ENG vs AUS: 5th ODI, Review- Buttler brilliance slaps Australia with crushing whitewash

The final ODI between England and Australia in Manchester had no significance as far as the result of the series was concerned. It only remained to be seen whether the hosts will be able to complete a clean sweep or not. Tim Paine and Co have been battered and bruised following four thumping defeats. A 5-0 defeat was expected to rub salt into the wounds of their already marred reputation.

The match turned out to be a roller coaster ride and both teams had their fair share of opportunities to get each other by the scruff of their necks. In the end. it was Eoin Morgan and Co who held their nerves and emerged triumphant by a solitary wicket in an absolute cliffhanger. Following another shambolic batting performance, Jos Buttler’s jaw-dropping knock ended the Yellow Army’s horror run with 5-0 scoreline.

Aussies crawl past 200

Paine won the toss and elected to bat first and the decision didn’t misfire by any means as Aaron Finch and Travis Head, their openers blazed away to a stand of 60 runs in 39 balls. The platform was laid for the visitors to capitalize and rack up a massive score on the board. However, the seventh over from Moeen Ali changed the complexion of their innings as the off-break bowler picked up two wickets.

Finch tried to play across the line only to see his stumps rattled. Marcus Stoinis’ poor run of form continued as he perished to the tweaker for a golden duck. Head, at the other end, completed his second consecutive half-century. Unluckily, his knock of 56 runs was cut short by Liam Plunkett. Horrors of horror, Shaun Marsh, another of Australia’s in-form batters, was dismissed in the very next over.

Paine’s campaign with the bat went from bad to worse as he succumbed to a shambolic run-out and all of a sudden, the Aussies found themselves five down with 35.5 overs to play. Alex Carey and D’Arcy Short aren’t seasoned campaigners but were needed to bail their team out. Just when their stand of 59 runs seemed to garner some momentum back for the hosts, Sam Curran got rid of Carey for 44 runs.

With that dismissal, Curran, who made his debut in ODI cricket, got his maiden wicket. A couple of deliveries later, the fast-bowler bagged his second wicket in the form of Ashton Agar. Kane Richardson promised but became the second batsman to be dismissed run-out. Meanwhile, Short played a gutsy knock of 47 runs but got minimum support as the visitors were bowled out for 205 runs inside 35 overs.

Top order collapse

The target of 206 wasn’t a tumultuous task for a lineup, which has racked up runs at will. Jason Roy and Johnny Bairstow commenced proceedings, but the former fell in the very first over as Ashton Agar castled Roy, last match’s centurion in Chester-Le-Street. Bairstow didn’t find his timing whatsoever as Billy Stanlake pinned him for 12 runs. Joe Root and Eoin Morgan followed suit in no time.

Stanlake picked up his third wicket and the Brits were staring down the barrel. Alex Hales spanked three gorgeous boundaries, but couldn’t carry on, much to the agony of the home team. In the 14th over, the Poms found themselves at 50/5 and all of a sudden the remaining 156 runs looked like a mountain to climb. Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali had the responsibility to drag their team out of the pits.

Buttler strains every muscle

The duo churned out 36 runs from 60 balls and seemed settled enough to guide England to a comfortable position, if not a win. To their despair, Stoinis added to the wickets-column as well with the scalp of Moeen. Buttler is known for his unflinching style of play, but today the Englishman needed to put forth a calm and composed knock under the pressure-cooker situation.

In the meantime, Richardson pinned Sam Curran and Kane Richardson in the 30th over to leave Morgan’s men in shambles. Buttler brought up his fifty in 74 balls, however, with two wickets remaining and with nearly 85 runs to be achieved, the task was far from over for the wicketkeeper-batsman. He had Adil Rashid, who is no mug with the willow, as his partner.

Both looked unfazed and compiled a half-century stand in 60 balls. Rashid lent him apt support and never played a shot out of anger. In the 46th over, Stoinis picked the ninth wicket as Rashid chipped the ball and fine leg grasped the leather. Buttler remained unfazed and stormed to a century with a belligerent six over long on. In the penultimate over, Butter and Jake Ball shepherded their side home.

Brief Scores

Australia: 205 all out in 34.4 overs; (Travis Head 56, D’Arcy Short 47; Moeen Ali 4/46, Sam Curran 2/44)

England:  208/9 in 48.3 overs; (Jos Buttler 110*, Alex Hales 20; Billy Stanlake 3/35, Kane Richardson 3/51)

England beat Australia by 1 wicket

Player of the Match: Jos Buttler