2nd ODI
Alex Carey and the bowlers has propelled Australia to a commanding 2-0 series lead
Australia scored 270 in 44.4 overs, where as England scored 202 in 40.2 overs.
So, finally Australia beat England by 68 runs.
Australia’s formidable trio—Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Glenn Maxwell—overshadowed England’s improved bowling performance in the second ODI in Leeds, propelling their team to a 2-0 series lead.
While Jamie Smith and a few lower-order batters put up some resistance, Australia’s bowling stalwarts accounted for seven of the 10 wickets to fall, leaving England short of their target.
For Australia, Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey stood out as the pillars of defiance.
Marsh contributed a crucial 60 despite wickets tumbling around him, and Carey kept Australia’s innings afloat, building small but valuable partnerships with the middle and lower order.
Carey’s efforts were highlighted by a gritty 49-run stand with No.11 Josh Hazlewood, who contributed just four runs off 11 balls in a partnership that stretched from the 37th over to the 45th.
England’s batters, however, failed to mirror that resilience, collapsing for 202 in 41 overs.
Jamie Smith’s 48 was the highest individual score, but the chase for 270, a modest total on a good batting track, never gained momentum.
Phil Salt provided a promising start with back-to-back boundaries off Starc in the opening over, but Hazlewood’s relentless line soon had Salt nicking behind in the fourth over.
Matthew Short’s stunning catch at second slip off Starc dismissed Will Jacks for a first-ball duck, and Starc further dented England’s hopes with a searing inswinging yorker to trap Harry Brook leg-before.
Jamie Smith steadied the innings briefly, cracking three crisp boundaries, but Aaron Hardie’s double strike in one over left England reeling at 65 for 5.
Hardie first took a one-handed return catch to remove Ben Duckett, then relied on Carey’s brilliant full-length dive to dismiss Liam Livingstone for a golden duck.
Smith and Jacob Bethell tried to mount a recovery with a 55-run stand, but Marsh introduced Maxwell, who immediately broke the partnership with Bethell’s dismissal.
Brydon Carse and Adil Rashid extended the innings alongside Smith, but their efforts only took England from 120 for 6 to 202 all-out.
Starc returned to clean up Olly Stone, finishing with figures of 3 for 50, sealing the win for Australia.
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