- England have leveled their ongoing ODI series against rivals Australia 2-2
- The hosts won by 186 runs and England’s bowlers claimed several quick wickets.
- Harry Brook and Ben Duckett are England’s top scorers with strong batting performances
An Australian goalkeeper in the eye of the storm and public enemy number one at Lord’s? It is not the first time we have heard that story in recent times.
The climax, which overshadowed England’s 186-run victory to set up the series decider at Bristol on Saturday, freed the Lord’s crowd from their freeze on a bitter afternoon and had shades of Jonny Bairstow’s infamous defeat by part of Alex Carey, who left viewers in last summer’s Ashes test on this incandescent ground.
This time it was Josh Inglis wearing the gloves. He claimed to have taken a clean catch down the leg side of Mitchell Starc to dismiss England captain Harry Brook in the 17th over at the time.
Only replays showed that the ball had clearly bounced before reaching Inglis’s gloves. Cue a groundswell of fierce boos from across the floor. It may not be as loud as last summer’s, but it’s a reminder that that episode still bothers and won’t be quickly forgotten.
Last summer, the crowd response seemed to fuel the fire in the Australians’ bellies, propelling them to a crucial victory. Friday night, however, did not have the same impact as England unleashed a display of brutal hitting and brilliant pace bowling under the lights.
England leveled their ongoing ODI series against Australia with a thumping 186-run victory at Lord’s.
Harry Brook was England’s top scorer at Lord’s with 87 runs off just 58 balls.
Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis (left) claimed to have made a clean catch with Brook in the 17th over at the time before replays showed the ball had hit the ground first.
Ben Duckett also impressed as he made a half-century in style against Australia.
Brook, unfazed by the incident, led the way for England in a match they had to win to keep the series alive, making 87 off just 58 balls in a partnership of 75 with Jamie Smith.
The 25-year-old led from the front by taking Australian player Adam Zampa to the cleaners on his return to the team after illness. Earlier, Ben Duckett had scored a brilliant and joyful 63 at the top of the order.
But then, just as he seemed to be gliding serenely towards a second consecutive century after his first ODI ton earlier this week in Durham, Brook made his first and only miscalculation of the afternoon. He dressed Zampa with Glenn Maxwell at long-on boundary and when Smith followed up later, it looked like England’s innings was in danger of running aground.
Instead, Livingstone responded by stepping on the accelerator. It was Australian growler Mitchell Starc who took the brunt of the damage in a final that left members and the general public ducking for cover.
Wherever Starc threw the ball, Livingstone had an answer. An empathetic one too. The 31-year-old cleared the ropes four times in an over that ultimately cost 28. In doing so, Livingstone reached his half-century off just 25 balls, breaking Jos Buttler’s decade-old record for fastest ODI fifty at Lord’s.
His seven sixes were also the most hit by an Englishman in an ODI on this wicket as he propelled his team past 300 and reached an impressive total of 312.
Australia tried to fight fire with fire in response, but was only left with burned fingers.
Jofra Archer, playing his first match on this ground since hitting the super over that won England the World Cup in 2019, bowled at a blistering pace.
Steve Smith’s departure began the collapse of Australia’s middle order as he was dismissed for just five runs.
England’s Matthew Potts (right) starred with ball in hand as he claimed four wickets.
Travis Head led the fight on his return to the team, smashing a huge six from Brydon Carse that hit the roof of the Mound stand before landing on neighboring St Johns Wood Road. But after Carse counterattacked by sneaking one through Head’s defences, England’s bowlers went wild.
The second and third wickets followed soon after, when Matthew Potts, who took career-best ODI figures of four wickets for 38 runs, ended Steve Smith’s skittish, short-lived innings by leaving him caught behind by Jamie Smith . .
Jofra Archer, playing his first match on this ground since delivering the super over that won England the World Cup in 2019, bowled at a blistering pace and brought down Mitchell Marsh’s stump with a peachy delivery before removing the dangerous Glenn Maxwell for just two.
It fell to Adil Rashid to claim a comprehensive 186-run victory bowling Hazlewood to set up a series decider at Bristol on Sunday.
