England chase 300 to force ODI decider

Sunday’s final match of the one-day international series at Old Trafford will be a winner-takes-all affair after England downed Australia by three wickets at Headingley to level the series two-all.

England captain Eoin Morgan guided his side to victory with a fantastic 92 despite the best efforts from a rampaging Patrick Cummins (4-49) and two spectacular catches by Glenn Maxwell, as the hosts reached 7-304 with 10 balls remaining.

Watch: Maxwell takes incredible catch on the boundary

Maxwell (85) and a Matthew Wade (50 not out) rallied Australia’s first innings total to 7-299, but a wayward performance with the ball helped England record their third-highest chase in ODI history.

The series now returns to Manchester for the series decider and the final match of Australia’s three-month long Qantas tour of the British Isles.

Low-hanging cloud cover did not concern Australia captain Steve Smith on Friday morning, who elected to bat when the coin toss fell his way.

Quick Single: Stoinis the latest to make ODI debut

Each side made two changes; Australia handed a debut to Victorian allrounder Marcus Stoinis, while John Hastings returned to ODI cricket for the first time in four years as Mitchell Starc was rested and Ashton Agar omitted.

Marcus Stoinis is given ODI cap 209

For England, Steve Finn was given a breather allowing Mark Wood to return, and David Willey earned a recall when Chris Woakes was ruled out with a right thigh strain.

Hard-hitting left-arm seamer Willey grabbed his opportunity with both hands, slicing through Australia’s top order with a swinging new ball, accounting for Joe Burns (2), Smith (5) and Aaron Finch (15) in a devastating opening onslaught.

From the mire of 3-30 rose the two pillars of Australia’s innings as Maxwell and George Bailey (75) combined for the match’s largest partnership of 137. 

Watch highlights of Bailey's fifty (restrictions apply)

Maxwell looked in good touch from the get go despite a life on six from Jason Roy at second slip, hitting the tourists out of danger with a catalogue of crisp cover drives to revise estimated targets from 250 to well beyond 300.

Like he did in Manchester on Tuesday, Maxwell’s unorthodox reverse-sweeps were productive early on. And like in Manchester it was once again his downfall as Moeen Ali outfoxed the Victorian, darting an off-break past his swipe and into his exposed leg-stump.

Maxwell drives, sweeps and smacks his way to 85 (restrictions apply)

Bailey and Mitchell Marsh (17) added 43 before both men were out in the same Liam Plunkett over, Bailey’s knock ending thanks to a terrific return catch by the towering bearded fast bowler.

With less than 10 overs left in the innings, Wade and John Hastings went into blitzkrieg mode, lashing the England bowlers to all parts of Headingley in a brilliant partnership of 85 from 8.2 overs.

Wade in particular was ruthless, depositing three huge sixes and in tandem with Hastings’ long bombs, the Bushrangers brothers lifted Australia to 7-299.

Wade smacks 50 from just 26 balls (restrictions apply)

Cummins continued his excellent series and dominance over Alex Hales with the opening batsman’s wicket from his second delivery of the match.

But as they did at Old Trafford, Australia dished out too many boundary balls in the opening stanza, conceding 10 fours in England’s first 50 runs.

Cummins switched ends and removed the dangerous Jason Roy for 36, and shortly after Wade took an excellent leg-side catch to strangle Manchester century-maker James Taylor (41).

It’s hard to imagine that Morgan had a month off prior to this series after the way he’s been striking the ball, and today, like he has been through the series, he was sublime.

Dancing down the wicket to spin and pace alike, hitting through the air with ease and finding the boundary at will, Morgan was rapidly putting his side in the box seat with Ben Stokes his partner in crime.

Smiles aplenty as roles are reversed on Stokes incident

Stokes matched Taylor on 41 before a Marsh yorker sneaked under the left-hander’s blade and into off-stump, bringing an energetic Jonny Bairstow to the crease and with him a flurry of runs.

Bairstow and Morgan put on 58 in 37 balls until the local lad’s cameo ended with a gloved sweep shot off Maxwell to Wade was given out on review.

It was going to take something special to deny Morgan a deserving century, and Maxwell at backward point produced a magic diving one-handed catch to remove the England skipper to a standing ovation from the jam-packed Leeds crowd.

Maxwell stunner removes Morgan (restrictions apply)

But, unbelievably, Maxwell topped that effort in the deep to dismiss Plunkett. The long-levered right-hander launched Cummins to the moon, and as it descended towards the deep mid-wicket rope, Maxwell intercepted the meteorite, threw it in the air as he was carried over the boundary, regathered himself and the ball in the field of play to take the stunning grab.

However, England had too much in reserve and rustled together the remaining 18 runs, thanks largely to Moeen as the series heads back to Old Trafford for Sunday’s series finale.

Teams

AUSTRALIA
Aaron Finch, Joe Burns, Steve Smith, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, John Hastings, Pat Cummins, James Pattinson

ENGLAND
Jason Roy, Alex Hales, James Taylor, Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood