BIRMINGHAM: Skipper Steve Smith hit a gritty 85 to take Australia to 223 against hosts England in the second semi-final of the 2019 World Cup at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground on Thursday.

This after the English bowler created mayhem in the first four overs to reduce them to 14/3 under slightly overcast conditions.

Bringing in all the experience of the 117 ODIs he had played before this game, Smith put his head down and kept waiting for the bad balls to make hay till an effort to run a quick single saw him being run out in the 48th over, IANS reported.

Brief Scores: Australia: 223 (Smith 85; Woakes 3/20, Rashid 3/54) vs England.