Jos Buttler made an immense 110 not out, an innings of rare skill and intelligence, as England secured a 5-0 whitewash in a classic match at Old Trafford
That’s it for our live coverage on the happiest of days for English sport. I’ll leave you with a more detailed match report of a classic match. Thanks for your company and emails, goodnight!
Related: Jos Buttler hundred seals England’s series whitewash of Australia in thriller
Eoin Morgan speaks “There are massive positives to take from today. Jos Buttler was mesmerising, and everyone in the changing room is very proud of what he did. I think at times we take him for granted in this country. We’d be naïve to think we shouldn’t ask questions about how we batted – as a group it’s the first time we failed in this series. It’s a positive in a way but not something we want to replicate. The way we fought back after that was pretty awesome.”
Tim Paine speaks “That defeat stung. We’ve been taught a lesson by a world-class outfit. I thought we were in trouble at the halfway mark but the bowlers were superb in the first hour. When we’ve been under pressure in this series we’ve folded a little bit and we didn’t bowl as well to Jos and Adil. It’s been a difficult series but that goes with the job. If I’m honest I let the pressure of this series get to me a little bit, and when you’re not performing it’s not as much fun.”
Jos Buttler is the Man of the Match, the Man of the Series and the man, full stop...
“We were determined to try to win 5-0. One of the strengths of the side is how deep we bat and Adil Rashid did a great job. I don’t think I’ve ever played better than I am at the moment. It’s enjoyable and I want to keep it going.”
The England team are all wearing big, bearded smiles as they wait for the presentation. They’ve got life sussed right now.
This equals England’s biggest ODI series victory, the 5-0 win over Zimbabwe in 2001-02. Mike Atherton makes a good point that Eoin Morgan probably wishes the World Cup could start tomorrow, because England have never played as well as they are now.
That’s the first time Buttler has faced 100 balls in an ODI innings – he made 110 not out from 122 balls. In this case, the relatively slow strike rate of 90 is a virtue; he managed the game perfectly.
As my colleague Tim de Lisle points out, Australia missed several tricks by leaving the slip cordon vacant for so long. As well as Rashid played, they should have attacked him a lot more.
It’s been a decent day for English sports fans
That was an immense innings from Jos Buttler, with an intelligence and nerve that brought to mind the master of tight run-chases, Michael Bevan. Even in this brutal England batting line-up, Buttler’s genius stands out.
48.3 overs: England 208-9 (target 206; Buttler 110, Ball 1) That’s it! Buttler drives Stoinis for four to complete a wonderful win, and an unprecedented 5-0 whitewash of Australia.
48.1 overs: England 204-9 (target 206; Buttler 106, Ball 1) Buttler turns down a single which would have tied the match. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.
It’ll be Stoinis to bowl...
48 overs: England 204-9 (target 206; Buttler 106, Ball 1) Buttler forces a single and will keep the strike. Two to win.
47.5 overs: England 203-9 (target 206; Buttler 105, Ball 1) Ball flicks to deep backward square for a single. He wanted to come back for two!
47.4 overs: England 202-9 (target 206; Buttler 105, Ball 0) Another dot ball. Two to go.
47.3 overs: England 202-9 (target 206; Buttler 105, Ball 0) Same again: big inswing and a punched drive at the fielder from Ball.
47.2 overs: England 202-9 (target 206; Buttler 105, Ball 0) Richardson will surely try the full inswinger to Ball. He does, and Ball drives it confidently to mid-off. Well played.
47.1 overs: England 202-9 (target 206; Buttler 105, Ball 0) Kane Richardson is going to bowl what, one way or another, will probably be the final over of the match. Buttler surveys the field carefully – and drives the first ball for one! He thought there was two there but it was never on. That misjudgement could be very costly.
47 overs: England 201-9 (target 206; Buttler 104, Ball 0) Jake Ball does his job, playing out a maiden from Agar to huge cheers! England need five to win and Buttler is on strike.
46.4 overs: England 201-9 (target 206; Buttler 104, Ball 0) Two more dot balls. Jake Ball is just going to try to see off the over.
46.2 overs: England 201-9 (target 206; Buttler 104, Ball 0) A dot ball!
46.1 overs: England 201-9 (target 206; Buttler 104, Ball 0) Ball is beaten outside off stump by Agar.
This is great experience for England. You would think that, if they are to win a World Cup, they will need to survive at least one squeaky run-chase like this. Buttler has become the England player you would most want at the crease in such circumstances.
I’m not sure you’d want Jake Ball on strike though.
46th over: England 201-9 (target 206; Buttler 104, Ball 0) The batsman crossed, so Buttler faces the last ball of the over – and he cuffs it miles down the ground for six to bring up an immense hundred!
“Saw Buttler’s average is now over 40 with a strike rate of 117, and wondered if anyone has ever averaged 40 in ODIs with a better strike rate,” says Tom Bowtell. “Turns out they haven’t - next best is Bairstow, who is himself putting together all-time World XI sorts of stats.”
