London: Australia pace bowler Mitchell Starc revealed a breakfast confrontation with a bantering fan inspired his ferocious spell in Tuesday's World Cup win against England. Starc's wife Alyssa Healy, who plays for the Australia Women's team, brought the incident to light on Twitter, claiming an England supporter had fired up her husband with his taunts at the team hotel earlier in the day. Starc confirmed he had been targeted but insisted the jibes weren't especially hurtful. "I was still half-asleep. It was some bloke in a suit, having a go at my strapping tape and having a go at my bowling. I was just hungry," he said after taking four wickets in Australia's 64-run win over their old rivals at Lord's.

"He was just having a laugh at my strapping tape and what I was eating. I had a few poached eggs, three I think. "It's all been good fun throughout the tour around the crowds and at the hotel. It's just part and parcel of a World Cup." Starc believes the holders' comprehensive win was the perfect preparation for the World Cup knockout stages after Aaron Finch's side sealed a place in the semi-finals. Australia dominated from start to finish against one of their main rivals for the title and Starc expects the impressive performance to stand them in good stead in the latter stages of the tournament. "It's an interesting one. It's a World Cup. I guess playing at Lord's today, where the final is going to be, is great for us," he said. "Obviously we are into the semi-finals now so we have to make sure we play some good cricket, finish as high as we can in the group and hopefully get into that final." Australia have two games left in the 10-team pool stage before the semi-finals begin and next up for the leaders is a clash with fellow title contenders New Zealand on Saturday.