(Reuters) – A fine all-round display by Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler’s late assault with the bat ended England’s long losing streak against Australia as the visitors won the fourth one-day international by 57 runs in Perth yesterday.
Wicketkeeper batsman Buttler smashed a 43-ball 71 after Stokes hit a fluent 70 and England posted a total of 316 for eight wickets on the way to their first win over Australia on the tour.
Opener Aaron Finch notched up his second century of the series to lead the hosts’ reply but his 108 off 111 balls was not enough for the hosts.
Stokes returned with the ball to pick up four wickets as Australia, without the rested Michael Clarke, David Warner and Brad Haddin, were shot out for 259 runs in 47.4 overs. England lost the last one-day international against Australia at home and had suffered eight consecutive losses to their arch-rivals including the 5-0 Ashes whitewash.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had this feeling,” England captain Alastair Cook said at the presentation ceremony.
“It’s been a frustrating tour and we’ve played a long way below our potential. The good thing is we know it’s there, when you see the way people have performed today you know we’re not a bad side.”
BLISTERING START
Put into bat first by Australia’s stand-in captain George Bailey, England made a blistering start through openers Cook (44) and Ian Bell (55). The pair added 87 for the first wicket before Cook was bowled by Glenn Maxwell.
Stokes came in at number three and shared half-century stands with Bell and Gary Ballance (18) for the second and third wickets to lay the foundation for Buttler’s pyrotechnics.
England lost Stokes, who made his maiden ODI fifty, and Ravi Bopara (three) in quick succession during the batting powerplay but Buttler and Eoin Morgan (33) added a quickfire 71 for the sixth wicket to take their team close to the 300-run mark.
Buttler hit six fours and four massive sixes before he fell to James Faulkner, who picked up four wickets for Australia.
Finch and Shaun Marsh (15) gave Australia a rapid start to their chase before the latter was caught brilliantly by Bell off Tim Bresnan at second slip.
Finch added 64 for the second wicket with Matthew Wade (23) to keep his team in the hunt but the hosts, who had already won the five-match series with victories in the first three games, kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Stokes returned to the attack to seal England’s much-needed victory and the last match of the series will be played in Adelaide on Sunday.
“I love the challenge in every game and against Australia it is against the old foe as it were,” said man-of-the-match Stokes.
“We will enjoy it while we can. The first win of the tour is something to enjoy but we go again on Sunday.”
Scoreboard
Australia won the toss and decided to field.
England innings A. Cook b Maxwell 44
I. Bell c Faulkner b Christian 55
B. Stokes c Wade b Faulkner 70
G. Ballance c Smith b Pattinson 18
E. Morgan c Christian b Faulkner 33
R. Bopara c sub b Coulter-Nile 3
J. Buttler c Johnson b Faulkner 71
T. Bresnan c Johnson b Faulkner 2
S. Broad not out 4
C. Jordan not out 0
Extras (w-16) 16
Total (eight wickets; 50 overs) 316
Did not bat: J. Tredwell
Fall of wickets: 1-87 2-138 3-190 4-206 5-216 6-287 7-312 8-312
Bowling: Johnson 10-0-72-0 (1w), Pattinson 8-0-63-1 (5w), Faulkner 10-0-67-4 (2w), Coulter-Nile 10-0-62-1 (3w), Maxwell 9-0-37-1 (2w), Christian 3-0-15-1 (3w)
Australia innings
S. Marsh c Bell b Bresnan 15
A. Finch c Broad b Bresnan 108
M. Wade c Cook b Bopara 23
G. Bailey c Buttler b Stokes 11
S. Smith c Buttler b Broad 19
G. Maxwell c Buttler b Stokes 26
D. Christian c Ballance b Broad 23
J. Faulkner c Buttler b Stokes 2
M. Johnson b Stokes 6
N. Coulter-Nile not out 9
J. Pattinson c Buttler b Bresnan 4
Extras (lb-4, w-9) 13
Total (all out; 47.4 overs) 259
Fall of wickets: 1-46 2-110 3-132 4-174 5-189 6-222 7-230 8-239 9-247
Bowling: Jordan 9-0-57-0 (2w), Broad 10-0-56-2, Bresnan 8.4-0-45-3 (3w), Tredwell 5-0-26-0, Bopara 6-1-32-1, Stokes 9-1-39-4 (4w)
England won by 57 runs.
Australia lead series 3-1.
