Travis Head’s 96 helped Australia to a three-wicket victory at Adelaide after they reduced England to 8 for 5 in the first half-hour
Related: England lose fourth ODI to Australia after suffering startling battling collapse
That’s a timely win for Australia. The match was effectively decided in the first half-hour, when Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood bowled beautifully to reduce England to 8 for 5. England did well to turn a potential shambles into a respectable defeat, with Eoin Morgan captaining superbly, but they showed again that their batting can be damagingly naive when the ball moves around. It was a strange game, a kind of one-sided nail-biter.
The series score is now Australia 1-3 England, with the final match at the new Perth Stadium on Sunday. This is my last OBO of the tour; thanks ever so much for your company and emails throughout a long winter. Goodnight!
37th over: Australia 197-7 (Paine 25, Tye 3) Paine hurries Australia to the brink of victory, smacking Wood for consecutive fours, and Andrew Tye finishes it off by driving his first ball for three.
Australia are cutting this a bit fine. Cummins is run out after a hopeless mix-up with Paine, and England are into the tail with 13 runs still needed.
36th over: Australia 184-6 (Paine 16, Cummins 2) “I actually caught the morning crash of wickets and retired wondering what sort of awful records England might set for the lowest total ever in an ODI,” says Ian Copestake. “Quite impressed they got anywhere near 200.”
That was the gist of Eoin Morgan’s teamtalk at 8 for 5. “We probably can’t win this, lads, but if Ian Copestake is quite impressed by the end of the match, we’ll have had a good day.”
35th over: Australia 182-6 (Paine 15, Cummins 1) When the book of great captaincy performances in ODI defeats is written - and it will be, if it’s the last thing I do - Eoin Morgan will be in it for his work in this match. He hasn’t allowed the game to sleep at any stage.
Ach, that’s a shame. Travis Head misses out on a century, cuffing Wood straight to Morgan at mid-on. He swishes his bat in frustration as he walks off. When the regret settles he will reflect on a superb innings that has given fresh momentum to his ODI career.
34th over: Australia 180-5 (Head 96, Paine 14) There is the most stunning sunset over the Adelaide Oval. I say this from 10,029 miles away, but it sure looks beautiful on TV. Australia are cruising to victory now, with most eyes on whether Travis Head can get another Adelaide hundred on Australia Day. He is four away.
33rd over: Australia 177-5 (Head 94, Paine 13) Mark Wood is back for one last throw of the dice. I’m surprised Tom Curran has had only two overs, particularly as they were two good overs. Wood is worked sensibly for a single off each delivery - six from the over, which brings the target down to 20.
32nd over: Australia 171-5 (Head 91, Paine 10) Chris Woakes replaces Adil Rashid. In case you missed it, he continued his spectacular batting form earlier in the day with a belting 78. Head slaps another back cut for four to move into the nineties. Australia, like England, look spoilt for choice when it comes to ODI openers. I suppose Head could replace White at No3 when Finch is fit again.
31st over: Australia 165-5 (Head 86, Paine 9) A high full toss from Moeen is smacked for four by Head, who can only take a single off the resuling free hit. England, who have done really well to make a contest out of a farce, look for the first time like they have accepted defeat.
“Not impressed with this England performance, but pleased to see Travis Head finally show how good he can be,” says Richard O’Hagan. “I’d be quite happy for him to get a hundred here, especially if it is accompanied by a clatter of wickets at the other end.”
30th over: Australia 157-5 (Head 80, Paine 8) I think Buttler has just dropped Paine off the bowling of Rashid. England’s reaction suggested as much, though there was nothing on Snicko or Hotspot. We’ll never know. Rashid ends another excellent spell with figures of 10-0-49-3.
29th over: Australia 155-5 (Head 79, Paine 7) Moeen returns to the attack and is pumped over midwicket for four by the superb Head. It’s been a slightly sloppy batting performance from Australia, Head excepted, but they should be safe from embarrassment now. They need 42 from 21 overs.
28th over: Australia 146-5 (Head 74, Paine 3) Australia are taking no more risks against Rashid, who has been the main wicket-taking threat. His penultimate over is milked for three singles.
27th over: Australia 143-5 (Head 73, Paine 1) Wood continues, with England needing two wickets to get into the tail. Head flashes a short ball wide of the leaping Roy at backward point for four, a safe enough shot because of its sheer power. Australia need 54 from 23 overs.
26th over: Australia 137-5 (Head 68, Paine 0) This is not news but, jeez, Eoin Morgan is a wonderful captain.
Lovely work from Eoin Morgan and Adil Rashid. Stoinis, who swept the previous two deliveries for four, couldn’t resist the big stroke that Morgan was encouraging with his field placing. He tried to smack Rashid into the crowd and sliced the ball high to Roy in the covers. England have a chance of a spectacular victory.
