ENG vs AUS: Australia go 2-0 up after England batting falters in 2nd ODI

Australia went 2-0 up in the five-match series against England after winning the second ODI by 68 runs on Saturday, September 21 at Headingley in Leeds.

After faltering in the bowling department at Trent Bridge, shoddy batting led to their downfall in the second game. Australia, on the other hand, won their 14th ODI in a row, having not lost since losing to South Africa in the ODI World Cup back in October 2023.

After being asked to bat first, Australia put up a decent score of 270 in 44.4 overs. Openers Matthew Short and Travis Head scored 29 runs apiece before getting out to Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse respectively. Batting at No.3, Mitchell Marsh put his hands up and made 60 off 59, laced with six fours and three sixes.

At 221 for nine, Australia found themselves in a spot of bother. But Alex Carey put on a handy partnership of 49 runs with Josh Hazlewood and helped them post a competitive total on the board. Carey did the bulk of the scoring, making 74 off 67 with eight fours and three sixes.

Aaron Hardie also made a vital contribution of 23 off 25. For England, Carse got three wickets, but leaked 75 runs. Potts, Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell picked up two wickets each. Adil Rashid also became the joint-fastest English bowler to reach the landmark of 200 scalps in ODIs.

England slump despite lower-order resistance

England got off to a steady start after Phil Salt and Ben Duckett took them to 26 for one in four overs. But once Josh Hazlewood dismissed Salt, the hosts lost their way. Will Jacks and Liam Livingstone had an outing equivalent to a nightmare after they bagged golden ducks.

Duckett looked good in his 25-ball knock of 32 before Hardie dismissed him caught and bowled. Harry Brook got a scorching in-swinging Yorker from Mitchell and was dismissed LBW. The Three Lions found themselves tottering at 65 for five in 9.3 overs.

Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell restored some sanity to the innings with a 55-run stand for the sixth wicket. Hazlewood separated them after dismissing Smith, who made 49 off 61 and missed out on a well-deserved half-century. Bethell got out to Glenn Maxwell after scoring 25.

Carse and Rashid tried to put their heads down and bail England out with knocks of 26 and 27 respectively, but their efforts went in vain. Starc was the standout Australian bowler with three wickets. Hazlewood, Hardie and Maxwell took two wickets each.