Jos Buttler and Jason Roy propel England to victory in second ODI Test against Australia
England were back to their best with the bat as the duo fired the hosts to the highest-ever ODI total on this ground
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Your support makes all the difference.Australia once again made England sweat as they threatened to pull off a record run chase in this second one-day international in Cardiff before ultimately slipping to a defeat that hands the hosts a 2-0 series lead.
Stirred into action by last weekend’s loss in Scotland and a nervy three-wicket win in the opening match of this series at The Oval last Wednesday, England were back to their best with the bat as Jos Buttler and Jason Roy propelled their team to the highest-ever ODI total on this ground.
Indeed, England’s 342 for eight was also the most runs they have ever scored against Australia in this format.
It left Tim Paine’s under-strength team having to pull off their country’s highest successful one-day run chase to level the series.
In the end it wasn’t to be as they fell 39 short despite a spirited 131 from Shaun Marsh as they were dismissed for 304 with 17 balls of the match remaining.
This result capped a day of sporting calamity for Australia after the country’s footballers lost to France in their opening match of the World Cup in Russia and the rugby union team were beaten by Ireland in Melbourne.
For England, the world’s No 1 side, the challenge now will be to not only seal a seventh successive one-day series win at Trent Bridge on Tuesday but to go on and seal a 5-0 whitewash.
This was a win achieved without captain Eoin Morgan, who was ruled out with a back spasm shortly before the start of play.
That meant Buttler, his deputy, led the side and he rose to the occasion, hitting a magnificent unbeaten 91 from 70 balls after Roy had earlier laid the foundation for a record-breaking total with a measured and clinical hundred.
It was a sweet moment for Roy at the venue where he was dropped last summer for England’s Champions Trophy semi-final defeat by Pakistan. It was also his first ODI century since he hit an England-record 180 against Australia in Melbourne back in January. Roy made 120 this time before he was caught brilliantly by Paine after edging Andrew Tye behind.
The Australia captain’s diving catch to his left was even more impressive given he had been hit in the face by a Tye slow ball three deliveries earlier, losing a tooth in the process.
At that stage England, who lost the toss, were 239 for four in the 36th over.
After starting slowly, hitting 33 from 34 balls, Buttler then exploded into life in the 41st over.
Jhye Richardson, making his second ODI appearance in place of the injured Billy Stanlake, was taken for 20 runs as Buttler reached his half-century with an array of stunning shots, including two audacious scoops for six.
Other highlights of England’s innings included a rapid 42 from 24 balls for Jonny Bairstow, the opener helping his team to 63 for one by the time he edged Kane Richardson behind in the ninth over.
There were also starts for Joe Root and Alex Hales as England posted half-century stands for each of their first five wickets.
The one downside in terms of the batting was another failure for Sam Billings. His innings of 11 here was hardly a statement of intent following the 12 he made against Scotland last weekend.
The fact this was his highest score in five ODI innings stretching back 15 months tells you he is man whose international career is hanging by a thread.
This is an England team missing the injured Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes.
Australia, though, are far worse off as they struggle to deal with the absence of the banned Steve Smith and David Warner plus injured fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood and Mitchell Starc.
They actually made a good start to their chase despite the early loss of Travis Head for 19, debutant D’Arcy Short and Marsh taking their team’s total for 60 for one after 10 overs.
Short was the leading runscorer in last winter’s Big Bash, but he was scratchy on his ODI debut, making 21 from 33 balls before edging Moeen Ali to Root at slip.
That broke a 53-run second-wicket stand and Australia stumbled to 110 for four in the 21st over after Liam Plunkett bowled Marcus Stoinis and Adil Rashid trapped Aaron Finch lbw for a duck.
With the required run-rate now climbing above eight-an-over, the tourists were relying on something special from Marsh, who reached fifty in 54 balls, and Glenn Maxwell, who made 62 in the series opener at The Oval.
That partnership was worth 54 by the time Maxwell holed out to Moeen, Australia now 164 for five in the 31st over.
Marsh reached three figures in 95 balls seven overs later and his 96-run stand with Ashton Agar gave Australia hope.
By the time Agar was stumped by Buttler on 46 off Rashid 83 runs were needed to win from 46 balls.
Paine joined Marsh at the crease and although he was dropped by Moeen on 13 off Plunkett he was caught the very next ball to leave the tourists seven wickets down and needing 51 from 28 balls.
Hopes of pulling that off, though, were extinguished once and for all two balls later when Marsh was bowled by Plunkett.
Just as on Wednesday, this was closer than England would have liked but once again they got the job done.
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