Right, that’s it from me. Be sure to stick around on site for all the reports and reaction. But for now, cheerio!
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England win by 93 runs
A comprehensive win for England in the end, thanks to James Taylor’s batting and the spin bowling of Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali.
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WICKET! Wade b Finn 42 (Australia 207 all out)
Finn returns and the general thrash continues. Wade clubs him into the stands at cow corner to bring up the Australia 200, then carves him wide of mid-off for four more. But the next is full and straight. Wade misses. England win.
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43rd over: Australia 193-9 (Wade 29, Pattinson 1) England have the chance to run either batsmen out after Pattinson is slapped on the pad, but they get themselves into a tangle and end up missing the stumps at the wrong end. They review the lbw decision but it pitched about a foot outside leg stump. Stokes bangs in a couple of yorkers but Pattinson digs them out well.
42nd over: Australia 190-9 (Wade 27, Pattinson 1) Plunkett comes in for his 10th and final over. Wade swings … and misses, swings … and connects, dragging the ball to square leg for four. He manages to squirt the next, a full toss, over backward point and away for a couple more.
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41st over: Australia 181-9 (Wade 19, Pattinson 0) Ben Stokes gets a bowl for the first time in the innings. Wade picks up a single from the fourth ball, leaving Pattinson with a couple to face. He does so with little fuss.
This will be England's biggest win over Aus in an ODI (by runs).
— Rob Smyth (@100ashesquotes) September 8, 2015
Previous biggest win was by 101 runs in 1977: http://t.co/UDIQVT2bYJ
— Rob Smyth (@100ashesquotes) September 8, 2015
40th over: Australia 177-9 (Wade 16, Pattinson 0) Wade slaps four cross-batted through the covers but this is nearly over.
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WICKET! Cummins c Roy b Plunkett 5 (Australia 172-9)
Stand-and-swing from Cummins and it’s not long before he picks out a fielder, Roy, as it happens, down at long on.
Great catch from Jason Roy #EngvsAus pic.twitter.com/yDtCHSJASa
— Gareth Price (@quietfundraiser) September 8, 2015
39th over: Australia 168-8 (Wade 11, Cummins 1) Moeen finishes with figures of 10-1-32-3.
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WICKET! Starc c Bairstow b Moeen 1 (Australia 167-8)
Smart, not to mention bold, bowling from Moeen this. He rips the ball past Starc, who understandably has come out swinging. And he repeats the trick with the next ball. The third is bravely put in the same spot, and this time he finds the edge. Bairstow takes a sharp catch and England have got this won.
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38th over: Australia 165-7 (Wade 10, Starc 0) And that’s over.
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WICKET! Agar c Roy b Plunkett 5 (Australia 165-7_
The second wonder catch of this innings. Agar scoops Plunkett high into the Manchester sky. Out int he deep Roy runs in but he’s taken a step too far and has to check and dive backwards. He can’t take the catch cleanly and the ball pops out of his grasp, but as he falls backwards he somehow manages to keep his wits about him and take the catch at the second attempt. That was extraordinary.
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Shot of the day: Alex Hales puts on a walrus mask at Old Trafford... #EngvAus @SkyCricket pic.twitter.com/jCefDVRHat
— Tim Williams (@SkyTimW) September 8, 2015
37th over: Australia 163-6 (Wade 9, Agar 4) Moeen into his ninth over. Four singles off the over. The required rate is up above 10 now.
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36th over: Australia 159-6 (Wade 7, Agar 2) “That was a giant spell from Rashid,” writes Robert Wilson. “Test quality bowling in an ODI. He was turning it a foot as his stock ball. If Warne had bowled that spell, we’d all be reaching (tearfully) for the tissues. And whether the rejected review ball was a topspinner or not, it was the straightest of disguised straight balls, the hardest thing for a leggie to do, it deserved a couple of wickets all on its own.”
Plunkett keeps the batsmen honest with some full, straight stuff. The tension in the over comes from the midwicket boundary where the crowd are egging on Alex Hales to don a walrus mask that has been chucked near to him. At the end of the over he does so. Good stuff.
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35th over: Australia 156-6 (Wade 6, Agar 1) A quick confession – had a complete blank over the word ‘palindromic’ so had to Google “word that reads the same both ways”. Eventually. First I googled “poop bob toot” in an attempt to work it out for myself. Seriously. Sheesh.
Anyway Moeen continues, as well he might with two left-handers to bowl at. A Wade single starts the over, an Agar single finishes it.
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34th over: Australia 154-6 (Wade 5, Agar 0) Liam Plunkett’s returns means England are on course to complete a roughly palindromic set of bowling partnerships – Finn/Woakes, Plunkett/Spinner, Spinner/Spinner, Spinner/Plunkett, Woakes/Finn. Australia need just over nine an over from here: 147 from 96 balls.
