Australia win series in thriller

Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey’s record-breaking 212-run partnership steered Australia to a thrilling one-day series victory over England at Emirates Old Trafford.

Chasing 303, Maxwell hit a blistering 108 from 90 balls and Carey a more measured 106 as a belligerent partnership rescued Australia from 73-5.

Maxwell fell with 15 balls remaining and Carey holed out at the end of the 49th over to leave Australia needing 10 runs from the final six balls.

However, Mitchell Starc pummelled the first ball from Adil Rashid for six, and a swept boundary ensured Australia sneaked over the line with two balls remaining.

The defeat ended England’s five-year unbeaten run in home ODI series, as well as being their first series loss of the summer.

Jonny Bairstow had earlier made 112 to help England recover from losing two wickets to the first two deliveries of the innings and post 302-7.

England could have dismissed Carey for nine had Jofra Archer not overstepped when the Australia wicketkeeper was caught at third man off a ballooning top edge.

Carey went on to make England pay – hitting his first ODI century, with he and Maxwell surpassing Brad Haddin and Mike Hussey’s stand of 165 against West Indies in 2006 to compile Australia’s highest sixth-wicket partnership in ODIs.

This was the end of a long summer for England, but a welcome win for Australia, who were whitewashed on their last limited-overs visit in 2018.

Maxwell & Carey light up Old Trafford

When a furious Marnus Labuschagne was run out at 73-5, Australia looked to be out of the contest, but Maxwell picked the perfect moment to play the definitive innings for his country that he has long threatened.

Maxwell, who is known as ‘The Big Show’, divides opinion in Australia but there are few players as watchable as he is when on song.

A half-century came up from 48 balls; the next over, Rashid was smashed so hard and so high over the short leg-side boundary the ball rattled off the glass of the enormous Point building.

Carey was the less flashy part of the partnership. He used an angled bat to guide the ball around the field, bringing up his fifth ODI half-century with a fine clip through mid-wicket off Chris Woakes.

The two ran superbly, putting the England fielders under pressure, and the pace bowlers seemed to lose their lines, with eight wides not helping their cause.

Australia were 222-5 with 10 overs remaining but both players hit out, Maxwell reaching just his second ODI hundred with another leg-side six, before Carey flashed a single off Woakes to reach three figures for the first time.

Memories of their second ODI collapse may have lingered when Maxwell and Carey fell with the finish line in sight, but this time Australia claimed the win and, with it, the series.