It was sheer, cold-blooded murder—everything you would expect of a team of champions.
It is only a penalty shoot-out loss to Belgium at the Tokyo Olympics in the gold medal match last year that stops the Kookaburras being in the same conversation as the Aussie women’s cricket team as our greatest national teams going around right now.
They have everything you can want.
Ruthless, silky ability to find goals in the final third. Check.
Brutal intensity off the ball. Check. Even ahead 7-0 in the fourth quarter, the Aussie defense was screaming and scrambling like their lives depended on it. “They have really had each other’s back,” former Hockeyroos star Georgie Parker said on Channel 7.
A humble, classy Aussie spirit that conceals a killer-instinct. Check. Veteran Eddie Ockenden was selected to carry the Aussie flag at the Opening Ceremony for a reason.
Ockenden, at the age of 35, didn’t rule out the possibility of playing through to the 2026 Commonwealth Games — admitting the lure of competing in Victoria had real appeal.
For all these reasons and more, poor India didn’t stand a chance in Monday night’s Commonwealth Games final at the University of Birmingham.
It ended 7-0 and the score was a fair reflection of the Kookaburras’ dominance.
It was a fourth Commonwealth Games gold medal for Ockenden — and the Kookaburras kept their perfect record of winning every gold medal since hockey was introduced at the Commonwealth Games in 1998. They are the only team to win every gold they have competed in since that time .
The first half was a surgical carve-up that quickly turned into a bloodbath.
India simply had no clue how to stop the onslaught and it was 5-0 at the half time break.
Australia was denied an early goal when Daniel Beale stumbled on the ball as he was running in to tap it past the goal keeper.
It didn’t matter as gun finisher Blake Govers got Australia’s opening goal when he converted on Australia’s third penalty corner. It was 2-0 before quarter time as Nathan Ephraums finished off a sweet mid-field run to leave Australia in a dominant position.
When Jacob Anderson tapped in the third goal early in the second quarter, Channel 7’s Alister Nicholson said the Kookaburras were looking “lethal”.
When the fourth goal came he said: “This is just looking like a clinical side, used to playing in big matches, asserting itself.”
He said it was a “state of despair” for India in the second half.
The Kookaburras made the final on the back of an epic comeback win over England in the semi-final where controversy surrounded Australia’s winning goal.
On Monday morning (AEST) the Hockeyroos fell just short in the final where hosts England won gold in hockey for the first time ever.
The Australian women’s cricket team will face New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games semi-finals this weekend, but most Aussie supporters won’t be awake for the must-win contest in Birmingham.
The semi-final fixtures were unveiled on Friday morning AEST, with hosts England scheduled to take on powerhouse nation India on Saturday at 11am local time.
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Meanwhile, world champions Australia will battle their trans-Tasman rivals in the evening timeslot, meaning fans back home hoping to cheer on Meg Lanning’s side will need to set an alarm for 3am AEST on Sunday morning.
Kiwi viewers have been treated to a slightly less painful 5am start time.
Swapping the fixtures would have given three of the competing nations a prime broadcast timeslot for their respective audiences, but accommodating India’s massive fanbase has seemingly been prioritized.
Australia was undefeated in the group stage, defeating India, Barbados and Pakistan to cruise through the knockouts.
New Zealand, meanwhile, suffered a horror collapse in their final group stage match against England on Thursday, managing just 9/71 from their 20 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first at Edgbaston.
Maddy Green top-scored for the Kiwis with 19 as veteran seamer Katherine Brunt rattled the New Zealanders with a classy spell of 2/4 from three overs in the Powerplay.
“We were well below par and it wasn’t through lack of effort or lack of planning or anything like that, I think you just get days like that,” New Zealand captain Sophie Devine said.
“It’s never nice to be a part of but we’ve got to flush it down the dunny pretty quickly and move on to something that’s actually really exciting for us, playing in a semi-final against Australia at a Commonwealth Games.”
England chased the 72-run target with more than eight overs to spare and seven wickets in hand.
Regardless, Australia remain firm favorites to return home with the coveted gold medal around their necks, having not lost a 20-over match since March 2021.
“I think a lot of the pressure is going to be on Australia,” Devine said.
“They’ve certainly come into this competition as favorites and hopeful of taking that gold medal whereas a lot of people didn’t think we’d maybe make the semi-finals.
“We can really take that on board and just play with a bit of freedom and take it to the Aussies. We obviously know them really well, so I think our plans are going to be pretty spot on and likewise they know us really well too. It’s always just a great battle against the Australians.”
LIVE: It’s Day 6 of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and it’s set to be another cracker for the Aussies.
After 11 golds and 32 medals total on Day 5, Australia will be targeting more success – with a packed schedule in the Athletics, plus the final action in the pool.
Follow all the action in our live blog below and check back for regular updates!
Superstar Peter Bol opened his campaign in style, cruising into the end of the 800m after crossing the line in his heat in first place. While sprint star Rohan Browning is back in action in the 100m semis – and hopefully the final at 6.30am AEST.
In the pool, Ariarne Titmus hunts gold in the 400m, while Se-Bom Lee hits the water in the 200m individual medley.
There’s also plenty of other action on offer, with the Kookaburras back on the hockey field after the Hockeyroos’ comfortable victory early on day six, plus our Aussie women’s cricket who are on top against Pakistan.
That’s not to mention beach volleyball, table tennis, lawn bowls, or mountain biking and so on …
LIVE MEDAL TALLY: Keep up with the Aussie charge to the top!
