England’s one-day restart began with an anticlimactic defeat catalysed by Australia’s part-time bowlers being struck down by illness.
Travis Head’s unbeaten 154, the highest one-day international score by an Australian in this country, plus Marnus Labuschagne’s 77 not out opened up a 1-0 series lead with 36 balls unused.
But it was the fourth-wicket duo’s rare contributions with the ball that were at the heart of England’s embarrassment in the first one-day international since Matthew Mott was sacked as coach.
Facing opponents missing their giant fast bowlers, England somehow managed to lose their last eight wickets for 102, with Head’s off-spin closing out the innings for 316 via two dismissals in the final over after Labuschagne took a personal best three for 39 with his occasional leg-spin.
Harry Brook, leading England for the first time in the absence of injured white-ball captain Jos Buttler, was one of Labuschagne’s three victims but he dismissed the idea that recklessness was at the root of the problem, saying: “We’re there to score runs. If you get caught somewhere on the boundary or infield, who cares? On another day that might go to six.”
Travis Head scored an unbeaten 154 for Australia as they beat England in the first ODI
Harry Brook (right) captained England to begin their new era with Jos Buttler out injured
Brendon McCullum leads a new era as coach, but it doesn’t officially start until the new year
Marcus Trescothick, caretaker manager until Brendon McCullum takes overall control of England’s squads in the new year, believed the draw was a major factor, overlooking the fact Brook won it.
With its small dimensions and fast pitch, Trent Bridge is a high-scoring ground. Indeed, England scored a world record 481 for six the last time these two cricket rivals met here in a one-day international six years ago.
They turned up for another sizeable total as they reached 170 for two midway through their innings, boosted by a stand of 120 at seven an over between Ben Duckett and Will Jacks.
His dismissal by Adam Zampa, whose opening three-over spell in his 100th ODI appearance cost 27 runs, came after Australian debutant Ben Dwarshuis was ruled out of returning to the field due to a torn pectoral muscle.
Dwarshuis only played because Pat Cummins was out of this tour and other senior players Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were among those absent due to illness in the Australian camp.
Australia came into the match looking for a 13th consecutive ODI win but were short-handed.
England opener Ben Duckett maintained his Test summer form in the match.
He was left ruing his dismissal, falling five runs short of a century as England batted first.
England lost momentum when, for the second time this month, Duckett wasted a century. Poor delivery left him in the 80s in the Test loss to Sri Lanka, and he had been within five runs on home soil when Labuschagne capitalised on a push to a ball that got stuck on the surface.
Brook responded with a flurry of boundaries but when he and Jamie Smith succumbed within three overs of each other, Jacob Bethell was left to man the tail with 35 off 34 balls on debut.
“It was a different way of approaching the issue and we did an exceptional job,” Head said of Australia’s use of superficial language.
And a target of 316 felt significantly below par, unless England were able to do something their opponents did not: take early wickets.
The most likely source of this appears to be Jofra Archer, who is using this series to increase the length of his bowling spells with a view to being ready for next year’s Ashes match in Australia.
Jofra Archer is using the series to improve his fitness after previously being restricted to T20s only.
Archer could do little to stop Head, who shone in Australia’s victory at Trent Bridge
Yet even though Archer touched 90mph in his first ODI appearance in 18 months, the Australians changed their pace against him expertly: Head greeted a change to the wing from Stuart Broad by flicking over the square leg boundary and Steve Smith added a second six soon after by helping over fine leg.
The chase would have taken a different path had Brydon Carse latched on to a reverse-cup grab cut to deep point by Head, for six, in the same over that Australia captain Mitchell Marsh had chosen deep square leg.
Had he remained in a conventional position 10 yards further back, Carse probably would have lost the ball.
Being a little out of place, however, was a symbol of England’s day.
