Key events
16th over: Australia 67-2 (Smith 15, Green 9) Now then! Smith rolls onto his back and resembles a yellow shirted woodlouse after trying and failing to ramp Jofra over the keeper. Smiles all round, Smith doesn’t mind looking a bit daft in pursuit of runs, why change the habit of a lifetime eh Steve? Archer strays on to Smith’s hip and is clipped away fine for four. Easy as that. Time for a drink.
15th over: Australia 62-2 (Smith 11, Green 9) “A bit dopey from England’ drawls Ian Ward on Sky as they are no-balled for having too many fielders behind square on the leg-side. Carse bowls Green with the resultant no ball and draws a cheer from the inattentive punters in the crowd. NOT OUT!
14th over: Australia 58-2 (Smith 9, Green 8) Good stuff from Jofra Archer, just a couple off his over as he finds a good length and asks plenty of questions.
13th over: Australia 56-2 (Smith 9, Green 6) Green picks up a three with a guide to deep point after having collected a couple with an outside edge in the same region. Beaten! Carse jags one past Smith’s outside edge as the batter plays away from his body.
12th over: Australia 51-2 (Smith 9, Green 1) Potts continues with two slips in place. Green pokes into the off side and takes a single to get off the mark. Smith pulls powerfully but Jacob Bethell just about manages to stop the boundary on the square leg sponge.
11th over: Australia 46-2 (Smith 6, Green) Another sizeable human arrives at the crease. The Jolly Yella Batter – Cameron Green. England have their dander up.
WICKET! Marsh c Smith b Carse 24 (Australia 47-2)
Marsh smears Brydon Carse for SIX over square leg but the bowler wins the battle of the big men by nicking him off the very next ball, pushing it fuller and finding the edge. Jamie Smith taking a simple catch. Big BIG wicket!
10th over: Australia 41-1 (Marsh 18, Smith 6) We’re going upstairs for a review! Steve Smith was given out on field, pinned lbw by Potts as he shuffled outside his off stump. Smith reviews right away with a disdainful T-sign. He’s right you know, decision overturned – the ball was sliding down and going over. Earlier in the over he pinged Potts through cover for four. It’s a decent duel between these two again.
9th over: Australia 37-1 (Marsh 18, Smith 2) Carse goes full and Marsh drives him back down the ground for four. Runs starting to flow a bit more easily for the Aussies, they’ve had to scrap a bit so far.
8th over: Australia 33-1 (Marsh 14, Smith 2) Archer into his fourth over. He goes full and Marsh whips off his pads in style, timing the absolute undercrackers off the ball as it races to the midwicket fence.
7th over: Australia 26-1 (Marsh 8, Smith 1) Carse replaces Potts. More short stuff? You betcha. Marsh emits a low groan as a short one hits him in the mid-riff. The physio scampers on and is then sent back. Merely a flesh wound. Close! Marsh tries to force off the back foot but doesn’t connect, a leading edge then sees him gladly make it down the other end.
6th over: Australia 25-1 (Marsh 7, Smith 1) Oooph. Archer has Smith hopping about at the crease and looking in all sorts of trouble. A series of short balls at the chest and then a slightly fuller delivery that squares Smith up completely. A nod of approval from Smudge as he survives the over.
5th over: Australia 23-1 (Marsh 5, Smith 0) Marsh takes a risky single and Jofra Archer has a shy at the stumps… yikes! Marsh was a goner if the throw had hit. Smith covers up to Potts and stays on nought.
4th over: Australia 21-1 (Marsh 3, Smith) Steve Smith is the new man. He’ll get a sighter from the non-strikers end to begin with. Potts got him with a snorter at Headingley, nipping one back into the off bail. I doubt Smith will have forgotten.
WICKET! Matthew Short c Rashid b Archer 14 (Australia 21-1)
Short sits back and hooks Archer for SIX and then tries the shot again the very next ball… only to be caught by Adil Rashid on the boundary! Short hangs his head, three foot higher and it was another six but that slight flaw in execution has seen him perish.
3rd over: Australia 12-0 (Short 7, Marsh 3) Probing over from Potts, hitting a good length and finding some nibble despite the blustery conditions.
2nd over: Australia 10-0 (Short 6, Marsh 2) It will be Jofra Archer to open from the Lumley Castle end. Memories of Darren Gough ‘spooking’ Shane Watson come swirling back from my youth. Decent bounce from Archer, he’s up at 90mph in his first over, pushing the batters back into their crease with his pace.
1st over: Australia 6-0 (Short 5, Marsh 1) Potts whizzes in with his dark King Edgar haircut standing out against the grey skies and biscuit coloured pitch. There looks to be decent carry through to the keeper, that’ll encourage the quicks. Short and Marsh get off the mark with glides wide of point for singles. Cut for four! Potts offers width off the final delivery and Short doesn’t miss out.
Here come the players, it looks mighty cold and breezy in Durham but thankfully fine at the moment. Matthew Potts will start with the new ball to Mitch Marsh and Mathew Short. Let’s play!
Eoin Morgan talks on Sky about how crucial it is for England to get something from this series, whether that be victories or big performances from individuals. Ideally both. He talks about not letting losing become a habit, even for a young side without much experience coming up against an Australian side who are World Champions and have won 14 (FOURTEEN) ODIs in a row.
Brydon Carse on playing at his home ground:
Teams:
England 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Harry Brook (c), 5 Jamie Smith (wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Matthew Potts
Australia 1 Matt Short, 2 Mitchell Marsh (c), 3 Steven Smith, 4 Cameron Green, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Aaron Hardie, 9 Sean Abbott, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Josh Hazlewood
Travis Head is rested, he sounded full of cold a few days ago when interviewed at Headingley, Ricky Ponting thinks he has a bit of stiffness too.
Adam Zampa is unwell and so also misses out for Australia. Word from the England camp is that Reece Topley is also unwell and due to miss the rest of the series. Get well soon both.
England win the toss and will bowl first
Mitch Marsh calls incorrectly once again “I’m beginning to wonder if that coin has a heads side mate” and Harry Brook wastes no time in choosing to bowl. He’ll have Jofra Archer at his disposal in place of Olly Stone. More team news to follow.
Pre match reading: Adil Rashid has 200 ODI wickets and counting…
Proper Criggit:
Preamble
James Wallace
Hello and welcome to the OBO of the third England v Australia ODI from Durham. The good news? Burn that cagoule and ditch the snood! The weather is fine in the North East. Let me just fire up my weather app to double che – ah. Best put the lighter down and keep the snood within arms reach, I mean it is nearly October in England for crying out loud.
That wasn’t the bad news? Not really. For England that is the fact that they are 2-0 in the five match series having being thoroughly outplayed in the first two games. A defeat today will see the Aussies clinch the series at the earliest opporunity and leave plenty of questions to be pondered for this nascent England white ball side.
The toss and teams will happen shortly with play set to begin at 12.30pm local time. I’ll bring you news of those and any weather updates as they happen. Zip up, strap in and get in touch.
