Key events
“Dear Fellow Plonker,” writes Michael Meagher. “That was fun!”
What happened to my last bit of humble pie?
The player of the match is Harry Brook
We started off really nicely with the ball and got some early wickets. They started building partnerships through the middle and batted nicely. With the bat me and Jacksy just tried to stay out there as long as possible and build a partnershiop.
I definitely through the pitch got better towards the end of the Australian innings so it was a simple message to go out and play our own game. Thankfully it came off today.
It’s nice to get the first [ODI hundred] on the board. Hopefully there’s more to come.
Mitch Marsh’s verdict
I thought we did extremely well to get to 300. It was hard work early on, there was a lot of seam movement, but England were too good with the bat.
We knew the wicket had flattened out so we wanted to take as many wickets as possible early on. Fair play to them, they got a big partnership going.
[Adam Zampa] was a big miss for us. We tried everything. Hopefully he’ll be okay for Lord’s.
The last two games are at Lord’s on Friday and Bristol on Sunday. Astonishingly, the weather forecast for both is okay.
“May I pass on my best wishes to James in coping with his potentially unruly offspring?” says Damian Clarke. “Mine has just poked his head round the door, and demanded to know what’s happening about food tonight. Maybe a bit of a difference between the two households, though. My problem child is 31.”
Are we in Fight Club/third person territory here?
England win by 46 runs (DLS)
With the heavens showing no sign of closing, the umpires have called the game off. England have kept the series alive with a terrific victory. It helped to win an important toss, but they still batted superbly to make light work of what looked a tough chase.
Will Jacks played his best innings for England, an emphatic 82-ball 84; when he was out, the captain Harry Brook took over and sped to a memorable maiden ODI century. He was still there on 110 not out, made from 94 balls with 13 fours and two sixes.
In some ways the best part of Jacks and Brook’s innings were the boring bits at the start, when the ball was doing plenty and they had to sit in. By doing that, they earned the right to belt the ball to all parts later in the day.
“Hi Rob,” says Matt Dale. “That WinViz prediction at half time isn’t looking too shabby now.”
Sometimes humble pie tastes bloody good.
It’s hosing down again. I suspect we’re done for the day. England are 46 runs ahead on DLS so, if the game is called off, the result will brook no argument.
The Sky team think the cut-off point is 8.40pm, though that isn’t official. Either way it’s getting tight as it’s still raining, albeit not as heavily as when the players came off.
I think the players need to get back on the field by 8.30pm, which is in 40 minutes’ time. Not 100 per cent sure though.
Rain stops play
37.4 overs: England 254-4 (Brook 110, Livingstone 33) It has started raining in Durham. It’s also raining bloody sixes: Livingstone backs away to clout Abbott over cover for his third in the last 14 balls.
The umpires try to continue but eventually decide the rain is too heavy so the players are going off the field. England are well ahead on DLS, and if/when they return they will need 51 runs from 74 balls.
Harry Brook raises his bat politely to the crowd, having become the youngest England captain to score a century against Australia in any format. After a quiet summer, this is a timely reminder of his extraordinary talent.
Cheers Jim, hello again. Is it too early to suggest that 3-2’s got a nice ring to it?
James Wallace
37th over: England 246-4 (Brook 110, Livingstone 27) Livingstone is in a hurry. When is he not? Starc goes short and is flicked off the hip for four. The next one is a doozy from Barrow-in-Furness’ finest – a hold the pose lofted drive that rattles the advertising hoardings behind the bowler. A full ball is sent to the sweeper on the off side fence and they scamper a couple. A tickle to leg makes it 11 runs off the over. England need 59 off 78 balls.
I’m tagging Rob Smyth back in for a bit, see over 31 for more info as to why. No more Mr Nice Guy.
36th over: England 235-4 (Brook 110, Livingstone 16) Sean Abbot replaces Green who gets a well earned rest after his mid-pitch carpet bombing. Brook steps away to leg and lifts him over point for four. He edges the next ball trying to repeat the shot but it falls well short of Crawley.
Can Brook see his side home? England need 70 off 84 balls. Simple, right?
