Key events
2nd over: Australia 7-0 (Short 2, Head 2) Stone has a strangled shout for LBW when Short pushes around a good nipbacker. Too high. England have started pretty well, with Stone, as he has all summer, bowling an excellent line.
1st over: Australia 4-0 (Short 2, Head 1) Australia’s DLS target depends on how many wickets they lose; we’ll keep you posted on that if the innings gets close to 20 overs.
Travis Head plays a couple of nice strokes in Matthew Potts’ first over without beating the infield. Three singles and a leg-bye from the over.
Right, here we go: Mother Cricket v Mother Nature. The forecast is for rain in about an hour, but if it holds off for around 90 minutes we should get a game.
“A four-wicket haul and a century must be enough for a man of the match award,” writes Krishnamoorthy V, “right?”
Ben Duckett doesn’t bowl, does he?
Thanks Tim, afternoon everyone. In the first 142 years of international cricket there was only one 2-2 draw between England and Australia, a ding-dong affair in 1972. Since then there have been two more, in the Ashes series of 2019 and 2023, and we’re facing a third at Bristol today.
If the weather forecast is correct, there won’t be enough time to bowl the 20 overs needed for a result, and I doubt even Travis Head can knock off a target of 310 in 15 overs. It’s dry in Bristol right now, so the runchase will begin at 3pm, but the apocalypse is imminent.
That was fascinating. Ben Duckett was steady, Phil Salt flamboyant and Harry Brook sensational, but the Australians have far more experience than this England side and it began to tell at the halfway mark. Steve Smith, back in his old job, gave a masterclass in managing part-time spinners on a small ground.
If England can get Travis Head early, they will have a good chance. But the most likely winner is probably the rain, followed by the Aussies. That’s it from me for another season. Thanks for your company, correspondence and thoughts on whether England should declare. Our own master, Rob Smyth, will be along soon.
WICKET! Rashid c Labuschagne b Head 36 (England 309 all out)
Rashid’s excellent innings comes to an end as Head collects his fourth wicket. He finishes with 4-28, but the last-wicket stand raised 33 and lifted England past 300. What an entertaining innings.
49th over: England 308-9 (Rashid 36, Stone 8) Smith keeps Connolly on and Rashid sees a chance. He cuts the first ball for four and whips the second for four more. The crowd give him the acclaim he deserves.
48th over: England 292-9 (Rashid 27, Stone 7) Smith turns back to his big gun, Head, but the batters do well, milking him for singles.
“England have managed to stage a tale of two innings in just the one, switching from total domination to utter capitulation,” says Colum Fordham. “Great batting from Duckett and Brook and wonderful spin bowling from Messrs Zampa. Maxwell and Head. Hope the weather permits some sort of Australian innings so we have a proper decider.
”Great idea to have a 5 match ODI series in England in September. Sheer Genius.” Colum, you’re an old friend of the OBO, but I’m not sure about that last point. A five-match series is a great idea, and even if the weather has the last word, it’s been good enough for us to enjoy a pulsating series.
47th over: England 292-9 (Rashid 25, Stone 4) Big enough to admit his mistake, Smith takes Starc off after one over and shows some faith in Cooper Connolly, the one spinner to struggle today. The batters take three singles.
46th over: England 289-9 (Rashid 24, Stone 3) A few minutes ago Smith was bullish enough to have a short leg, but now, as Maxwell bowls his last over, there’s no catcher in place. “Very defensive field,” scoffs Eoin Morgan. Maxwell concedes four runs and finishes with a thrifty 10-0-49-2.
45th over: England 285-9 (Rashid 22, Stone 1) When you have eight bowlers and there’s only one wicket left to take, you can do whatever you like at the death. Smith, reverting to orthodoxy, brings back Mitch Starc. Rashid says thanks very much, glides the first ball for four and clips another for two. Nine off the over – a glimmer of joy at last for England.
44th over: England 276-9 (Rashid 14, Stone 0) England have made 74-7 off the last 19.1 overs. And Mike Atherton has spotted some drizzle on one of the Sky cameras. It never rains…
WICKET! Potts c Inglis b Maxwell 6 (England 276-9)
Matt Potts, who has no fear with bat or ball, tries a reverse sweep. He gets a thin edge and Inglis does well to hold onto it.
