Cricket World Cup 2019: The making of Mitchell Starc – How Australian transformed into a peerless fast bowler

When Jofra Archer and Mark Wood go toe-to-toe with the Australian, it will be a matter of master versus apprentices

In a slow burner of a World Cup there has been no shortage of pace – and in a first World Cup semi-final between England and Australia since 1975, it could well be a case of the master versus the apprentices.

Mitchell Starc was hardly an unknown quantity going into this World Cup but the volume of wickets he has taken may even have surprised the most ardent Aussie. His 26 wickets at a cost of just 16 mean he’s almost certain to end a second successive World Cup as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, having already surpassed the 22 he took on his home patch back in 2015.

On the opposite side on Thursday will be Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, two bowlers capable of matching Starc for pace but not, for the moment at least, consistent deadliness. They currently have 33 wickets between at this tournament and have provided plenty of hope that England can fight fire with fire when they come up against the Aussies, not just in a first World Cup semi-final in 27 years, but also when the Ashes get underway next month.

They both, though, have some way to go to match a peerless left-armer whose ability to swing a ball at ferocious pace is matched only by his talent for turning matches on their head.

The man who went wicketless in three of his first six ODI appearances for Australia has been busy making up for lost time ever since. And his coach with New South Wales, Trent Johnston, isn’t remotely surprised by his demolition jobs at this World Cup.

“He’s a real hard-worker, has worked hard at his game and he’s getting the rewards right now,” says Johnston.

“He has done a lot of his growing up in international cricket but when he comes back [to NSW] he brings back a lot of information, a lot of knowledge and experience from that Australian team.

“He’s just great to have around. He’s 6’5”, very athletic and a left-armer, which has been the craze in world cricket over the past few years.

“His 150kph rockets are a pretty awesome piece of armoury to have in your kit.”

Mitchell Starc celebrates taking the wicket of West Indies’ Chris Gayle (Getty)

He’s not wrong and how grateful Australia have been for them at this World Cup. Were it not for Starc ending Pakistan’s stubborn chase at Taunton – when two wickets in four balls put pay to potential calamity – or him causing Ben Stokes to discard his bat on bended knee after an unplayable yorker did for him at Lords, it’s quite possible that Australia’s route to the semi-final would have been a lot more fraught.

It might also have meant Aaron Finch’s side facing India rather than England in the last four.

His record against the hosts in all formats is a formidable one. In the last Ashes series, he took 22 wickets at a cost of 23 as England crumbled to a 4-0 series defeat. In the summer of 2015, he was Australia’s leading wicket-taker again, with 18 scalps at a cost of 30.50.

He’s a far better bowler now than he was then, though, and England’s record against left-arm pace – or any extreme pace for that matter – has always been a cause for concern. Starc’s fellow Mitch, a certain Mr Johnson, will testify to that.

Mitchell Starc has already taken 26 wickets during the World Cup thus far (Getty)

“I think they’re very similar,” says Johnston. “They want to come in and bowl quick and they want to swing the ball. You certainly know when both of those guys are on-song because they’re getting swing back into the right-hander and they’re asking questions.

“Starcy is always trying to work on his game and always trying to get better. He’s the best bowler in the world at the moment and there’s a reason for that. His work ethic is brilliant and he always want to improve. From a release point of view, he’s certainly getting a lot of things right at the moment.

“There are obviously going to be times when the ball isn’t swinging but when it is then he’s going to be lethal.”

The last time England faced Australia in a World Cup semi-final, they were undone by a left-armer too. Although nowhere near as quick as Starc, the mention of the name Gary Gilmour still sends shivers down the spine of England supporters of a certain vintage. On a cloudy and overcast day at Headingley in the summer of 1975, he took 6 for 14 off 12 overs as England were dismissed for just 93. Unsurprisingly, that wasn’t enough to secure a place in the final.

Starc will be out to emulate his fellow New South Welshman at Edgbaston. Wood and Archer, meanwhile, will hope to strike a blow of their own.