A record stand of 212 between Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey has helped Australia to a dramatic three-wicket victory over England and seal a 2-1 series win.
Chasing 303, the tourists looked dead and buried at 5-73 – the lowest score Australia’s fifth wicket has fallen in an ODI against England since 1977 – when Maxwell joined Carey at the crease.
Maxwell, often maligned for not producing when Australia need it most, had a day to remember as he smashed seven sixes and four boundaries in his 108 from 90 balls as the world champions suffered a first home series defeat in five years.
Carey, 106, also found form when it mattered with his maiden international century as the duo chalked up the highest sixth-wicket partnership of all-time in one-day internationals before Maxwell fell to Adil Rashid 18 runs shy of victory.
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The South Australian fell to the final ball of the penultimate over from Jofra Archer when Mark Wood took a fantastic diving catch in the deep.
It required pace duo Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins to get Australia home with 10 runs needed from the final over bowled by Adil Rashid.
Starc hit the first delivery for six and then the third ball for four to seal a memorable win with two balls to spare.
Maxwell also became the become the fastest man to score 3000 ODI runs as Australia buried the memory of Sunday’s meltdown in the second match of the series.
“Maxy is in the team to do a specific role, and that’s to be able to take the game away from opposition but also be that guy to counterattack and swing momentum in changing rooms,” captain Aaron Finch said.
“What makes him so damaging is he can play all around the ground.
“I don’t think there’s many bowlers in the world that can trouble him when he is having one of those days.
“The way he navigated that innings and took it deeper and deeper … he did that perfectly.”
The turning point of the match happened in the 20th over when Jofra Archer thought he had Carey caught at third man for nine, only for video review to show he had overstepped the mark to deliver the first no ball of his ODI career.
Buoyed by that reprieve at 5-95, the pair set about rebuilding the tourists’ innings and then stepped up a gear to attack the English attack in the final 25 overs.
England had earlier recovered from being 0-2 after the first two balls of the match, bowled by Starc to score 7-302 thanks to Jonny Bairstow’s 112 and 57 from Sam Billings and Chris Woakes’ unbeaten 53.
Australia’s response started terribly when Finch fell lbw in the third over to Woakes for just six.
He was joined back in the pavilion soon after by Marcus Stoinis, whose difficult series continued when he was deceived by a slower ball from Woakes and lobbed an easy catch to Eoin Morgan for four.
Morgan has become accustomed to being on the right side of things in the 50-over format but felt a setback on challenging wickets at Old Trafford was a more instructive experience than walkovers on perfect batting tracks.
“The positive of the series is knowing we can win games of cricket when we don’t play our best game,” he said.
“I know we’ve not played our best but the character and resilience we’ve showed has been brilliant.”
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Long time ago all warner has pretty much done in England as failed since then also when the pressure was on. Archer definitely has his number in England . He's ok on home soil for now but he's getting on now too
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Yes both Warner and Paine won't have too much longer left, though I expect both to be crucial to Australia's battle against India this summer. Of course, it's up to others to put their hands up through performance to lock in a future opener's spot and no one is really doing that in an outstanding way - will see how the contenders perform this FC season. Carey is the, current, logical choice to replace Paine though Paine may very well still be there in 12 months time for the Ashes. If Carey can get a decent run of FC matches this summer and put in the performances with both bat and gloves, that will certainly place some pressure on Paine for next year. That said, Inglis is a better gloveman than Carey, so should Inglis have a breakout Shield season this year, he may become the preferred Test keeper in waiting over Carey. Will be interesting to see.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
You're being selective Pierro. Warner made a half century against England in the group stage. In fact it was the opening partnership for Australia that set up the win.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Jeff exciting to have labuschagne playing on so well and carey in the wings at least . We need some transition for the aging Warner and paine coming up after this summer they are getting very long in the tooth going forward for foreign tours , 34 and 36 respectively so time to transition some caps for foreign tours coming up . Warner and paine certainly shouldn’t go to England ever again