43rd over: England 273-8 (Rashid 12, Potts 5) Just as Ricky Ponting notes that England haven’t scored a boundary for ages, Rashid pulls Zampa for four, one leggie to another. It’s the first four since the 27th over, when Duckett played that delicate paddle (though he added a six later).
In other news, the sky has darkened and the lights have come on. The Aussies have to bat for 20 overs for there to be a result – or knock off the runs in less than that, which is just conceivable with Head in this mood.
42nd over: England 266-8 (Rashid 6, Potts 4) Travis Head is finding turn from the Graeme Swann line outside off, and his figures are superb (5-0-22-3). I keep giving Smith credit for handling his part-time spinners so well, but maybe he messed up by not putting Head on earlier.
41st over: England 264-8 (Rashid 5, Potts 3) Zampa keeps it tight. The run-rate for the innings is still over 6, but the force is with the Aussies.
40th over: England 261-8 (Rashid 4, Potts 1) Carse had just managed a good shot, a lap for two. But the moment belongs to Travis Head. not content with being a lethal opening bat, he now has three for 20 off four overs. Not bad for the eighth bowler.
WICKET! Carse LBW b Head 9 (England 260-8)
The procession continues. Head goes over the wicket, turns his off-break, hits the pad and gets the verdict from the umpire. Carse reviews more in hope than expectation and up come the three reds.
39th over: England 255-7 (Carse 6, Rashid 3) The first half of this innings was Bazball. The last hour has been more like Brearley and Boycott in 1979.
38th over: England 253-7 (Carse 5, Rashid 2) Seeing the need for experience, England have sent out Adil Rashid. He can bat and so can Brydon Carse, but it’s as if the Aussies have an extra man now, and his name is Mo Mentum.
England have collapsed
One ball short of halfway, England were 202-2 with Brook playing like a prince. Since then they’ve lost five wickets for 48 off 12.3 overs. And all to the Australian spinners, who have been marshalled quite masterfully by Steve Smith.
WICKET! Bethell st Inglis b Head 13 (England 250-6)
Head is on fire! He goes even slower, draws Bethell forward, beats him with some turn and lets Inglis do the rest.
37th over: England 248-6 (Bethell 13, Carse 4) Zampa keeps the pressure on by conceding only three. In the last ten overs, Nasser Hussain reveals, there has been just one boundary. That was the six Duckett hit off Head – and it was a price worth paying for the Aussies, who got him out next ball.
36th over: England 245-6 (Bethell 12, Carse 2) Another good over from Head, such a great competitor. He now has 2-0-9-1.
35th over: England 242-6 (Bethell 10, Carse 1) Short is taken off, after two tidy overs, now that there are no longer two left-handers for him to bother. Smith brings back Zampa, who goes for five – two of them to Bethell with a stylish cut. He has the talent and temperament for the task, but he doesn’t have the experience. That’s where the Aussies have the edge, even with a few injuries.
34th over: England 238-6 (Bethell 7, Carse 0) That was a blunder from Duckett, who surely needed to stick around to run the show. But it was a triumph for Steve Smith, who got a big wicket out of his eighth bowler – and fifth spinner.
WICKET!!! Duckett c Hazlewood b Head 107 (England 238-6)
This is a big, big moment. Duckett lofts Head for six, tries to do it again and can only send a chip to long-off, where Hazlewood makes no mistake.
33rd over: England 231-5 (Duckett 101, Bethell 6) Another good over for the Aussies as Short restricts each of these left-handers to a single. And that’s drinks, with Messrs Ebb and Flow having plenty to say. Off the last 7.1 overs, it’s been 29 for three. But Duckett is still there and he’s made a few 150s in his time, albeit in Tests.
32nd over: England 229-5 (Duckett 100, Bethell 5) That was a lovely moment for Duckett but a good over from Maxwell, who went for just a single and beat Bethell with a snorter that could well have removed the leg bail.
A hundred to Ben Duckett!
