The fourth one-day international at Lord’s on Friday saw England defeat world champions Australia by an overwhelming 186 runs, thanks in large part to Liam Livingstone’s outstanding unbroken 62. With the win, the young England ODI team even the five-match series at 2-2 before Sunday’s Bristol final. Livingstone’s fast-paced 27-ball innings propelled England to 312-5 in a rain-shortened game that saw 39 overs per side after skipper Harry Brook, at 87, almost missed a second successive hundred.
Australia started their difficult chase well, but they collapsed from 68-0 to 96-6 after losing six wickets for 28 runs.
After being removed for 126 in 25 overs, pacer Matthew Potts claimed an ODI-high 4-38.
Travis Head, the opener, was fit again, and his 34 was the highest score in an Australia innings that saw just four batters reach double figures.
With their massive 242-run victory at Trent Bridge in 2018, England’s victory over arch-rivals Australia at this level was their second-biggest in terms of runs scored.
Mitchell Marsh, the captain of Australia, acknowledged that his team was outmatched.
“They were superior to us today… An incredible innings was played by Liam Livingstone.
When Mitchell Starc started to deliver the final over of England’s innings, they were 16 runs short of reaching 300.
However, big-hitter Livingstone then smashed the left-arm fast quick for 28 runs, which was the most expensive over for an Australian bowler in men’s ODIs, including four sixes in five balls, before concluding with a
Livingstone drove Starc into the pavilion for six to begin the 39th over.
Livingstone then lofted Starc for six over midwicket two balls later, and the following ball drove him for another six. A huge pull took the fifth ball for six as well, and Livingstone scythed the final ball of the over for four.
Livingstone concluded with incredibly costly statistics of 0-70 in eight overs, hitting three fours and seven sixes overall for Starc.
Australia were up against it following that late blitz, as England had broken their record of 14 consecutive ODI victories at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
But Head, who hit Australia’s initial series victory in Nottingham with a brilliant 154 not out, hit Brydon Carse for a massive six onto the Mound Stand’s top.
But Carse got his comeuppance, bowling left-hander Head for 34 from close range.
After Potts had star batsman Steven Smith caught behind for just five, Australia’s 68-1 score turned into 75-2.
Following Marsh’s outing for 28 off a brilliant delivery that sneaked under his outside edge by express fast bowler Jofra Archer, Carse struck twice in the 15th over to remove Josh Inglis and Marnus Labuschagn.
Potts narrowly failed to complete a hat-trick before leg-spinner Adil Rashid dismissed Josh Hazlewood, the last man, for a duck to end the game.
Earlier, England was struggling at 71-2 when Brook entered the field, coming off a match-winning maiden ODI century at Chester-le-Street.
However, he answered with a thrilling 58-ball inning that featured 11 fours and a six.
Australia believed that Inglis, who was playing in his first series encounter following an injury, had caught Brook behind on the legside for a 17-point lead off Starc.
However, an umpire review revealed that the ball had bounced into Inglis’s gloves; as the replay was displayed on the enormous screen, booing erupted across Lord’s.
The controversial incident at Lord’s involving the Australia wicketkeeper was the second in as many matches. The first occurred last year when Alex Carey, who was playing as a batsman on Friday, stumped Jonny Bairstow during an Ashes Test because the England batsman thought the ball was dead.