25th over: Australia 128-4 (Head 67, Stoinis 6) Wood beats Stoinis with consecutive deliveries, the first a beauty of immaculate line and length.
24th over: Australia 123-4 (Head 64, Stoinis 5) England are challenging Stoinis to hit Rashid over the top, with a ring of fielders from short cover to midwicket. He resists the temptation in that over, which yields four for Australia. They need 73 from 26 overs.
23rd over: Australia 120-4 (Head 61, Stoinis 4) Mark Wood returns to the attack, a typically aggressive move from Eoin Morgan. One more wicket here would rip this match from its slumber. But the likeliest scenario remains another Adelaide Australia Day hundred for Travis Head, who moves into the sixties with a smooth pull through midwicket for four.
“With reference to comments on over 19: Such is the aggressive nature of the England batting line up that a performance like todays is always a possibility,” says Lee Smith. “If you are regularly scoring 300 or more then surely increase the probability of the occasional 170 all out?”
22nd over: Australia 116-4 (Head 57, Stoinis 4) Stoinis charges his first ball and drags it loosely over midwicket for four. That could easily have gone to hand. Rashid is such a valuable wicket-taker in the middle overs. His ODI strike rate of a wicket every 33.8 balls is the third best in England’s history behind Liam Plunkett and Andrew Flintoff.
Mitchell Marsh’s entertaining cameo of 32 from 30 balls comes to an end. He clunked a dipping full toss straight back at Rashid, who took a very smart catch.
21st over: Australia 106-3 (Head 55, Marsh 30) Joe Root’s first over goes for three. Both sides know this match is almost certainly over.
20th over: Australia 105-3 (Head 54, Marsh 28) Rashid, who has threatened to take a wicket in every over, almost skids a quicker delivery through the back-defensive stroke of Head. Australia need 92 from 180 balls.
“With my Purely Pragmatic Hat on; The series has been won, do you think that England might learn more lessons from a loss, than if the bowlers scrape a win?” says Matt Dony. “I didn’t see the England innings, and I don’t want to make assumptions, but it seems complacent for such a talented batting attack to misfire so badly. If the bowlers dig them out of a hole, there’s the chance that fewer lessons will be learnt, rather than if Australia punish them for it. Just my I’ll-informed, uneducated tuppence worth...”
19th over: Australia 101-3 (Head 50, Marsh 28) Moeen’s first ball after the drinks break is a piece of filth that Marsh pulls for four, and then Head clips a single to reach an excellent half-century from 55 balls. He clouted the new ball everywhere and is now happy to work singles in support of Marsh.
“Nice stat that about Rash dismissing Smith,” says Ian Truman. “Doesn’t that alone make the fact that Rashid seemingly has zero chance of playing Tests again seem a bit, well, odd? I know it’s a different game, but if you can cause good batsmen trouble like that then aren’t you a bit too good for the scrapheap?”
18th over: Australia 95-3 (Head 49, Marsh 23) Marsh, tired of not picking Rashid’s googly, gets down on one knee and carts a slog sweep into the crowd for six.
17th over: Australia 87-3 (Head 48, Marsh 16) Marsh creams Moeen through extra cover for four, a ferocious stroke that is followed by a lazy play-and-miss. His career in miniature, you might say, but there is a growing sense that he has gone to another level as a batsman in the last few months. He is certainly batting with greater authority.
16th over: Australia 81-3 (Head 48, Marsh 10) A poor ball from Rashid is cut easily for four by Marsh, who has started very assertively. But he doesn’t pick the googly, which almost slips through the gate as he lunges forward.
15th over: Australia 74-3 (Head 48, Marsh 3) Mitchell Marsh gets off the mark with a strong drive for two off Moeen.Another quick wicket might make Australia worry, especially as they have a longish tail.
14th over: Australia 70-3 (Head 47, Marsh 0) Nobody has dismissed Smith more often in ODIs than Rashid, who has done so five times.
Well bowled Adil Rashid! He gave Smith a bit of a working over - slider, googly, another googly - before dismissing him with an orthodox delivery that took the edge and flew towards slip, where Joe Root took an outrageous reaction catch by his right hip.
13th over: Australia 69-2 (Head 45, Smith 4) Head made his only ODI century on this ground, against Pakistan a year ago today. I’d be loath to bet against a repeat because he’s playing beautifully and is under almost no pressure.
12th over: Australia 67-2 (Head 44, Smith 3) Mr Adil Rashid replaces Tom Curran and almost slips a googly through Smith, who inside-edges an expansive cover drive into the leg side. A nice start from Rashid. .
11th over: Australia 63-2 (Head 42, Smith 2) “It’ll be a real shame if this is the last we see of The Cameron White Experiment,” says Guy Hornsby.”I loved their breezy second album. Though it wasn’t a patch on the new one from Chris Woakes’ Boundary Explosion. So leftfield and fresh.”
