Rain washes out Australia-Netherlands warm-up match after Starc’s hat-trick

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Mitchell Starc took a hat-trick against the Netherlands on Saturday before rain abandoned the ICC World Cup 2023 warm-up fixture.

Set to chase 167 in 23 overs, the Netherlands found themselves in heaps of trouble as left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc ran through their top order with a hat-trick.

Starc’s hat-trick left the Netherlands reeling at 12/3 before Mitchell Marsh made it 15/4 by castling Vikramjit Singh in the fourth over.

Sybrand Engelbrecht and Colin Ackermann then put on a brief 31-run partnership to settle things before Sean Abbott and Marnus Labuschagne hit back for Australia.

Engelbrecht could score a mere nine before falling victim to Abbott while Dutch captain Scott Edwards scored 14.

Ackermann remained the top-scorer for the Netherlands — who could score 84/6 in 14.2 overs — with an unbeaten 31 in 37 balls with the help of three boundaries.

Mitchell Starc led the bowling attack for Australia with 3/18 while Marsh, Abbott and Labushchagne struck out a batter each.

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Opting to bat first in Saturday’s second warm-up fixture, which was reduced to 23 over a side due to persistent rain here, Australia racked up a commendable total at the back of Steven Smith’s half-century.

The five-time champions, however, got off to a contrasting start as Josh Inglis, who was promoted to open the innings alongside Smith, fell for a three-ball duck.

Smith was then joined by wicketkeeper batter Alex Carey and the pair anchored Australia to 59 in eight overs before Roelof van der Merwe castled the latter.

Carey scored 28 off 25 deliveries, hitting three boundaries and a six.

Australia then endured another setback in the next over when Shariz Ahmad dismissed Glenn Maxwell, who could score a mere five.

Smith then joined forces with Cameron Green and took Australia past the 100-run mark, also amassing his half-century in the process, before finally perishing in the 15th over.

He top-scored for Australia with a 42-ball 55 which featured four boundaries and three sixes.

Following his departure, Green and Mitchell Starc scored vital runs for Australia at the backend, propelling their side to put a decent total on the board.

Green scored 34 in 26 balls, laced up with four boundaries and a six, while Starc played an unbeaten 24-run knock in 22 deliveries with the help of one boundary and a six.

Logan van Beek, Bas de Leede and Roelof van der Merwe bagged two wickets each while Shariz Ahmed made one scalp.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.

Netherlands squad: Scott Edwards (c), Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.

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