Australia vs England is heading to a Hobart decider after England thrashed Australia by 135 runs in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval on Sunday night. Tom Banton made 121 off 99 balls as England posted 6-355, their highest one-day total in Australia, before Gus Atkinson took 4-28 to bowl the hosts out for 220.
The win levels the three-match series at 1-1, two days after Australia’s seven-wicket victory in Perth, cricket.com.au reported. The decider is at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Wednesday 18 November, starting at 2:30pm AEDT.
Australia had rested Mahli Beardman, the six-wicket hero of the series opener, and captain Mitch Marsh again chose to bowl first after winning the toss.
Banton sets up a record total
Banton and Joe Root (62) added 137 for the second wicket, and Banton reached his second ODI century in 86 balls before he was caught on the midwicket boundary off Xavier Bartlett. Jordan Cox (67 off 49) and Will Jacks (54 not out off 40) then put on 102 in less than 12 overs.
Bartlett finished with 3-72, the only Australian to take more than one wicket. Riley Meredith, who came in for Beardman, bowled England captain Harry Brook for five.
Read more: Mahli Beardman Rested for 2nd ODI as Riley Meredith Comes In
Atkinson rips through the top order
Chasing what would have been the highest successful ODI run chase in Australia, the hosts lost their first three wickets with the score on 13. Atkinson had Travis Head (7) and Cooper Connolly (0) caught in the cordon in the same over, Sonny Baker removed Marsh for two with Root taking a diving catch at slip, and Josh Inglis edged Atkinson to leave Australia 4-29.
Cameron Green (64) and Matt Renshaw (63) both survived dropped catches and rebuilt with a stand of 98, but Liam Dawson eventually removed both, and Sam Curran took two wickets in two balls as Australia lost 3-4. The last pair of Spencer Johnson (14) and Meredith (17 not out) only delayed the finish until the 45th over.
The 135-run margin gave England their first ODI win in Adelaide in 15 years, BBC Sport reported.
What’s next
Cricket Australia has said Beardman will return for the third ODI in Hobart. The teams then move to a five-match T20 series starting at the MCG on Saturday 21 November.
Read more: Australia vs England 1st ODI: Mahli Beardman Debuts in Perth
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