Josh Hazlewood took career-best figures, but Steven Smith was unhappy with Australia’s bowling performance © Getty Images
Steven Smith admitted his Australia side “got away with one” after rain forced an abandonment in their ICC Champions Trophy match against New Zealand at Edgbaston.
Smith criticised his seamers for “one of the worst bowling displays that we’ve put on for a very long time,” as New Zealand amassed 254 for three at the end of the 39th over. And while he felt they clawed back some ground in the final six overs of the innings – New Zealand lost seven wickets for 37 runs in that period – he still accepted Australia would “have preferred to been in New Zealand’s position” when the rain came.
“I thought it was probably one of the worst bowling displays that we’ve put on for a very long time,” Smith said after the match. “We bowled both sides of wicket. We gave them a lot of freebies. It was pretty ordinary.
“We certainly would have preferred to be in New Zealand’s position when we came off the end there. We still had a lot of work to do and they’ve got a quality bowling attack as well. So we perhaps got away with one there.”
Australia were wobbling at 53 for 3 when the match was abandoned. Both sides took a point from the game and realistically have to win both their remaining matches if they are to progress to the semi-finals.
More to follow …
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo