Australia ease to comfortable win over lacklustre England

LEEDS, England : Australia moved 2-0 ahead in the ODI series against a lacklustre England with a vital half century by wicket keeper Alex Carey paving the way for a 68-run victory at Headingley on Saturday.
Carey struck 74 to bolster an Australia innings that had crumbled to 221-9 with the visitors eventually all out for 270.
It looked like a reachable total but Australia’s bowlers, especially Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, proved too good as England were all out for 202 in 40 overs.
England slumped to 65 for five but were given some hope with Jamie Smith (49) sharing a stand of 55 with Jacob Bethell.
But wickets continued to tumble all too regularly and some late hitting by Adil Rashid was in vain as England lost soundly to the world champions again.
“These days, 270 you always feel a bit shot, but we knew with Starc and Hazlewood, if we took early wickets we’ve got a chance,” Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said.
It had looked as though England could snap Australia’s winning run in ODIs, which now extends to 14, as they grabbed control after Australia had reached 145-3 in the 25th over.
Bethell then removed Marnus Labuschagne (19) and Marsh (60) in successive overs while Rashid claimed his 200th ODI wicket when he snared Glenn Maxwell.
Carey and Aaron Hardie added 55 for the seventh wicket but Brydon Carse claimed two wickets in two balls as Australia slumped again. Carey farmed the strike to great effect to frustrate the hosts though, hitting eight fours and three sixes before being last man out in the 45th over.
England opener Phil Salt was dropped off the bowling of Hazlewood but it was a short reprieve as Salt nicked another Hazlewood delivery to Carey behind the stumps.
Starc took a while to find his line but moved one away from Will Jacks whose thick edge off the first ball he faced was well caught by Matthew Short.
Starc then produced a superb inswinger to trap captain Harry Brook lbw. Australia were in total command when Hardie took two wickets in two balls. First he deceived opener Ben Duckett (32) with a slower ball, taking a superb return catch, and then removed Liam Livingstone first ball as he flicked one down the leg side where Carey took a brilliant catch.
Smith and Bethell dug in their heels and looked capable of reviving England’s challenge but Bethell undid his good work with a horrible heave off Maxwell, with Starc taking a catch.
England’s last realistic hope was Smith but he departed one run short of his half century when he flicked a full Hazlewood delivery off his toes straight to substitute Jake Fraser-McGurk.
Rashid offered some resistance with 27 but was out lbw to Maxwell and Starc returned to polish off England with Olly Stone becoming his third victim.