Buttler ton guides England to 5-0 series sweep of Australia
manchester — Jos Buttler’s unbeaten century on his Lancashire home ground saw England to a thrilling one-wicket win over Australia in the fifth one-day international at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Victory gave England their first 5-0 series sweep of Australia, in more than 140 years of men’s international cricket between the arch-rivals.
England, set a mere 206 to win, slumped to 50 for five and then 114 for eight.
They were still 11 runs shy of victory at 195 for nine when Adil Rashid (20) was out after sharing a stand of 81 with Buttler.
But Buttler’s 110 not out saw them win with nine balls to spare while last man Jake Ball held firm at the other end.
Australia captain Tim Paine won the toss only to see his side dismissed for 205 in 34.4 overs.
Off-spinner Moeen Ali took an ODI best four for 46 — including two for none in three balls
Travis Head (56) was the only batsman in the innings to pass fifty, with D’Arcy Short left stranded on 47 not out.
Earlier, England’s hopes of a first 5-0 whitewash of Australia in any format in more than 140 years of men’s international cricket were in danger after a spectacular collapse.
Set just 206 to win the fifth and final one-day international by world champions Australia, England in turn slumped to 66 for five in 16 overs when the lunch break was taken.
That left Jos Buttler, 27 not out on his Lancashire home ground, and Moeen Ali (three not out) — the last of their recognised batsmen — to see England to victory.
Fast bowler Billy Stanlake’s spell of three wickets for 18 runs in five overs had given Australia a shot of a first international win under coach Justin Langer, appointed after Darren Lehmann resigned in the fall-out from the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal in March.
It took England just four balls to lose their first wicket when the in-form Jason Roy, fresh from his 101 in the fourth ODI at Chesterle-Street on Thursday, was bowled attempting an extravagant big hit off left-arm spinner Ashton Agar. —