Australia's road to the 2019 Cricket World Cup semi-finals
Watch Australia take on England in the second semi-final from 9.30am on Thursday on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup
Thursday 11 July 2019 09:23, UK
Seemingly destined for top spot, a final-game defeat to South Africa dropped Australia into a semi-final with England. Here's their story...
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Australia 209-3 beat Afghanistan 207 by seven wickets
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David Warner struck an unbeaten 89 from 114 balls as Australia began their bid for a sixth World Cup title with a comfortable victory.
Warner was outgunned by captain Aaron Finch (66 from 49) in an opening stand of 96 but fought on to hit a 74-ball half century, the slowest of his career and one that was booed by a section of the Bristol crowd following his ball-tampering misdemeanour in Cape Town in March last year.
The opener helped Australia reach their target in 34.5 overs - Afghanistan having rallied from 5-2 and 77-5 to 207 all out after electing to bat against the 2015 champions.
Australia 288 beat West Indies 273-9 by 15 runs
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Matters proved rather tougher in their second outing as Nathan Coulter-Nile's career-best 92 and Mitchell Starc's 5-46 earned Australia a hard-fought 15-run win over West Indies in an immense Trent Bridge tussle.
Coulter-Nile struck the highest score by a number eight in a World Cup and Steve Smith contributed 73 as Australia rallied from 38-4, then 79-5, to reach an unlikely 288 all out off 49 overs.
That target seemed well within West Indies' grasp for much of the chase as Shai Hope (68), Jason Holder (51) and Nicholas Pooran (40) all made solid contributions only for Starc to come to the rescue and earn his sixth five-wicket haul.
India 352-5 beat Australia 316 by 36 runs
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Australia succumbed to their first defeat of the tournament as Shikhar Dhawan took centre stage for India, striking 16 boundaries in his 117 from 109 balls.
India racked up 352-5 batting first and, faced with a record World Cup run chase, Australia's effort with the bat was a curious one - epitomised by an unusually circumspect innings of 56 from 84 balls by David Warner.
The opener became to fifth batsman to get a reprieve due to non-dislodged bails but despite that stroke of luck and 55no off 35 from Alex Carey, Australia left themselves too much to do.
Australia 307 beat Pakistan 266 by 41 runs
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Australia's mettle was tested once more - this time by Pakistan as Mohammad Amir's maiden five-wicket haul threatened to inflict a second defeat in a row.
Warner's first international hundred since returning from his ball-tampering ban proved crucial as Australia slumped from 232-3 from 35.1 overs to 307 all out.
Pakistan also suffered a batting collapse, tumbling from 136-2 to 160-6, but stayed in the hunt until Mitchell Starc (2-43) struck twice late on.
Australia 334-7 beat Sri Lanka 247 by 87 runs
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Captain Aaron Finch proved Australia's trump card at The Oval as his tournament-equaling high score of 153 scuppered Sri Lankan hopes.
Finch's 132-ball innings included 15 fours and five sixes as Sri Lanka were set a daunting 335 for victory but Dimuth Karunaratne's side looked on course for a shock win as the captain and Kusal Perera (52) put on 115 for the first wicket.
But, Karunaratne was caught off Kane Richardson three runs short of his maiden one-day international century as Sri Lanka collapsed from 186-3 to 247 all out.
Australia 381-5 beat Bangladesh 333-8 by 48 runs
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If Aaron Finch does not get you… David Warner scored a brilliant 166 from 147 balls to rack up the highest individual score of the tournament.
Finch (53) and Usman Khawaja (89) both shared century stands with Warner and a devastating final few overs took Australia up to 381-5.
Bangladesh battled hard, with Mushfiqur Rahim (102no) scoring a superb unbeaten hundred, and registered their highest ODI total, 333-8, but it came in vain as their top-four aspirations took a hit.
Australia 285-7 beat England 221 by 64 runs
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Australia dealt the semi-final hopes of hosts England a hefty blow with victory at Lord's - one of the highlights being a magnificent Mitchell Starc yorker that bowled Ben Stokes (89) just as the home side rallied.
Chasing 286 on a green pitch, England faltered to 26-3 before Stokes dragged them to 221 in response to Australia's 285-7. That featured a magnificent hundred from Aaron Finch, who shared a century stand with David Warner (53) - booed, along with Steve Smith (38), by the Lord's crowd.
Finch fell the very next ball after bringing up his ton as Australia lost six wickets for 86 runs - and scored just 70 off the last 10 overs - but it proved enough as Jason Behrendorff picked up a five-for.
Australia 243-9 beat New Zealand 157 by 86 runs
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Mitchell Starc's five-wicket haul eclipsed Trent Boult's hat-trick as Australia won the Trans-Tasman tussle at Lord's.
Boult's brilliance at the death left Gary Stead's side requiring 244 runs for victory after Australia had rallied from 92-5 - Usman Khawaja (88) and Alex Carey (71) providing invaluable runs.
But with Kane Williamson (40) and Ross Taylor (30) receiving precious little support, the Black Caps folded to a telling defeat.
South Africa 325-6 beat Australia 315 by 10 runs
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David Warner's dazzling century was not enough to save Australia as they slipped to a 10-run defeat to South Africa at Old Trafford - ensuring a World Cup semi-final clash with England.
Australia slid to 119-4 - with a fifth batsman, Usman Khawaja, retired hurt - as they chased a victory target of 326, before Warner's knock of 122 from 117 balls gave them renewed hope. Alex Carey (85 from 69) then took Australia close before the Proteas finally bowled their opponents out for 315 in the final over.
Australia's defeat meant they slipped to second in the table, with India beating Sri Lanka in their final group game earlier on the day, leaving them to face their great rivals England at Edgbaston in the second semi-final.