Rashid has gone! He flicked Stoinis high in the air towards fine leg, where Stanlake dived forward to take an outstanding low catch. There’s one ball left in the over.
45th over: England 194-8 (target 206; Buttler 97, Rashid 20) A good over from Agar is blocked carefully by Rashid. A maiden. England need 12 from 30 balls.
44th over: England 194-8 (target 206; Buttler 97, Rashid 20) If England win, Rashid will deserve a lot of credit for his sensible, selfless supporting role.But most of the credit would rightly go to Buttler, who has played a magnificent innings of rare skill and intelligence. He walks down to time Stoinis through midwicket for another high-class boundary, and a single takes him to 97.
43rd over: England 187-8 (target 206; Buttler 92, Rashid 18) Buttler’s game management - to use that dry, slightly odd vogue term - is as good as anyone’s in the England batting line-up. He has looked in control throughout this chase, even when the score was 114 for eight, and moves into the nineties with a fierce cut for two off Agar. Six runs from the over; Australia need a wicket quicksmart.
Turn on @SkySports& come on @josbuttler be a hero! #ENGAUS
42nd over: England 181-8 (target 206; Buttler 88, Rashid 16) Buttler plays another masterful stroke, timing Richardson through extra cover for four. It teased the cover sweeper all the way before beating him at the last. This has been such a smart, composed innings from Buttler, England’s foulweather friend.
41st over: England 173-8 (target 206; Buttler 83, Rashid 13) Ashton Agar returns to the attack and almost picks up the key wicket of Buttler – not once but twice. First Buttler edges through the vacant slip area for four, and then he pushes a delivery just past Agar, diving to the right in his followthrough. England need 33 from 54 balls.
40th over: England 167-8 (target 206; Buttler 78, Rashid 12) Kane Richardson replaces Stanlake, and Buttler walks forward to drive magnificently to the left of mid-off for four. The placement was immaculate. We knew about his ability to finish off a good start but in the last year or so he has become equally adept at finishing despite a bad start.
39th over: England 161-8 (target 206; Buttler 73, Rashid 12) Lyon also bowls his final over, with Rashid content to see him out of the attack. Lyon, who has bowled craftily, ends with unjust figures of 10-0-32-0.
38th over: England 158-8 (target 206; Buttler 71, Rashid 11) A loose delivery from Stanlake hits Buttler’s pads and scoots away for four. Stanlake, who bowled a blistering opening spell, looks weary now and might be secretly glad that his work is done: he ends with figures of 10-1-35-3. Buttler survived a run-out referral later in the over, having stumbled as he turned for a second. He recovered brilliantly, and a desperate dive ensured he was home.
37th over: England 150-8 (Buttler 68, Rashid 10) Nathan Lyon returns to the attack. He has two overs remaining, and the first yields five low-risk runs. This is impressive, sensible cricket from Buttler and Rashid.
36th over: England 145-8 (Buttler 67, Rashid 6) Billy Stanlake returns to bowl his ninth over and is pulled sweetly for four by Buttler, who is playing delightfully. England need 61 from 84 balls and Australia may just be starting to think about the unthinkable.
35th over: England 137-8 (Buttler 62, Rashid 4) This is a promising partnership, with Rashid thus far playing sensibly (see below) and Buttler looking in control. They still need to find 69 runs from somewhere but there is an outside chance of Buttler doing a Michael Bevan.
“Isn’t it amazing the lack of mental discipline (or intelligence?) of England’s bowlers, chasing wide ones when Buttler is at the other end,” says Andrew Hurley. “Their role isn’t exactly rocket science...”
34th over: England 132-8 (Buttler 60, Rashid 3) Buttler just gets some bat on a terrific inswinging yorker from Richardson, deflecting it to fine leg for four. England now need 74 from 96 balls.
“Thank God for an England batting collapse,” writes Alistair. “With success in football AND one day cricket, I was starting to take think I lived on an island where our sporting representatives have consistently natural ability and an easy confidence. Where was the English self-doubt and angst? What would we have to complain about with the weather being so good as well? It was very unnerving. Anyway, normal service has been resumed and we can all sleep easily again tonight.”
33rd over: England 123-8 (Buttler 52, Rashid 2) Rashid gets off the mark with a classy square drive for two off Stoinis. That’s all she wrote.
32nd over: England 121-8 (Buttler 52, Rashid 0) Buttler half edges, half steers Richardson for four to bring up a controlled half-century from 74 balls. He’ll surely need to make a hundred if England are to win this match.
31st over: England 115-8 (Buttler 48, Rashid 0) With eight wickets down – and only Jake Ball to come - Buttler will probably feel it’s time to go into, er, one-day mode. He tries to drive the new bowler Stanlake and is beaten by a bit of late movement.
30th over: England 114-8 (Buttler 47, Rashid 0) It’s been a miserable series for Australia but they are going to end it with a stirring victory. Rashid survives the hat-trick ball, defending a sharp reverse inswinger.
