Tim Paine’s new-era Australians suffered their second successive ODI defeat to England, going down by 38 runs in Cardiff after their bowling attack was dismantled.
They scraped together 304 in reply to England’s 342-8 to go 2-0 down in their five-match ODI series.
The Aussies’ total was based on Shaun Marsh’s 131 off 116 balls (10 fours, three sixes), and while he got support from Glenn Maxwell (31 off 34) and Ashton Agar (46 off 42), their strike rates were too low and came too late.
It must have been agony for the big-hitting David Warner, who was commentating for Australia’s Channel Nine while serving his year-long ban for ball-tampering in the third Test against South Africa in March.
Starting from the toss, Australia were on the slide, having sent England in to bat under grey skies.
Jason Roy, the Durban-born batsman described by Kevin Pietersen as the next Kevin Pietersen, and Jonny Bairstow put on 63 in eight overs. Bairstow fell for 42 off just 24 balls with eight fours and a six, while Roy was to go on to his fifth ODI hundred.
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There were solid partnerships all along the line, despite rain interruptions, but the killing stand came when Jos Buttler joined Roy after Alex Hales (26) and Joe Root (22) had come and gone. Buttler and Roy took the score from 179-3 after 28 overs to 239-4 in just eight overs.
Roy had 12 fours and two sixes among the 108 balls he faced for his 120, while Buttler ended unbeaten on 91 off 70 balls (eight fours, two sixes).
England added 103 for four wickets off the last 14 overs to end on 342-8. It was far too much.
Australia’s run rate slipped from the start as England’s bowlers interrupted every partnership apart from 53 between Marsh and Maxwell, and 96 between Marsh and Agar for the sixth wicket.
The pace of Liam Plunkett and the leg-spin of Adil Rashid ensured the Australians did not build on that, taking the last four wickets for 44.
Photo: Julian Herbert/Getty Images
