Aussie joy as Jonny Bairstow’s first-ball duck condemns England to Cricket World Cup elimination

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Adam Zampa-inspired Australia have avoided more heartbreak at the hands of Ben Stokes to defeat England by 33 runs and all but secure a Cricket World Cup semi-final spot.

Making 286 after being sent in to bat by England captain Jos Buttler, Australia looked likely winners in Ahmedabad until Stokes slowly played himself in.

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The England star struggled early in his innings, but hung around to create doubt in Australian minds and remind them of his previous heroics.

After combining with Moeen Ali at 4-106, the pair were looking comfortable and set for an assault in the final 15 overs.

But Zampa (3-21 from 10 overs) continued his remarkable resurgence following the spinner’s poor start to the tournament to dismiss Stokes for 64 and kill off England’s chances at 5-169.

“We expected England to come out a bit more aggressive, but they can take the moral victory from this,” Mitchell Starc joked.

Adam Zampa was the star of the show after turning the tide towards Australia. Credit: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Tailenders Chris Woakes (32) and Adil Rashid (20) provided a few tense moments but never seriously threatened to pull off an unlikely win.

England were all-out for 253 with 11 balls left to stay on the bottom of the table with just one win from seven matches in a disastrous defence of their first ODI World Cup title.

England’s fifth-consecutive defeat officially eliminated them from the World Cup and they are now in danger of missing qualification for the Champions Trophy.

While England’s misery continued, Australia have won five games in a row after opening the tournament with disappointing defeats to India and South Africa.

Third-placed Australia are a game clear of Pakistan and New Zealand with a match in hand, meaning they only need to win one of their remaining clashes with Afghanistan and Bangladesh to be safe in the top four.

But Australia will be desperate to finish second or third to avoid playing red-hot India in the semi-finals.

“I feel like every game we’ve just improved a little bit,” Australia captain Pat Cummins said.

“The good thing is, every game there’s different matchwinners and it feels like it’s all coming together.”

Australia made the perfect start in the field, with Starc dismissing Ashes combatant Jonny Bairstow with the first ball of the innings.

Jonny Bairstow was out first ball to Mitchell Starc. Credit: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

A clever review from Australia led to Joe Root departing for 13, leaving England reeling at 2-19.

Stokes, Dawid Malan (50) and Ali (42) gave England a chance but Zampa was brilliant, even as dew set in, to remain the leading wicket-taker (19) in the tournament

Earlier, Marnus Labuschange crafted his best World Cup score with a patient 71 from 83 balls to lead the way in Australia’s innings.

England’s Ashes star Woakes fired with the ball, taking 4-54.

Labuschange and Steve Smith (44) steadied the innings after openers David Warner (15) and Travis Head (11), who were both coming off centuries against the Black Caps, departed early.

Zampa provided some valuable and unexpected runs when Australia slumped to 8-247, blasting 29 from 19 balls.

“He’s a matchwinner,” Cummins said of Zampa.

“We’re lucky to have a few of them but ‘Zamps’ in particular, to use him through the middle (overs) you always feel like you’re close to a wicket … he was at his best tonight.”

Mitchell Marsh is expected to arrive back in India next week and be available for games later in the tournament after going back to Perth for family reasons.