding side when Stuart Broad managed to break the stand by bowling the dangerous David Warner for 22.
The Notts pace man made it two in two as he then had Shane Watson caught behind and when Chris Woakes removed the in-form Steve Smith for only five, Australia had some concerns at 70-3.
Finch wasn’t to be denied though. The opener was reprieved in the first over on nought, when Woakes put down a chance at square leg off Jimmy Anderson’s bowling, From then on he was at his destructive best as he blasted a century from 102 balls with nine fours and two sixes, sharing a fourth wicket stand of 146 in 26 overs with Bailey.
A direct hit from Morgan ran out Finch and then Finn picked up his first wicket by bowling Bailey, who was skippering the Australians in the absence of Michael Clarke.
The platform had been set for a late-order assault from Maxwell and ‘The Big Show’ didn’t disappoint his legions of followers. Nicely settled, he hit Finn for four consecutive boundaries in the 46th over to reach his half century from only 30 balls.
England imploded spectacularly as the innings drew to a close, conceding 102 runs in the last nine overs but it may have been worse but for three catches in the deep from the final three deliveries of the over.
Haddin was caught by a slice down to Broad at third man, Maxwell was well taken by Joe Root at long off and then Mitchell Johnson hit straight to Anderson at mid off.
Finn’s hat-trick was the eighth to be taken in the ICC World Cup and the first by an Englishman.
Australia’s total was the highest-ever score conceded by England in a World Cup match and they began their reply armed with the knowledge that no international side had ever chased over 300 to win an ODI at the MCG.
Moeen Ali and Gary Ballance both fell cheaply, leaving England on 50-2 after the initial ten-over powerplay.
Marsh had picked up Bell’s wicket and he made further inroads in the fourteenth over when he picked up the wickets of Bell (36) and Root (5) in consecutive deliveries.
Playing as cover for another injury-victim, James Faulkner, Marsh heaped further troubles on the England captain’s poor form.
Morgan was caught behind by Haddin for a six-ball duck, his fourth in five innings. Barely had the celebrations died down when they were sparked into life again by a stunning catch at short extra cover by Smith, to send back Jos Buttler.
James Taylor had been sent in at number six in the order and had a massive slice of fortune on 20 against Josh Hazlewood. Finch dropped a routine catch on the leg side and then the batsman survived a review against a glove behind from the next delivery.
In Woakes, the Notts one-day skipper found a strong ally and the pair combined in a counter-attacking seventh wicket stand worth 92, their highest-ever in any World Cup.
At 163-6 from 33 overs the batting powerplay was taken and Taylor immediately launched Marsh back over his head for six to bring up his fifth ODI half-century (61 balls 4x4 1x6).
He hit the same bowler for a lofted four and got down the other end to punch Mitchell Starc over the long on ropes.
A slower ball from Johnson eventually accounted for Woakes after the Warwickshire man had scored an enterprising 37 from 42 balls.
Although the required run-rate was beyond 10 per over Taylor kept pressing as he hit the quick bowler for consecutive fours to move into the 70s.
Broad had less luck, undone at the other end for a first-baller as Starc speared a swinging yorker into the base of his stumps.
Finn dollied a return catch to Johnson but Anderson hung around for long enough to take Taylor to 98.
The game ended in anticlimax – and some mild controversy.
Taylor was given out lbw against Hazlewood but immediately reviewed it. Anderson had gone for a run and was run out by a direct hit.
The review was over-turned but the umpires decided to give Anderson out – most observers felt the ball should have been declared before that point.
England will be hoping to return to winning ways when they play the other joint-hosts, New Zealand, in Wellington on Friday, whereas the Australians will meet Bangladesh in Brisbane the following day.
Trent Bridge hosts the fourth Royal London One-Day International between England and New Zealand on Wednesday 17 June. Don't miss the chance to take in what promises to be an absorbing contest and secure your seat now.