Australia 309-7 (Smith 70) beat
England 245 (Morgan 85) by 64 runs
Second One-Day International, Lord’s
Scorecard

Mitchell Marsh cracked a sensational half-century to make sure Australia passed 300 again on their way to beating England by 64 runs in the second One-Day International at Lord’s, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

England won the toss and opted to bowl first on a good batting track. The match was shortened to 49 overs per side because of a delay caused by drizzle.

Steven Finn (2-55) bowled a nasty bouncer with the second ball of the match that pinged David Warner (1) and caused him to leave the field. It was later revealed that he had a left thumb fracture that would rule him out of the rest of the series.

Joe Burns (22) started positively, even hitting Finn for consecutive fours but the bowler hit back when he breached Burns’ defence as Australia finished the power-play on 46 for one.

George Bailey (54) ended a poor run by giving Steven Smith (70) good support as the duo added 91 for the third wicket in 20 overs.

Midway through the innings, Australia were on 124 for one. Bailey was the first to reach his fifty in 63 balls, scoring faster than Smith.

Smith got his half-century in 68 balls in the next over with a four off Ben Stokes (3-60). Moeen Ali (1-68) got the breakthrough when Bailey missed a ball that drifted and turned.

Adil Rashid (1-44) got the big wicket of Smith who mistimed the ball to cover against the run of play.

Glenn Maxwell (49) brought some real impetus into the innings, hitting Ali for two sixes and a four in successive deliveries, taking Australia to 213 for three in 39 overs.

Maxwell missed out on his half-century though as Finn trapped him lbw in the 40th over.

Ali got some serious stick in the 43rd over with Shane Watson (39) hitting consecutive sixes and Mitchell Marsh (64) hitting one in a 19-run over.

Watson hit a low full toss straight to long-on but Marsh carried on, hitting Chris Woakes (0-37) for a six and then bringing up his fifty, in just 26 balls, off the next delivery, with a four.

Marsh hit three consecutive fours in the next over even though Stokes (3-60) took two wickets as Australia finished on 309 for seven in their 49 overs.

Stokes was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets while Finn managed two.

England got off to a good start thanks to Jason Roy (31) and Alex Hales (18) both of whom played some fabulous strokes with Roy hitting three fours in the second over from Nathan Coulter-Nile (1-50).

Hales hit a couple of fours off the same bowler before Smith took a stunning, diving catch at short cover to dismiss him.

England finished the power-play on 57 for one. James Taylor (43) was dropped on nine at third man but Pat Cummins (4-56) had success in the same over, getting Roy to nick one to wicket-keeper Matthew Wade.

Taylor took England past 100 in the 18th over with a couple of fours but missed out on a half-century when he nicked one from Marsh (1-51) to Wade ending a promising 51-run partnership.

Stokes (10) was out - bizarrely - when Mitchell Starc (1-35) attempted to throw down his stumps and with Stokes out of his crease, obstructed the ball with his hand, in what looked like an attempt to protect himself.

Nevertheless, the third umpire ruled him out, obstructing the field, much to England and the crowd's displeasure.

Jos Buttler (0) was out without scoring, trapped lbw by Maxwell (2-44) as England slipped to 160 for five after 30 overs.

Eoin Morgan (85) tried to make a match out of it reaching his half-century in 66 balls in the 35th over, but he was quickly running out of partners.

He was also given a glancing blow on the helmet by Cummins during his innings.

England were at 194 for eight in 38 overs when Morgan decided to launch an attack hitting a four and two sixes off Marsh.

Liam Plunkett (24) hit four boundaries off Cummins in the next over as England reached 230 for eight in 40 overs with 80 needed in 54 balls.

The duo added 55 in just 21 balls but Starc ended the resistance with a full, reverse swinging yorker that cleaned up Plunkett’s leg stump.

Morgan holed out to long-off as England’s innings ended on 245, losing the match by 64 runs.

Cummins was the pick of the bowlers with a four-wicket haul, but Maxwell had a good day with bat and ball too.

Marsh took the man-of-the-match award as Australia took a 2-0 lead in the series.

The action now shifts to Old Trafford for the third ODI between these two teams.

© Cricket World 2015

Mitchell Marsh cracked a fine half-century to ensure Australia passed 300 again on their way to beating England by 64 runs in the second One-Day International at Lord’s to go 2-0 up in the five-match series.