Lehmann's parting shot at England

Coach Darren Lehmann has delivered a cheeky parting shot at England following Australia's Champions Trophy exit, saying the Aussies will only consider adopting their rival's approach to the one-day game "when they win a World Cup".

Much has been made of how England's resurgence in 50-over cricket in the past two years was inspired by New Zealand's daring and carefree approach at the 2015 World Cup, when the Black Caps rode a wave of goodwill all the way to the final in Melbourne.

But Lehmann was quick to point out that it was Australia, not their trans-Tasman rivals, who lifted the trophy in that tournament after a thumping win over NZ in the final.

And when he was asked if Australia would now consider following England's blueprint, the final question the coach fielded from the media before returning home, his response was swift and to-the-point.

"I think England and New Zealand took the way we played at the last World Cup," Lehmann said after Australia's heavy defeat at Edgbaston on Saturday.

"We played with bravery and we smashed every side, except New Zealand in Auckland obviously (when they lost by one wicket). So they're starting to take the way we play, not vice versa.

"When they win a World Cup, we can take the way they play."

The comments were delivered with a broad smile and a glint in Lehmann's eye before he exited stage right and returned to the Australian dressing-room. If the coach had been holding a mic, he no doubt would have dropped it.

Speaking on the eve of the Edgbaston clash, England skipper Eoin Morgan said it was the performance of the four semi-finalists at the last World Cup, not just NZ, that inspired his side's rapid rise since then.

"The brand of cricket they (Australia, NZ, India and South Africa) played was completely different to everybody else," he said.

"They were aggressive, they could score 350 if needed, and they always went for an attacking bowling line-up. Nothing they ever did was a step backwards.

"So that as a template, as opposed to just singling out New Zealand, I think, is more relevant."

England's win in Birmingham has moved them to within two victories of what would be their first major one-day title at the 19th time of trying.

Lehmann was left to rue how his side gave up early advantages with both the bat and ball at Edgbaston before Morgan and Ben Stokes produced a match-winning partnership in the run chase.

Having been 4-239 with more than seven overs to go, Australia lost 5-15 to crawl to a below-par total of 9-277 from their 50 overs. And having reduced the hosts to 3-35 in reply, their bowlers lost control of the game in the face of some stunning stroke play from Morgan and Stokes.

Despite missing some chances, Lehmann was in no doubt that his team had been thoroughly outplayed on the day. 

"It was not good enough," he said. "England were a lot better than us, it's as simple as that.

"Obviously rain's not ideal, but you can't do anything about it. We've got no excuses. We were poor today and deserved to lose.

"When you're playing England, you're always up for those games. We just got outplayed today.

"Credit to England - they bowled well, but I think we helped them a little bit in the back-end of our innings.

"I think they're a very good side. We had our opportunity today, we missed a couple of chances that we should have taken. That doesn't help when you're trying to defend a total.

"They're a good side, they're playing at home and they've got some confidence. And they played accordingly."

And he urged his players to go back to the daring style of play that guided them to World Cup glory in 2015.

"We certainly want to get back to playing brave cricket," he said. "I don't think we were brave enough or smart enough in this tournament.

"I would like us to play with a lot more freedom and bravery when we play."

Champions Trophy 2017 Guide

Squads: Every Champions Trophy nation

Schedule

1 June – England beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

2 June – New Zealand v Australia, No Result

3 June – Sri Lanka lost to South Africa by 96 runs

4 June – India beat Pakistan by 124 runs

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, No Result

6 June – England beat New Zealand by 87 runs

7 June – Pakistan beat South Africa by 19 runs (DLS method)

8 June – Sri Lanka beat India by seven wickets

9 June – Bangladesh beat New Zealand by five wickets

10 June – England beat Australia by 40 runs (DLS method)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)