Plunkett goes first ball! He chased a very wide outswinger from Kane Richardson and edged it low to the right of Tim Paine, who dived a long way to take a beautiful two-handed catch.
Sam Curran is given out on review! He chased a wide delivery from the new bowler Richardson and snicked it through to Paine. It was given not out on the field but there was a noise and Australia reviewed instantly. Ultra-Edge confirmed they were right to do so.
29th over: England 113-6 (Buttler 46, Curran 15) D’Arcy Short comes to bowl some left-arm wrist-spin. His first ball is filthy, a long hop that Curran pulls over mid-on for six! He has decided to target Short and completes an excellent over for England with a pull for four off the final delivery.
28th over: England 101-6 (Buttler 45, Curran 4) Buttler cuts Stoinis for two to take England past the magic 100 mark. If Buttler stays in, we could have a memorable finish.
27th over: England 97-6 (Buttler 42, Curran 3) Lyon is bowling beautifully, almost like it’s a Test match. His figures are 8-0-24-0.
It was hitting the stumps - but only the outside of leg, which means it’s umpire’s call and the on-field decision stands. Australia do at least keep their review.
Curran survives a big LBW shout from Lyon. I thought it was sliding past leg stump, but Australia are going to use their review.
26th over: England 96-6 (target 206; Buttler 41, Curran 3) It’s a bit of a who-blinks-first game at the moment, with England content to inch towards the target in singles.
25th over: England 93-6 (target 206; Buttler 39, Curran 2) Lyon beats Curran with a beautiful off-break. He’s a real threat on a ground like Old Trafford, which always encourages spin and pace bowling.
24th over: England 88-6 (target 206; Buttler 35, S Curran 1) The debutant Sam Curran is the new batsman. England need somebody to stay with Buttler.
Moeen’s unconvincing innings comes to an end. He pushed at a deceptively sharp delivery from Stoinis and got a leading edge to backward point, where Lyon took a comfortable catch.
23rd over: England 86-5 (target 206; Buttler 34, Ali 16) Lyon almost gets Moeen again, with a top-edged slog sweep landing safely on the leg side. It’s an intriguing contest, and you can tell that Lyon is still in Moeen’s head from the winter.
22nd over: England 81-5 (target 206; Buttler 32, Ali 13) Moeen snicks the new bowler Stoinis through the vacant slip area for two and then misses an extravagant slap outside off stump.
21st over: England 78-5 (target 206; Buttler 32, Ali 10) Buttler also had Ashes problems with Lyon, though his were back in 2015. He gets away with a risky stroke here, dragging an attempted reverse sweep past leg stump. It would have hit the stumps had it not hit the back of the bat in his follow through.
“I love filth,” says Jane Tubby. “I appreciate your usage of the word in both OBO and MBM!”
20th over: England 76-5 (target 206; Buttler 31, Ali 9) This is sensible cricket from Buttler and Moeen, who are dealing exclusively in low-risk singles while the dangerous Stanlake is bowling. He has three overs remaining and England need 130 from the last 30 overs.
19th over: England 72-5 (target 206; Buttler 29, Ali 7) Lyon, who took possession of Moeen during the Ashes, beats him outside off stump with an excellent delivery. Australia are pushing hard for wickets before Moeen gets his eye in.
18th over: England 69-5 (target 206; Buttler 28, Ali 5) Billy Stanlake, who rampaged through England’s top order, starts at the other end. He only has five overs left but Tim Paine knows a wicket here would give England all sorts of agita. Buttler, who reads the game very well, is content to see him off rather than take any risks.
17th over: England 68-5 (target 206; Buttler 28, Ali 4) Hello, Rob here. Nathan Lyon bowls the first over after the interval. Two from it, nothing much to report.
Right, that’s me done. Thanks for your company both today and yesterday. Rob is just wrapping up the MBM and will be with you for the first ball in about four minutes. Here’s to Billy Stanlake and/or Jos Buttler determining who wins this match. Adios.
“I have a theory that England can only be successful at one sport at a time,” writes Tom V d Gucht. Please continue. “One of the reasons the rugby team lost last week is because the match coincided with a ODI that was won convincingly. Now the cricket team have to lose as the football team are playing a blinder. It’s just how the sporting gods in England operate.”
On the other hand, as an Australian (however dispassionate), I strongly believe that the Cricket Gods (interchangable with Footy Gods) will deny the visitors because they took Stanlake off before the break. They will be punished for it, rest assured.
16th over: England 66-5 (Buttler 27, Moeen 3) Target 206 So close to having Buttler! He drives hard at Richardson but doesn’t get all of it through cover, Head having time to launch to his right inside the circle. He’s probably six inches short of being able to touch it but instead four runs are recorded as the vice-captain moves into the 20s. To the penultimate ball before the break, Paine stands up to the stumps and the bowler drops short, Buttler up to the task of cutting four more. Last ball, and it is a full toss! Buttler would normally pop that on the moon but instead takes the single on offer to fine leg. So, 11 taken from it as they walk off for lunch.
