Australia rode on dashing knocks from Alex Carey and captain Mitchell Marsh to hand England a 68-run defeat in the second ODI at Headingley on September 21. With this Australia have taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.
England's top order collapse
England's top order faced a stern test from Australia's pace bowling attack in the second ODI. After dismissing Australia for 270, England's batsmen struggled to cope with the high-quality bowling on display. Will Jacks and Liam Livingstone were both dismissed for first-ball ducks, while Harry Brook, in his second match as captain, could only manage four runs. Youngsters Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell attempted to rebuild the innings, but Bethell's dismissal for 25 left England in a precarious position at 65-5. Jamie Smith continued his fight, reaching 49, but eventually fell victim to Josh Hazlewood's accurate bowling. Hazlewood, along with fellow pacer Mitchell Starc, proved to be a formidable force for Australia. With seven wickets down and still 112 runs behind, England faced an uphill battle to chase down the target.
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Adil Rashid and Brydon Carse extended the game with scores of 27 and 26 respectively, but by the time England were all out for 202, many spectators had already left the stadium.
Alex Carey's crucial knock in Australia's commanding win over England
Alex Carey's 74-run knock played a vital role in Australia's innings, rescuing them from a precarious position of 161-6. Carey's innings was particularly significant given the negative reception he received from the crowd due to his involvement in the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow in the previous Ashes series. Carey formed a valuable partnership with Josh Hazlewood, adding 49 runs to the total. Australia's victory in the third ODI at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, September 21 will secure the five-match series for them.
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Facing the world champions in a new era of 50-over cricket was always going to be a daunting challenge for England. The team's defeat in the second ODI, following a thrashing in Nottingham, further emphasized the size of the task ahead. England's batsmen failed to capitalize on a decent platform, with five wickets falling within the powerplay. The Australian pace duo of Starc and Hazlewood, who had missed the series opener due to illness, proved to be a formidable force. Opener Phil Salt was dropped on eight before being caught behind for 12, attempting to slash a delivery from Hazlewood. Starc then dismissed Will Jacks, caught at first slip, before trapping Harry Brook in front with a yorker.
Ben Duckett's innings was cut short when he miscued a catch to Aaron Hardie. Liam Livingstone also fell victim to Hazlewood, being strangled down the leg side. This marked the second consecutive innings in which Duckett had mistimed a half-tracker. There were signs of hope in the partnership between Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell, who played sensibly and added 55 runs together. Smith's on-drive off Starc was a highlight of their stand. However, Hazlewood's return to the attack proved to be decisive, as he dismissed Smith and ultimately sealed England's defeat.
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