If this ODI appeared to be a match stretched too thin, in a series that had dragged on for too long, a month past its prime, then the Headingley faithful were oblivious. They crammed onto trains bound for Burley Park and filled the ungainly stands, a sold-out crowd basking in the unexpected September heat, cheering England to the rafters – accompanied by the pantomime, albeit dated, booing of Steve Smith and Alex Carey. At least for the initial few hours. With stoical enthusiasm, most remained as the game fluctuated, witnessing England’s innings, a start-stop affair as the light dimmed along with their prospects, culminating in a comprehensive 68-run defeat. They now trail 2-0 in the five-match series.
England had seemed in contention at the halfway mark after dismissing Australia within 45 overs, despite an excellent 74 from wicketkeeper Carey at a run a ball, in an enterprising last-wicket partnership of 49 with Josh Hazlewood that frustrated the bowlers. England’s reply was high-stakes. Opener Phil Salt’s brief but eventful innings included three blazing fours, a survived review off Hazlewood, a drop (next ball) at slip by a lunging Matthew Short, before ending as he kissed an edge off Hazlewood, collected by Carey. Two runs later, Will Jacks was out, snaffled at slip first ball to a peach from Mitchell Starc that angled across him and induced a thick edge.
Captain Harry Brook got off the mark with a typically sharp clip to the boundary from Starc, greeted with roars for the local lad, but was soon undone by one that swung in, thudded into his back pad, and almost toppled him. England were in deeper trouble at 65 for five in the 10th over. First, opener Ben Duckett, who had been progressing nicely with boundaries, including an audacious scoop over the keeper, was flummoxed by a slower ball from Aaron Hardie, who leaped to his left to pick up a toe-ended pull. Then, next ball, Liam Livingstone was caught by a diving Carey with a legside flick.
But Jamie Smith wasn’t ready to concede, looking as comfortable in ODI cricket as he had in Test cricket all summer. He started with three fours, a dreamy cover drive, a screamer that whistled down the ground, followed next ball by a slightly luckier drive that flew through midwicket. He was measured, mixing watchful singles with blazing boundaries, including a six clapped over square leg with flair. He and Jacob Bethell, who had safely seen off the hat-trick ball from Hardie, and who impressed with his stroke-making, put on a careful 55. But when Bethell was caught for 25, Smith got becalmed batting with the enterprising Brydon Carse, and eventually had to depart, caught at midwicket for 49.
Adil Rashid, promoted up the order from 11 to nine, got off the mark with a boundary, but as the floodlights flickered on at a quarter to six, and the seats started to empty, the game was lost for England. It had all looked so different when they won the toss in bright morning sunshine and elected to field, Olly Stone replacing the rested Jofra Archer. After a couple of watchful overs, Travis Head looked to repeat his trick of the first ODI, to blast England over the rope and into the hills – the first six coming in the fifth over of the day – and matched almost stroke for stroke by his opening partner Short.
Carse came in for a particular hammering – until Head jiffied him off his hips only for the ball to fall into the hands of Stone on the rope, for 29. Short was nicely caught behind off Potts, but Mitchell Marsh joined in the heavy-lifting as Smith, bowled shaping to drive one that nipped back, and Marnus Labuschagne fell cheaply. On a pitch that gripped, Glenn Maxwell was the excellent Rashid’s 200th ODI wicket – the third England bowler to reach the milestone in men’s cricket (and the first spinner) after Jimmy Anderson and Darren Gough.
Carey looked as if he was going to run out of partners when Hardie and Starc fell in successive balls from Carse and Zampa was caught at backward point by Stone off Rashid from the third ball of the 37th over. At that point, the scoreboard read 221 for nine, but Ashes pantomime villain Carey, in his first innings since March, eked out every last run alongside Hazlewood, making a gettable score seemingly more tricky and ultimately too good.