I haven’t seen such an exciting change of direction since Bono’s acid house album.
10th over: Australia 61-2 (Head 41, Smith 1) Tom Curran unveils a new variation, the grotesque accidental wide. He repeats it with the next delivery. Both were attempted slower balls that slipped out of the hand. Head scrunches the first legitimate delivery of the over down the ground for the eighth boundary of an eye-catching innings, and then batters another through extra cover.
9th over: Australia 51-2 (Head 33, Smith 1) Moeen Ali comes on for Chris Woakes, who can look vulnerable against spin. A quiet over; three from it.
8th over: Australia 48-2 (Head 31, Smith 0) The Cameron White experiment may not last much longer. His scores in this series are 15*, 17 and 3.
Tom Curran replaces Mark Wood, who struggled for rhythm in a short spell of 3-0-23-0. He is much more suited to white-ball cricket at this stage of his career - and he has struck with his fourth ball! White’s bat was stuck behind the pad and he had nowhere to go when the ball jagged back off the seam to hit him in front of off stump. That was plumb.
7th over: Australia 48-1 (Head 31, White 3) I’m sure there’s a neat Head start pun here somewhere but I’ve been up since 4am so it’s not happening. He has certainly got Australia off to a flyer: he pulls Woakes disdainfully through mid-on for four and cracks another boundary through extra cover. This is exhilarating stuff.
“What has happened to Warner?” says David Kalucy. “Is this a Michael Clarke mid-career crisis?”
6th over: Australia 37-1 (Head 23, White 0) Head hits Wood for three consecutive boundaries - a flash over point, an edge at catchable height through the vacant second-slip and a rubber-wristed flick-pull wide of midwicket.
5th over: Australia 25-1 (Head 11, White 0) Cameron White is the new batsman.
Warner has gone. That was a fine delivery from Woakes, just full of a good length and moving away a fraction to take the edge as Warner leaned into a push-drive. Jos Buttler did the rest.
4th over: Australia 21-0 (Warner 9, Head 11) Wood moves around the wicket to Head, who drags an attempted drive back onto the pads. The next ball is of a similar length and this time Head nails a pull through midwicket for four. That was a cracking shot.
3rd over: Australia 12-0 (Warner 6, Head 5) A half-volley from Woakes is blazed for four by Head. There’s nothing like the movement that Cummins and Hazlewood found at the start of the England innings, and nothing to suggest Australia won’t win this match at a canter.
2nd over: Australia 8-0 (Warner 6, Head 1) England are hunting wickets, which is the right thing to do. Mark Wood’s first ball jags back sharply to hit Travis Head on the pad, though it would easily have cleared the stumps. A trampolining bouncer is given as a wide, and the extra delivery allows Head to get off the mark with a quick single.
1st over: Australia 6-0 (Warner 6, Head 0) England might as well try to bowl Australia out, because they can’t win the game any other way. Chris Woakes starts the innings with an eventful over to David Warner, who is beaten, slams four through the covers and then bottom-edges just short of Jos Buttler.
“Australian sporting events have a tendency to start/continue late due to the requirements of the host broadcaster,” says Phil Withall. “Football matches regularly kick off 10 minutes late so some exceptional banter can reach its painfully unfunny conclusion. It really gets on my goat.”
It’s nearly an hour since England’s innings finished. If this goes on much longer I’ll have no choice but to create a hashtag.
Crikey, this is a long break between innings. Are they having an emergency screening of Das Boot or something?
On this day, 16 years ago, Shane Bond crashed the Australia Day party.
“Hi Rob,” says Andrew Gladwin. “Obviously England have improved immeasurably at one-day cricket, but I can’t see them as favourites for the next World Cup. They are a lot like my team South Africa, who will win most of their matches and bilateral series, but will have a really bad match at precisely the wrong time.The favourites will surely still be Australia and India on World Cup history and being able to handle pressure, and Pakistan, who won the last World Cup with a similar format (and of course the Champions Trophy).”
I know what you mean, though the format means they only need to win two knockout games to win a World Cup. I think they are the best team in the world at the moment but so much depends on the pitches for those knockout games. The pressure and expectation also worries me, especially after what happened in the Champions Trophy. Next time, there’ll be no next time.
England Win Prediction: 0.0001 per cent If you exclude rain-affected games with reduced targets, and why wouldn’t you, Australia have failed to chase a target below 200 only once in the last 16 years.
An email! And I didn’t have to make it up myself! “Love the new approach by England, but maybe, just maybe the top order could look to consolidate a bit when needed,” says AB Parker. “It’s like the team have gone to the other extreme, which is amazing to watch when they get it right. But when you lose three quick wickets, maybe you should look to make sure it’s not five quick wickets before you start attacking?”