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WICKET! Marsh c Woakes b Plunkett 13 (Australia 154-6)
Australia are subsiding fairly meekly – Marsh chips a simple catch to mid on.
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33rd over: Australia 152-5 (Wade 4, Marsh 12) Another very tidy over from Moeen – just two singles from it.
32nd over: Australia 150-5 (Wade 3, Marsh 11) Rashid’s last over. He turns one past Wade’s pads and Australia pick up a couple of wides. The fifth delivery is a cracker that pitches on leg stump and sizzles past Marsh’s outside edge. Rashid ends with figures of 10-1-41-2.
31st over: Australia 143-5 (Wade 1, Marsh 9) Moeen begins with four dots at Wade. I make that 13 dots on the bounce (including the wicket of Bailey). Wade finally breaks the shackles from the fifth ball of the over, driving down the ground for a single. An outside edge from the last brings another.
30th over: Australia 141-5 (Wade 0, Marsh 8) Rashid, into his ninth over now, rips one past Marsh’s edge once more. When he lands it properly, he’s proving incredibly difficult to get away. Marsh can do little more than prop forward and block. A maiden.
29th over: Australia 141-5 (Wade 0, Marsh 8) This is far from over but Australia are not giving the remotest impression that they’re about to chase this down.
WICKET! Bailey c Stokes b Moeen 25 (Australia 141-5)
England do have their fifth wicket now though. Moeen bungs down a hideous full toss that Bailey whacks straight down the throat of Stokes at midwicket.
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28th over: Australia 137-4 (Bailey 22, Marsh 7) Rashid almost has his third wicket but Bailey’s hopelessly miscued drive squirts high but lands safe between men on the off side. The leg-spinner again drags one down and this time Marsh is able to extract punishment, pulling hard for four. A couple of balls later, though, he’s gone – caught on the back foot to what looks like a topspinner. Marsh reviews … and he’s struck a whisker outside the line, with the ball going on to miss the stumps.
27th over: Australia 130-4 (Bailey 21, Marsh 1) Mitchell Marsh gets off the mark immediately with a single.
WICKET! Maxwell c Bairstow b Moeen 17 (Australia 128-4)
Reverse slog-sweep from Maxwell, who has come out in full T20 mode. Four runs from that, and from the next, another reverse slog-sweep disappearing to the point boundary. But from the next he’s gone! Another reverse-sweep, this time far more delicate, goes horribly wrong with the ball looping up for Bairstow to take a simple catch.
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26th over: Australia 120-3 (Bailey 20, Maxwell 9) Rashid drags down a half-tracker – seriously, it was like something you’d send down for fun in Brian Lara 96 on the Megadrive. But, like something you’d send down for fun in Brian Lara 96 on the Megadrive, it proved difficult to hit, with Bailey having to change his pre-meditated line of attack. Rashid has got a little wild here – a couple of balls after the long hop leg-spinner, he sends down a huge full toss that Maxwell spanks to the cow corner boundary.
25th over: Australia 110-3 (Bailey 19, Maxwell 0) Two dots from Moeen to Bailey again – that’s eight on the bounce in all – until the Australia No4 finally gets a single and out of the firing line. It’s another brilliant over from Moeen, whose figures read 3-1-5-0. Australia have scored just six runs in the past four overs.
24th over: Australia 109-3 (Bailey 18, Maxwell 0) A leg bye from the first, then Rashid rips one past Bailey’s outside edge. He’s really struggling to get the ball away and ends up driving just out of Stokes’ reach at a catching mid off. Maxwell tries to plant the leggie into the stands with a slog-sweep off the last but connects with only fresh air. Two from the over. The required run-rate creeps up again.
23rd over: Australia 107-3 (Bailey 17, Maxwell 0) Three dots to start Moeen’s latest. Make that four, Bailey missing with an attempted reverse sweep. In fact, make it five. Tell you what, make it a maiden. Brilliantly bowled.
22nd over: Australia 107-3 (Bailey 17, Maxwell 0) Bailey grabs a single off the last. Three from the over. Rashid has figures of 5-0-16-2.
WICKET! Finch c Woakes b Rashid (Australia 106-3)
And with the pressure just tweaking up a little, Finch looks to break the shackles and gets caught on the long on boundary.
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21st over: Australia 104-2 (Bailey 15, Finch 52) Moeen Ali enters the attack for the first time. There’s a huge appeal from the fourth delivery as the ball loops up off the pad – Bairstow leaps forward from behind the stumps to collect but there’s no inside edge. The spinners just have Australia tied down a little here.
