England v Australia LIVE: Cricket result and reaction as Harry Brook’s men dominate in 186-run win
England levelled the series with a dominant 186-run victory over Australia at Lord’s
England levelled the series to set up a thrilling decider with a 186-run thrashing of Australia in the fourth ODI of the five-match series at Lord’s.
Liam Livingstone struck a rapid 62 at the end of England’s innings after rain delayed the start of play, forcing a shortened 39-over match, although the hosts secured victory with overs to spare.
Ben Duckett got England off to a solid start with the bat, hitting 63 runs, with Harry Brook coming close to repeating his magnificent century at the Riverside on Tuesday, but falling just 13 runs short with 87.
Liam Livingstone’s impressive display of power hitting, with seven sixes and three fours as he put on 62 from just 27 lifted England to what proved to be a match-winning total of 312.
England bowled expertly, after dismissing the opening partnership of Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head, the wickets tumbled quickly, as the Australians collapsed from 68 without loss to 96 for six and were unable to recover.
It was Australia’s first time back at Lord’s since Alex Carey’s infamous stumping of Jonny Bairstow during the Ashes, which led to ugly scenes in the Long Room between MCC members and touring players, but other than boos for the wicketkeeper when he came out to bat, there was none of the animosity of that affair.
Follow the latest score all the live action between England and Australia in the blog below.
England 258-5 (35) Livingstone 16, Bethell 8, Zampa 2-66 (8)
Zampa is now into his last over, Bethell tries to guide the ball up to long on, but it’s straight at Zampa and he has struggled to score today.
The second one is another dot straight to the bowler. Bethell has two runs from nine deliveries.
But all of that pressure is released with a stunning reverse-sweep for six!
Five dot balls and a six from the over.
England 252-5 (34) Livingstone 16, Bethell 2, Maxwell 1-30 (3)
Livingstone launches Maxwell into the grandstand! That sounded so good off the bat, it drops into the stands, from outside the off stump into the leg side, a mammoth hit.
England 244-5 (33) Livingstone 9, Bethell 1, Zampa 2-60 (7)
Zampa is into his seventh over, but there’s a lot of tinkering with the field.
The brief period of drizzle seems to have abated. Bethell defends the first two balls, and tries a sweep the first but top-edges it straight along the ground to the bowler.
Bethell gets off the mark with a heave into the leg side for a single.
Smith out for 39! England 241-5 (32) Livingstone 7, Bethell 0, Maxwell 1-22 (2)
Maxwell will bowl, Smith goes big and over his head, but it’s stopped again on the boundary by Sean Abbott. It’s his fourth consecutive 2.
Maxwell has potentially taken a bit of pace of it after his expensive first over, but Livingstone has a four, it has just gone out of reach of Smith, and the rain has started to fall.
Livingstone tries to hit the ball so hard, another glove, it flies over short third for a couple.
Smith has gone! He hits the ball straight to backward point and has to depart for 39!
Wicket! Brook out for 87! England 232-4 (31) Smith 36, Livingstone 1, Zampa 2-57 (6)
Harry Brook’s impressive innings has come to an end! He launched the ball from Zampa into the air and it was well-caught and judged by a diving Glenn Maxwell.
He finished with 87 from just 58 deliveries including important partnerships with Duckett and Smith.
Livingstone gets off the mark with a drive up to long on.
Smith sweeps straight-ish for another boundary but it has just been cut off before going over the rope by Labuschagne, and there’s another dive at deep extra cover from Alex Carey.
England 224-3 (30) Brook 87, Smith 29, Hazlewood 1-25 (6)
Labuschagne got just the one over, with Hazlewood coming back into the attack from the Nursery End, and he’s been scooped for four the first ball of the over!
Brook turns the ball off his hip through square leg for another four. He has batted exceptionally so far today.
A no ball from the final over allows England another chance to score runs, Hazlewood has bowled a few of them this series, but it’s a solid yorker that just goes between pad and leg stump.
Nine overs left of the first innings.
England 213-3 (29) Brook 78, Smith 28, Abbott 0-62 (7)
Smith hauls across the line for another boundary.
Overthrows! Smith just managed to get his foot in the crease, the ball ricochets off the stumps and away for four runs after the throw from Inglis.
A bizarre passage of play!
England 201-3 (28) Brook 71, Smith 23, Labuschagne 0-10 (1)
Labuschagne comes on to bowl, his first ball is a low full toss, swatted away to long on but only for a single.
The next ball is launched over the covers right in front of the media centre for a big six from Smith, his second six of the innings.
Another low full toss is just kept in by Abbott on the boundary and that brings up the 200 for England.
England 191-3 (27) Brook 70, Smith 14, Zampa 1-49 (5)
Zampa has been expensive in his first four overs, but started this one a bit tighter.
Brook tries a sweep but doesn’t get hold of it, and that was a better bowler from the spinner.
England 183-3 (26) Brook 64, Smith 12, Abbott 0-50 (6)
Abbott bowls, and again it’s bouncing twice before reaching the goalkeeper. Smith pulls the ball high and out into the leg side, but it drops just short of Maxwell.
He then fires one down the leg side and the ball goes through Inglis for a bonus couple of runs, he tries a bouncer and it’s pulled comfortably by Smith towards square leg.
Brook chases one down leg, gloves it but wide of the wicketkeeper and he will pick up four more runs for it.
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