I take your point, and that’s twice it’s happened in recent times: they were 20 for six against South Africa at Lord’s last May. Then again, they belted Australia out of the Champions Trophy with a storming counter-attack after losing three early wickets. I suppose they could be smarter when they are asked to bat first in helpful bowling conditions. The one best equipped to consolidate, Root, probably played the poorest shot. I wouldn’t blame Buttler, the fifth man out; he got a beauty. As in Test cricket, England are very one-dimensional. But what a dimension!
Cheers Will, hello there. Not much to say about that, so here’s the best song of 2017. (NB: contains a bit of the old language.)
Australia’s opening bowlers, Hazlewood and Cummins, were quite superb up top after Steve Smith opted to bowl, and they gutted England’s top order. Four ducks as they fell to 8 for 5. There were some poor shots, particularly from Root and Bairstow, but the bowling was brilliant.
Four blokes lower down carried England to a respectable – if not quite defendable – score. Morgan and Moeen got things going, then Woakes batted like a god for his 78 (which included five sixes) in conjunction with Tom Curran to get the tourists up to 196.
Six! Shot, Tom Curran! Tye digs it in, and he pulls, just over the fence. A couple of dots follow, before a beautiful cover-driven four!
But he’s gone now! A slower ball is turned straight to midwicket. England are all out for 196. That doesn’t look great, but the last five wickets have put on 188, so...
44th over: England 186-9 (Curran 25, Wood 2) More Zampa. Curran gets one with a neat drive to long-off. Wood’s first ball takes the outside edge but there’s no slip and they run one. Curran defends, and then they exchange singles again. Then the wrong’un totally flummoxes Curran! He gets a leading edge which just evades the bowler! They run one, and the over has cost five.
I mean, there’s a chance...
.@willis_macp Just checked the #winviz on the possibility of an English victory. Results are surprisingly optimistic. #AusvEngpic.twitter.com/RyKOwNn7wM
43rd over: England 181-9 (Curran 21, Wood 0) Two balls remain in Tye’s over. Curran, having crossed, on strike, and defends the first to midwicket. No run. He gets a single off the last, to third man.
This looks fanciful again.
@willis_macp when England were 8-5, I figured (fancifully) that if they doubled their score with each wicket (i.e. 8-5; 16-6; 32-7) they’d end on 256. Could happen?
AJ Tye, the death bowling specialist, is back. He has four more. He’s got Woakes! He’s tried to go down the ground, not got all of it and been caught by the sub Maxwell – who doesn’t missing many – diving forward at long-on. Woakes batted beautifully, and England have one wicket remaining.
42nd over: England 179-8 (Woakes 78, Curran 20) Woakes takes a single to long-off from Zampa’s first, then Curran reaches for a drive outside off, and gets one too. It’s looped outside off and that’s six more for Woakes! It’s slog-swept, and deep-midwicket has come off the fence - it’s gone straight over him for six. That’s 1,000 runs for Woakes in ODI cricket. It feels like he’s made that many this series. The over finishes with two dots.
41st over: England 171-8 (Woakes 71, Curran 19) Stoinis is staying in the attack. Woakes guides him to third man for one. Curran does the same. Woof! Woakes has just nailed another six! This might be the best of the lot! Not that short but picked up, and dunked into the stands in front of square. So much time. Woakes pinches the strike again with a mishit, which is well fielded at mid-off.
40th over: England 162-8 (Woakes 63, Curran 18) Zampa and his leggies are back. Curran and Woakes take a single each, before Zampa finds two dots. Curran drives to the cover sweeper for one, and the over ends with Woakes doing the same.
John Ryan is not happy:
Got up and England were 8 down, yet Australia look incapable of ever getting a wicket again. Is that the sleep in my eyes or is this why they’re 3-0 down in the series?
39th over: England 158-8 (Woakes 61, Curran 16) Stoinis, who is looking a bit uncomfortable, is having another. Curran turns him fine for one. Woakes turns two to fine leg then wallops his third six! It’s a slow ball, and it’s pulled beautifully. The over ends with two dots.
Hi Paul! Enjoy Bali. That sounds nice. Guy is English. Will take quite something for them to be on the right end of this result!
@willis_macp wondering is hornsby aussie or uk earlier comment , prediction,
Im in bali waiting for rain or courage to go to beautiful bias tugel beach
Paul moody
38th over: England 149-8 (Woakes 53, Curran 15) Hazlewood to bowl his last. Woakes gets one off the first ball, which is guided to third man, then Curran drives to mid-off’s right for one. That’s fifty for Woakes! After a couple of dots, he pulls Hazlewood for four in front of square, beating the man in the deep. That’s his fourth four, and he’s faced 62 balls. Two sixes, too. He drives two through the covers to leave Hazlewood with final figures of three for 39.
Woakes is the first ODI No8 to make successive fifties! He’s no ordinary ODI No8, to be fair.
