Australia comfortably saw off Scotland to earn their fourth World Cup Pool A victory, despite a rain delay looking like forcing a no-result.
In-form Mitchell Starc’s 4-14 made him the World Cup’s leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps and skittled the winless Scots for 130 inside 26 overs at the Bellerive Oval, their innings interrupted by rain towards the end.
Rain returned with Australia 92 for three in the 14th over, a stage of the game that meant Duckworth/Lewis could not have been used to decide the outcome if no further play was possible.
Here are the final Pool A standings after Australia's win: http://t.co/zJ8FKv08Qe#CWC15#fireituppic.twitter.com/xpBIXSPWAn
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 14, 2015
However, the action resumed 90 minutes later and the hosts quickly knocked off the runs for no further loss to win by seven wickets.
Even if there had been a no-result, Australia would have finished second ahead of third-placed Sri Lanka on net run-rate, and therefore avoided a potentially tricky quarter-final with South Africa.
Instead, they will play whichever of Pakistan, Ireland or West Indies comes third in Pool B, an outcome that will be decided tomorrow.
Australia captain Michael Clarke, who opened to get some time in the middle and made 47 at a run a ball, said: “Fortunately we got enough time, credit to the way the boys played. It's always nice to win. I don't think there's any better preparation for a quarter-final.
“We had one little hiccup against New Zealand, but the boys are excited and looking forward to the quarter-finals.”
Australia soon capitalised on Clarke winning the toss, Starc snaring Kyle Coetzer for his second straight duck and Calum MacLeod for a sprightly 22.
And down in Hobart, the Player of the Match is Mitchell Starc for his brilliant 4 wicket spell #AUSvSCO#cwc15pic.twitter.com/EyQrKLtsdw
— ICC (@ICC) March 14, 2015
Preston Mommsen and Freddie Coleman followed for noughts to Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson respectively, and Richie Berrington fell to Glenn Maxwell to leave Scotland in tatters at 51 for five.
Matt Machan bravely resisted with 40 from 35 balls, but he was the first of two Pat Cummins victims in four deliveries before Rob Taylor followed to the same bowler.
While Josh Davey held firm, Matt Leask resisted, including with three consecutive off-side fours against Cummins, en route to 23 not out from 11 balls.
Rain intervened at 130 for eight. On the resumption, the innings lasted just four more deliveries as Starc yorked Davey for 26 and cleaned up Iain Wardlaw for nought with another full ball.
Early in the reply Mommsen could not hold a tough slip chance to his left to dismiss Aaron Finch for one, and the batsman punished the mistake with four boundaries before falling to Taylor for 20.
Clarke and Watson shared a brisk fifty partnership until Davey bagged his 15th wicket of an impressive tournament, his slower ball accounting for Watson on 24.
All over in Hobart! #AUS wins by seven wickets! SCORES: http://t.co/SvAOaY0IiN#AUSvSCOpic.twitter.com/GMnpVitcIh
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 14, 2015
In the next over Leask brilliantly caught Clarke on the square-leg boundary immediately before the players were forced off at 92 for three.
The rain looked like giving Scotland a point, but when played resumed James Faulkner and David Warner swiftly finished the job.
Scotland skipper Mommsen said: “We knew it was always going to be a tough game. We wanted to stand up to the challenge.
“We take a huge amount of positives from the past six games. The more we've played, the better we've gotten. We leave the World Cup a much stronger team.”