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20th over: Australia 100-2 (Bailey 13, Finch 50) “If we take my hope and affection as read, may I say that I find the Rashid run-up to be a thing of joyous comic beauty?” writes Robert Wilson. “Bishan Bedi once admitted that when he was getting desperate, he would exaggerate the knees-bent, jocose amble in his run-up. He believed a comic touch could distract a batsman.
“Rashid’s fantastic arm waving has got to do something the same. I can’t work out if it is more like a kitten having its belly rubbed or a cartoon character trying to land a 747. I really hope the selectors give me plenty of time to refine the simile. He could end up a gem, this guy.” He’ll surely get some Test time in the UAE. Surely.
Here he’s worked around for bits and pieces by the batsmen then hoiked to cow corner for two by Finch to bring up his 50 (from 53 balls).
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19th over: Australia 95-2 (Bailey 10, Finch 48) Plunkett continues after the drinks break. Bailey flicks for two, Rashid sends his throw in, and, as it does, Finch inadvertently kicks the ball away with his feet at the non-strikers end. “Owzat?” comes a shout from someone in the field. Arf. A vicious drive from Finch – looking rock-solid out there now – brings him four more.
18th over: Australia 86-2 (Bailey 6, Finch 43) Busy stuff from both batsmen as Rashid continues. Three singles from the over.
17th over: Australia 83-2 (Bailey 4, Finch 42) Glorious stuff from Finch, who unfurls a wonderful cover drive to pick up four more. Another decent over from Plunkett, though. This is a good battle at the moment.
Here’s that catch:
16th over: Australia 76-2 (Bailey 1, Finch 38) Two dots to start Rashid’s second over, then a mistimed swoosh from Finch boings over the bowler and away for a single. Then Finn removes the Australia captain. No one in the field could quite believe it.
WICKET! Smith c Finn b Rashid 25 (England 75-2)
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Jonty flippin’ Rhodes? No, it’s Steven Fnn taking a stunning catch at short mid on. Smith looked to clip Rashid away and the England bowler went full length to his right to take a beauty. Taylor probably wouldn’t have reached that – Finn only just got there. What a terrific – and slightly bizarre – moment.
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15th over: Australia 74-1 (Smith 25, Finch 37) Plunkett continues and Australia continue to accumulate. Smith has another slice of luck – a leading edge dropping just short of James Taylor, who has been at the centre of the action in the field. Taylor, at short-ish midwicket, was just on his heels a touch there I reckon. It’s a cracking over from Plunkett, though, with the last ball beating the outside edge of Smith’s bat.
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14th over: Australia 72-1 (Smith 24, Finch 36) Adil Rashid, who bowled brilliantly in Southampton in the opening ODI, gets the chance to turn his arm over. He drags a couple short here but isn’t overly punished for them.
13th over: Australia 69-1 (Smith 21, Finch 35) Finn continues into a seventh over. And Smith gets lucky here – an inside edge flying past Bairstow at what would have been catchable height had the keeper not been utterly wrongfooted by the shot.
12th over: Australia 64-1 (Smith 17, Finch 35) Finch goes straight down the ground once more, again not quite getting all of it, but getting more than enough to send the ball whistling away to the rope. He moves on to 35 from 33 balls. That was another decent over from Plunkett, yet Australia still milked eight runs from it.
11th over: Australia 56-1 (Smith 15, Finch 30) Finn offers Smith a bit of width and is chopped away for two to third man for his trouble. There’s a very easy, relaxed feel to the way this Australia side go about these chases. Nothing feels too rushed or panicked but the runs keep coming. Smith picks up two more to backward square leg as Finn drifts a little too straight.
10th over: Australia 51-1 (Smith 10, Finch 30) Liam Plunkett enters the attack. A Finch block timed so well it can probably be found on the advertising boards at Swiss airports whistles away down the ground for four. And from the last Finch is caught napping a little at a quick single and is a little fortunate not to get run out by Taylor.
9th over: Australia 42-1 (Smith 8, Finch 23) Another tidy over from Finn – other than the fifth ball, which is inexplicably not called a wide down the leg side. A maiden, in fact.
They've won. Shut it down. They've bloody won. https://t.co/QN4yDCROy5
— Vithushan (@Vitu_E) September 8, 2015
8th over: Australia 42-1 (Smith 8, Finch 23) Smith drives on the up (BOOOO!!!) for four more. The booing is getting very old, very quickly. Like the Manic Miner soundtrack:
7th over: Australia 37-1 (Smith 4, Finch 22) BOOOOOOOOO!!! The Australia captain strides to the crease and gets a warm welcome from the Old Trafford crowd. He gets off the mark (BOOOOO!!!) with a drive through the covers (BOOOOO!!!) for four (BOOOOO!!!).