37th over: England 141-8 (Woakes 46, Curran 14) Marcus Stoinis is on for the first time today! I like Stoinis, and I really like that his nickname is “Oil”. Curran gets one to third man, then Woakes does the same. They run three as Curran straight drives beautifully, then Woakes pinches the strike with a controlled pull.
I reckon Guy is onto something with his prediction here.
I'll be honest @willis_macp I think we might be in danger of losing this. Still, it's Friday, and in no way do I feel desolate being awake before 6am to find we were 8/5. It's like a comforting blanket, woven in the 90s.
36th over: England 135-8 (Woakes 44, Curran 10) So Hazlewood is back to bowl his final two. He has three for 24 and was superb up front. Woakes nudges him for one into the offside, and after a dot Curran takes one through cover too. Another single for Woakes, an attractive cut that point gets a hand on, follows. Curran is seeing them nicely now! Hazlewood drops short, and it sits up to be pulled. Curran obliges, and gets four for it. One to midwicket ends the over, a handy one for England.
35th over: England 127-8 (Woakes 42, Curran 4) Tye into his sixth, and one zips back at Curran, who misses it, but they run a bye because Paine can’t gather cleanly. Woakes has calmed down a bit and defends a couple, then gets a thick outside edge to third man to end the over.
34th over: England 125-8 (Woakes 41, Curran 4) Cummins to bowl his last. He has 4 for 23. These will definitely be his best ODI figures, but he’s yet to take a five bag. Curran defends a couple, then gets one with a big edged heave to third man. Woakes leaves two, then edges Cummins’ last ball just short of the lone slip. They are indeed Cummins’ best figures in ODIs: 4 for 24.
33rd over: England 124-8 (Woakes 41, Curran 3) Woakes nicks the first ball of Tye’s new over but it’s just out of Paine’s reach for the catch and they get one. Curran’s innings starts with an ugly bunt over cover for two, then a more convincing stroke for one. Woakes – who has a tricky role now – defends, then has a big yahoo at the last ball of the over, and misses.
32nd over: England 120-7 (Woakes 40) Interesting. Cummins is back, and he will have just one more after this one. And he has two slips for Rashid. Never mind. After leaving one, Rashid middles a cover drive for four. Gorgeous. The next one is less convincing, off the back foot for two through extra cover. One of those slips goes, and Rashid leaves. A short wide means another needs bowling, and Rashid leaves it again. He doesn’t leave the last ball of the over, though, and the little nibble is taken behind!
31st over: England 113-7 (Woakes 40, Rashid 1) That was a cracking catch from Head, and Moeen hit it so hard that they did not cross. Dilly Rashid is in now, and digs out his first ball. He turns his second to the vacant midwicket region for one, just as the commentators get in their obligatory mention of his 10 first-class centuries. Woakes tries to nurdle one to third man to pinch the strike, but misses.
Woakes moves to 40 with a little touch to leg off Tye, but Moeen is gone now! Tye goes round the wicket, Moeen pulls hard, but it’s straight to Travis Head on the fence at deep midwicket! He is falling backwards, but is aware, and tosses the ball up so he can take it again as he comes back in. Great work, all legit. That’s Tye’s first ODI wicket.
30th over: England 111-6 (Moeen 33, Woakes 39) Mitch Marsh is back, as Smith keeps two overs from each of Hazlewood and Cummins up his sleeve. Woakes defends, three times, before BELTING a six over the man on the midwicket fence! What a shot that is. Short square boundaries in Adelaide, aren’t there, and that only travelled 66m. There’s a single to leg, then Moeen leathers a pull along the ground for four. 11 from the over, and that’s the 50 stand.
29th over: England 100-6 (Moeen 29, Woakes 32) The spin experiment is over, and Andrew Tye is back. Woakes is defending carefully to start with as Tye varies his pace. Then there’s an uppish drive for two through the covers; did Head cut this off legally? I reckon so, and the umpires agree. Two not four. A cover-driven single ends the over and brings up England’s 100. That didn’t look very likely a couple of hours ago,
28th over: England 97-6 (Moeen 29, Woakes 29) Woakes is in sublime touch. He nails Hazlewood through the covers for a beautiful four. One follows, to square leg. He has 28 off 27. Moeen has 28 too, but rather more sedately. He defends two dots, then pulls one to fine leg to get ol’ Sobers back on strike. He plays a false shot into the legside off a slower ball, but they still get one.
Good news, Rob Smyth - who will succeed me when England finish batting - is up. He emails to say that at the start of that over, Chris Woakes was averaging 155 in his last 10 ODIs. It’ll be more now!
27th over: England 90-6 (Moeen 28, Woakes 23) That’s a class shot from Woakes. He lofts Zampa over extra cover for four. Very nice, between fielders. After a drive finds cover, there’s a horrible wide down the legside. Shot! That’s great again from Woakes. Zampa tosses it up, and he slog-sweeps for SIX! He takes two more through cover to make this England’s best over of the innings, and he ends it with a single to long-off. 14 from.
