ENG v AUS 2024, ENG vs AUS 1st ODI Match Report, September 19, 2024

That transformed century, Head’s sixth in 66 ODIs and his second in opposition to England, was the basic purpose why Australia overcame the percentages, together with a illness bug that robbed them of a swathe of key names, not least Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc – two of the “massive three” (alongside the absent Pat Cummins) with none of whose presence Australia had misplaced every of their final eight accomplished ODIs in opposition to England.

Marnus Labuschagne struck in every of his first two overs•Getty Photographs

Matthew Quick’s offspin additionally returned a maiden ODI wicket, and when Head served discover that this contest now belonged to him, by choosing up Jacob Bethell and Adil Rashid with consecutive deliveries, England had been bowled out for 315 in a dramatic collapse of 8 for 102 in 17.1 overs. In complete, Australia’s spinners claimed 9 for 190 in 30.4: it was a mixed impression that England’s personal spin cohort, led by Adil Rashid – who stays one wicket shy of 200 in ODIs – could not come near matching.

Labuschagne, like Head, was solely simply warming up in that section of the sport. After arriving nearly slap-bang in the course of Australia’s chase, at 169 for 3 within the twenty seventh over after Cameron Inexperienced had turn out to be Bethell’s maiden ODI wicket, there was nearly nobody higher outfitted to behave as a foil to the now free-flowing Head. His pitch-perfect innings of 77 not out from 61 balls included the profitable boundary off Jacks with a full six overs left unused, to cap an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 148 from 107 balls.

This was the de facto reboot of England’s ODI fortunes, after their destruction on the 2023 World Cup and leaving apart a barely remembered marketing campaign within the Caribbean in December. A brand new-look crew, led for the primary time by Brook, confirmed promise in patches, not least throughout Duckett and Jack’s 120-run stand for the second wicket from precisely 100 balls. However even whereas the going was good within the first half of their innings, Eoin Morgan within the Sky commentary field thought of their method to be no higher than “measured”, the form of damningly faint reward that advised they ran the chance of being mown down by a extra emphatic efficiency.

So it proved, with Australia outgunning England by 10 sixes to eight, 5 from Head, and three from Steve Smith in a notably aggressive cameo on the prime of the order. After the early lack of Mitchell Marsh, Smith’s dedication to assault pushed his crew forward of the speed at 69 for 1 after the powerplay, and allowed Head, with a run-a-ball fifty, to settle in for the longer haul.

Head had a second of fortune on 6, when Brydon Carse – in from the boundary at deep level – all however clawed down a duplicate of Ben Stokes’ “you can not try this” epic from the 2019 World Cup. However the characteristic of Head’s early innings was a captivating duel with Jofra Archer, making his first ODI look in 18 months. Armed with the brand new ball, Archer bowled a handful of unplayable deliveries, together with a cutter that left Head wide-eyed with marvel, however he was additionally picked off for 53 runs in six overs, together with a wonderful flick for six off the toes that obliged him to return the look of incredulity.

Ben Duckett cannot consider what he is executed after falling for 95•Getty Photographs

For England, it was a case of what-might-have-been, not least for Duckett, whose self-admonishment was plain as day after he gave away a global century for the second time this month, after his 86 within the Oval Check in opposition to Sri Lanka.

In his first alternative to reprise that now-familiar opener’s position in ODIs, Duckett took specific toll of a nervy Sean Abbott, clubbing 4 fours in an over en path to a 49-ball fifty, which means that Marsh was already trying to find alternate bowlers, even earlier than it had been confirmed that Dwarshuis had strained a pectoral muscle with an off-balance shy from the outfield.

Zampa had been the scourge of England’s batting of their most up-to-date ODI encounter, claiming 3 for 21 at Ahmedabad within the 2023 World Cup. Nonetheless, Jacks thumped his second ball again over his head for six, and because the hundred stand got here up in 86 balls, he’d leaked 27 runs in his first three-over foray by the top of the nineteenth.

In his a centesimal ODI, nevertheless, Zampa could not be stored out of the motion for lengthy, as Jacks drove on the as much as cowl, however by the point Brook had stepped into two beautifully poised drives over cowl for six off Quick’s part-timers, England had been ominously positioned on 201 for two after 30 overs.

Enter Labuschagne, for what appeared to be a speculative spell of legbreaks. Nonetheless, his impression was that of a wonderfully deployed secret weapon. With the fourth ball of his spell, he landed a googly that caught simply sufficient within the pitch to confound Duckett’s back-foot push, and he reached to his left to pluck the only of caught-and-bowleds. One over later, out got here that googly once more, and Brook this popped one other mistimed push straight again to the bowler.

Jamie Smith got here and went for 23, caught within the deep two balls after Aaron Hardie at deep midwicket had been pressured to sacrifice an opportunity as a way to save the boundary, and at 256 for five, England’s hopes of a 350-plus innings had been again within the arms of their foremost males from the T20I collection, Liam Livingstone and Bethell, who was making his second format debut of the week.

Zampa, nevertheless, nonetheless had three overs up his sleeve, and no sooner had he returned to the assault, Livingstone selected to take him down. It was a suboptimal possibility. An enormous thrash by way of the road skewed to Inexperienced at long-on, and the remaining got here meekly. Far too meekly, because it turned out.