An explosive maiden ODI century from England’s stand-in skipper Harry Brook played a pivotal role in halting Australia’s impressive 14-match ODI win streak during their encounter at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
England secured a 46-run victory via the DLS method, marking their first win in ODIs since December 2023 and keeping the five-match series alive at 2-1. Brook’s outstanding performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
Chasing a target of 305 runs, England faced early difficulties, slumping to 11/2. However, a remarkable partnership of 156 runs between Brook and Will Jacks, who scored 84 runs off 82 balls with nine fours and a six, swung the momentum in England’s favor.
After Jacks’ dismissal, Liam Livingstone contributed a brisk 33 runs off 20 balls, featuring two boundaries and three sixes, helping England surpass the DLS par score before rain interrupted the match.
For Australia, Cameron Green (2/45) and Mitchell Starc (2/63) took two wickets each. After winning the toss, England opted to field first and initially restricted Australia to 47/2.
However, Steve Smith (60 off 82 balls) and Green (42 off 49 balls) stabilized the innings with an 84-run partnership. Despite a mid-innings collapse to 172/5, Australia managed to post a total of 304/7 thanks to a strong finish, highlighted by Alex Carey’s unbeaten 77 runs off 65 balls and a quickfire 44 runs from Aaron Hardie.
Jofra Archer was the standout bowler for England, claiming 2 wickets for 67 runs. Brydon Carse, Jacob Bethell, Livingstone, and Jacks each took one wicket.
Australia’s defeat not only ended their chance to extend their ODI winning streak to 15 matches but also kept them three ratings points behind India in the ICC ODI Men’s Team Rankings. The record for the longest winning streak in ODIs remains with Australia’s 2003 team at 21 matches, while their women’s team holds the record with 26 consecutive wins from 2018 to 2021.
As the series progresses, the fourth match between Australia and England is scheduled for Friday, with both teams eager to secure victory.
