Australia need 310 runs to clinch series win over England after Ben Duckett ton
The batter ended his wait for a three-figure score in the one-day international series decider at Bristol.
Ben Duckett ended his wait for a three-figure score before England were undone by spin in their one-day international series decider against Australia at Bristol.
Duckett’s 107 off 91 balls was his first century of the summer after a series of near misses in both Tests and ODIs, with the opener sharing a 132-run stand in 98 balls with stand-in captain Harry Brook.
England were on course for a mammoth total when they were at the crease but Brook holing out for 72 off 52 balls to Adam Zampa after hitting him for five sixes sparked a collapse from 202 for two in the 25th over.
Duckett was one of four wickets to fall to Travis Head, the fifth spinner Australia used, on a wearing pitch as England were all out for 309 in 49.2 overs – although weather might still have the final say.
The forecast is for heavy rain later on Sunday afternoon, which could lead to a second washout in 12 months at this ground. Australia need to bat 20 overs to decide who wins the series 3-2.
The uncertainty contributed to Steve Smith, standing in as Australia captain, asking England to bat first, with the hosts electing to rest Jofra Archer after his standout display at Lord’s on Friday.
Both Duckett and Phil Salt rode their luck against Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood early on. Salt was especially frenetic with a slice off Starc sailing over the slips and disappearing for six.
Two more authoritative strokes went the distance off Aaron Hardie but, tempted by a fuller and wider delivery, he miscued to Marnus Labuschagne at deep backward point to depart for 45 off 27 balls.
Hardie then produced a jaffa that nipped off the seam and clipped the top of Will Jacks’ off-stump, leaving Duckett to rebuild alongside Brook, who exploded after a watchful start of nine in 20 balls.
Zampa was treated with particular disdain, with Brook exploiting the shorter straight boundaries to take three sixes in an over as the leg-spinner conceded 30 in two overs before being replaced.
When he was brought back, Brook went again but, having conceded 44 from 17 deliveries, he was rewarded for continuing to offer the bait, tossing up and the Yorkshireman obliging by skewing to long-off.
As at Trent Bridge in the series opener, England fragmented against spin with Jamie Smith bowled through the gate by Glenn Maxwell and Liam Livingstone over-balancing and nicking off to Zampa.
Duckett had steadily moved through the gears, confident on both front and back foot and typically strong on the pull to seamers and sweeping assertively off the spinners.
He brought up his ton off just 86 balls – his second at this ground – but then became Head’s first victim. Seeking a second successive six off the part-timer, Duckett instead lobbed to Hazlewood.
When 400 looked a decent bet with Duckett and Brook batting, England unravelled to the extent that they only limped past 300 in the penultimate over, largely thanks to Adil Rashid’s 36 off 35 balls.
He perished in the final over, giving Head, bowling the final over for the second time in this series, ODI best figures of four for 28.
