Two remarkable performances from England’s spinners at Old Trafford helped the hosts to their first victory of this ODI Series. England continued the trend of the series and set Australia a score of 301, as James Taylor (101) anchored the hosts with a century that made a case for inclusion in the team on Joe Root’s return to the team. In reply, Australia were tied down by Adil Rashid (10–1–2-41) and Moeen Ali (10-1-3-32), who both combined wicket-taking deliveries with accuracy and control as Australia fell 93 runs short in their chase.

England vs Australia 3rd ODI Review

In their innings, England’s openers enjoyed differing fortunes. Jason Roy skipped along to a sprightly 63 from 45 balls: an innings filled with trademark clean-striking, numerous shots screaming to the boundary as he got his hands through the ball. Neither Mitchell Starc nor James Pattinson offered much in the way of accuracy, and Roy capitalised – one Starc over disappeared for 17 runs, including a sumptuous whip through midwicket. In truth, his dismissal by Ashton Agar seemed a meek way to go, chipping a drive to Maxwell at cover. Against the seamers, Roy looked sublime, but was too easily subdued with pace off the ball. On his return to international cricket, Agar looked comfortable and at ease despite a few early drag downs. He’s still only 21, and has accumulated some valuable domestic experience.

Hales, on the other hand, looked in need of a rest. It’s an oft-made point, but Hales’ explosive capability belies a very conventional technique and set up. As a result, he scores in predictable areas, allowing Steven Smith to flood the covers and midwicket region with fielders, cutting off his run supply. His 31 ball stay saw only nine runs, as he hit fielder after fielder with well timed but unrewarding strokes. He is a player of undoubted talent, but he will need to develop more release shots to escape the pressure which led to his dismissal: a tame lob to short midwicket off the impressively rapid Cummins.

Taylor’s century was full of inventive, unorthodox shots, tucking the ball down to fine leg on many an occasion. He’s never the most fashionable player in an England side, and the chances are he’ll be replaced one Root returns, but he showed admirable application in leading England to a defendable total. After arriving at the crease at 52-1, his constant movement at the crease put the Australian bowlers under pressure, and his partnership with Eoin Morgan took England to 200-2 after 32 overs, which when England find a more successful combination of lower-order hitters will be a very dangerous platform.

Whilst Morgan has looked in good touch throughout this limited-overs series, he never looked fully settled today despite a brisk half century from 46 balls. From there, England were targeting a total of 350 and above if they could build on their middle-overs momentum, but once again, things began to unravel at the fall of the third wicket. Looking to target Maxwell, Morgan holed out to long-off, exposing England’s fragile middle-order just as they were looking to accelerate.

As with Hales, Ben Stokes looked limited in his scoring areas, and one immaculate swat through the legside off Mitchell Marsh aside, was unable to maintain the impetus Morgan and Taylor had built up. Jonny Bairstow departed after a good mixture of hard-hitting and strike rotation, a better foil for the in-form Taylor than Stokes had been. A superb piece of fielding from Steven Smith had Bairstow run out with a direct hit, just as the Yorkshireman was beginning to warm to the task of some lower-order hitting.

Moeen Ali skied a full delivery from Pat Cummins after scoring a single run in his three ball stay. England seem unsure where to bat the Worcestershire all-rounder, who often opens for his county in short-form cricket, but he never looked comfortable in his role as finisher-come-pinch-hitter. After Taylor fell trying to hit Starc over long-on, Chris Woakes provided the necessary last minute surge to England’s total, successfully hitting Starc over midwicket for six in the final over of the innings. However, England would have been disappointed with their total of 100 from the last 18 overs. Cummins was the pick of the Australian bowlers, ending with figures of 10-1-2-50. His pace regularly reached upwards of 95 mph, which allied with accuracy made him remarkably difficult for England to get away, and he looked far more destructive than either Pattinson or Starc.

