CHESTER-LE-STREET: England captain Harry Brook’s maiden one-day international century revived his side’s series hopes against Australia as they beat the world champions by 46 runs at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
Victory kept England alive in a five-match series at 2-1 down with two to play.
The hosts slumped to 11-2, chasing 305 to win, after Mitchell Starc removed openers Phil Salt (nought) and Ben Duckett (eight) in the space of four balls.
But Will Jacks (84) and Brook (110 not out) responded to the pressure of the situation by adding 156, with the third-wicket duo showing good judgement as well as shot-making skill.
Rain stopped play with England 254-4 off 37.4 overs. But they were 46 runs ahead of where they needed to be under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method for weather-affected matches.
And with a downpour preventing any further play, it meant England had ended Australia’s run of 14 consecutive ODI wins.
Earlier, Australia made 304-7 after Brook won the toss.
Alex Carey was 77 not out, with star batsman Steven Smith making 60. England paceman Jofra Archer took 2-67.
England fans would have feared the worst when Salt clipped Starc straight to midwicket before Duckett, aiming across the line, edged the left-arm fast bowler to backward point.
Carey takes Australia to 270 in 2nd ODI against England after collapse
But against an Australia attack missing star leg-spinner Adam Zampa through illness, Jacks and Brook turned the tide.
Jacks, made a fourth fifty in 10 ODIs but missed out on a maiden century when he uppercut a bouncer from Cameron Green to backward point to end an 82-ball innings featuring nine fours and a six.
And when Jamie Smith hooked another Green bouncer to deep square leg, England were 197-4 in the 32nd over.
Brook, however, went to 99 by driving Starc back over his head for four before a single off the paceman saw the 25-year-old to his first century in 18 career ODIs off 87 balls including 12 fours and two sixes. The Yorkshireman’s second fifty came from a mere 33 deliveries.
Earlier on Tuesday, Alex Carey struck an unbeaten 77 – following his 74 in the second ODI at Leeds – and star batsman Steven Smith 60 as Australia made 304-7.
England took two quick wickets to reduce Australia to 132-4 in the 28th over after Brook won the toss.
But wicketkeeper Carey revived the innings during partnerships of 40 with Smith and 54 with Glenn Maxwell (30).
Carey, only featuring in the series because World Cup-winning gloveman Josh Inglis is injured, then received excellent support from Aaron Hardie (44) during a seventh-wicket stand of 68.
England enjoyed two early breakthroughs before a stand of 89 in 16 overs between Smith and Green.
All-rounder, recalled in place of the injured Travis Head, fell for 42 and next over Australia’s 131-3 became 132-4 when Marnus Labuschagne exited for a duck, after a miscued paddle-sweep off spinner Jacks lobbed gently to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Australia’s Smith went to fifty when he pulled a short delivery from Jacks for his fifth four in 71 balls faced. But he was out when a fierce pull off Archer was brilliantly caught by a diving Brydon Carse on the boundary.
Carey, however, nailed Carse through midwicket with one of four fours in a 48-ball fifty also featuring a straight six off Jacob Bethell.
The series continues at Lord’s on Friday.
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