Phew. Take a breath. I’m going to grab a plate of food and watch the end of the football. I suggest you do the same. Back shortly.
15th over: England 55-5 (Buttler 16, Moeen 3) Target 206 Lyon getting the last over before lunch and that’s clever as he’s sending it down at Moeen, who he, as the kids say (or did a while ago), pwned during the Ashes. Sure enough, Moeen does something daft in response to his nemesis, taking a quick single that would have seen him run out by metres had the throw hit. I think it was Travis Head. Either way, opportunity missed. Just the two singles from the over... and it won’t be lunch. They will sneak one more in.
Half a chance here that England’s football side will score more than its batsmen.
14th over: England 53-5 (Buttler 15, Moeen 2) Target 206 Richardson locates Buttler’s outside edge as well, spitting out to point for two. Nicely bowled. Moeen turns a couple of singles around the corner to get his day underway. Three singles along with the wicket of Hales.
Alex, mate, what are you doing? That was so wide from Richardson it would have been signalled so if not for the fact that Hales has arms long enough to nick it behind.
13th over: England 50-4 (Hales 20, Buttler 14) Target 206 Agar to Hales, down the ground to begin for one, Buttler likewise. Easiser now. The crowd are up, Harry has scored again, then once more more moments later as Australia reach their 50.
12th over: England 47-4 (Hales 18, Buttler 13) Target 206 Stanlake has been taken off and I just don’t understand anything anymore. Yes, they can give him a break and he can go again after lunch. Yes, he’s already bowled five. But he’s sending down HEAT and Buttler is a long, long way from set. Sure enough, Jos responds by driving Richardson with ease through cover for a couple. Paine, immediately, up to the stumps. Buttler then goes over the top of cover for four. Talk about stunting momentum. What a waste.
11th over: England 41-4 (Hales 18, Buttler 7) Target 206 Agar though Buttler! The smallest inside edge saving him, missing the leg stump by barely a ball-width. Four handy runs in the current circumstances. With the field out, Buttler able to play a more composed drive to the sweeper later in the over to keep the strike.
10th over: England 34-4 (Hales 17, Buttler 1) Target 206 This is RAPID from Stanlake, consecutive deliveries sent down at 92 then 93mph, the latter way too quick for Buttler’s blade. He’s then finally off the mark squeezing a drive out to third man. A looser delivery to finish, which Hales leaps with a crunch to the point rope. The end of an eventful power play. Stanlake must stay on for a couple more here.
This England team clearly got told the score in Russia and now they're fighting them for the back pages the only way they know how @collinsadam, a vintage collapse. We're never dull, eh.
9th over: England 28-4 (Hales 12, Buttler 0) Target 206 Agar back after one Lyon over, presumably because southpaw Morgan has been and gone. Just a single down the ground early in the set from Hales, Buttler playing out the rest respectfully. Noteworthy: he’s faced six balls without scoring.
8th over: England 27-4 (Hales 11, Buttler 0) Target 206 Buttler in during the eighth over wasn’t England’s plan, they just wanted to watch the football in the sheds. No. You’ve got some work to do here. Defending and defending again. Wicket Maiden for Billy!
PHWOAR! 88 miles of the best, Billy Stanlake has put Australia into the Delorean and back to happier times! He is through the gate of Morgan with a SCREAMER! Leg stump bent back, the captain is gone for a duck.
7th over: England 27-3 (Hales 11, Morgan 0) Target 206 Lyon to continue with spin from the Anderson End. Hales has the offie’s measure to begin, smashing an elegant cover drive through the field, still up during this power play period. But the experienced bowler is straight back on it, pinning him to the crease for the remainder of the set.
Billy! Oh Billy! Root tries to punch the final ball of the over off the back foot but places an edge into the waiting hands of Marsh at slip who makes no mistake. That flew to him. Fast, probing bowling from the Queenslander. Game on! Maybe!
6th over: England 23-3 (Hales 7) Target 206
Now, hold on! Australia might be back in this with Stanlake getting the wicket he deserves for his work so far this afternoon, YJB chopping a ball on that he tried to cut but was too close for that. A nice bit of movement off the seam brought the error.
5th over: England 19-1 (Bairstow 12, Hales 4) Target 206 A couple behind square leg from Bairstow and a couple of wides that easily could have been leg byes. Agar going nicely in this power play. It could turn into a strategy they roll out more often. Dipak Patel, anyone?
4th over: England 15-1 (Bairstow 10, Hales 4) Target 206 Edge, four! Stanlake really getting it through here and Bairstow lucky to still be there. It would have landed safely with second slip. As Jimmy Anderson says on TMS, the big quick has been positive of this tour for the visitors. I reckon he’ll be back next year for the World Cup. Meanwhile, 5-0 / 5-0 will surely guarantee that cricket sneaks onto the back pages tomorrow, right?