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Well then tom you can miss out on match winning centuries by carey like the last one in England . Carey keeps performing and the paine lovers can’t stand it one bit , paines gone with the bat save for home pitches over the summer where everyone was making runs ,well even more runs on concrete pitches batting first against weak opposition . We need to begin grooming the changes before tough away tours . Paines a great bloke but he’s long in the tooth and he can’t call a drs or on field decisions that well , it cost us an ashes win he was terrible in England in nearly every test with poor fielding directions , toss drs calls and batting . He was only bought in due to an emergency for smith and the time is up now . Swansong summer great bloke and great wicketkeeper , deserved more earlier in career but for injuries
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Hey Jeff good to hear from you it’s true his world cup was ok but heres the thing against England, the team we just played, he failed in the semi final 2019 abysmillay dismissed cheaply then moved to the test arena and had the worst opening bat performance average over five tests in test cricket history there abouts . So perhaps I should rephrase he just doesn’t go well in England against the English. Fact is he is now archers batting bunny in England . He should never your England again said it after the ashes and once again the selectors refuse to listen and it’s happened again . Archer has got him seven times in last ten encounters . You can country white against red ball but fact is England have his number now in England and the last two visits reflect it in droves . He’s finished in England against english as I pointed out over a year ago but it falls on deaf ears on here so then we get the same same results yet again
Tom
I he will be around until the end of the 2021/22 Summer. Your best friend Carey will have to wait.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Hi Pierro. Hope your well also. Warner had an outstanding WC in England last year - 3x100s and 3x50s from his 10 matches with the most runs and the highest average - so think it is unfair to characterise Warner as failing *again* in England re the last 3 ODIs.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Can't thank warner yet again for that and another Insipid performance by him on an english pitch yet again. Glad maxwell and carey come to the rescue tho
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Except for his woeful Away record last ashes soft home series this year and his age . Time to step down after this summer at his age
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Smith smith and smith again for captain. ps what did I say about carey last world cup and yet again warner fails in england . It's tiring repeating the obvious mate . Hope your well and getting through this year ok jeff
Pierro
Roar Rookie
How many times have I said it about carey on the evidence of the last world cup in England and how warner is hopeless in england
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Beyond me maxwell probably hasn't gone as well in England as in other places but now that cat is out of the bag
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Good discussion on this subject on the recent article re high risk batsmen. Batsmen do seem to claim MOTM/series more than bowlers. A bit like flashy backs taking the accolades in rugby whilst the hard-working forwards go unnoticed
Rob
Guest
Maxwell wins cricket games and regularly does his best work under pressure against quality opponents. The role he plays is unfortunately high risk so rocks get thrown his way. It’s amazing how people expect consistently big things of Maxwell ( the bar is much higher) because he single handed wins a game but then quickly crucify him for getting out and Australia lose. I think Woakes deserved man of the series but Maxwell also took 4 catches which is twice as many as the next best outfielder of either team. He brings a bit pressure in the field.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Surely he has captained a junior team at some stage … in the old days, potential national captains were first made captains of their state as a bit of an unofficial try out. This is less practical these days because national players can go years without playing for their state. Without regurgitating well-worn cliches, the Australian way has always been to choose the best player as captain to lead by example. Given that Labuschagne is the sorcerer’s apprentice, with Smith being the sorcerer, if Smith doesn’t get the job back – and who knows he may well not even want it – then Labuschagne would have to be a leading long-term candidate. Provided he proves to be the real deal long term, and not just a flash in the pan.
Paul
Roar Guru
He could be an option, provided he keeps scoring runs, but I'm not aware of any leadership credentials?
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
It might have been an incredible win, but 5 for 73 chasing around 300 is pretty negative for most people.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Why can't Labuschagne be captain post ashes 2020-21?
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
That was just gut feel Here are some numbers to go with it Zampa 10 wickets at 14.2 Maxwell 186 runs Avg 62 Hazelwood 4 wickets at 23.75 The final game really blew his figures out The first two games his econ was 2.6 and 2.7 Woakes scored 89 runs at an avg of 44.5 Bowling 6 wickets at 22.8 Pretty hard to go past Woakes on those numbers I thought Zampa was outstanding