Australia's reminder to Community Champions - we'll always be the benchmark

There's a key purpose performances against Australia remain the barometer of health for England sides.

It's not merely history or traditions. And it's really not just that there's no such issue as a dead encounter involving a aspect which seems to have a take pleasure in of beating England within their DNA.

It's that, however much it can be unpalatable to many, the base degree of cricket in Australia is, almost always, a bit greater than England's. Almost nevertheless, you judge it: the strength and athleticism of juniors; the standards of club (or Quality) cricket (though this may be changing); the long-term records in global tournaments and in rankings tables. Australia have already been, almost always, formidable opponents. And when they do have dips, they are rarely as deep and seldom so long as England's. It's been in this manner, pretty much, since 1880.

If that sounds like hyperbole, consider the respective records in Universe Cups. It's not merely that Australia have gained five of the items (compared to England's once), it's that possibly in years when they are not expected to challenge - such as 2019 - they have the ability to reach the semi-finals. England had several years where they aspired to semi-finals and tended to need to accept a drubbing as a result of Pitcairn Island.

So, when England defeat Australia, they be aware of they will be in good condition. So when they lose to them, well, they are given an insight in to the standards required.

The point of all this?

England arrived to this game full of confidence. For the very first time in their ODI record and against their oldest foe, these were the environment champions. They had nine of the workforce that performed in the ultimate involved here plus they won the toss.

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But Australia provided the harshest of wake-up calls. It isn't that England enjoyed poorly. It's considerably more that Australia were, in a number of respects, simply much better than them. Their fielding; their new-ball bowling, their resilience in fighting again from 123 for 5 in the 24th over of their innings. There have been moments in this match when they looked unstoppable.

Josh Hazlewood, in particular, was magnificent. He hit the pitch hard, attained the same sort of seam movement that renders him such a fine Test bowler and claimed two significant wickets - and conceded merely five runs - from his 1st six overs. It was brilliant stuff.

But every state in Australia seems to have a dozen fast bowlers built like Hazlewood. Sure, they may well not come to be quite as steady or quite as skilful. But they're just as broad and high and robust and instant. In England, quickly bowlers like this arrive rarely. And when they carry out, they have a tendency to be destroyed or ruined by enough time they're 25.

However the biggest difference between your sides, rather than for the very first time, is in the fielding. While England's currently appears to be in something of a dip - it's been modest in all formats all summer, really - Australia appear to punish every mistake by England's batsmen.

Compare, for instance, Tom Banton's dropping of Maxwell in the midwicket fence when he had 10, in this article, and Steve Smith's get to dismiss Moeen Ali in the final meet of the T20My partner and i series. They weren't similar, by any means. And it's really probably tough on Banton to actually characterise his semblance of a possibility with a drop.

But the simple truth is, Smith utilised every millimetre of the taking part in area to give himself the best potential for clinging on to the desperately tough catch, while Banton was a few yards off the boundary - possibly intentionally - and for that reason not constantly in place to take the opportunity. Much the same could have been written about Sam Billings' dropping of Mitchell Starc below with Hazlewood's catch to end Bairstow's level of resistance. Australia, it might be noted, did not drop a chance during the T20I series; England dropped three.

Probably England's openers, in top form, could have been able to hit the bowlers away their lengths. Maybe, acquired Ben Stokes been available, England would have possessed the seam-bowling support they necessary to capitalise on minimizing Australia to 123 for 5 in the 24th over of their innings. Maybe he'd even have had the opportunity to accomplish another miracle with the bat, too. And perhaps, if Liam Plunkett were still in the workforce, that sixth-wicket stand of 126 between Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh might have been snuffed out before it turned this video game. Plunkett's record as a mid-innings wicket-taker is extraordinary, in the end. There is no clear replacement for him.

That's not to say Plunkett must have been in this article. He hasn't enjoyed a match this year, for a start. Even though it had been brutal of England to go on from him quite hence quickly after he had done so many to help them win the World Cup, that doesn't necessarily mean it had been wrong. Plunkett is 35, after all. Is he really likely to be a power in the next World Glass in India?

The main point is, this result wasn't so much a reflection of what England did wrong around it was a reflection of everything Australia did right. Strange though it could sound, the No. 1 side on the globe in ODI cricket could uncover a couple of things from the No. 5 side.

There can be an encouraging aspect to all or any this for England. To begin with, England showed extraordinary resilience in pressing Australia completely here. At one point, after 22 overs, that they had scored 48 runs less than Australia at the same stage. To go within 20 represented something of a comeback. The next half of Billings' innings was exceptionally good and recommended he could yet carve out another for himself at this level.

But a lot more than that, it's quickly overlooked now but, earlier in the World Cup, Australia inflicted another heavy defeat about England. On that event, Aaron Finch have scored a century and Jason Behrendorff claimed five wickets as Australia gained by 64 runs. Yet three weeks later, England were back again at Lord's having thrashed Australia in the semi-final. And we all know how the final finished.

So England will come back out of this. Of course they are able to. But, boy, they're going to need to play well.