EVERY AUSSIE MEDAL: Read the day-by-day recap of the Comm Games
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CHALMERS, AUSSIES FALL SHORT IN MASSIVE BOILOVER
Despite a sizzling anchor leg from Kyle Chalmers, Australia failed to win the men’s 4 x 100m medley relay as England caused a major upset to snare the gold.
England finished with a time of 3:31:80 while Australia touched the wall at 3:31:88.
Chalmers swam a split of 46.86 as it looked for all money that he would catch up to English swimmer Tom Dean, but it wasn’t enough.
TITMUS BEATS TEEN SENSATION TO WIN FOURTH GOLD
Ariarne Titmus has set a new Commonwealth Games record after winning the women’s 400m freestyle.
Titmus – the world record holder, defending Commonwealth Games champion, and the Olympic champion – beat 15-year-old Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh who ultimately came second in the race while Aussie Kiah Melverton took home the bronze.
Titmus touched the wall at 3:58:06, a few seconds off her personal best, but it did the job as she won her fourth medal in Birmingham.
STARC BATTLES SERIOUS INJURY AMID MEDAL TILT
Brandon Starc doesn’t look comfortable, grimacing as he deals with a reported foot injury in the men’s high jump final.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games champion needed two attempts to clear 2.15m then missed his first two efforts at 2.19m.
“That was not displaying much purpose. He did not get up off the ground, the foot injury no doubt playing on his mind, ”Channel 7’s David Culbert said.
Starc is battling a foot injury. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“With the troubles he has had you can see the body language is a bit of concern, does not look like the sort of athlete up and about feeling 100 per cent.”
Starc recovered with his third and final jump at 2.19m to stay alive, giving a little smile after nailing the height. Seven’s Matt Hill said: “Really good facial expression in contrast to what we saw a few moments ago.”
He then went on to clear 2.25m to throw down the gauntlet to the rest of the competition.
– via James Matthey, news.com.au
AUSSIE STAR SECURE GOLD IN EPIC BATTLE OF ENDURANCE
Sam Short has won the gold medal in the men’s 1500m freestyle in a physically grievous battle.
Short, who is just 18 years of age, touched the wall at 14:48:54, at a time that smashed his previous personal best by 10 seconds.
Speaking after the race, Short couldn’t hide his beaming smile as he can count himself among the elites of Australian swimming like Kieren Perkins and Grant Hackett.
“All those names are incredible to me,” Short said.
“Standing here today, I didn’t think I would be in the same sentence as them. Four years ago I watched this event and didn’t know I would be in the same position.”
Ariane Titmus won gold in the women’s 800 meter freestyle and backed it up with a strong swim in the 400m to qualify in third spot for the final. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia
Lani Pallister and Kiah Melverton made it a one-two-three for Australia in the heat.
FAVORITE BOWL FOR 800M FINAL
Peter Bol is once again turning heads, having flown into the men’s 800 final.
After a disappointing finish at the world championships, Bol returned to the form that made him a household name at the Tokyo Olympics and blitzed the field in the second heat, posting a time of 1:47:01.
“It’s great to be here,” Bol told Channel 7. “Unbelievable crowd as well. It’s an awesome feeling.
“Two championships in a row. It’s almost like it’s a second chance. I ran exactly how I wanted, and now four days off and back for the final.”
Australia’s Peter Bol (R) reacts after finishing in first place during the second heat of the men’s 800m at the Alexander Stadium, in Birmingham. Photo: AFPSource: AFP
The news wasn’t so good for fellow Australian Charlie Hunter, who missed out on the final after posting a time of 1:49:94.
Meanwhile, Steve Solomon has qualified for the semi-finals of the men’s 400m. The 29-year-old finished second in the opening heat of the event.
“I’m really happy with today’s run,” he said.
“I’ve had a challenging season to put it lightly. I’m really looking forward to coming back Friday night.
“I just wasn’t able to get the body right for (the world’s) and I’m proud of how I’ve refocused. It’s exciting times.”
STAR DUO SMOKE PAKISTAN
Australia remains unbeaten in cricket, after a clinical 44-run win over Pakistan.
Early on though and a big victory seemed a long way off.
The world champions slumped to 2-19 after the early exits of Alyssa Healy (4) and captain Meg Lanning (4), before opener Beth Mooney (70* off 49) and Tahlia McGrath (78* off 51) put Australia in the driver’s seat with their 141-run unbeaten third-wicket stand. In the end Australia finished 2-160 to set an imposing target.
Pakistan never really were in it, losing wickets regularly and finished 8-116.
McGrath took 3-13 and a run out to go along with her fabulous half-century, while Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown, Jessica Jonassen and Alan King each took a wicket.
Tahlia McGrath and Beth Mooney hit half-centuries during Australia’s big win over Pakistan. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
FLYING HOCKEYROOS
The Hockeyroos’ perfect start continued, as Katrina Powell’s side had a comfortable 2-0 win over Scotland.
The victory sealed top spot in Pool B for the Hockeyroos and a place in the final four.
Grace Stewart celebrates with teammates after scoring their side’s first goal against Scotland on day six of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
While Powell’s side dominated much of the game, they had to wait until late in the second term to find the back of the goals as Grace Stewart finished nicely to put Australia in front.
Shanea Tonkin then doubled Australia’s lead to confirm a comfortable victory.
SELECTED SCHEDULE (MORE TO COME)
ATHLETICS
Men’s 100m – 6:30am (Thursday)
HOCKEY
Men’s Group Matches – Australia v South Africa (6am)
LAWN BOWLS
Tons of action from 5.30pm AEST, culminating in theFor Women’s Pairs B6-B8 Gold Medal match – Australia v Scotland (midnight)