WICKET! Burns c Morgan b Finn 9 (Australia 33-1)
Finn takes a little pace off the ball and finds Burns’ leading edge – the ball flies skywards and Morgan takes a sliding catch running across from cover, narrowly avoiding a collision with Roy.
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6th over: Australia 33-0 (Burns 9, Finch 22) This is ominous for England. It’s of those moments in the film when the protagonist hears the creak of a door somewhere in the dark house. Soon there’s running and screaming. Burns whups Woakes down to cow corner for three. The bowler drags down the next and Finch rocks back leisurely before pulling for four. And later in the over he punches over the top of mid off for four more. Eleven from the over.
5th over: Australia 22-0 (Burns 6, Finch 14) Finn continues and has Burns, looking a little uncomfortable out there, playing and missing outside off. Finch gets that on-drive out again, though, and thunks him over the top for four.
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4th over: Australia 17-0 (Burns 5, Finch 10) Finch tees off, a lofted on drive plonked high over mid on and plugging a yard or two from the rope before trundling over the rope. But he keeps his powder dry otherwise. Another decent over from Woakes.
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3rd over: Australia 12-0 (Burns 5, Finch 6) Burns clips Finn to midwicket for a couple. A third misfield from England – Taylor shies a little wildly at the stumps and Moeen, backing up, can’t gather. The ball bobbles apologetically down to the boundary for four overthrows. Yuck. Burns almost adds a silver lining to a dark cloud of an over from Finn, but he’s a whisker away from chopping on.
2nd over: Australia 4-0 (Burns 2, Finch 1) Chris Woakes opens the bowling at the other end for England. A leg bye adds a solitary run to the total, and another misfield (Eoin Morgan the culprit this time) allows Burns to add a single. Still, this has been a very good start from the two bowlers (if not their team-mates in the field).
1st over: Australia 2-0 (Burns 1, Finch 1) Australia get off the mark in fairly farcical fashion with Stokes and Taylor leaving a push to point to each other and the batsmen haring through for a single, much to Steven Finn’s disgust.
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Out come the players. Australia need 301 to win the match and with it the series.
Hello all. Well that was two-thirds of a very fine ODI innings from England. It all went wrong from the moment Eoin Morgan departed at the start of the 34th over. They were 205-2 at that point. To reach only 300 from that point is, in the modern cricket parlance, Pretty Average.
That’s it from me – John Ashdown will be taking you through the Australian chase. He’ll be with you shortly...
That's the third time Australia have conceded 300 or more in their past 27 ODIs. They won the other two including chasing England at Hobart.
— Matt Somerford (@somerfjord) September 8, 2015
50th over: England 300-8 (Woakes 14, Rashid 1)
Taylor goes, flat-batting one down the ground but England manage to reach 300, thanks to a fine six from Woakes, who picks up Starc over mid-wicket.
Aus 301 to win. England 119-6 off last 20 overs.
— Simon Mann (@Cricket_Mann) September 8, 2015
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WICKET! Taylor c Agar b Starc 101 (England 291-7)
Taylor flat-bats down the ground but can’t get enough on it and fails to clear mid-off...
49th over: England 291-8 (Taylor 101, Woakes 5)
It wasn’t the prettiest way to get to a hundred: worked down the ground but onto the stumps, allowing the bowler to pick up the ball and take off the one bail still in place. However, Taylor scampered to the other end in time, securing his first ODI hundred off 112 deliveries.
Believe it or not @jamestaylor20 becomes only the third @TrentBridge batsman to score an ODI ton for England...and the first right-hander!
— Dave Bracegirdle (@bracecricket) September 8, 2015
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48th over: England 286-7 (Taylor 99, Woakes 3)
Taylor takes a single off the first ball, then tries to get the strike back as Woakes flicks around the corner for two. Inside out into the covers gets a single. Taylor thrashes the last ball into the covers but Smith stops brilliantly to his left.
47th over: England 280-7 (Taylor 98, Woakes 0)
Two wickets and a four, to Taylor. England in danger of finishing well, well short...
WICKET! Plunkett run out 1 (England 279-7)
Taylor finds midwicket, Plunkett tries to run on the shot but is sent back. Too late though, as Cummins collects and takes the bails off.
WICKET! Ali c Pattinson b Cummins 1 (England 273-6)
Ali tries to go big, fails, and goes back to the changing room...
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46th over: England 273-5 (Taylor 82, Ali 1)
That’s more like it... a six from Bairstow as he gets hold of a short-ball from Starc. But he’s gone now, finding cover and getting run out by a fraction because of a direct hit. Moeen Ali the new batsmen and he too finds Smith but Taylor calls early and sends Mo back to his crease. Single to cover comes from a flowing drive to get Mo off the mark.
