HE’S A ROY WONDER
Jason blows Oz away
LIAM PLUNKETT was the cool, calm finisher as England held off a brave Aussie fightback at Sophia Gardens.
After Jason Roy had blasted a match-winning 120, the Yorkshire fast bowler took 4-53 including the vital scalps of Tim Paine and centurion Shaun Marsh to prevent another potential one-day nightmare.
Marsh’s superb 131 from 116 balls had threatened to smash Australia to a victory when all seemed lost with his side on 164-5 and needing more than 10 runs an over.
But as the home fans began to get nervous, up stepped Plunkett to first have Paine caught by Adil Rashid and then bowl Marsh with a perfect slower delivery.
England finished the job for a
38-run win to take a 2-0 lead in the
ODI series with three games left.
Earlier Roy’s century and 91 not out from stand-in captain Jos Buttler had helped set Australia a huge 343 for victory.
South Africa-born star Roy produced another typically explosive knock to brighten up a damp day and warm the hearts and hands of the home fans.
Roy, 27, celebrated his fifth ODI century and was out having faced 108 balls having laid the foundations for the innings.
Only Graham Gooch (eight) and Marcus Trescothick (12) have hit more ODI hundreds when opening the batting for England.
He shared a 63-run opening stand with Jonny Bairstow (42) before Alex Hales (26) and Joe Root (22) fell after getting in.
He was eventually out to a stunning catch behind by Paine with the Aussie captain shrugging off a bloody and damaged face to swoop low to his left off Andrew Tye.
Paine received treatment after Tye’s delivery flew down the leg side and reared up smacking him on the top lip. He showed no ill-effects from the blow when bringing
Roy’s brilliant knock to an end.
Buttler, asked to lead the side when Eoin Morgan withdrew with back spasms after standing up from his dressing room chair, took 38 balls to get to his 16th fifty and just failed to get to three figures as England made 342-8.
Sam Billings, who replaced Morgan at
No.6, fell for just 11 while Moeen Ali (eight), David Willey (11) and Plunkett
(one) went cheaply as England hit out.
Buttler smashed 13 off the last over with
Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson and
Tye taking two wickets apiece.
England’s bowlers gained a stranglehold when Australia set out on the run chase.
Mark Wood quickly removed Travis
Head, caught superbly by Hales. Bairstow dropped Marsh early on and had to go off for treatment on a left-knee injury but Root snapped up a chance at slip when Moeen lured D’Arcy Short into edging a drive on 21. England’s control increased with Plunkett bowling Marcus Stoinis and Rashid trapped Aaron Finch lbw for a duck.
Moeen had Glenn Maxwell caught by Willey for 31 but Marsh and Ashton Agar threatened to give the tourists hope with a 96-run sixth-wicket partnership in quick fashion. Rashid finally had Agar stumped for 46.
Paine and Marsh gave their side hope but Plunkett (left) also took the last wicket of Jhye Richardson, caught by Roy.
Roy said: “I enjoyed watching
Jonny get off to a quick start.
“We have built up a good partnership and friendship at the top of the order.
“Him setting off enables me to drop anchor and just go at my own pace.
“It was nice to get over the line at the end because their two guys were going great guns and we needed those wickets.”
Buttler said: “Liam continues to be a great strike bowler. He knows how to bowl.
“Jason played very well. It was a fantastic innings and helped us set a decent score and it was enjoyable to captain the side with Eoin unable to play.”