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| Steven Smith, George Bailey and Mitchell Marsh hit half-centuries before Pat Cummins returns four-for to seal 64-run win |
Australia took a 2-0 lead in the five-match One-Day International series against England, winning the second ODI by 64 runs at Lord's on Saturday (September 5).
Eoin Morgan, the England captain, scored a fine 85 in chase of 310, but Australia, having been propelled by useful contributions from its middle-order batsmen, sealed its second consecutive victory after Pat Cummins returned 4 for 56 as England was bowled out for 245 in 42.3 overs in a match reduced to 49 overs per side.
Earlier, Steven Smith top scored with 70 for Australia, after it was sent in, putting on 99 for the second wicket with George Bailey. Then, Mitchell Marsh’s ballistic 31-ball 64 provided the fireworks at the death – 96 runs were scored in the last ten overs. Marsh, out off the last delivery of the innings having struck seven fours and three sixes, was later named Man of the Match.
England’s reply started steadily, with Jason Roy and Alex Hales playing themselves in. However, Nathan Coulter-Nile had Hales dismissed in the sixth over – Smith taking a spectacular catch at short cover – and kept chipping away thereafter, with Roy falling for 31 and James Taylor sent back for a 43 after a 51-run stand for the third wicket with Morgan.
Morgan then got together with Ben Stokes and attempted to rebuild the innings, but the partnership was broken when Stokes was adjudged to have obstructed the field for stopping Mitchell Starc’s throw at the stumps with his hands, after his straight drive went straight back to the bowler.
Thereafter, England struggled to put together a decisive partnership. It lost four wickets for 46 runs, with Cummins running though the middle and lower order.
Morgan and Liam Plunkett (24 in 12 balls) shared a ninth-wicket stand of 55 in 22 balls but it was too late to change the course of the match, with Morgan, on his Middlesex home ground, last man out when he holed out off Cummins.
The series continues in Manchester on Tuesday.
Source: ICC