26th over: England 76-6 (Moeen 28, Woakes 10) Hazlewood returns with figures of three for 11. Cummins, who he is replacing, has bowled eight to Hazlewood’s six. Woakes defends twice. It’s almost worth just seeing off the six overs these two have left without taking risks. As I type, that Woakes absolutely nails four through extra cover with an uppish, risky drive. A soft-handed edge to third man brings one more, then Moeen defends. Five from it.
Here’s a statsgasm from AAP:
25th over: England 71-6 (Moeen 28, Woakes 5) Zampa’s latest over begins with a single for each batsman, then Woakes defends. Eurgh, that’s rank. He miscues a pull to mid-off, but luckily it goes along the floor. He ends the over nicely, with a delicate cut for one. That’s halfway.
24th over: England 68-6 (Moeen 27, Woakes 3) More Cummins. Moeen turns to leg for one. Woakes dangles his bat outside off when he’d be advised not to, but misses. He flashes and gets a thick outside edge to third man, then Moeen bottom edges a pull with control to square-leg, and gets another single. Hazlewood is warming up. Ominous. He has four overs remaining. Woakes gets another single to third man, then Mo defends the last.
23rd over: England 64-6 (Moeen 25, Woakes 1) Zampa to bowl his second, and Moeen takes one down the ground to give Woakes his first look at the leggie. He defends twice, then drives nicely to the man at deep cover to get off the mark. Moeen finds cover, then flicks to deep midwicket for one. Three from it.
22nd over: England 61-6 (Moeen 23, Woakes 0) Pat Cummins is a magnificent human, isn’t he? Woakes is in. He defends his first, leaves his second and leaves his third. The 22nd over is a handy moment for a wicket-maiden, you’d say.
Cummins to bowl his seventh. Morgan pulls out of his stance, just as Cummins lets go – some very annoying person was walking right behind the arm in a high vis jacket. Cummins, who played with Morgan at Sydney Thunder, takes it in reasonably good humour. When the ball is eventually bowled, Morgan defends it.
But two balls later he’s gone! He’s been caught behind as Cummins digs one in, he goes to pull and gloves it through to Paine! Wasn’t a great ball from Cummins, but he has his third, and England are right up against it again...
21st over: England 61-5 (Morgan 33, Moeen 23) One spinner comes on for another. Adam Zampa replaces Travis Head. Both of them play their Shield cricket here. There’s a fact for you. Zampa’s hair at the moment makes him look like he’s a high school geek in a bashful movie starring Michael Cera. Moeen and Morgan start with a single each. That’s the fifty partnership! My word it was needed! Another single to Morgan to short third man, then one to Moeen to midwicket. There’s another for Morgan then a dot to end the over. Five from it.
20th over: England 56-5 (Morgan 30, Moeen 21) Here goes, Pat Cummins is back. He has two wickets. Moeen gets himself off strike, then Morgan defends to the bowler and point. There’s no run until the last ball of the over, which he pulls to mid-on’s left for one.
Chris Bourne is feeling funky.
To frame this disaster with a little bit of optimism, and end it with a massive dose of the other: the lowest ever first innings total to win an ODI was 87 for 9, by Pakistan against India in 1989. England’s lowest winning total was 121 for 6 against India in 1985. But in more recent times you’d have to be scoring around 130-140 to stand a chance, and most likely, playing against a minnow. India and South Africa have managed it against a top tier team though, in 2013 and 2000 respectively. Unfortunately, England was the loser in both cases. In fact, of the top 20 lowest winning scores, England was beaten in five of them: more than any other country.
19th over: England 54-5 (Morgan 29, Moeen 20) Head into his second over, and the local commentators are furious about it. They are right that England would rather face him than the quicks. Each batsman takes the one on offer to long-off to bring up England’s 50. Morgan misses out on the sweep before leathering a drive over cover for four! That’s his first. Shot.
18th over: England 48-5 (Morgan 24, Moeen 19) More Marsh. He brings the false shot from Morgan, but it lands safe! That’s a horrid top edge pull to midwicket. There probably should be a catcher there. They run one, as they do when Moeen far more comfortably turns to fine leg. That’s a better pull from Morgan, just forced to mid-on’s left well enough to run two. Oh my word, Morgan’s done it again. He’s inside-edged over his leg stump. They run three as it’s hauled in by fine-leg. Good over from Marsh, but it’s cost seven.
17th over: England 41-5 (Morgan 18, Moeen 18) Spin! Tye’s over of 10 has cost him his place in the attack. Travis Head on, and Morgan takes one from his second ball. Moeen, who has those infamous troubles against offies, trades another single with Morgan and there’s three from Head’s first.
16th over: England 38-5 (Morgan 16, Moeen 17) They’ve had a little drink I reckon because that was a long break between overs. Marsh resumes, and Morgan pulls one to fine leg. Moeen eases a lovely pull through midwicket for two, then three dots end the over.
