Australia in WC semis after crushing England

LONDON, June 26 (AP): Australia smothered top-ranked England by 64 runs at Lord's on Tuesday and ratcheted up the pressure on the home side to join the defending champion in the Cricket World Cup semifinals.

First into the playoffs, the Australians successfully defended a total for the fourth consecutive match, making 285-7 stand tall by bowling out England for 221 with 5.2 overs to spare. Fast bowler Jason Behrendorff claimed a maiden 5-for while Mitchell Starc grabbed four to lead the tournament wickets list with 19.

England rose to the top of the one-day rankings thanks to fearless and imaginative chases, but fell to a third defeat in seven matches in its home World Cup, all three while chasing.

Consecutive losses at home for the first time since 2015 - also inflicted by Australia at Lord's - aren't fatal to England's semifinal hopes, but raised the stakes even higher for a win against India or New Zealand, who are both unbeaten.

This latest defeat for England also breathed more life into closest challengers Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, each of which must still win all their remaining games to remain hopeful.

The decision at the toss was vital. Eoin Morgan won it and made Australia bat first. Counterpart captain Aaron Finch was leaning toward bowling first, too, but wasn't fussed.

Morgan gambled on quicks Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer, and Mark Wood taking wickets in ideal conditions; overcast and muggy.

All three found movement off the seam in a rousing opening but the edges, air shots, and drops near fielders faded away as Finch and David Warner came out of their bunker and posted their third century stand of the tournament.

Finch and Warner have been out only once each in the first 10 overs, and still only once through seven matches. Finch was pulling too-short balls to the boundary and Warner, given three slips, soon scattered them as he hit boundaries off Archer, Woakes, and Wood.