(Reuters) – Spinner Adam Zampa described his performance against England on Saturday as his “most satisfying” One Day International, as Australia claimed a 33-run victory and moved closer to qualifying for the Cricket World Cup semi-finals.
Zampa, who took the crucial wickets of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, and Moeen Ali for 21 runs, had an exceptional all-round display. Additionally, he scored 29 runs off 19 balls and made a diving outfield catch.
With this win, Australia climbed to third place in the standings. They still have matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the group phase.
The top four teams will advance to the semi-finals.
“To be honest, it’s probably the most satisfying ODI I’ve ever played,” said Zampa, who now leads the tournament’s wicket-taking charts.
“Starc and I discussed the strategy of taking it deep and staying positive, as we made a mistake against New Zealand,” he added referring to their previous match.
“Regarding the catch, I’m not known as the best fielder, but it’s satisfying when the hard work pays off,” Zampa said.
Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne was the top scorer with 71 runs, helping his team reach a total of 286 all out. However, England’s performance fell short, as they only managed 253 runs and suffered their sixth loss in seven matches.
“Getting Buttler out was a significant wicket, and when Stokes and Moeen Ali were on a roll, they looked likely to cruise to victory,” Zampa explained.
“The ball that dismissed Moeen Ali was particularly satisfying for me as I’m known for bowling flatter and faster, but this time, I was able to bowl slower and bring it back,” Zampa added.
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Michael Perry)
