Australia’s return to Lord’s for the first time since the fractious Ashes Test of 2023 has featured more English boos over another – albeit rather milder – wicketkeeping controversy.
The latest fun and games came before captain Harry Brook and big-hitting Liam Livingstone inspired England to set Mitch Marsh’s men a mightily formidable 313 off 39 overs to win the fourth one-day international – and the series on Friday.
For just a moment, there was the faint echo of the infamous second-Test moment from last June when Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow after the batter had wandered out of his crease, and outrage ensued among the England fans, including the MCC grandees in the Long Room.
This time, it was Aussie stumper Josh Inglis who found himself the target of the English fans’ jeers after replays showed the diving catch he had claimed down the legside off Mitchell Starc to get rid of Brook on 17 had clearly bounced before nestling into his gloves.
Unlike the 2023 drama, though, this episode was quickly forgiven and forgotten as Brook went on, for the second match in a row, to unfurl a glorious knock and then Livingstone produced the quickest ODI 50 ever at Lord’s to give England a good shout at levelling the five-match series at 2-2 as they amassed 5-312.
The match had to be reduced by 11 overs per side because of a late start following a morning of incessant rain at the home of cricket.
After winning the toss for the first time in the series, Marsh inserted the home side in damp, favourable conditions for his quicks, only for opener Ben Duckett (63 off 62 balls), Brook, who smashed 87 off 58, and Liam Livingstone, with a blistering 62no off 27 at the death to grab the initiative.
With Cameron Green the latest injury victim for the tourists – the allrounder is flying home with back soreness – Marsh was glad to have his key men, opener Travis Head and leg-spinner Adam Zampa back, with their absence having been keenly felt in the defeat at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
But Zampa didn’t provide quite his usual mid-innings control as he was smacked for 66 runs, including four sixes, off his eight overs, although he did grab the key wickets of Duckett and Brook, who was eventually denied a second-straight ton when snaffled excellently in the deep by Glenn Maxwell.
Green’s absence as a pace option was clearly felt too as Sean Abbott had a tough day, going for 0-62 off his seven overs.
But it was the late tour de force from Livingstone, which gave England the clear advantage, as the power-hitter crashed his record-breaking 50 off 25 balls, and produced a dazzling finale by hitting Mitchell Starc for 28 off the final over – 6,0,6,6,6,4.
That was the single most expensive over bowled by an Australian in men’s ODIs.