LONDON: Liam Livingstone’s stunning unbeaten 62 paved the way for England to a resounding 186-run victory over world champions Australia in the fourth One-Day International at Lord’s on Friday.
The win took the youthful England ODI team level at 2-2 in the five-match series ahead of Sunday’s final match in Bristol.
Livingstone’s dizzying 27-ball innings took England to 312-5 in a match where captain Harry Brook missed his consecutive 100 overs with 87 and rain meant there were only 39 overs per side.
Australia got off to a good start with their formidable chase, but slumped from 68-0 to 96-6, losing six wickets for 28 runs.
They were eventually dismissed for 126 inside in 25 overs, with paceman Matthew Potts posting an ODI-best 4-38.
Renewed opener Travis Head’s 34 runs were the highest in an innings in which just four batsmen scored in double figures.
This was England’s second-biggest win against arch-rivals Australia at this level, after the 242-run success at Trent Bridge in 2018.
Player of the Match Brook, 25, told Sky Sports: “We brought all the positives and momentum here.” “Livingston, we know what he’s capable of and he showed it tonight.”
“We’re just identifying when we need to apply pressure.”
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh admitted his team was behind.
“We were a bit off today but we played fair against England and put pressure on us,” he said. “They outplayed us today…Liam Livingstone played a great innings.”
England were 16 runs away from 300 when Mitchell Starc started bowling in the last over of the innings.
However, Livingston, who is known as a strong hitter, later scored 28 runs as a left-handed quick. This was the most expensive over in a men’s ODI by an Australian bowler, which ended with four sixes off five balls.
Livingstone started in the 39th over by driving Starc to the pavilion in six overs.
And two balls later, Livingstone lofted Starc over midwicket for a six, and on the next ball he drove him into another six. The fifth ball was also a monster pull for six, and Livingstone took the last ball of the over for four.
Livingstone hit a total of three fours and seven sixes, but Starc finished with very expensive figures of 0-70 from his eight overs.
Australia faced a late onslaught after their 14-match ODI winning streak was ended by England at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
But Head, who made a brilliant 154 not out in Australia’s series opener at Nottingham, hit Brydon Kearse onto the roof of the mound stand for a big six.
However, Kearse got his revenge by bowling a left-handed header for 34 from near the wicket.
Potts then edged star batsman Stephen Smith by just five points, and Australia’s 68-1 became 75-2.
Kearse removed Josh Inglis and Marnus Labuschagne with two strikes in the 15th over after Marsh made 28 with a fine pass that skimmed the outside edge of fast bowler Jofra Archer.
Potts came close to missing out on a hat-trick, but leg-spinner Adil Rashid bowled last man Josh Hazlewood for a duck to end the match.
Brook, who had earlier picked up his maiden ODI win at Chester-le-Street, came on as England were languishing at 71-2.
But he responded with an exhilarating 58-pitch inning that included 11 fours and a six.
Australia thought Brook was caught 17 seconds behind by Inglis in the first game of the series after his injury against Starc.
However, a referee review revealed the ball bounced off Inglis’ glove, and as replays were shown on the giant screen, boos rang out around Rose.
The Australian wicketkeeper’s controversial incident at Lord’s is the first since Alex Carey (playing as a batsman only on Friday) tripped Jonny Bairstow during last year’s Ashes Test by believing the ball was dead. It was the second controversial incident involving an Australian wicketkeeper in as many matches.
Brook fell as he holed out deep off to leg-spinner Adam Zampa.