Harry Brook picks up two off Mitchell Starc and then drills an attempted yorker down the ground for four to take him to 99.
There it is! A maiden ODI hundred for Harry Brook! Starc went full and Brook got an outside edge on it, squirting it away wide of Carey for four. He removes his helmet, blows out his cheeks and raises his arms. That’s about as animated as I’ve ever seen him celebrate a century. Of course he ffff flippin’well cares!
35th over: England 229-4 (Brook 105, Livingstone 15)
34th over: England 216-4 (Brook 93, Livingstone 14) Cam Green continues with his bumpers and bouncers. Brook and Livingstone rotate strike off the first three balls. Now then! Livingstone smites a SIX into the leg side, Marnus came hurtling around the boundary edge in an attempt to take the catch but seemed to be put off by a somewhat dopey Aussie 12th man ambling round the boundary unawares. Marnus does indeed look daggers at… it’s Mahli Beardman. Who soon scurries up to the safety of the dressing room.
12 runs off the over in total and Harry Brook into the 90s…
33rd over: England 204-4 (Brook 90, Livingstone 6) Livingstone charges the returning Hardie and hoicks for a massive six into the leg side, his bat follow through coming all the way round and patting him on the backside. That’s one way to get off the mark. Told you he looked confident. ‘I never perfected that simian stroll’
32nd over: England 197-4 (Brook 89, Livingstone 0) Smith trudges off and is replaced by the simian strolling Liam Livingston. Cameron Green has bowled three overs of short balls almost exclusively and it has got his side back in the contest.
WICKET! c Maxwell b Green 7 (England 197-4)
Don’t adjust your sets. Jamie Smith is out. Suckered by Green into trying to go over the off side when he’s such a natural puller and hooker of the ball. Maxwell makes no mistake on the point boundary.
England need 108 from 18 overs to stay in the series. Australia need six wickets to win it.
“I’ll have what he’s having…” Green goes short first ball back, Brook steps away to leg and clobbers it flat for SIX over point.
31st over: England 189-3 (Brook 82, Smith 7) Shot! Big Josh commits the cardinal sin of white ball cricket by overstepping and giving away a free hit. Shot! Free hit or nay, Brook plays one of those Jos Buttler esque wrist-snapping bunts to a full ball off Hazlewood and it lasers away over mid off.
Time for a slurp of electrolytes for the players in Durham and a cautious peek around the door at an unruly toddler for me here in London. A crucial stage in the evening proceedings here and there. Drinks.
30th over: England 182-3 (Brook 77, Smith 6) Green returns and persists with back of a length and short, spearing two wides down the leg side in the process. Six off the over as Brook and Smith consolidate. Some brooding clouds rolling in behind the castle, England are ahead of the DRS by about 15 runs as it stands. As it stands.
29th over: England 176-3 (Brook 75, Smith 4) Mitch Marsh senses the opportunity, senses the time is now* and calls Josh Hazlewood back into the attack. He brings a slip in for Jamie Smith too. Smith swivels a mistimed pull to pick up a single and Brook glides deftly for three runs. Five off the over. England currently ticking along 6.06 runs per over and the rate is 6.14. Three wickets down. 21 overs left. Could be a belter if the weather holds firm. Big if.
*Ooh – Moloko
28th over: England 171-3 (Brook 71, Smith 3) Jamie Smith is the new batter. England need 136 from more than 22 overs, a situation tailor made for the Surrey man? No, jinxes don’t work like that…
Green has his dander up and makes life uncomfortable for both Smith and Brook with balls in at the ribs. Excellent over, the Aussies sense they are back in this.
WICKET! Jacks c Abbott b Green 84 (England 167-3)
The end of Jacks. Cam Green slams three balls into the middle of the pitch and the short ball gambit pays off. Jacks looks to upper cut but doesn’t get it sweet enough, Sean Abbot taking an easy catch in front of the sponge at deep third. Game on!
Fire up the Jinxometer…
“Finally, maybe aided by a flattish pitch and the absence of the Aussies’ key spinner Adam Zampa, England’s batters are playing with controlled aggression rather than the out-and-out Bazball mark 1 approach.” Colum Fordham espouses. “Perhaps they have been observing Alex Carey’s astute batting in the last two ODIs, mixing 1s and 2s with boundaries. Watching Starc go for 19 is a rare treat.
