MATCH STORY
Follow UsAlex Carey’s 74 off 67 balls in the second ODI in Leeds carried Australia to 270 after a middle-over stutter.
Carey walked out to bat replacing Marnus Labuschagne when Australia were still comfortably placed at 145/4 in the 25th over. However, the innings started going downhill soon, with the Aussies losing both Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell in quick succession. They quickly went to 161/6 in the 28th over with the risk of getting bowled out.
The risk became more severe with the quick wickets of Aaron Hardie and Mitchell Starc, the visitors sliding further to 221/9 in only the 37th over.
Carey then carried the innings with the number 11 Josh Hazlewood. The duo had a crucial 49-run stand for the 10th wicket. The left-hander hogged the strike, playing 38 of the 49 balls in the partnership and scoring 41 runs.
Carey started on a pretty smooth note, scoring 33 off 29 balls until he was left with only Hazlewood to bat with. He pressed on the accelerator, scoring four fours and three sixes during the final-wicket stand.
His hits down the ground and in the cover region was the highlight of the knock. Carey scored 45% of his runs in the arc between cover and long-off.
Australia were eventually bowled out in 44.4 overs with Carey miscuing an inside-out shot to the deep cover fielder.
This was Carey’s second 50-plus score versus England. He now averages 42 against the English, his second-highest against any opponent in ODI cricket. He scored a hundred the last time he batted in England – 106 in the Manchester ODI where he forged a 212-run partnership with Maxwell.
Carey now averages 60.1 in ODIs in England, the highest for a wicketkeeper-batter in England with a minimum of 500 runs.
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