IT’S NO RASH & GRAB
Aussies scrape home after Adil rocks ‘ em
They had once again completely outplayed England for the vast majority of the game, but up against the wizardry of Adil Rashid’s leg spin they were completely flummoxed.
Luckily for them, Rashid could only bowl four overs so once he was done taking 3- 21, the Aussies found a way to score the runs they needed to reach their target of 146 to win by five wickets with three balls to spare.
Mitch Marsh and Ashton Agar saw the game out with an unbeaten partnership of 46.
They should have had the game home and hosed much sooner having reached 86- 2, requiring 60 from 60 balls, but with Rashid’s googly in perfect working order the Aussies stumbled.
First Glenn Maxwell was caught at slip, then skipper Aaron Finch was bowled through the gate. Finally Steve Smith chipped his last ball back to be caught and bowled and make it three games in succession that Rashid had struck from his final delivery.
But Marsh took the game by the scruff of the neck to send
Australia sprinting with 39 not out.
Eoin Morgan sat out with a sore finger, asking Moeen Ali to captain England for the first time in a full international and he said: “It’s an absolute honour to captain your country. I enjoy the county captaincy but this is a different kettle of fish.”
England’s total of 145- 6 on a wearing pitch was still light of where it should have been before they turned in their worst effort of the series in the field.
Their ground fielding was rightly described on air by Nasser Hussain as ‘ abysmal’ while Jonny Bairstow managed to shell a simple catch with the gloves.
Earlier Bairstow had shone with the bat. His 55 included three monster sixes off Australia’s spinners.
But if it wasn’t for three edged fours in a row from the recalled Joe Denly, it would have barely been a contest.
IAN BELL fell agonisingly short of a century in his final red- ball innings before retiring from first- class cricket.
The five- time Ashes winner Bell scored 90 in Warwickshire’s Bob Willis Trophy match before playing on to Glamorgan seamer Timm van der Gugten. for the line