Australia’s Aaron Finch scored the first hundred of the World Cup against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

The opener flicked Steven Finn off his hip to the boundary to raise his century in 129 minutes off 102 balls with nine fours and two sixes as the local hero became the fourth Australian to score a century on World Cup debut.

But it might have been a different story had Chris Woakes hung on to a chance given by Finch off James Anderson before he had scored.

Earlier, Stuart Broad struck a massive blow for England with the wicket of Australian batsmen David Warner and Shane Watson with consecutive balls.

Just when skipper Eoin Morgan’s decision to send the Aussies into bat looked it may backfire, the giant Broad stepped up to rock the home side.

He bowled the dangerous Warner for 22 and then with the next ball in his fourth over had Watson caught behind for a duck.

Australia, who had breezed on a 50-run opening stand off just 37 balls, were rocking at 57 for two in the eighth over.

Steve Smith, however, kept out the hat-trick ball by digging out a Broad yorker.

Chris Woakes put down a sharp chance at mid-wicket before Aaron Finch had scored in James Anderson’s opening over and the little opener profited to be 33 off 27 balls.