Finch hits second successive ton but Australia flatter to deceive in Brisbane

Opener Aaron Finch made 106 out of the hosts' total of 270-9 in the second one-day international at the Gabba

^{Australia batsman Aaron Finch celebrates his century}

Aaron Finch was the thorn in England’s side once again but Australia could not set the imposing target they do desperately desired in the second one-day international at the Gabba.

Finch hit his second hundred in a row, and fifth in 18 innings against the English in ODIs, to drag the hosts towards a score of some respectability but little intimidation in Brisbane.

Combining classical sweeps and heaving pulls, the opener once again provided the crucial anchor for 106 in an Australian innings that at times promised plenty but never quite fulfilled its potential.

Their total of 270-9 hit the Gabba’s historical one-day average almost on the nose and that, against an England side blessed with a tremendous arsenal, really should not be enough.

After spending two months teaching their guests a thing or two about the nuances and disciplines of Test cricket, Australia’s team selection suggested they were already learning from Eoin Morgan’s side in the one-day arena.

^{Joe Root claimed two wickets, including Aussie captain Steve Smith}

In came debutants Alex Carey and Jhye Richardson, as well as Cameron White - for whom a return after three years in the wilderness must have seemed somewhat like an international bow.

Adam Zampa, the precocious leg-spinner, couldn’t find a space in the XI - despite England fielding both Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali - as Steve Smith packed his line-up with batsmen.

“Get in. Go hard,” seemed to be the message from the Australian captain, and his openers obliged.

David Warner, flat-batting Mark Wood and Chris Woakes down the ground for thunderous boundaries in the early overs, put on 68 with Finch before getting a tickle on a flighted delivery from Moeen; comfortably snaffled by Joe Root at first slip.

Finch, though, fresh off the back of a dominant century at the MCG, wasn’t going to waste his chance.

Unafraid to counter the short ball, he pulled - nay, swatted - his way to fifty in 51 balls, sending supporters cowering in the stands with one giant six, tracked at 105 metres by the host broadcaster.

Smith, who made a brilliant Ashes century on this ground what seems a lifetime ago, showed intent early in his innings by depositing Rashid back over his head for six from just his ninth ball faced.

Amazingly, it was the captain’s first one-day maximum for exactly a year - the previous coming against Pakistan on January 19, 2016.

^{Adil Rashid snared a couple of victims at the Gabba}

But that was the highlight of an uncharacteristically short knock. Smith was undone by Root’s part-time off-spin, playing around a straight-ish ball and fluffling a somewhat vainglorious review in an effort to give himself a stay of execution.

Part-time might be an unfair label for a man who has 20 wickets in one-day cricket for his country, however, and Root was soon at it again, claiming the scalp of Travis Head with a simple caught and bowled that left Australia three down for 124.

It could easily have been 130 for five; Mitchell Marsh was centimetres from being run out without scoring and Jos Buttler couldn’t hang onto a Finch nick off Moeen.

For a team which had been loaded with batsmen, with the undoubted intention of piling on the runs, and on a expressway track that offered consistency and pace, the Aussies looked a tad fragile.

By the halfway mark, the run rate - which had peaked at 6.50 - was lingering just about the five-runs-per-over mark.

Marsh and Finch rebuilt, taking Australia beyond 200 with more than 10 overs in hand, before the former foxtrotted at Adil Rashid and swung hard, only to take a great clump of Brisbane air.

So far down the track was the No 5 that Buttler was able to miss the bails with his first attempt. Marsh didn’t even bother trying to regain his ground.

Finch soon followed.

Just as in Melbourne, when Finch accepted he should have gone on to make more than the 107 he managed, the opener gave up his wicket at precisely the wrong time.

^{Finch completed his fifth ODI century against England}

Liam Plunkett was the beneficiary of an ugly, lofted drive to mid-on which was keenly snaffled by Jason Roy. In the space of two overs, Australia’s good-looking platform had grown warts and blemishes, and the recommended treatment certainly wasn’t the thin edge that Marcus Stoinis got on a beautifully floated ball from Rashid. This time, Buttler hung on.

And so it came to pass that the Aussies had to rely on a man making his first ODI appearance in three years and a debutant batting way below his usual station to lift them to a competitive score.

Carey’s innings was audacious, the in-to-out lofted drive over extra cover a particular highlight, but White was circumspect.

When Carey was run out by a tidy piece of footwork from Chris Woakes, sidefooting the ball onto the stumps as the Australian pair attempted a quick single, the hosts were left to limp to the finish.

Over the past 10 years, 271 has been the average one-day score at the Gabba.

England need only be average to beat the Aussies. A rarity on this tour.