Australia versus England ODI Series, 2024

1st ODI

Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne has secured Australia’s easy victory in the opening ODI

England scored 315 all out in 49.4 overs, where as Australia scored 317/3 in 44 overs.

So, finally Australia beat England by 7 wickets.

All-round performances from Travis Head (154* and 2-34) and Marnus Labuschagne (77* and 3-39) propelled Australia to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over England in the opening ODI at Trent Bridge.

Chasing a target of 316, Head scored his sixth ODI century, his highest in the format, as Australia surpassed the target with six overs to spare.

Head and Labuschagne forged an unbeaten 148-run partnership off just 107 balls for the fourth wicket, leaving captain Harry Brook scrambling for a breakthrough on his debut.

Australia lost their captain Mitchell Marsh early to Matthew Potts, but Head formed crucial partnerships of 76 with Steve Smith and 73 with Cameron Green.

The left-handed opener hit 20 fours and 5 sixes, reaching his hundred off 92 balls before accelerating with Labuschagne, who looked comfortable against the spinners on a dry Nottingham pitch.

England’s bowling woes were highlighted by Adil Rashid’s wicketless outing (0-59), while Australia’s spinners excelled after debutant Ben Dwarshuis was sidelined due to a pectoral muscle injury.

The team also missed Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc due to illness.

Jofra Archer, returning to ODIs after 18 months, recorded figures of 0-53 in six overs.

England appeared strong at 213/2 in the 33rd over after Brook chose to bat, but a pivotal bowling change from Marsh introduced Labuschagne, who made an immediate impact by dismissing Ben Duckett caught-and-bowled with his fourth delivery.

He followed up by removing Brook in his next over and later took Jofra Archer’s wicket, prompting Marsh to utilize over 30 overs of spin— the third-most in an ODI for Australia.

Remarkably, they didn’t bowl a single pace over after the 32nd.

England’s innings began well, with Duckett and Phil Salt adding 48 runs before Salt was bowled by debutant Dwarshuis.

Duckett and Will Jacks (62) then took control, building a 120-run second-wicket partnership.

Duckett reached his fifty off 49 balls, maintaining a steady pace after a rapid start, including four boundaries off Sean Abbott during the Power Play.

Abbott finished with 5-0-50-0 and later endured more punishment from Jacks, who brought up his fifty in 45 balls.

Adam Zampa, who had struggled initially, returned for a second spell to dismiss Jacks.

Brook added 45 runs for the third wicket before Marsh turned to Labuschagne, whose spell transformed the innings.

England faltered in the second half, losing 8 wickets for just 102 runs.

Jacob Bethell’s 35 off 34 helped them surpass 300, but it wasn’t enough against a dominant Australian side.