England benefit from Buttler's masterclass in restraint

One of the great mysteries in combat sport is how to improve your chin. Strengthening your neck can help as the muscles there can act as a shock absorber, preventing you from rattling back when you've been clocked, thus allowing you to maintain a bit of balance. For a while, it was believed pure mental strength could make a difference. Simply put: if you don't want to be knocked out, you won't be.

There have been some comical remedies in the past. Some fighters back believed building up a resistance by consistently taking blows to the jaw was the way to go. This particular tactic was reportedly taken to farcical levels with a handful repeatedly punching themselves in the face. The thing is, there's only one way to avoid being knocked out. Don't get hit.

Of course, that's an occupational hazard of the fight game. You're going to get tagged, but if you can keep those to a minimum, you'll always go right. And if you can't, well, just make sure you hit your opponent harder.

When England were swaying in the breeze, eyes crossed, nose bloodied on 32 for four after 10 overs, it was the sixth time they had come out of the Power Play for the loss of four or more since the end of the 2015 World Cup. They failed to win any of those five previous capitulations and the most harrowing of the four defeats came at Adelaide earlier this year.

Just as it was coming into today's match, the trophy had been sealed and the whitewash was there for the taking. But in front of a packed Australia Day crowd, England found themselves a quite embarrassing 18 for five after the first power play. It was a wake-up call, or rather, another wake-up call after defeat in the semi-final of the 2017 Champions Trophy: if they are going to play a brand of cricket that has them throwing so many punches, they are going to come undone every so often. And in the knock-out stages of a competition, one hit is all it takes.

There was, however, one anomaly - today.