Come on Brook and Jacks! This match is for the taking.”
27th over: England 165-2 (Jacks 84, Brook 69) Biggun! Sean Abbot bowls a length ball and Will Jacks decides that simply won’t d0 – clearing the front leg and moosing it over the square leg boundary for SIX. Abbot does well to get out of the over with just two more runs added. Jacks is into the 80s and looking gimlet eyed.
James Wallace
26th over: England 157-2 (Jacks 77, Brook 68) Thanks Rob, hello all. England are purring in this run chase. Brook and Jacks have been fantastic. Eoin Morgan spoke this morning about the need for them to stop the rot and even if they couldn’t win a game then they needed some of their hugely talented players to put their hands up and shift the narrative a bit. Jacks and Brook are doing just that. Six runs milked off Hardie with no dramas.
25th over: England 151-2 (Jacks 73, Brook 66) Abbott returns and is shovelled extravagantly over the shoulder by Brook. That’s his eighth boundary four, as Bob used to say.
And there’s his ninth, pulled witheringly over midwicket. Brook and Jacks have stealthily put England in complete control with some superb batting.
Time for me to hand back to Jim Wallace for a bit; ta-ra!
24th over: England 141-2 (Jacks 72, Brook 57) Jacks ploughs into the seventies, working Green off the pads for four. This is surely the best innings of his fledgling international career; like Brook, his judgement has been almost flawless.
Starc smashed for 19 in the over
23rd over: England 136-2 (Jacks 67, Brook 57) When Starc misses his yorker, Jacks crashes him through mid-off for four. As Kumar Sangakkara notes on commentary, boundaries off the first ball of an over have been a feature of this partnership.
Jacks adds another later in the over, fetching an attempted bouncer through midwicket, then slashes over backward point for three. Brook completes a wonderful over for England – 19 from it – by driving Starc over mid-off for four.
22nd over: England 117-2 (Jacks 53, Brook 52) Short is hooked after a single over that went for 12. Hardie returns and nips one back to hit Jacks in the banter zone. “Bo11ocks!” shouts Jacks, lest there be any doubt where he was struck.
Brook is hit on the hip by a grotesque off-cutter, then Jacks looks suspiciously at the pitch after a bit of uneven bounce. Lots of encouragement for Australia in that over.
“I’m 5ft 5ins,” says Damian Clarke. “The internet has been wonderful. The top shelf was always an issue. No more asking the newsagent for a stool. Result.”
Why was your newsagent putting Amiga Format and Games Workshop on the top shelf?
21st over: England 114-2 (Jacks 51, Brook 52) With Australia needing a wicket, Mitch Marsh turns to Mitch Starc. Jacks is slightly wary against his variations but chips over the leg side for two to reach an equally good half-century from 55 balls. “Looks a very good player to me,” says Ricky Ponting on Sky.
20th over: England 111-2 (Jacks 48, Brook 52) Shot! The occasional offspinner Matt Short’s first ball is a wide, flighted half-volley that Brook blasts thrillingly over mid-off for six. A two off the pads takes him to a beautifully judged fifty, his first as captain, from 54 balls.
He becomes the eighth England captain to make a 50 before turning 26, a list that also includes Peter May, Ian Botham, Mike Atherton (who did it most often, six times), Marcus Trescothick, Alastair Cook, Eoin Morgan and Zak Crawley.
19th over: England 99-2 (Jacks 47, Brook 41) After two overs from Aaron Hardie, Cam Green comes into the attack. Jacks makes room to drive his first ball over mid-off for four, a controlled stroke, and Brook adds a couple more to deep cover.
England have scored 52 from the last eight overs – nothing spectacular, but the kind of subtle gearchange all good ODI teams need in certain situations.
18th over: England 91-2 (Jacks 42, Brook 38) Four singles from Maxwell’s second over. There’s a hint of evening sun at Chester-le-Street now, and batting looks as comfortable as at any time in the innings. If it stays like this, and that’s a big if, England have a chance of proving WinViz right.