I’m considering eating a nice yoghurt I have in the fridge, now things have calmed down a touch. Almost 10 overs since the last wicket!
15th over: England 35-5 (Morgan 15, Moeen 15) More Tye. Moeen’s content defending a couple, then lashes one off the back foot through cover for four! Shot. So England’s first boundary arrives in the 15th over, and they are not words I expected to type this morning. He goes hard at the next too, but only gets one. Morgan takes a single to third man, then Moeen ends the over by giddily pulling another four! Goes without saying that with 10 from it, that was England’s most prolific over of the innings.
14th over: England 25-5 (Morgan 14, Moeen 6) Marsh continues, and Moeen begins by turning him to square-leg for one. There’s a sweeper on each side for Morgan, but who knows why. He mercifully gets off strike with a single into the covers. Moeen defends a couple, then has a huge drive outside off and misses. He makes contact with that drive next ball, but it goes straight to the man in the deep for one.
Good point!
Somebody wake up Smyth. pic.twitter.com/7JJvVCIjxO
13th over: England 22-5 (Morgan 13, Moeen 4) Double change. AJ Tye on for Hazlewood, who worked his way through six quite superb overs. Moeen starts by turning him off his pad for one to fine leg. Morgan is into the thirties in terms of balls faced, and doesn’t look fluent. Patience, man. After he drives a bit uppishly towards mid-off, second slip comes and goes to short cover. So Tye bowls a yorker that is going miles down leg, but they appeal for anyway. Why not, eh. Morgan cannot get Tye away and there’s just one from the over.
12th over: England 21-5 (Morgan 13, Moeen 3) The Aussies are changing the bowling! Cummins is coming off after five overs. Mitchell Marsh is on, which is a bit of a surprise. Morgan defends his first ball but is less respectful first up, trotting down and driving to mid-off. Later in the over there’s a big old waft outside off. Still, it’s a maiden. Decent start from Marsh.
A lot of the chat in the Australian corners of my twitter feed is about what movie Channel Nine will show when the ODI finishes early...
11th over: England 21-5 (Morgan 13, Moeen 3) It’s a no-brainer, but Smith is continuing with Hazlewood, and Morgan again chops passes his stumps for one. Moeen dots up then turns to midwicket for one. After two dots, Morgan turns to fine leg for one.
Stats like these pretty much go without saying given how England have been doing.
This is England's highest dot ball percentage (77.4%) in Powerplay 1 since the 2015 World Cup. It's also the only innings in that time that they've failed to hit a boundary in the first 10 overs #AusvEng
10th over: England 18-5 (Morgan 11, Moeen 2) Cummins kindly gifts England a run by starting his fifth over with a wide over Morgan’s head. The legal deliveries are consistently troublesome, however, and Morgan’s battling to get them away.
A belting powerplay for England, then. The last ball of it very nearly becomes the first boundary as Morgan drives a bit dodgily through mid-off, but Warner hauls it in on the fence. Still, three! That’s their highest scoring shot yet. Morgan dizzily moves into double figures.
@willis_macp Overs in hand, thats the important statistic.....
9th over: England 14-5 (Morgan 8, Moeen 2) The first ball of Hazlewood’s fifth – these two might as well carry on – thrashes into Morgan’s pad and they appeal. It doesn’t look right and umps agrees. Pitched outside leg. Morgan advances next ball and doesn’t get it right, with the ball deflecting to third slip on the bounce. He’s then beaten outside off, before nudging to leg for one. Moeen doesn’t score off the last couple and there’s just a single from it.
This innings will, of course, be an absolute statsgasm, whatever happens from here. But 8 is the third lowest score in ODIs ever for the fall of the fifth wicket. Good going.
8th over: England 13-5 (Morgan 7, Moeen 2) Morgan gets one nudged into the off-side off Cummins, then Mo leaves one. Lovely to see three slips in an ODI innings. Smith’s in there now! There’s a gully too, which means there are gaps elsewhere. Moeen realises that and hits and runs under his nose into the off-side. Then Morgan so nearly chops on. Goes to drive, it ain’t there and fizzes past his stumps. They run one. Moeen dips under a shorter one and leaves another.
A WICKETLESS OVER! A WICKETLESS OVER!
7th over: England 10-5 (Morgan 5, Moeen 1) Not much Buttler could have done about that, frankly. But there’s been a wicket in each of the last four overs, and four of England’s top six have made ducks today. Moeen is in a bit earlier than anticipated. His first ball is short, and beats him. He leaves his second, then nudges his third to leg for one. A run! And another as Morgan splices horribly through square-leg.
I just wonder. England say they live by the sword in this format. They’re dying by it, too. 35 is the lowest ever ODI score, and they are right in the mixer for that.
@willis_macp has the curfew been lifted?
