Australia clinch series victory in remarkable run chase

The tourists were in dire straits at 73 for 5 when Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey came together, starring down the barrel of a series defeat. But the pair put together a 212-run stand to pull off a remarkable victory

Emirates Old Trafford: England 302-7 v Australia 305-7 - Australia win by three wickets

Scorecard

Australia clinched victory in a thrilling series decider at Emirates Old Trafford thanks to a remarkable partnership between Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey, who came together with their side in disarray.

The tourists were in dire straits at 73 for 5 when the pair arrived at the crease, staring down the barrel of a series defeat.

But from the moment they found their range, there was hardly an error to be seen in response to England’s score of 302, which had been led by a fine century from Jonny Bairstow.

When Maxwell and Carey both finally fell with work still to be done, Mitchell Starc hit a six and a four in the final over – bowled by Adil Rashid – to get Aaron Finch’s side over the line and deal England a first home ODI series defeat for five years.

At the start of the day, England had won the toss and elected to bat first on a fresh surface, only to get off to the worst possible start.

Starc dismissed Jason Roy and Joe Root with the first two balls of the match; Roy sliced to backward point, before Root was trapped in front by a ball that swung back sharply and hit him on the pad.

Bairstow and Eoin Morgan fashioned a fine recovery, scoring at close to a run a ball despite the early double-blow. However, when Morgan chipped Adam Zampa to Starc at mid-off and Jos Buttler followed suit by holing out to extra cover, England were in trouble once more at 96 for 4.

All the while, however, Bairstow continued to tick along. He was joined by Sam Billings, with whom he had already fashioned a vital, match-swinging stand in the first ODI – albeit in a losing cause. In this game – a decider no less, they replicated their partnership, adding 114 runs in 19 overs as England offered a trademark counterpunch.

^{Morgan gambled by handing Adil Rashid the final over}

Billings eventually became Zampa’s third victim for 57, reverse-sweeping straight into the hands of Mitchell Marsh at short third man. And when Bairstow fell soon afterwards for a fine 10th ODI hundred, England were 220 for 6.

But Chris Woakes was on hand to strike 53 from just 39 balls to drag his side to a final total of 302, with Tom Curran and Rashid also offering some late fireworks.

And that score looked to be plenty when Australia’s batting effort appeared to nosedive in response. Aaron Finch was trapped lbw by Woakes, Marcus Stoinis caught at midwicket by Morgan, David Warner bowled by Root’s part-time off-spin, Labuschagne run out by Billings and Marsh caught by Buttler to give Root a second.

However, Carey and Maxwell then came together to change the course of both game and series. Each batsman had a life early on; Carey was caught at third man off a Jofra Archer no-ball, while Buttler dropped Maxwell off Adil Rashid.

Other than that, however, they were nigh-on flawless, making use of the short boundary on one side and running well into the vast swathes of outfield on the other.

Maxwell eventually fell for 108 – caught at short third man off Rashid, before Carey was brilliantly taken by Mark Wood at third man off the final ball of the penultimate over.

However, with 10 needed off the final six balls, Starc smashed Rashid’s first ball over long-on and swept the fourth to the square leg boundary to clinch a stunning, unlikely victory.

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