WICKET! Bairstow run out Smith 17 (271-5)
A powerful drive finds Smith at wide mid off, who sets himself and strikes with a direct hit at the non-striker’s end.
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45th over: England 265-4 (Taylor 91, Bairstow 11)
Bairstow shovels high into the leg-side for one before Taylor does the same, albeit along the carpet, for another. A lot of the chat now about whether Taylor isn’t doing this at a good enough lick. His strike rate is a touch below 90, but not reason why he can’t clobber a few big-uns now in these last five.
A man with the initials JT being criticised for top-scoring too slowly at No3. We've been here before.
— Rob Smyth (@100ashesquotes) September 8, 2015
44th over: England 260-4 (Taylor 89, Bairstow 8)
Taylor plinks one over cover for a couple but finally gets one away for a few more as Starc is tickled fine for four. A single into the covers takes him to 86, and brings Bairstow on strike who thumps powerfully over the top, as Starc gets a yorker wrong, for another four.
England, remember, were 200 for 2 off 32 overs. Now they're 245 for 4 off 43.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) September 8, 2015
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43rd over: England 245-4 (Taylor 80, Bairstow 3)
Looks like Taylor is walking in with Cummins, taking a couple of steps down the pitch before being cut in half by a delivery he tries to flick into the leg-side. It’s a pretty grim over from Bairstow and Taylor, lots of plays and mistiming.
42nd over: England 244-4 (Taylor 80, Bairstow 3)
Maxwell’s last over starts with one off the first three, as Bairstow brings out the reverse sweep to give Taylor the strike. Taylor pushes one to mid on and then gets back as Bairstow charges and hits powerfully to mid off.
41st over: England 240-4 (Taylor 78, Bairstow 1)
Quick two first up and then a dab to third man brings Bairstow on strike to Cummins. He gets off the mark with a cross-batted flick into the leg side.
Kevin Wilson on email isn’t happy: “If you’re coming in during the last fifteen overs say, how many balls do you need as a sighter? The thing is, Stokes is in terrible nick so in a situation like this, when England are well set, batting him ahead of Bairstow and Ali is ridiculous.”
40th over: England 236-4 (Taylor 75, Bairstow 0)
Stokes goes second ball and he’s replace by Bairstow. Taylor gets five off the last two balls. Well run by both as that third looked a death wish but ended up being quite comfortable.
WICKET! Stokes c Finch b Maxwell 14 (England 231-4)
It was coming... Stokes swings hard across the line and it’s top-edged where Finch comes in and takes the catch.
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39th over: England 229-3 (Taylor 70, Stokes 12)
Stokes trying to force the issue and he’s advancing down the wicket. Marsh, looking to catch him out, bowls one across him which is given as a wide. A thrash for two to third man then makes way for some proper timing for a change – smashed through mid-wicket for four.
38th over: England 221-3 (Taylor 70, Stokes 5)
Stokes desperate to get bat on ball as Maxwell darts out the over, before Taylor advances, Maxwell goes across him and it’s smashed over mid off for four. Cracking shot – probably his best so far.
37th over: England 216-3 (Taylor 66, Stokes 4)
Slow off-cutter has Taylor swinging and missing – a thin edge, perhaps? There was certainly a noise. The ball drops well short of Wade. A single to end the over and that’s 20 runs from Marsh’s four so far. Not bad at all. This innings is stuttering a touch...
36th over: England 214-3 (Taylor 65, Stokes 3)
Maxwell’s bowled really well today. He’s flat to Taylor, who tries to work him around the corner a couple of times before he has to sweep hard to the leg-side fence, just for two. One off the final ball and Taylor keeps the strike for Marsh.
35th over: England 211-3 (Taylor 62, Stokes 3)
Stokes having a bit of trouble laying worthwhile bat on ball but does get a single into the off-side, helped out by Taylor scampering to the danger end and making his ground.
34th over: England 209-3 (Taylor 61, Stokes 2)
Maxwell’s back into the attack and gets his reward with the wicket of Morgan. Fair play from the England skipper, truth be told: no use picking off singles with the team well set. Ben Stokes is the new man in and he’s on strike after a single from James Taylor. A slip comes in and Stokes immediately tries to reverse sweep. There’s an appeal from Maxwell but Smith thinks it’s too high and it turns out it hit the cuff of his glove anyway.
WICKET! Morgan c Starc b Maxwell 62 (England 205-3)
Morgan looks to target Maxwell but hits him high rather than far – Starc, coming in from the rope, takes the catch at mid off.
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33rd over: England 205-2 (Taylor 59, Morgan 62)
Marsh bringing back his length and varying his pace better, here, as just five come from the over.