3rd over: England 8-1 (Bairstow 3, Hales 4) Target 206 It is only the second time that an Australian spinner has bowled the first ball of an innings, Andy Zaltzman tells us on TMS. Lyon the first, a couple of years ago against India. I reckon that might have been in Canberra. Anyway, it is Agar here as... Old Trafford rise once more! What a lovely goal that was. Sorry, I mean, Hales off the mark with a delightful on-drive. A true example of making something difficult look rather easy. Four-nil in the football, four-nil in the cricket. Zing! (Could be 5-0 and 5-0 in about two hours)
2nd over: England 3-1 (Bairstow 2, Hales 0) Target 206 Old Trafford go up for a third time but it isn’t due to the pace Stanlake gets through the ‘keeper, fair to say. What a finish from Lingard. Billy has got it zipping around, right on the money to Hales who can’t yet get himself off the mark.
Australia are all out for 205!
Scorecard/Videos: https://t.co/Cl2uW1WZ8c#ENGvAUSpic.twitter.com/NbgJjboBHl
1st over: England 2-1 (Bairstow 1, Hales 0) Target 206 Hales defending the last couple here to see out the successful over. Can’t ask much more of Agar than that.
Roy dances and tries to smash Agar into the stands but he’s bowled through the gate by the left-arm spinner sliding through the gate. “Probably trying to hit it too hard,” the assessment of Jimmy Anderson on TMS.
Another big roar! Old Trafford love the Harry Kane penalty (and what a penalty!). England 2-0 in the 22nd minute after smashing through Australia for 205.
To think Head and Finch had them rocking along at 60-0 in the seventh over. But once again, it was spin that did it as it has been throughout. Moeen snuck through Finch then prompted a terrible shot from Stoinis in the space of a couple of balls. Marsh became his third due to Buttler’s fast gloves after Plunkett had Head - who looked so good for 56 - softly pushing to midwicket. It never got better for the visitors, their innings summed up by the dismissal of the captain Paine, who was run out magnificently by Buttler.
A predictable end, Stanlake deep in the crease trying to pull but misses a straight one. Moeen finishes with 4/46. Wonderful effort to get the job done inside 35 overs.
34th over: Australia 200-9 (Short 42, Stanlake 2) The temporary stand launch into a standing ovation when Australia pass 200 as Short turns Rashid around the corner. Fun, fun. The leggie, with 12 scalps, now has more than any English spinner in a bilateral series. Stanlake beaten then pads away a crowd catch close to the bat but he surives.
33rd over: Australia 197-9 (Short 41, Stanlake 1) Moeen back and that’s fair enough given how well he has bowled this series, he deserves to pick up the final wicket. Not to be here though, Short productive early then Stanlake solid enough at the end.
32nd over: Australia 193-9 (Short 38, Stanlake 0) Stanlake survives three balls by throwing his huge front leg forward and hoping nothing gets through. Decent enough strategy at this stage against Rashid, who has been excellent. With Rob taking over from me at 3pm, is it possible Roy and YJB will have the runs knocked off beforehand?
Huge roar around Old Trafford as Stones finishes wonderfully from a corner at the exact moment that Rashid slips through Lyon with a lovely wrong’un! The Australian reviewed but only because he had to. He knew. Three Lions plays around the ground.
31st over: Australia 192-8 (Short 37, Lyon 1) Lovely from Curran, doing everything but finding Lyon’s edge at the back end of his zippy set, beating him twice. Earlier, Short struck another fluent drive through extra cover for four. He’s doing a fine job here but has to bat through to the end.
30th over: Australia 187-8 (Short 32, Lyon 1) Just the three singles, coming before the excitement of the review. If you can call it at . Peeeeep! Rob Smyth on the tools on the England v Panama MBM and then he’ll be taking over from me when that is finished. Busy boy.
NOT OUT! No edge, so not caught, and missing by a long way on ball tracking.
ENGLAND GOING UPSTAIRS. Maybe for lbw maybe for caught behind. Either way, Rashid believes he has Lyon. We’ll see.
29th over: Australia 184-8 (Short 30, Lyon 0) If/when England finish this before 2pm there will be a ten minute changeover and lunch will be taken at 2:30pm. Grim, ay? On the other hand, if they can grab them both this over, they should be back in the sheds in time to watch the start of the football. Short flicks a couple and drives another off Curran. Nathan Lyon is beaten by a good’un to finish. What a rollercoaster his international career has been since starting in 2011. There will be a decent book in that.
We are on fire - and @CurranSM has his first ODI wickets!
Scorecard & Clips: https://t.co/Cl2uW1WZ8c#ENGvAUSpic.twitter.com/kXMmIA3fgm
What can you say? Richardson turned to fine leg and just started running. Short sent him back but it was all too late. Moeen’s throw got to Buttler just in time. The end. It was the ball after Richardson plonked Rashid for six over long-on but that doesn’t matter now. Shambles.
28th over: Australia 181-8 (Short 27, Lyon 0)
IS RICHARDSON RUN OUT? I reckon he might be. We’ll see shortly. It’s a shocker...
27th over: Australia 172-7 (Short 26, Richardson 6) Short, who has been watching the chaos from the other end, gets another chance against Curran. He uses it well, cutting from high in his stance into the gap for his second boundary.
“Having just scene the clip of that brilliant run-out by Joss Buttler, I have to say that any Umpire who needs a TV replay to decide on that shouldn’t be in the game at all,” notes Martin Crookall. “He was miles out.” On that: the last time a run out was given on the field without going upstairs?
26th over: Australia 165-7 (Short 20, Richardson 5) Richardson living dangerously, trying to slay Rashid but only top-edging to mid-off, just evading the fielder. To finish the over he tried to put him on the moon but missed the ball. Lucky to still have his stumps.
“Great to see (read) such belting bowling brilliance from Moeen!” writes Andrew Benton. “He seems to have got his Mo-jo back after the winter down under.”
@collinsadam This is extraordinary. Australia are currently eliciting incredulous laughter from the TV commentators.
25th over: Australia 163-7 (Short 20, Richardson 3) What a great comeback from Curran after copping some tap earlier on, conceding 25 runs in two overs. As the wickets fell he must have wondered if he would get another opportunity but he’s made the most of it. Richardson, in before the halfway mark of the innings, gets off the mark with a couple through midwicket. “It’s like they are at the end of a three-month tour,” says Michael Vaughan on TMS of Australia. “But they’ve only been here three weeks.”
Oh no! Agar has left a ball that has hit middle and off stump! Two in three balls for the man on debut. Good grief, that’s ugly; an old-fashioned brain explosion. And Agar, a clever man with a wonderful future ahead of him, knows it too judging by his walk off the field. “That is going to be replayed over and over,” says Charles Dagnall on TMS. Not wrong.
That’s the end of Carey, giving Curran his first ODI wicket from his first ball back into the attack! The left-hander tried to steer down to third man but didn’t get enough on it, the edge landing in Buttler’s gloves instead.
24th over: Australia 159-5 (Carey 44, Short 20) I’m being punished for falling behind and have to write this quickly. You’ll understand why in a tick. Ten from the Rashid over, including another boundary for Carey who sweeps nice and fine. Going well. Until...
23rd over: Australia 149-5 (Carey 37, Short 17) That’s better! Carey lifts Root straight over his head and over the boundary. Lovely shot for six. This is how the South Australian made his name, clean hitting down the ground in the Big Bash. “It would not surprise me at all if Alex Carey is the captain of this team for the World Cup,” says Michael Vaughan on TMS as he again, slapping through cover for four more. 14 from the Root over. Charles Dagnall notes that Carey has history as an Australian Rules football captain, and that is true. He was the inaugural captain of the GWS Giants, albeit before they were in the top-flight. Had he got a game in the AFL he would join others who reached the top in both sports including Simon O’Donnell, Max Walker and Keith Miller. There are loads more but two spinners are operating and time is scarce. Post!
22nd over: Australia 135-5 (Carey 25, Short 15) Adil Rashid, rinse and repeat. Short tucks one fine to begin then Carey pulls a single square. But Short has no chance to turn it over again, trying to drive but straight to fielders in the old-fashioned ‘V’. Two off it, making 21 from the last five overs.
21st over: Australia 133-5 (Carey 24, Short 14) I am not ignoring you on purpose. My inbox just refreshed (doesn’t it do that automatically???) and there are emails going back well over an hour. I’ll get to them when the spinners have stopped bowling in tandem. Root is back, five singles milked to the sweepers as this young pair find their feet in an effort to rebuilds.
20th over: Australia 128-5 (Carey 22, Short 11) Rashid is class. There are a couple of singles on offer but nothing else. I liked that CricViz stat about him the other day. In short: he has bowled, on average, faster every year he has been an international cricketer. In other words, he’s adapted into the ideal T20 wrist spinner.
19th over: Australia 126-5 (Carey 21, Short 10) Moeen one more. Singles around the sweepers, four runs added. Rashid, who turns the ball back at the left-handers, is coming on next. Will they take a stab at taking him down early?
18th over: Australia 122-5 (Carey 20, Short 7) Short crashes a cover drive through the gap and to the boundary, his first. But nearly chops on next ball trying to emulate the shot off Plunkett. So, both batsmen will continue to have a crack and look for the rope.
Update - they are now on to deny England the 263 runs they need to break overall runs record for a five-match series... https://t.co/zSPG709KHX
17th over: Australia 117-5 (Carey 20, Short 2) Scrap that, Carey is going to have a crack. Plays two versions of the sweep shot to locate the rope in the Moeen over. To begin, the slog-sweep that Steve Waugh made his own. Later, the scoop (that qualifies as a sweep, right?) over the top of the wicketkeeper Buttler. Drinks.
You are an absolute freak, @josbuttler!
Scorecard/Clips: https://t.co/Cl2uW1WZ8c#ENGvAUSpic.twitter.com/OqOtDHPCdk
16th over: Australia 105-5 (Carey 9, Short 1) Plunkett running away from us again at the Statham End. Carey to third man, Short to cover, Carey again to third man. All singles. What a contrast to the experience of watching Finch and Head earlier. Oh well.
