Starc. Finch. Lorcan. And the World Cup Power List.

Day 16 of the World Cup.

Australia 

Ireland came into this game as 500-1 chance to win the World Cup. Forgetting the Lillee Marsh bet, those are not great odds. Australia's innings was a bit patchy at times, but they probably had enough, even if they'd have liked to kick on a bit more a couple of times. 

Then they bowled, Cummins took Balbirnie with a ball that swung a long way. Which was followed by two lucky wickets for Maxwell, before Starc started swinging the ball everywhere. In terms of match practice, the fact Ireland didn't fall over probably helped Australia, even if it also annoyed them.

But considering what happened to England and Pakistan in the banana skin games, Australia will be happy enough that they cleared this match. 

But while Ireland got hammered, Lorcan Tucker sure took a big bite out of Australia's net run rate. It may not matter at the end, but in this tournament anything could. This was a good easy win, but one that still will have annoyed Australia at times.

Finch and David were injured, Australia got bogged down a little, and Ireland kicked on when they should have been put to bed.

Finch

Australia will be boosted by the fact that their captain Aaron Finch has now got some runs this tournament. Or perhaps more accurately that he seemed to finally find some fluency. Even then, it might be pushing it. But he was the best he has been so far. 

Last match Finch did bat through Australia's innings in their last match but was a large reason why their run chase was stuttering until Stoinis muscled them home. There he looked horribly scratchy making 31 from 42 balls – a strike rate of just 74. And with Warner scoring only 5,11 and 3 it's been grim at the top. 

Finch made runs today, but it could have been very different for Australia's skipper. His innings nearly ended without facing a ball. He would have been run out had Dockrell's throw hit the stumps as Australia attempted a single, second ball. 

But Finch scored, and how you interpret that possibly depends on whether you are an optimist or a pessimist. Some might see it as a positive that he can score runs still not at his best. Others might see this innings as further proof he was out of nick. There was an awful lot of yelling after poor shots

Starc

Mitch Starc has been demoted from the new ball because he has not been swinging it. It makes sense, and also as we talked about before, it made Australia fairly predictable. Hazlewood said they would choose Starc when conditions were going to swing.

Tonight Starc got the fourth over, and that is when the ball doesn't usually swing at all. And it went around corners. He was swinging it more with the not so new ball as he has been with the brand new one, Now this could be a fluke. But it does happen that when bowlers discover the wobbleball they often lose swing for a while. But it can come back. What a time to do so. 

This makes Australia far more interesting as a side again, because it gives them flexibility. Before they were either Starc up front automatically, or Starc not moving the ball so he had to move down. They can mix it up and have some fun with it. 

Ireland collapse and Lord Lorcan

Five balls into the second over and Ireland were off to a flyer. Both openers had absolutely nailed a six into the leg side – Ireland were 18/0.

It did not last. In the space of 13 balls Ireland's hopes in this game and this World Cup crumbled to dust. Perhaps taking England with them. 

Balbirnie had already had a lucky escape in the previous over when Hazlewood clipped the top of his off stump but the bail didn't come off. He was less fortunate when shuffling across to Cummins, exposing all three stumps and getting bowled behind his legs. 

18/1

Maxwell came into the attack, possibly to tempt Stirling into doing something stupid. It worked. He hit the second ball of the over straight to Cummins at mid off. 

18/2

Harry Tector made 6 runs from his first three balls. He pulled his fourth to square leg. Maxwell had two in the over, Ireland were 24/3.

The collapse though had only just got going. Next Ireland moved into the duck phase. Starc absolutely obliterating Campher and then four balls later Dockrell as we have already discussed. Just a leg bye coming in the double wicket maiden. 

25/5 after 4. Game over.

And yet… Ireland couldn't climb out of that particular cavernous hole, but they were able to do England a favour, managing not to lose as horribly as it looked like they would and not giving Australia any net run rate advantage.

That was all down to one man, Lorcan Tucker who played an absolutely incredible innings. He finished 71* from 48, all the more impressive given he'd made precisely 0 by the time Ireland were 5 wickets down.

Starc and Hazlewood were taken for 12 runs and then 18 in consecutive overs. Lorcan played all the shots and looked as comfortable scooping over the keeper as clubbing the ball into the second tier over long on.

Tucker is highly rated in the Ireland set-up. But I still saw him as probably a lower middle order player at his best. But he seems to be developing so fast, it will be interesting if franchises start paying attention. At the least he earned quite a few new English fans if it helps their chances of progressing to the next round.

Power rankings