England dominate Australia and cruise into first World Cup final in 27 years

The English test captain hugs the ODI captain after they streered England to their first World Cup final in 27 years.

England has snuffed out Australia's title defence and stormed into the Cricket World Cup final with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over the five-times champions in the second semi-final on Thursday.

Eoin Morgan's men skittled out Australia for 223 before romping to their target in 32.1 overs in a lop-sided battle between the hosts and the holders at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Jason Roy (85) and Jonny Bairstow (34) made the chase look like a cakewalk with their fourth successive century opening partnership.

Joe Root (49 not out) and Morgan (45 not out) completed the formalities for England who avenged their group-stage defeat by Australia at a venue where they had won 10 previous matches across all formats.

England, who last made the final in 1992 when they lost to Pakistan, will meet 2015 runners-up New Zealand on Sunday at Lord's where new champions will be crowned.

Earlier, Aaron Finch's decision to bat appeared to backfire with Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer blowing away the Australian top order.

Archer struck with his first delivery to dismiss Finch and later left Alex Carey with a bloodied chin which needed stitches.

By then, the setback had snowballed into a full-blown crisis for Australia.

Woakes (3-20) removed David Warner, Australia's leading scorer in the tournament, for nine and bowled Peter Handscomb who was making his World Cup debut as replacement for the injured Usman Khawaja.

Archer oozed hostility at the other end, hitting a hopping Carey on the grill of his helmet and dislodging it from his head.

Carey braved the blow to join Steve Smith in a dogged bid to arrest the free-fall and Australia reached the 100-mark in the 25th over before their middle order caved in.

Adil Rashid claimed 3-54, including the wickets of Carey (46) and Marcus Stoinis, and Archer sent back Glenn Maxwell, who scored at a run-a-ball for his 22 before being deceived by a slower ball.

Smith was run out for 85 in the 48th over and Australia could not last their full quota of 50 overs.

Smith and Carey scored more than half their team's total and were among only four Australian batsmen who managed double-digit scores.

Their slim victory chances hinged on their ability to subject England to a similar top-order collapse but Roy and Bairstow batted with the kind of fearlessness which has been the hallmark of this England team.

Roy smashed his fourth consecutive fifty in the tournament, clobbering Smith for three sixes in a row.

Mitchell Starc, who made 29 with the bat, dismissed Bairstow and Pat Cummins denied Roy his century but the match had slipped through Australia's fingers by then.

THE STAR

Chris Woakes was the star, and outshone some incredible performances by many English stars.

Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Jason Roy. They can all count themselves unlucky not to be the star of the day, but it belongs to Chris Woakes, who in his opening spell, alongside Archer, decimated Australia to 3 for just 14, a position they would never recover from. After Archer removed Aaron Finch for a golden duck, Woakes would remove David Warner who could not get the edge out of the way of a back of a length ball that reared more than expected, with the ball ballooning to Jonny Bairstow at first slip. He would then pick up Peter Handscomb just a few overs later, with the Victorian playing all around one, edging it back onto his stumps. Woaks would finish with 3 for 20 off 8 overs, after removing Behrendorff to wrap up the innings. But it was a combination of early wickets and tight economical bowling which had the biggest impact for the English.

THE MOMENT

Alex carey watches his helmet come off after a Jofra Archer short ball cannoned into his grille.

The end of the 8th over of the Australian innings, Alex Carey faced up to Jofra Archer, who pitched one short. Australia are 19 for 3, Carey subconsciously would know the magnitude of the trouble Australiare are in. Carey, capable of rocking back and pulling it for four, bats within himself for fear of losing another wicket. Luckily he does, as it rears due to Archer’s extra pace and cannons into the grill of Carey’s helmet. It knocks it off, and Carey calmly catches it on the way down. It splits him and claret comes from his chin. He would continue on, bandaged up looking like Rick McCosker back in the 1977 centenary test. It was a moment that would signal two significant things. The arrival of Alex Carey as a genuine international cricket. Only six balls later, he would crunch a cover drive off Chris Woakes for four to show that despite the seriousness of the impact, it had not settled him. He understood the direness of the situation for his team and would go on and score a vital 46, that would in the end be in vein.

It also signalled a new era of English cricket. No longer were England a side that would promise so much, yet lack that knockout punch. Archer literally delivered one. It was the kind of delivery that made those batting and left to bat realise that the foot was not going to be lifted off the throat of the Australian’s. One hopes that Archer gets a go in the Ashes, but with Anderson and Broad, it may be hard to fit him in.

THE FAILURE

Steve Smith drops his bat as a dejected Marcus Stoinis walks off for a duck against England.

Warner, Finch, Handscomb, Maxwell, Starc, Lyon, Smith’s one over, can all count themselves lucky. But the failure goes undoubtedly to Marcus Stoinis. Aaron Finch simply got a peach first up, and Warner was unlucky to have caught the edge on a ball that did more than he expected. Both have had exceptional World Cups and unfortunately for Australia, have both failed at the same time. Glenn Maxwell had an indifferent campaign, but his contribution of 22 was more than the majority of the top order combined (Warner 9, Finch 0, Handscomb 4, Stoinis 0). Starc had an off day, where he also took one wicket and became the first bowler to take 27 wickets in a single world cup campaign, just to highlight how it was a one off bad performance from the big quick. Lyon and Smith were simply took too by the rampant English batsmen.

But Marcus Stoinis’ second ball duck left him with just 87 runs from 7 innings in the campaign, an average of just 14.50 and a strike rate of 76.99. But it was the way that he was dismissed that was the nail into his coffin. That’s not to suggest his international career is over, he is still young enough to have some time away from the international game, regain form and confidence and return. But it’s hard to see it after this performance. With Australia losing it’s fourth wicket after a great rebuilding partnership between Smith and Carey, Australia needed Stoinis to even just stick around for a few overs at least, to help shelter Maxwell and the lower order. Adil Rashid bowled a googly, and Stoinis was inept to pick it from the hand, and unable to adjust after it had landed. It looked horrible, there was so much time from when it landed to when it thundered into his upper leg. It took an age for Kumar Dharmasena’s finger to raise, but it did. And with it Australia’s hopes and Stoinis immediate future in the Australian side.

WHAT NEXT - England are off to the World Cup final, taking on England. No matter what, we will have a first time winner. For Australia, their test stars will remain in country and join up with the Australian A tour, awaiting the first Ashes test on August 1.