England have achieved an emphatic victory against the Australians at Old Trafford today, beating Australia by 93 runs.
England won the toss and chose to bat, on a pitch that seemed to be lacking a little bit of pace and bounce compared to previous wickets.
Openers Alex Hales and Jason Roy got off to an okay start, a struggling Hales falling in the 10th over, picking out Mitch Marsh at midwicket, and caught off Pat Cummins for nine.
The majority of England’s runs had been scored by Roy, who put on 42 in the first 10 overs, in a total of 57 for the first powerplay.
Ashton Agar was brought in to replace Shane Watson, who is out with a calf strain, and he and Glenn Maxwell combined for his debut wicket in the 15th over.
On the last ball of his fourth over, Roy pushed a lofted drive through to short extra cover, caught after it was initially popped up by Maxwell, and out for 63 from 45 balls.
James Taylor and Eoin Morgan put on a big partnership, making 119 runs in about 15 overs, before the breakthrough was made through Maxwell and Mitchell Starc.
It was the captain who fell, Morgan took on Maxwell out to long off, though he mis-timed and was caught a few metres inside the boundary, out for 62 from 56.
Ben Stokes fell cheaply not long after Morgan, top-edging a slog sweep off Maxwell and being caught by Aaron Finch at mid-on, out for 14. A great bit of fielding was the end of Jonny Bairstow, getting run out at the bowler’s end by Steve Smith, out for 17.
Cummins took the big wicket of Moeen Ali in the very next over, an uncontrolled pull shot going high down to deep midwicket, and caught comfortably by James Pattinson. Liam Plunkett fell in the same over, getting sent back by Taylor after trying to push for a quick single, instead being run out by Cummins on one.
Taylor finally got rewarded for his performance in the series, getting his first ODI century in the 49th over. He only went on to 101, falling on the first ball of the final oval, going after Starc but not getting enough on it and being caught by a jumping Agar at long-off.
England got to a respectable total, finishing the innings at 8-300.
Centurion Taylor noted that the pitch was getting more difficult as the match progressed, which worked into England’s favour. The hosts got off to a good start in their defence, taking the wicket of Joe Burns in the seventh over.
Burns, who hadn’t really looked settled, got a leading edge which shot out to Morgan at mid-off, out for nine off Steven Finn’s bowling. The Australian run chase dragged along, and Finn took a screamer to dismiss Smith for 25 from 33.
At 2-75 from 16 overs, Australia needed to pick up the run rate. Yet Aaron Finch fell in the 22nd over, mis-timing a sweep off Adil Rashid and heading down to long-on, taken by Chris Woakes. He made 53 from 60.
Halfway through the innings, Australia was at 3-110, and needed Maxwell or George Bailey to start scoring quickly.
It wasn’t going to be Maxwell, who tried but failed to push on, a reverse sweep undoing him in the 27th over when it popped up and was caught easily by keeper Jonny Bairstow. Out for 17 from 12.
Marsh was initially given out lbw from Rashid, though it was overturned when it was determined to be hitting outside the line, and going on to miss the stumps. Bailey fell shortly after the overturned decision, a mis-timed pull shot holing out Stokes at deep midwicket, out for 25.
Marsh got out softly off Liam Plunkett, looking to flick him round the legs but instead hitting it straight to Woakes at midwicket, out for 13. This left Agar and Matthew Wade at the crease, the last two before the bowlers, with 145 runs to be made in the last 15 overs.
In the 38th over Agar fell, smashing the ball miles into the night sky, Jason Roy falling backwards and fumbling initially before catching it at deep midwicket. Agar made five runs from 15 balls.
Starc lasted four balls before edging the ball from Ali, getting caught behind on one. Cummins desperately tried to score some much needed runs, though he singled out Jason Roy at long-on, caught comfortably and out for five and giving Plunkett his third wicket.
Finn finished off the Australians, bowling keeper Matthew Wade for 42, all out for 207.