England showed their firepower with bat and ball as they
levelled the one-day international series with a 186-run thrashing of Australia
in a rain-shortened match at Lord's.
Stand-in captain Harry Brook scored a magnificent 87 from 58
balls, while Ben Duckett also made a half-century before Liam Livingstone's
blistering unbeaten 62 from 27 balls took the home side to a formidable 312-5
from 39 overs.
Livingstone hit seven sixes, with four of them coming as he
took 28 off the last over of the innings from Mitchell Starc.
That late onslaught gave Livingstone a 25-ball fifty, the
fastest in an ODI at Lord's, while England's 12 maximums is a new record in an
ODI at the home of cricket.
Australia made a fast start in the chase but three wickets
in four overs, including both openers, halted the momentum and England seized
control.
The tourists crumbled from 68-0 to 126 all out in 24.4
overs, with Matthew Potts excellent in taking 4-38.
Brydon Carse had bowled Travis Head to get things started
and the 29-year-old fast bowler ended with figures of 3-36, while Jofra Archer
claimed 2-33.
It was left to Adil Rashid to wrap things up as England
claimed their second largest ODI victory by runs over Australia.
After losing the first two matches of the series, this
new-look England side have battled back to force a decider in Bristol on
Sunday.
Brook brilliant again
Following up his maiden ODI hundred in Durham, Brook played
as if this was a continuation of that innings.
The good work of Duckett and Phil Salt to battle through the
powerplay in very tricky conditions, after a delay of more than two hours
because of rain, helped lay the foundations and Brook built on them supremely.
His effortless power and immaculate timing were on show from
early on, with his assuredness and control at the crease a constant throughout
his innings.
Australia thought they had got him caught behind down the
leg side off Starc after a rare misjudgement but the decision was overturned
when replays showed the ball bounced before reaching wicketkeeper Josh Inglis –
prompting a chorus of boos from the home crowd.
From there, Brook hardly made a misstep and when he did
depart 13 shy of another ton, there was almost more surprise than
disappointment around the ground.
Adam Zampa eventually dismissed him but it was a tough day
for Australia’s premier spinner.
Duckett launched him over the ropes in his first over then
Jamie Smith and Brook followed suit as Zampa was prevented from settling.
Smith had been on the offensive from ball one as England
tried to press on and although he and Brook fell in quick succession,
Livingstone ensured there was no respite for Australia.
The all-rounder had already clubbed Glenn Maxwell, Josh
Hazlewood and Starc into the stands but it was his brutal takedown of the
latter to finish the innings – hammering two straight sixes and clobbering two
more leg side – that put a real spring in the hosts’ step going into the
interval.
England tear through Australia
Australia came out swinging to start their innings, with
Head and Mitchell Marsh quick to put the England seamers under pressure.
They raced to 66-0 at the end of the eight-over powerplay
but Carse bowled Head in the next over and, with the white-ball nipping around
under lights, the wickets began to tumble.
Potts had Steve Smith caught behind, Archer knocked over
Marsh with a beauty and Carse did for Inglis before uprooting Marnus
Labuschagne’s off stump.
It was a superb response from the England pace attack, who
were clinical after working themselves into a position of strength.
Brook kept his seamers going and, when Archer removed Glenn
Maxwell, they were into the Australian bowlers.
The home side were relentless in their hunt for wickets and
faced little resistance from the tourists.
The teams now head to Bristol with a buoyant England hoping
to complete the turnaround from 2-0 down.
'A pretty complete performance' - reaction
England captain and player of the match Harry Brook,
speaking to Test Match Special: "That's a pretty compete
performance. we are happy with the way we went about the game and it's nice to
come out victorious.
"I am glad to be somewhere near my best. It's nice to
be out there and contributing to the side."
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh: "We were
a bit off. Fair play to England, they put us under pressure with the bat. They
outplayed us.
"It's going to be a great experience in Bristol. We
would have liked to have wrapped up the series, but England have come back
really strongly."
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook on TMS: "England
have fought back really well in this series and here they've been superb."
