Aussies pummel England in Adelaide

AUSTRALIA romped to a three-wicket victory in the fourth one-day international at Adelaide Oval yesterday after threatening to dismiss England for the lowest score in the history of the format by reducing the tourists to eight for five inside seven overs.

Chris Woakes scored 78 as England recovered to post a score of 196 in their 50 overs but opener Travis Head’s 96 helped Australia to 197-7 and a comfortable consolation win with 13 overs to spare.

The tourists were full of confidence after winning the first three encounters to take an unassailable lead in the five-match series but it soon dissipated when they were put in to bat under overcast skies..

Pat Cummins (4-24) and Josh Hazlewood (3-39) made light of the absence of their rested fellow paceman Mitchell Starc and ripped through the England top order.

Jason Roy departed off the second ball with Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Jos Buttler swiftly following him to depart, all caught out for ducks.

Alex Hales at least got three runs on the board before Cummins took out his off stump and Zimbabwe’s record low innings of 35 against Sri Lanka in 2004 looked under serious threat.

Skipper Eoin Morgan and all-rounder Moeen Ali, who both scored 33, put on 53 to ease the tourists away from that ignominy and Woakes’s fine innings added a gloss of decency to the tally.

Australia made a bit of a meal of the run chase and Smith continued his poor series with only four runs after he was well caught in the cordon by Root off Adil Rashid (3-49)

Head fell four runs short of a century when he slapped the ball straight to Morgan at mid-on off Chris Wood.

Tim Paine got Australia home with his unbeaten 25 not out but not until he had run out Cummins to leave the hosts seven wickets down and 11 runs short of their target. – Reuters