Duckett needs only a single now and he finds it with a push into the covers. He goes to 100 off 86 balls with 13 fours and a six. He has played second fiddle twice today, to both Salt and Brook, but he’s the main man now. It’s his second ODI century, his second at Bristol, and possibly his second in a match destined to be ruined by rain.
31st over: England 228-5 (Duckett 99, Bethell 5) With Bethell in, England have two left-handers. Smith takes tghe chance to bring on Matthew Short, so it’s offies at both ends. Short makes a decent start, going for four singles.
“The best ODI teams,” says Mike Jakeman, “would bat out these overs and get a truly mammoth score. Will England be able to reduce the risks they take so that they keep some wickets intact? (I doubt it, but I’d love it if they did.)” Great question. But given the forecast, they might be better off continuing on their merry way – which, if we know anything about them, is what they will do regardless.
30th over: England 224-5 (Duckett 97, Bethell 3) Carnage at one end, serenity at the other as Duckett makes his way towards a hundred. A pull for two off Maxwell takes him past the 95 he made in the first game of this series.
29th over: England 218-5 (Duckett 93, Bethell 1) Zampa, who is a white-ball champion, has turned an embarrassment into an unlikely triumph, from 2-0-30-0 to 5-0-54-2.
“Just curious,” says Nick Parish. “Are these the Boring Middle Overs?” Love it.
WICKET! Livingstone c Inglis b Zampa 0 (England 216-5)
Gone! Zampa finds some lift and turn with his leg-break and Livingstone, neither forward nor back, can only nick it. The game has turned round in no time.
28th over: England 215-4 (Duckett 90, Livingstone 0) Liam Livingstone is a formidable hitter but he’s a bit apt to complain about not getting much time in the middle. Well, he’s got 22 overs now, weather permitting. And he’s in form after that rip-roaring 62 at Lord’s.
WICKET! Smith b Maxwell 6 (England 215-4)
One brings two! This is like Salt’s dismissal, in slow motion: Maxwell finds just enough turn to beat Smith through the gate.
27th over: England 211-3 (Duckett 90, Smith 3) Zampa continues and Duckett plays a delicious little paddle over his shoulder. Josh Inglis, seeing it coming, jumps across to do a Sarah Taylor but it just gets past him and goes for four.
“Can you declare in an ODI?” asked Tom van der Gucht, before Brook was out. “If England were fully embracing Bazball, they would go hell for leather (promoting Livingstone if another wicket falls) and aim to get to 250 then declare. The rain is due around 2.30. So, Australia could go for it with the safety blanket of the rain if they get into trouble, but also could get rolled over if they get trigger happy.” As Buzz Lightyear said, I like your thinking, Sheriff. It’s Buzzball!
26th over: England 204-3 (Duckett 85, Smith 1) In comes Jamie Smith, who likes to play himself in, and Maxwell gets through an over for just two singles. He’s done a decent job: 5-0-31-0.
25th over: England 202-3 (Duckett 84) Steve Smith decided the time was right to bring back Zampa, and may have regretted it as Brook hit the first two balls of the over for six – a straight drive, then a slog-sweep off a full toss. Zampa fought back well, showed some guts and floated the last ball up, luring Brook into a skyer to long-off. But that was still a fabulous knock from Brook, who added 72 off 52 balls to his 110* and 87.
WICKET! Brook c Maxwell b Zampa 72 (England 202-3)
The big one!
24th over: England 188-2 (Duckett 83, Brook 59) Duckett swings Maxwell back over his head for six. It’s all going swimmingly for England – but …
“From here in west Cornwall,” says Gregor Salsa, “I can report that the rain has been hammering down since at least 7am. Driven by 40-50mph winds.
“The wind has dropped a bit. It’s merely drenching rain now. So it should be at Bristol around 4pm. I’d start the DLS calculations.”
23rd over: England 177-2 (Duckett 74, Brook 58) Connolly, who was taken off after conceding 12 in his first over, returns and does well apart from one ball, which Duckett pulls for four.
22nd over: England 171-2 (Duckett 68, Brook 57) Maxwell continues and thinks he’s done well, going for a few singles, until the last ball. Brook switches his hands, chip-sweeps it over cover point, gets four and brings up the hundred partnership – 101 off 80 balls. It’s been thrilling stuff.
