Aussie batting collapse sees England level series

An inspired spell of bowling from Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer helped England defend 231 to beat Australia by 24 runs in the second ODI, setting up a series decider back at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

Australia lost four wickets for three runs in 21 balls to explode their run chase, and lost their final eight wickets for 63 runs, as England captain Eoin Morgan's ploy to bring back his strike bowlers mid innings paid off with spectacular results.

Australia had looked well positioned to claim the match, and the series, after a century partnership between captain Aaron Finch and Marnus Labuschagne on a used pitch that offered low bounce and sluggish pace.

But the reintroduction of Woakes and Archer changed the match as Labuschagne (48), Finch (73), Mitch Marsh (1) and Glenn Maxwell (1) all fell in quick succession.

With Woakes and Archer having used up their allotted 10 overs, Sam Curran picked up three wickets to finish things off for England.

Pat Cummins (11) and Mitchell Starc (0) fell in successive deliveries to Curran, and the required run-rate ballooned until Adam Zampa popped up a catch to fall for two off 19 balls.

Alex Carey looked to farm the strike, but was stumped trying to smash Adil Rashid to be last man out for 36 off 41 balls as Australia were bowled out for 207.

Australia will also rue allowing England to put on a rollicking ninth-wicket stand of 76 between Rashid (35no) and Tom Curran (37) as the home side took 53 off Australia's final four overs.

That helped balloon their total from what looked precarious at 8-149 to defendable at 9-231.

Australia had started poorly with the bat as Archer was key with the new ball, removing David Warner for six off a ball slanted across the left-hander. In four innings on this tour, Warner has now been dismissed by Archer four times.

Archer was also the only bowler other than Stuart Broad to dismiss him during last winter's Ashes series.

Bowling upwards of 147kph, Archer's laconic action caused the Aussie top order problems in his opening spell, striking Finch on the helmet, while Marcus Stoinis got himself into an awkward position and popped up a catch to exit for nine.

But after a five-over spell, Archer was removed from the attack and Finch and Labuschagne were able to settle into their grooves.

Finch, on 12, became just the fourth Australian to score 1,000 ODI runs on English soil. He soon overtook Adam Gilchrist (1,016) and Michael Clarke (1,049), to trail only Ricky Ponting's 1,387.

With Finch and Labuschagne seemingly controlling the match, Morgan turned to Archer and Woakes again after the 25th over. It took until the 31st to find the breakthrough, when Woakes trapped Labuschagne on the pad for 48, although England needed a review to confirm it.

It opened the floodgates, reflecting the difficulty of starting an innings on this pitch. Marsh, the form player on the tour, fell for just one, chopping on an Archer delivery that didn't bounce as much as expected.

Finch was then bowled by Woakes for 73 by a delivery that just nipped away off the seam, and Maxwell (1) followed in the next Woakes over in identical fashion.

England captain Morgan welcomed the prospect of difficult wickets at Old Trafford, necessitating a game plan that is a far cry from the free-flowing, attacking – and high-scoring – formula that took them to last year's World Cup title, and the captain had zero hesitation in opting to bat first on the used pitch, a decision that Finch admitted he would have replicated had the coin fell his way.

As it proved, it was a good toss to lose as the impressive Australian bowling line-up, led by the miserly Josh Hazlewood who gave up just 27 runs in his 10-over spell, and Zampa's 3-36.

Australia had England at 8-149 at the start of the 41st over, only for the home side to swing the willow and cash in to eke their way to 9-231.

Starc, who "pulled up better than expected" according to Finch after some upper leg soreness following a fielding mishap in the opening game, had struck early to nick off Jonny Bairstow without scoring.

Joe Root struggled to get going, again tied down by the nagging line and length accuracy of Hazlewood. He had scored just two runs in his first 12 balls when he took off for a single that proved disastrous for non-striker Jason Roy.

It was brilliant work by Stoinis, who swooped in from point with a one-handed pick-up, before twisting and throwing in the next step in scenes reminiscent of Ponting in his pomp. The throw was accurate to the striker's end and had Roy well short of his ground.

Root and Morgan steadied to put on a 61-run partnership in 93 balls before the introduction of Zampa in the 23rd over brought immediate results.

Offering good flight and finding just enough turn as Root failed to get to the pitch of the ball, the edge was well caught by Finch low to his right to leave England 3-91.

That soon become 4-107 when Cummins removed Jos Buttler leg before. Having punished Australia in the T20 series with scores of 44 and 77 not out before taking the third match off for family reasons, he has scored one and three at Old Trafford.

More joy came for Australia with a brilliant use of the Decision Review System that saw Morgan dismissed lbw to Zampa for 42.

Given not out, Finch reviewed the decision and ball tracking duly showed Zampa had pitched it just in line with the leg stump and got it to straighten just enough to beat Morgan's inside edge.

Zampa collected a third when Sam Billings, who had scored his maiden ODI century in the first match, went back to a fuller delivery and chopped on an attempted cut shot.

Starc returned and had Sam Curran caught behind for his second wicket and Hazelwood picked up his first when Woakes gifted Carey a third catch.

With Australia persisting with their line and length approach that worked so well, Tom Curran (37) and Rashid (35*) put on England's highest partnership of the match with 76 for the ninth wicket.

Earlier, Australia opted to rest Steve Smith "as an extra precaution" after the 31-year-old was struck by a throwdown in the nets on the eve of the opening ODI.

Smith, struck on Thursday, had passed concussion tests on Friday and Saturday but was left out of the Australia XI "as an extra precaution in line with our high level of focus on duty of care to all players", a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.

That meant Australia were unchanged, which counts towards qualification towards the 2023 World Cup as part of the newly introduced ODI Super League, but England made two changes.

The Curran brothers, Sam and Tom, both came into the playing XI for Mark Wood, who was rested after pulling up sore – he has battled long-term ankle issues – while spin-bowling allrounder Moeen Ali was dropped for the match on a used pitch that took spin.

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Marcus Stoinis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

England XI: Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Billings, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer

2020 Tour of England

Australia's T20 and ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

England T20I squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood. Reserves: Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood

England ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood. Reserves: Joe Denly, Saqib Mahmood

First T20: England won by two runs

Second T20: England won by six wickets with seven balls to spare

Third T20: Australia won by five wickets with three balls to spare

First ODI: Australia won by 19 runs

Second ODI: England won by 24 runs

September 16:3rd ODI, Old Trafford, 10pm AEST