32nd over: England 200-2 (Taylor 57, Morgan 60)
The 200 is up and that fifty has been the quickest of the lot, coming off 33 balls. Seven runs from the over.
31st over: England 193-2 (Taylor 54, Morgan 57)
Mitchell Marsh into the attack and Taylor gets the one that takes him to 50 from 59 balls. Marsh bowls a slower ball that Morgan picks up – and then some – over mid on for the innings’ first six! And now a cracking four from Taylor, who’s quickly in position to take advantage of a short length ball.
The four Taylor hit off 53rd ball means Kim Barnett remains only Eng batsman to score an ODI 50 without a boundary: 84 off 146 balls v SL
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) September 8, 2015
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30th over: England 181-2 (Taylor 49, Morgan 50)
Mitchell Starc back on and Morgan flashes hard, nicking through to Wade, who can’t quite get to this one despite a big dive to his left. Four and then a single to bring up Morgan’s fifty off 46 balls. Taylor moves to 48 with a flick around the corner. A single to finish puts him on 49 and on strike for the next over.
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29th over: England 172-2 (Taylor 46, Morgan 45)
Well, well , well – Hawkeye shows that the Taylor dismissal would have been given out on review. Never mind, Taylor cracks his first four – a well timed shot through backward point! He’d got to 42 without a boundary.
Piggy going down the funky captaincy route by not reviewing.... #engvaus pic.twitter.com/DPC5qoLKOU
— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) September 8, 2015
28th over: England 165-2 (Morgan 43, Taylor 41)
Cracking shot from Morgan, imparting pace of his own onto the ball to thump Maxwell’s flighted, full delivery past the man at cover and away for four. Wide from Maxwell next up then Morgan goes down the ground where it is cut off well by Mitchell Starc for just one. Big appeal at the end of the over as Taylor comes very far down and the ball turns into his pad. Not out and no review called for. Move on.
27th over: England 157-2 (Taylor 40, Morgan 37)
First sign of bantz today as Glenn Maxwell has a shy of the stumps and accidentally hits Eoin Morgan, who tries to jump out of the way but still ends up getting clocked. Lols aside, Morgan tickles one fine – extra pace, you know – for four.
WILFUL!
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) September 8, 2015
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26th over: England 145-2 (Taylor 36, Morgan 29)
Accomplished over from Maxwell restricts England to an unconvincing three from it. Smith turning to pace now as Pattinson is brought back...
25th over: England 142-2 (Taylor 34, Morgan 28)
That’s more like it, as Morgan goes over the top of cover for four. Great timing and placement, before works to long-on for a single. Another from Taylor to the last ball and it’s eight from the over.
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24th over: England 134-2 (Taylor 32, Morgan 23)
Five off the over as Taylor pushes through for a well-run two. He’s still yet to hit a boundary and is going along OK. But if he gets out between now and, say, 65 (plucked out of the air, really) then we could label it “disappointing”.
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23rd over: England 129-2 (Taylor 28, Morgan 22)
Morgan looking to take Agar out of the attack, but he’s not quite been able to get hold of Agar. Makes room for himself but has to adjust as Agar goes flatter before he has a swipe off the last ball and is beaten by some turn.
Late admission offer available from 6:30pm for this ODI. Tickets £25 for adults. Free for accompanied u16s. From ticket office. @LancsCCC
— George Dobell (@GeorgeDobell1) September 8, 2015
22nd over: England 126-2 (Taylor 26, Morgan 21)
More good footwork from Taylor turns one to two as he dabs into midwicket. Morgan gets on strike and plays his patented reverse sweep, out of point’s reach, for four.
21st over: England 119-2 (Taylor 23, Morgan 17)
Big miss by Matthew Wade behind the stumps. Morgan advances and Agar puts a bit more on this one, pulling his length back so that it turns through the gate. But Wade, with Morgan well out of his ground, can’t gather and ends up palming the ball to his right, allowing Morgan to get a single when he really should have been on his way back.
20th over: England 113-2 (Taylor 20, Morgan 15)
Glenn Maxwell, who took 2-44 at Lord’s, comes into the attack and nearly beats Taylor, who charges and then has to reach for one which he toes beyond Wade for three. A couple of singles and then Morgan beats the dive of mid-on, hitting aerially down the ground for four. A push off the back-foot allows him to keep the strike for the next over.
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19th over: England 103-2 (Taylor 16, Morgan 9)
Taylor uses his feet to push three to mid-wicket: the 100 is up, that second fifty coming in 58 balls (the first took 51). Taylor’s trying to find more single options and does so off the final ball of the over.
