Australia knocked out of Champions Trophy after England win

BIRMINGHAM, Reuters: Australia were knocked out of the Champions Trophy without winning a game after Ben Stokes' stunning century guided England to an impressive 40-run Duckworth-Lewis victory on Saturday.

Australia, whose two previous games against New Zealand and Bangladesh were rained off, scored 277-9 from 50 overs — with Mark Wood and Adil Rashid talking four wickets apiece — and had reduced England to 35-3 in response.

But, after a brief rain break, Eoin Morgan (87) and Stokes (102 not out) dismantled the Australian attack, scoring freely in a partnership of 159 before Morgan was run out when closing in on his century.

But Stokes brought up his hundred with a cut through the covers, and he and Jos Buttler (29 not out) carried England home with the hosts comfortably ahead on Duckworth-Lewis.

England are joined in the semi-finals by unfancied Bangladesh, who beat New Zealand in Group A on Friday.