Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid spin out Australia as England start series fight back

Sport360 staff 01:18 09/09/2015
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  • Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid shared five wickets between them.

    James Taylor’s maiden one-day international century and some tight spin bowling saw England to a 93-run win over Australia at Old Trafford on Tuesday as they kept the series alive Australia, set 301 to win, were dismissed for 207 with six overs of their innings left.

    — ICC (@ICC) September 8, 2015

    Off-spinner Moeen Ali and leg-spinner Adil Rashid shared five wickets between them, with Ali’s three for 32 in his full 10 overs the all-rounder’s best ODI figures. Aaron Finch, brought into the side after fellow opener David Warner was ruled out of the rest of the series with a fractured thumb suffered during Australia’s win in the second ODI at Lord’s on Saturday, scored briskly on his way to 53.

    But fellow opener Joe Burns fell for nine when he chipped Steven Finn to England captain Eoin Morgan at mid-off. Australia captain Steven Smith walked out to boos after upholding an appeal for obstructing the field that led to Ben Stokes’s controversial dismissal at Lord’s.

    Having survived a tough chance because of the diminutive Taylor’s lack of reach, Smith (25) was brilliantly caught when diving fast bowler Finn used his 6ft 7in frame to hold a stunning one-handed catch at short mid-wicket off Rashid.

    The Yorkshireman, gaining sharp turn, then dismissed Finch (53) when Chris Woakes held a lofted drive at long-on. His exit was the start of a mini-collapse that saw three wickets lost for 35 runs to leave Australia in trouble at 141 for five. 

    Glenn Maxwell, after reverse-hitting Ali for two fours in as many balls, tried to make it three in a row only to miscue and be caught off a top edge by wicket-keeper Jonathan Bairstow.

    George Bailey (25) obligingly hoiked an Ali full toss straight to Stokes at mid-wicket. Jason Roy then held a remarkable catch, running round from long-on, after Ashton Agar launched Liam Plunkett high into the deep.

    Roy ‘lost’ the ball in the floodlights and, arching backwards, dropped a one-handed chance only to grab the ball at the second attempt before hitting the turf.

    Finn ended the match emphatically by bowling Matthew Wade (42). Earlier, Taylor’s century was the cornerstone of England’s 300 for eight after Morgan won the toss.

    Taylor, brought back for this series with Ashes-winner Joe Root rested, was out for 101. The 25-year-old Nottinghamshire batsman, playing his 21st match at this level, faced 114 balls.

    His first fifty included just one four and he managed just five in total but, significantly, he got England to a score their bowlers could defend.

    Taylor and Morgan (62), who won the toss, put on 119 for the third wicket. But the partnership would have been curtailed had not wicket-keeper Wade missed a stumping off ODI debutant spinner Agar when left-hander Morgan was on 15.

    Roy (63) launched England’s innings in style after Morgan won the toss with his second fifty in three innings this series. But he was unable to better his previous highest score at this level of 67 in the series opener at Southampton, chipping Agar to short extra-cover.

    Taylor went to his hundred in nervous fashion when his drive off Pat Cummins hit non-striker Woakes’s bat and rebounded into the stumps. He sprinted down the pitch and dived for a definitive scrambled single.

    The series continues at Headingley on Friday.

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