Australia wins ODI series by crushing over England by 49 runs on DLS Method in fifth match
Australia edged England by 49 runs in the rain hit fifth match of the day and hence sealed their series. Travis Head was brilliant with bat as well as ball and ensured him the Player of the Match and Player of the Series award. An effortful batting from the side of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook couldn’t get England over the line as they were truncated to 309, but rain being the villain of the piece saw Australia declared the winner by DLS method when they were at 165/2 in 20.4 overs.
England Innings: A Promising Start Fizzles Out
England started off on a charged-up note, seeking to make a fierce total. Phil Salt and Ben Duckett opened the innings and seemed keen on facing the quickest of runs. Salt showed intent right from the first ball, scoring a stormy 45 off just 27 balls with seven boundaries and a six. His charge was curtailed when Marnus Labuschagne caught him off Aaron Hardie’s bowling in the 7th over.
Ben Duckett, however, ensured to steady the innings for the remainder of the match as his knock read 107 off 91 balls and helped England keep their hopes alive. 11 fours and three sixes dotted the innings, and Ben was in the process of taking the score of England to a dominating figure. However, around him, the middle order went all terribly wrong, and Will Jacks and Liam Livingstone failed miserably without even leaving an impact behind.
Will Jacks was dismissed for a duck off just four balls, bowled by Aaron Hardie. Duckett could build only a short association with Harry Brook, who scored 72 off 52 balls with five fours and three sixes. From there on, the loss of Duckett in the 33rd over, courtesy Josh Hazlewood off Travis Head’s bowling, seemed to lose the momentum of this England side.
Collapse of England’s Middle Order
Things didn’t quite come off for England as Duckett’s departure saw Jamie Smith, the wicketkeeper-batter too could not make any capital out of his start, and Glenn Maxwell picked him up for 6. Livingstone also could not contribute anything to his team’s fortunes and departed for a three-ball duck, caught by Josh Inglis off Adam Zampa’s delivery.
The lower order of England did its bit well enough in the case, as Bethell and Adil Rashid took the total past 300 with their contributions of 13 runs and 36 runs respectively. However, the truck that drove the Australian innings to its closure was seized upon by Travis Head, who took four wickets for 28 runs off 6.2 overs only. That reduced England to be bowled out for 309 in 49.2 overs and a competitive target of 310 had now to be run down by Australia.
Australia’s Response: A Clinical Chase Before the Rain
With a bold start, Matthew Short and Travis Head handled the early stages of Australia’s chase. That opening stand of 78 runs in more than seven overs led the way for the Australia innings. Short was unstoppable, with a 30-ball 58 containing seven boundaries and four sixes before he fell to the rising Matthew Potts. Aggression brought a great deal of pressure upon England’s bowlers as they failed to restrain the run flow.
He was not done yet. Travis Head maintained his good form and scored 31 off 26 deliveries before being caught off Brydon Carse by Phil Salt. When Head finally left, Australia were well on their way with 118/2 in 12.4 overs, and the match had firmly slipped back into the hands of the Aussies.
Steven Smith and Josh Inglis Take Australia to Victory
Having lost both openers, Australian captain Steven Smith along with wicket-keeper Josh Inglis took over the chase. Smith’s flat, stress-free 36 from 48 balls helped steady a ship that Australia had suddenly lost control over, even as Josh Inglis contributed an unbeaten 28 off 20 balls as Australia reached 165/2 in 20.4 overs when the rain stayed in.
Such had been the relentless drop of rain that a decision was required solely by the DLS method, and the result was that Australia emerged victorious by 49 runs. Again, this was a winning performance for Australia, not only winning the series but also demonstrating their dominant performance throughout the tour.
England’s Bowling Struggles
England’s bowling unit suffered a lot during the innings of Australia. Only two bowlers, Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse, were successful in gaining wickets. Potts finished with 1/49 in seven overs, while Carse brought one wicket at 36 runs in five overs. The rest of the bowling unit could not keep it together against Australia’s batmen. Olly Stone spilled over 36 runs in four overs, and Adil Rashid leaked off 15 runs in 3.4 overs.
Among the reasons why England lost the match, one was their inability to create early inroads and stop Australia’s free-scoring batters. The bowling unit also lacked discipline as they leaked three wides which indirectly helped Australia’s cause.
Player of the Match and Series: Travis Head
Travis Head was undoubtedly the man of the match with all-round exertions with both bat and the ball that proved decisive for Australia in winning the match. He not only scored a blistering half-century of 31 runs in the chase but also mugged up much with the ball by taking 4 wickets for 28 runs in his 6.2 overs, completely dismantling England’s middle and lower order.
Head was indeed the one, given his consistency throughout the series and got the award for Player of the Series too since he proved to be Australia’s most reliable performer in multiple matches.
Conclusion: Dominant Australia Continues
The 5th ODI was Australia’s victory to wrap off a victorious tour of England. Head led a performance, including all-round displays on the part of the team, showing supremacy in every department of the game. England did flash as brilliance occasionally, but overall they could not match up the lines of consistency and dominance as installed by Australia.
This series loss for England will leave questions about how deep their batting is in the middle order and how deep their bowling is going to be in future challenges that they will face. On the other hand, Australia will take great confidence from this comprehensive victory as they continue building momentum into their next international engagements.
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