18th over: England 98-2 (Taylor 12, Morgan 8)
A couple for Morgan and then he’s beaten for pace by Cummins. A 92mph short-ball is swung and missed – next ball is in his arc and dabbed to third man for a single. Cummins the man to blow out this middle order, if he’s given an opening...
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17th over: England 94-2 (Taylor 11, Morgan 5)
Morgan looking to work out the ideal game to Agar. Four dots and a single see out the last five balls but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he decides to climb into the debutant (not literally of course). Drinks.
Cummins bowling rockets here. 3rd ball of this over 96mph. #whoosh #EngvsAus
— Josh Peacock (@JoshPeacockAOC) September 8, 2015
16th over: England 92-2 (Taylor 10, Morgan 4)
England captain Eoin Morgan in and gets off the mark with a fine shot through extra-cover. Smith’s not happy and gestures for Cummins to hit the pitch, which he does next ball. Morgan just manages to get his head out of the way. He’s playing at the next ball, which gets big on him past the outside edge.
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15th over: England 86-2 (Taylor 9)
Bit of turn from Agar but Roy manages to control a drive and just push it into the covers for a single. Two and then a single and then Roy goes and the world is that little bit darker again.
WICKET! Roy c Maxwell b Agar 63 (England 86-2)
Oh Roy... goes to hit Agar inside out and checks his drive and Maxwell at cover palms in the air and takes the catch.
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14th over: England 82-1 (Roy 62, Taylor 6)
Roy walks across his stumps and nearly beats the man at mid-on, who does brilliantly to save two. Four more from Roy as he goes high and wide of the man at point.
13th over: England 75-1 (Roy 55, Taylor 6)
Singles off every ball for that Agar over. Since his first ball went for four, he’s bowled fuller but good on these two for not letting him settle by bowling as close to a full set at either of them.
Alex Hales' strike rate of 29.03 is the among the lowest this year in an ODI innings (min 30 balls faced) http://t.co/iPuf6GGRWO #ENGVAUS
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 8, 2015
12th over: England 70-1 (Roy 52, Taylor 4)
An edge, but a deliberate one, as Roy beats a diving Wade to more to 49 with a boundary. A dropped dab to third man sees him scamper two to take him to 51 off 34 balls. Very good batting, this. Taylor punches one into the leg-side for a single.
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11th over: England 61-1 (Roy 45, Taylor 2)
Turn for Agar, as he turns one away from Roy, who is pushing forward defending. Ball beats his outside edge, Wade has the bails off and everyone oooos a bit.
10th over: England 57-1 (Roy 42, Taylor 1)
Hales, bogged down, goes, as Pat Cummins is brought in and makes an impact. Taylor is the new man in, getting off the strike before Roy finishes the Power Play with another four, this one through cover.
WICKET! Hales c Marsh b Cummins 9 (52-1)
A frustrating knock comes to an end – Hales chips to mid-wicket, as Cummins is introduced in the 10th over...
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9th over: England 52-0 (Roy 38, Hales 9)
Ashton Agar for his first bowl in ODI cricket and he serves up a long-hop which is guided in front of point for four by Roy. He has a man back at mid-off, meaning Hales can wait on the back foot and hit straight to get Roy back on strike. There is also a man at deep mid-wicket, who cuts off a flick into the region, ensuring it’s only another single.
8th over: England 44-0 (Roy 32, Hales 7)
Hales plays out a maiden. Strange one, though: he’s found fielders will some well struck drives. I suppose that’s the point, though: seems unable to find the gaps in the field, which is a credit to Smith’s placings and those in them. We’ve had 32 dots in the eight overs so far, mind. Not great.
7th over: England 44-0 (Roy 32, Hales 7)
Three fours in a row for Roy: first, he picks up a short-ball from outside off and thumps it through mid-wicket. First slip then comes out reinforces that area, so Roy opens the face late and gets another boundary through that vacated region. The third is threaded through the reinforced area. And a fourth! Opens the face again, this time guiding just behind point and well away from that man on the third-man fence.
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6th over: England 27-0 (Roy 16, Hales 7)
More awkwardness from Hales, snatching at a pull which he ends up playing over the top of a shorter ball that looks like a cutter. Expecting a boom or bust over next up...
5th over: England 24-0 (Roy 14, Hales 6)
Hales struggling for a bit of rhythm: he tries to work the ball inside out but duffs it along the floor to point. Then, he’s struck on the pads by one that comes into him – seemed to pitch outside the line and was sliding down anyway – and gets through for a leg-bye. Back on strike next ball as three is scrambled to midwicket.
4th over: England 20-0 (Roy 11, Hales 6)
Sumptuous from Roy, timing Pattinson nicely through mid-wicket for his first boundary. Mid-on drops back Roy reacts well by pushing the ball to him and taking a single.