In reply, Australia made a solid start with 51 runs from their first 10 overs, for the loss of only one wicket. Finn bowled well first up, and deserved the wicket of Joe Burns which came when the Queenslander spooned a full delivery to Jason Roy at mid-off. As usual, Aaron Finch looked to hit the England seamers back down the ground, and was largely successful – one straight drive, on the up, from Liam Plunkett’s bowling, was particularly impressive. Plunkett was expensive, lacking in pace and accuracy, and was given the treatment by Finch, who looked in the mood to resurrect the form which saw him plant a six on top of the newly renovated Point building in the Roses match last year.

Once again, the virtue of having a quality leg-spin bowler was evident. Adil Rashid collected the crucial wicket of Smith for 25, with the help of a wonderful diving grab from Steven Finn, as the Aussie captain tried to flick a fullish delivery through the legside. Shortly after, Finch sent another full, drifting ball high into the darkening Manchester sky, and Woakes settled underneath it at mid-on, dismissing the dangerous Finch for 53, Australia’s top-scorer in the innings, leaving his team 107-3 after 22 overs.

Rashid’s aggressive traits have been emphasised throughout his career, but his first five overs yielded only 16 runs, suggesting that he’s learning to ally that wicket-taking instinct with an ability to maintain control. The lack of death bowling is a glaring issue with this side, so Rashid’s middle over threat is increasingly England’s best chance of restricting quality batting line-ups – as a result, his wickets are his most important feature, but the ever decreasing price of these wickets is hugely promising.

England’s other spin option managed to balance Rashid’s spell from the other end. Moeen Ali may have looked out of his comfort zone with the bat, but he bowled with skill and potency. His ability to get extra revolutions on the ball was on display here, as his extravagant spin flummoxed George Bailey into playing out a bizarre maiden, where the Australian batter charged every delivery, connecting with none. In the midst of this double spin attack, the run-rate required began to soar upwards, nudging 7.5.

As the pressure mounted, Glenn Maxwell played a pair of consecutive reverse-sweeps off the bowling of Moeen which were as close to textbook examples of that shot as you will find. The effect of them was slightly lessened when he attempted a third in row, and just dabbed it up in the air for Bairstow to snaffle. It was classic Maxwell: the magnificent followed by the pathetic almost immediately, but at least he attempted to wrestle the initiative back from the pair of English spinners.

However, soon after George Bailey drilled a Moeen Ali full toss into the deep, where Ben Stokes took the chance. Bailey made 25 from his 41 deliveries, the main victim of the stifling spin, but his presence will always cause nerves in the opposition’s minds. His dismissal was the death knell in the Australian innings.

Whilst Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Wade were able to see off Rashid’s spell, Plunkett’s return to the attack was enough to induce Marsh into knocking a half-tracker straight into Woakes’ grateful hands at short mid-on, the all-rounder going for 13. The danger always remained whilst those two were at the crease, given their powerful hitting in the second match of the series, and the crowd’s reaction was one of relief at this threat being eliminated. Plunkett also lured Ashton Agar into a slash to long on, where Jason Roy took a spectacular catch, which required significant adjustment at the last second in order to bring it in safely, leaving Australia 165-7, and floundering.

A much simpler catch for Roy off the same bowler also bought the wicket of Pat Cummins for five, as Australia thrashed around attempting to maintain aggression. Returning after a difficult first spell, Plunkett clearly benefited from the pressure built by Moeen and Rashid, but ended with respectable figures of 3-60 from his ten overs.

Moeen finished his spell with the wicket of Starc, heaving towards the legside and edging through to Bairstow. Figures of 10-1-3-32 were a career best, and were just rewards for a day where he dominated batsman, taking the game away from the opposition with the ball rather than the bat. England will hope that this is a sign of things to come.

Steven Finn ended the contest after some too-late hitting from Matthew Wade, who departed for a run-a-ball 42 that was all in vain, as Finn tore the stumps out of the ground for England to seal the victory by 93 runs, with the Australians bowled out in 44 overs for 207.

The series now stands at 2-1 to Australia, and whilst England responded well to the must-win nature of this match, they must deliver two more victories in the final two games if they are to end the summer undefeated in any series.