Eoin Morgan admitted his young England team remain a long way off the world champions, Australia, after their 59-run defeat in the one-day series opener but believes the experience will serve them well down the line.
The hosts were bowled out for 246 with 27 balls remaining chasing 306, despite looking well set at 152 for two in the 27th over after Jason Roy’s opening salvo of 67 from 64 balls. Morgan, whose wicket prompted a collapse of three for none in four balls, refused to be hard on his players. “Australia are a really strong side and we will have to play well to beat them,” said the captain. “I suppose if we’re looking to be the perfect side, 306, given the start we had, was within our grasp. We didn’t do enough here but this will be part of our learning curve. In a year’s time we will be expected to chase that down more often than not, especially with that sort of a start. We are a long way off the world’s best at the moment so we can learn a hell of a lot. Ultimately it comes down to individual skill.”
Roy was caught at point attempting what would have been a 12th four but Morgan said the attacking mind-set of his team makes such dismissals likely and was encouraged by the Surrey opener’s career-best score at international level. “Jason played really attacking cricket, some really strong cricket shots and looked in fantastic form,” said Morgan. “He’ll be disappointed not to make it a bigger score but certainly the more we are seeing of him, the more we are being impressed.”
Of the collapse he said: “It is frustrating but I don’t want to take anything away from the way the guys play naturally. We’ve seen what they can do. We just want to see more of it. I thought Australia defended the score pretty well. They put us under the pump, but I think we’re a better side than that.”
Adil Rashid earlier claimed four for 59, leaving Steve Smith’s side 193 for six at the end of the 37th over. But an unbroken stand of 112 between the man of the match, Matthew Wade, who made 71 from 50 balls, and Mitchell Marsh, 40 from 34, saw them post 305 for six.
Morgan said: “Adil has come on leaps and bounds, probably since the start of the summer. He bowled well in the New Zealand series and he’s been working really hard at Yorkshire and obviously being in and around the Test team. For him to come out today and hold his nerve against a good batting lineup, I was very impressed.”
Smith said: “I thought the boys played really nicely tonight. We probably had a bit of a hiccup with the bat in the middle order but Matthew Wade and Mitchell Marsh at the end there, to score 93 off the last 10, was an extremely good effort.
“I thought the total was around par. I thought we were going to have to bowl and field well – and we did tonight, so that was the most pleasing thing.
England have added the Essex left-armer Reece Topley to their squad for the remainder of the series, with the second one-day international being played at Lord’s on Saturday.