Tim Paine's 36 runs the fewest by an Australian captain in a five-match ODI series https://t.co/ct0lJNa51v
15th over: Australia 101-5 (Carey 7, Short 0) Carey nearly plays on! Coming forward, Moeen finds the inside edge from round the wicket. Short is the new man, coming in at number seven. It is the first time in his international career where he hasn’t opened. What these two young men have is the chance to do something significant now, with loads of time available. “Can the World Cup start tomorrow?” asks Aggers on TMS.
Brilliant from Jos! Absolutely brilliant. Paine was probably right to think there was a quick single there after pushing Moeen into the vacant midwicket region but the wicketkeeper scampered around at full pace, collecting and throwing and hitting at the non-strikers’ end. This is turning into another nightmare for the tourists.
14th over: Australia 100-4 (Carey 6, Paine 1) If England can grab the last six wickets in an hour they will be back in the sheds in time to watch the start of the football. Nearly one of those here! Carey drives and it is loose, hanging in the air at a very catchable height, just sneaking through the cover reigon. Paine takes one to point to get off the mark and bring up the Australian 100. Just three from the Plunkett over. So, in the space of about half an hour we’ve gone from domination to accumulation to consolidation.
Oh no. Marsh has overbalanced in the crease after leaning forward in his defensive posture, so his back foot popped in the air and Buttler didn’t miss the opportunity. “You need a very hungry wicketkeeper there,” notes Adam Gilchrist on TMS. Moeen has a third.
13th over: Australia 97-4 (Carey 4, Paine 0) Earlier in the set, Carey got off the mark with a reverse-swept boundary. Very modern.
IS MARSH STUMPED? England certainly think so. We are going upstairs.
Dear me! Once again, Travis Head finds a way to get himself out. This time, chipping to midwicket. Liam Plunkett, the new bowler, is straight into the book. From the delivery before, Head clipped him with ease for four but a slight change of pace has brought the error and soft dismissal. He’s walking off more slowly than Shane Watson.
12th over: Australia 90-3 (Marsh 7, Carey 0)
11th over: Australia 83-2 (Head 52, Marsh 4) Predictably, the first over that the field can go out brings four singles to the sweepers. Welcome to the accumulation overs.
Two wickets in an over for @MoeenAli after a good start from Australia.
Scorecard/Videos: https://t.co/Cl2uW1WZ8c#ENGvAUSpic.twitter.com/czTc4DDskR
10th over: Australia 79-2 (Head 50, Marsh 2) Superb from Head, carving Ball behind point to start the over. Exchanging singles, the left-hander deflects one to third man to raise his half-century in 36 deliveries. Hasn’t done a thing wrong so far today. Will Macpherson to my right informs me that England scored 79 in the power play during the 481 game last week. Granted, they hadn’t lost a wicket but dare to dream, sportsfans.
9th over: Australia 72-2 (Head 44, Marsh 1) Two overs left in the power play, Moeen to send down the third of spin. Head lovely again, down the track and over the bowler’s head for his seventh boundary. Marsh off the mark with one to square leg and Head keeps the strike with a single down the ground. Adam Gilchrist just used “Reverse Malachi” on TMS, which probably means I need to explain it? Has become a big part of the Australian cricketing jargon over the last few years.
8th over: Australia 65-2 (Head 38, Marsh 0) Jake Ball again. Am I legally required to identify him Jake the Snake in the same way that Billy Stanlake must always be Big Billy Stanlake? Nice over from him, notwithstanding the fact that Head struck him for another delightful boundary through cover. The South Australian has threatened to dominate a couple of times this series before getting himself out. Oh, as I type this he nearly falls to a leading edge, just out of the reach the Ball in his follow-through.
7th over: Australia 60-2 (Head 33, Marsh 0) Two runs and two wickets from Moeen’s first over. Shaun Marsh out to join Head in a game that, in the space of three balls, has turned sharply in England’s favour. Watching the Stoinis replay, it was nothing more than catching practice. Terrible game awareness, as they say. (Do they?)
Two in an over! That’s such poor batting from the number three, gifting the most straightforward catch to Ball around at short-fine leg.
Spin has done it! Moeen Ali replaces Joe Root and picks up Finch third ball. The vice-captain went back to pull a delivery that turned, perhaps, a bit more than he expected it to and lost his leg stump, which came out of the ground on contact. Moeen and Rashid now have 20 wickets between them in the series.
6th over: Australia 58-0 (Finch 21, Head 32) Ball swung around to the Statham End after a couple from the Anderson End. Doesn’t change the result, Head driving gloriously through extra cover for four. That’s the shot of the day so far. Later, Finch off the hip in the air to Curran at short fine leg and it has just fallen short.
Australia on for the fabled 500 here...