Another! You can literally hear Michael Clarke shout “you beauty!” off mic this time. That’s a gorgeous delivery from Hazlewood to Buttler, and he’s gone. It’s just nipped away and he’s caught behind! England are five down!
6th over: England 8-4 (Morgan 4, Buttler 0) They crossed as Root played that horrible hoick and Cummins just eases down the ground for a couple. He doesn’t look to score off either of the last two balls.
Six for four is England’s worst ever four-down ODI score... It’s also just the fourth time both openers have made a duck in ODIs. Australia have started brilliantly in fine conditions for batting.
England are FOUR DOWN! Root has been very watchful but his first shot in anger makes him the third duckee in the top four! Cummins bangs it in, he tries to pull, top edges and only finds fine leg. Trouble...
5th over: England 6-3 (Root 0, Morgan 2) A leftie in for England then. Couple of defended dots get Morgan, the skipper, settled, before he eases a lovely little drive to mid-off’s right for a couple. He leaves the last.
Brian Withington is awake and not happy: “Strewth!” he gasps. “4-3 would not even be a particularly good score for England V Australia at football, never mind cricket.”
What a start for Australia! Hazlewood’s got Bairstow for none! He goes to launch into a drive and is caught behind. Hazlewood’s length has been immaculate...
4th over: England 4-2 (Bairstow 0, Root 0) Couple of solid defensive strokes gets Joe Root going. Suspect England are glad to have him a place lower at No4 today. It’s a wicket maiden as he defends the next two!
16 balls for Cummins to Hales, then. Four dismissals. Good going.
Cummins has got Cummins again! After a dot, he’s jagged one back and it’s bowled him off the front pad! That’s four times in the series...
3rd over: England 4-1 (Bairstow 0, Hales 3) Nice enough drive from Hales off Hazlewood, but straight to cover. The next, from a bit shorter, is guided just past point for one. Bairstow plays out four dots. He’s in no rush. Interesting, Australia have two slips, and neither is Steve Smith. Cam White and the Bison, Mitch Marsh, are in there.
2nd over: England 3-1 (Bairstow 0, Hales 2) Pat Cummins from t’other end. He’s got Hales out three times for 11 runs, and it’s Hales on strikes now. Leaves, defends, then takes one to midwicket to give Jonny Bairstow a look. His first ball hits his thigh, and his second is defended firmly to midwicket. Just one from the over as he blocks the last to cover.
1st over: England 2-1 (Bairstow 0, Hales 1) Hales decides to, you know, have a look at a ball, and leaves his first outside off. He defends the next couple, which are a bit straighter. Then there’s a wide, which Hales tries to wildly cut. Leave them alone, son! He takes a single to extra cover off the extra ball.
The one to get Roy was a decent catch from Smith. Loose shot but, let’s be honest, most of Jason Roy’s shots are a bit loose.
@willis_macp Who was the old bloke that lined up with the Australian team, between Smith and Warner, for the anthems?
What a start! The Aussies appeal off the first ball as Roy ambles down and plays across his front pad to one going high down leg. And he’s nailed a drive to point second ball! Smith takes the catch and he’s gone for nothing...
Right, time to get going... Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow on the way out for England, with Josh Hazlewood (Starc is rested) to get the Aussies started.
Adelaide Oval is a magnificent ground but the crowd, at least at this stage, does not look magnificent. As the anthems are wheeled away by a band with some fancy looking electric string instruments, there’s barely anyone listening.
Test Match Special are celebrating Australia Day by wearing shirts in honour of the least Australian man I know, Dan Norcross. He’s convinced that it always rains there. It did rain during every single Ashes Test!
As well as it being Australia Day, in the TMS box it’s ‘Dress like @norcrosscricket Day’!#AUSvENG#bbccricketpic.twitter.com/Vjh831yoRy
Morning Stuie! Seems likely...
@willis_macp morning will
Hope ur well, 4-0 i hope!
You can contact me! Do that in these two ways:
Up goes the coin and it comes down in Steve Smith’s favour! He chooses to bowl first! Eoin Morgan says he would have done the same because it’s a, and I quote, “really well put together wicket”. He probably doesn’t really care.
Smith says Aaron Finch is out of the best next two games but will be back for the T20s next month. Travis Head will open with Dave Warner, and Mitchell Starc is rested. AJ Tye gets a run in his place.
Hello! Greetings one and all, wherever you are in the world. It’s Australia Day and cricket in Adelaide on Australia Day is a thing – and so here we are! Australia against whitewash-hunting England, which really doesn’t sound right.
Australia have lost 10 of their last 11, appear to have no idea what their best XI is, and no obvious gameplan. They score too slowly, but have called up Glenn Maxwell for the injured Aaron Finch (by far their best batsman so far this series). The mail is that Maxwell won’t play and that Travis Head will open the batting on his home ground – he went bananas there on Australia Day last year.
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