Latest update: 13-05-2025, 23:08
At the close of play on Day 2, Australia had lost 8 wickets for just 144 runs. With fresh bowlers steaming in at Lord’s, the pressure was immense. When Nathan Lyon was dismissed for 2 on the second ball of the morning session, the score read 148/9—hardly the platform for a half-century.
1. Starc’s Unbeaten Magic
Batting at number nine, Mitchell Starc held one end firm for 190 minutes, scoring 58 off 136 balls* with five elegant fours. His innings lifted Australia’s total to 207, an improbable recovery.
2. First Number-Nine Fifty in a Knockout Match
In the history of ICC knockout cricket, no number nine—or lower—had ever scored a fifty until Starc’s unforgettable knock.
3. Lessons from the Last-Wicket Stand
Alongside Josh Hazlewood, Starc added a 59-run partnership for the tenth wicket—almost a quarter of the team’s runs. Hazlewood contributed 17, but it was this final stand that pushed Australia to a defendable total of 207.
4. New ICC Final Records
• Highest Innings by a Number Nine in a Final: Starc eclipsed Courtney Browne’s previous mark.
• Highest Tenth-Wicket Partnership in a Final: Their 59-run stand surpassed the 41-run record set by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson in the 1975 World Cup final at Lord’s.
Conclusion:
Known primarily for his pace bowling, Starc’s match-turning innings proved that in cricket’s biggest moments, he can bat as fearlessly and effectively as any specialist.
