Alex Carey leads Australia’s recovery before bowlers thrash England in 2nd ODI

New Delhi: Alex Carey’s determined knock and a far disciplined bowling from Mitchell Starc and Co. guided Australia in a convincing 68-run win against England on Saturday in the second ODI match played at the Headingley in Leeds. Australia now lead the five-match series with a 2-0 lead.

After being put into bat by England stand-in skipper Harry Brook, a new-looking Australia opening pair of Matthew Short and Travis Head put on meagre contributions. Head, who scored a match-winning century in the series opener in Nottingham, couldn’t fire with the bat this time around. He departed on 29 after getting caught by Olly Stone off Brydon Carse’s bowling in the ninth over.

Captain Mitchell Marsh played brilliantly after getting out for low score in the first match. He brought up his 18th ODI fifty but simultaneously watched wicket crumbling from the other hand. Just then England left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell trapped the Aussie skipper before the wickets to reduce the tourists to 151 for 5. It only got worse with Glenn Maxwell, who returned back to the Australian playing XI, was sent packing by Adil Rashid for just seven runs.

Wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey carried the mantle and dug his side out from the hole with a spectacular knock. With eight boundaries and three sixes, the southpaw put on 74 runs from 67 balls before being dismissed in the 45th over as the Australian innings folded up for 270. Carey was involved in a gritty 49-run stand with Josh Hazlewood for the last wicket.

Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood make resouding comeback

The Australian pace attack saw the senior bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood making back their way in the places of Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis.

Starc (3-50) and Hazlewood (2-54) struck early in England’s reply to put the hosts under the pressure after reducing them to 65 for 5 inside the powerplay only. Young pacer Aaron Hardie and Glenn Maxwell also claimed two wickets each to cut short England’s fragmentary chase to 202 in 40.2 overs.

Jamie Smith’s 49 merely delayed the inevitable and when he chipped Hazlewood to midwicket, England were 159-7 in the 31st over.

England’s reply was derailed when Hazlewood had opener Phil Salt edging behind, while initially wayward left-armer Starc removed Will Jacks for a golden duck thanks to a fine diving catch at second slip by Matthew Short. Starc’s brilliant inswinging yorker then had England captain Harry Brook lbw for just four on the Yorkshire batsman’s home ground.

Hardie took two wickets in two balls. Ben Duckett, who made 95 at Trent Bridge, was deceived on 32 by Hardie’s slower ball as the bowler held a fine return catch. Next ball, Liam Livingstone became the second golden duck of the innings when he was brilliantly caught down the legside by the diving Carey, only recalled this series after Josh Inglis was injured.

This was Australia’s 14th consecutive ODI win, with only the Australia 2003 World Cup-winning side led by Ricky Ponting, enjoying a longer unbeaten run at this level of 21 straight victories.

(With inputs from AFP)

This was Australia’s 14th consecutive ODI win, with only the Australia 2003 World Cup-winning side led by Ricky Ponting, enjoying a longer unbeaten run at this level of 21 straight victories. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today