"Starc's Hat-Trick Shines in Rainy CWC Warm-Up vs. Nethe

The grin returned along with the blazing yorkers and the fierce intensity. Mitchell Starc geared up for the World Cup with a hat-trick, but alas , rain had the final say, forcing the warm-up match between Australia and the Netherlands to be called off.

Chasing a target of 167 in a rain-shortened 23-over match, the Netherlands bounced back from a dire position at 15 for four to reach 84 for six after 14.2 overs when the rain returned, ending the contest. The real drama unfolded in Starc’s opening over, where he dismissed Max O’Dowd and Wesley Barresi, and then completed his hat-trick by knocking down Bas de Leede’s stumps, leaving the Netherlands reeling at 12 for three.

Mitchell Marsh, who didn’t get a chance to bat in Australia’s innings, removed opener Vikramjit Singh early, leaving the Netherlands struggling at 15 for four. Colin Ackerman (31 not out) put up a valiant fight to offer a glimmer of hope to the Netherlands before rain interrupted play.

In Australia’s innings, the Dutch bowlers, especially spinners Roelf Van der Merwe (2/12) and Bas de Leede (2/25), kept a tight leash on the scoring rate with disciplined bowling rather than relying on tricks. After Josh Inglis fell cheaply, Alex Carey (28) took the attack to the Dutch bowlers, adding 57 runs with Steve Smith, who found his form later in the innings. Smith (55) played aggressively, hitting three sixes, to reach his half-century. After Smith’s departure, Cameroon Green (34) and Starc (24 not out) provided a late flourish to Australia’s innings.

The final scores: Australia 166/7 in 23 overs (Steve Smith 55, Cameroon Green 34) vs. Netherlands 84/6 in 14.2 overs (Colin Ackerman 31 not out, Mitchell Starc 3/18). The match was eventually abandoned due to rain.

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Written by Afrosa Niha

"Starc's Hat-Trick Shines in Rainy CWC Warm-Up vs. Nethe

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