HOSTS TIGHTEN NOOSE ON OZ
Cardiff (United Kingdom), June 17: Jason Roy returned to the scene of one of his greatest disappointments to score a century as England beat Australia by 38 runs to win the second one-day international at Cardiff on Saturday.
Roy’s 120 and stand-in captain Jos Buttler’s rapid 91 not out took England to a total of 342/8 as the hosts went 2-0 up in this fivematch series.
Australia opener Shaun Marsh made 131 to became the first Glamorgan batsman to score an international century at the Welsh county’s Sophia Gardens headquarters.
But their 304 all out meant world champions Australia had suffered a seventh defeat in eight ODIs.
The Yorkshire duo of fast bowler Liam Plunkett (4/53) and leg-spinner Adil Rashid (3/70) shared seven wickets as England won with 17 balls to spare.
It was just over a year ago in Cardiff that struggling Surrey opener Roy, 27, was dropped from the England side that suffered an eightwicket defeat in the semifinals of the Champions Trophy by Pakistan, the eventual tournament winners. Roy though regained his place in and on Saturday he scored his fifth hundred in 60 ODIs.
It was also his first since he made an England record 180 against Australia in Melbourne in January. PAINE CALLS ON OZ TO DELIVER COMPLETE PACKAGE Australia captain Tim Paine insisted the current Australia squad had the quality to turn the series around. “I think we can, I really do,” said wicketkeeper Paine. “I think our best cricket is good enough to beat these guys, we just haven’t put the complete package together.
“In the first game we didn’t bat well and (in Cardiff) we didn’t bowl as well as we would have liked.”
It was a sentiment echoed by experienced batsman Marsh, who said: “We want to win and unfortunately we are just falling a little bit short at the moment.
“We need to regroup over the next few days and work on the areas we need to work on and hopefully put in an all-round performance at Trent Bridge.”
— AFP
I felt in good touch today...If we are being brutal, we can be more polished in the field. — JOS BUTTLER stand-in England captain