5th over: Australia 52-0 (Finch 20, Head 27) Joe Root? Well, it worked in Durham. Will it again? Not initially, Head driving a couple then cutting hard to the rope. Aaron Finch’s turn and he leaps onto the front foot and smashes back over the Test captain’s head for another boundary. He goes again from the final delivery and doesn’t get much of it but with the field up his sliced drive nets him two more to extra cover. 13 from the set and the Australian 50 is up in five overs! Strike lambs!
4th over: Australia 39-0 (Finch 14, Head 20) Finch is away now too, lofting a cover drive to the rope then flicking looooong over midwicket into the crowd for the first big one the morning. Curran has given up 25 runs in two overs to begin his ODI career.
3rd over: Australia 28-0 (Finch 4, Head 19) Ball has Head playing defensively to begin but the Australian pair collect up two boundaries in the second half of the over with Head clipping again through square leg then Finch through midwicket to finish. Lovely shot to get the vice-captain belatedly off the mark.
2nd over: Australia 19-0 (Finch 0, Head 14) Sam Curran with the new ball on debut, running away from us at the Brian Statham End. It is not a great start from the young man, overpitching early to Head who helps himself to four through cover. The left-armer sprays a side down the legside to the same man before gifting him a juicy one on leg-stump, clipped away for a second boundary. A solid drive down the ground finishes off Head’s productive over, the pair turning for three to make 14 from the over.
1st over: Australia 5-0 (Finch 0, Head 1) Wide given first up to a delivery swinging away outside the off-stump. Batsman’s game, innit. More extras, three leg byes to fine leg, the boundary prevented by Adil Rashid racing around for backward square before putting in a really good dive. He hasn’t had the best series in the field so that will plenty for his confidence. Head gets the first runs off the bat, tucking a single fine.
Tim Paine acknowledges the last ODI for veteran Australian @hutch8 as he walks out to the toss at Old Trafford.
Hutch is one of the greats.
Will be sorely missed. pic.twitter.com/bYuxC6d9pr
“It looks like an absolute belter to me,” says Jimmy Anderson on TMS. “I think the form that England are in, to be honest, they will think they can get absolutely anything that Australia can set them.”On that note, here come the teams. Finch and Head are running out for Australia, so Short is batting down the list for the first time in his international career. Jake Ball to bowl the first over for England. PLAY!
Tim Paine talking to TMS: “We have spoken a lot about how this side is learning on the job a bit. While we are here we are trying to win but trying to get the balance right as soon as possible. We have a really young team but these kids are really enjoying playing international cricket in England. We’d prefer to be going better but as so long as we are learning and getting some games into these kids. We haven’t been overdoing it or having more meetings than we would, it is about setting the same message.”
Eoin Morgan also on BBC: “We would have batted first given the ground and conditions it does get a bit tougher to chase with a bit of turn. It is not a bad thing we have lost the toss and are doing what we don’t want to do as you don’t always get to do what you want first. Today is going to be about adapting. Given the series we have had we have been at the top of our game, today is no different. There is a really good feeling about the day and we need to capitalise on that.”
“In the other place,” as they say in parliamentary debate. That being Russia. Specifically, Nizhny Novgorod, where England are playing their second football World Cup fixture at 1pm against Panama. As Test Match Special’s Dan Norcross said on twitter: “Very good of Australia to bat first. It means England won’t start batting until after the football has finished. Blessed day.” I suspect this is a widely-held view?
England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (+), Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Liam Plunkett, Jake Ball
Australia: Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, D’Arcy Short, Alex Carey, Tim Paine (c / +), Ashton Agar, Billy Stanlake, Kane Richardson, Nathan Lyon
Correction on Craig Overton. He hasn’t been rested, he has a side injury and is getting a scan on Monday.
Australia has whitewashed England! At the toss! Five-nil, five-nil, five-nil! You little beauty! They have brought back Kane Richardson and D’Arcy Short for Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson.
For England, as expected, Sam Curran (debut), Liam Plunkett and Jake ball in for Craig Overton, David Willey and Mark Wood, who are all rested.
Wrapping up the preview. Here is Ali Martin’s take on the potential five-nil, where he successfully manages to “champ” Tim Paine in the final par. Good effort.
While you’re there, here is my report from the England women’s double-header at Taunton yesterday (yes, it was a long drive up here last night) and Tanya Aldred’s wrap from the Shires.
Congratulations @CurranSM! https://t.co/YAyjgYuVkb#ENGvAUSpic.twitter.com/alcMch7YZR
Can England trounce Australia again to record their first five-zip whitewash in these contests? Will Australia salvage something from their misadventure? Those are the sorts of questions we are asking on this glorious Manchester morning. There is not a cloud in the sky as the players begin to mingle for their warm-ups (i.e. football).
Sam Curran is expected to make his ODI debut for England as part of their fast bowler rotation. Liam Plunkett will also be back in the XI, as will Jake Ball. David Willey, Mark Wood and Craig Overton - the attack from Durham - will all take a breather. In fact, Jimmy Anderson is out there now about to do Curran’s cap presentation (we think).