Andrew Benton e-mails in: “Not really a full house behind the, ahem, tossers is it - how is the decision made on which of the grounds gets the weekday matches? Do they even it all out over a few years? Seems a bit unfair on Manchester this time. But at least it’s called the “Emirates Old Trafford”, so we’re clear where it is...”
I’ll be honest Andrew, I don’t know. But they’ll be looking to make up for any potential “loss” today when they host the 5th ODI on Sunday.
3rd over: England 12-0 (Roy 4, Hales 5)
Roy picks one up over mid-on to get off the mark with a three. Hales then toes one to third man before properly gets one out of the screws but away to the man patrolling the leg-side boundary.
2nd over: England 7-0 (Roy 0, Hales 4)
James Pattinson, not Pat Cummins, to take the new ball at the other end. Good deal of outswing but it’s early and, second ball, very wide. And again. First ball out of the middle of the bat finds Joe Burns at cover. And there we are – runs off the bat as Hales picks one off his legs, through mid-wicket, for four. Good pace from Pattinson, finishing the over with one at 92mph.
1st over: England 1-0 (Roy 0, Hales 0)
England off the mark with a wide down the off-side. And that’s it. Might have been because Starc is just warming up, but doesn’t seem to be the quickest of Old Trafford pitches...
Roy to face, Starc to open – play...
Nifty little video from the ECB – Paul Farbrace talks about England’s openers, Jason Roy and Alex Hales...
.@jasonroy20 and @alexhales1 will soon open for England. Find out what they're like from coach Paul Farbrace. https://t.co/xD2TeidmCL
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 8, 2015
“Can’t you see this Stokes decision is tearing us apart?” kicks-off Nicholas Toovey in our first email of the day.
“PS – it was a Baby Ox.”
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England win the toss and will bat first...
Just the one change for England, as Johnny Bairstow comes in for the “rested” Jos Buttler. For Australia, three changes brought about through injuries: Aaron Finch, Ashton Agar (ODI debut) and James Pattinson come in for David Warner, Shane Watson and Nathan Coulter-Nile.
ENGLAND: AD Hales, JJ Roy, JWA Taylor, EJG Morgan*, BA Stokes, MM Ali, JM Bairstow†, CR Woakes, AU Rashid, LE Plunkett, ST Finn
AUSTRALIA: AJ Finch, JA Burns, SPD Smith*, GJ Bailey, GJ Maxwell, MS Wade†, MR Marsh, AC Agar, MA Starc, PJ Cummins, JL Pattinson
Congrats Ashton Agar. Just presented cap by @TomMoodyCricket for Aus ODI debut today. #engvaus pic.twitter.com/6DOq7PUJtv
— Jesse Hogan (@Jesse_Hogan) September 8, 2015
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Afternoon, troops – Vithushan here. We’re not going to mention *that* incident from the last ODI, the one where Australia won by 64 runs to go 2-0 up in the series. Regardless of which camp you’re in, if you’ve tried discussing it with any degree of consideration – ha, you fool! – then you’d have been told you are wrong and labelled a ‘ninny’ and that the air you breathe into your lungs to extract the requisite amount of oxygen to exist as a human is wasted and should have been put to better use, such as the blowing up of a balloon that would go on to be fashioned into the shape of an animal which, lets face it, is the lowest form of clown banter. I’m struggling to remember another incident that has come close to this level of tedium. Anyway, here’s hoping Old Trafford gives us something worthwhile to get our chompers into. Team news soon.
NB: It was definitely out.
Vithushan will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s what Jason Gillespie had to say about Saturday’s much-discussed Ben Stokes run-out incident:
We are going to need something more specific than the mystical Spirit of Cricket if incidents like the dismissal of Ben Stokes on Saturday are not going to erupt into a war of words in future.
First, the wicket. Stokes, for me, was out by the letter of the law. It’s a case of interpretation, of course, and in this instance the two on-field umpires said not out but the third umpire, Joel Wilson, overruled them. Like me, he believed Stokes’s arm had no right to be where it was and therefore he was obstructing the field.
In an ideal world, the two men out in the middle would have had the courage of their convictions to make the call themselves rather than send it upstairs, but in this era of technology this is obviously optimistic. That grumble aside, a decision was reached that was the one I would have made.
Ben Stokes incident sours Australia win over England in second ODIRead more
There are different readings of Law 37. The wording is grey and opinion is divided. That is fine but what frustrates in these instances, given we are supposed to accept the decision of the officials, is when the Spirit of Cricket is used by some to suggest Steve Smith, the Australia captain, should have recalled the batsman and by not doing so, he was somehow damaging the game.
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