Australia vs England - 4th ODI

Will we ever win a game?

My team for this would be:

Cook
Bell
Carberry
Ballance
Morgan
Buttler
Stokes
Broad
Jordan
Briggs
Tredwell

Mix it up a bit. Would consider not playing Cook though.....

Cook
Bell
Ballance
Morgan
Bopara
Stokes
Buttler
Bresnan
Broad
Jordan
Briggs

Rather unlikely that England would go in with 2 spinners on a Perth pitch. Already there are talks of not playing Tredwell, I hope they won't go that way. Australia are without David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin for this game. Will England be able to take advantage of a 2nd string lineup to post their first international win in the tour?
I'd go in with
Cook
Bell
Ballance
Morgan
Bopara
Stokes
Buttler
Woakes
Broad
Tredwell
Jordan

I defo prefer the balance of the side with Stokes at 7, much better than the first game when he was played as a 3rd seamer which he isnt, he fits the 4th seamer/5th bowler role much better.

Decent start ...again. The much maligned Cook has managed to set the team off to a flying start , unfortunately once he perished around the end of the opening power play instead of batting on to a big one.

Bell into the fifties , Stokes has a start ...at 125/1 after twenty the stage is set for a big score , provided some one can bat big and they don't make a complete mess of it in the middle overs.

After what has been happening I hardly dare to hope . So will just wait and see.

England batting with some guts this morning, the mised chances going their way aswell.

Bell gone for 55. Not run out for once   

Danger period now ...don't want Ballance getting bogged down and losing momentum. Might have been a case for promoting Morgan ?

Stokes brings up his fifty in style with a straight six off Maxwell   

171/2 after 29

Need to finish this off now, been well positioned by the top order

The top 3 gave England a platform with Bell and Stokes scoring half-centuries and a44 from the captain. But now they are 4 down for 211 with Bopara and Morgan at the crease. Can they finish it off well?

And here it all comes apart

Bopara with one of the more useless innings I've seen

Once again self-destructing from a strong position as Bopara throws his wicket away...

That batting power play gets 'em every time   

Not all lost yet. Buttler in to join Morgan : lot up to these two now with eleven overs left.

England 290-6 after 48. A very handy and significant partnership between Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler just ended.

Buttler with a quality half-century.

Buttler really monstering poor James Pattinson here...

306/6 with one to come.

And Buttler fixes things with a geautiful knock

Great innings Buttler   

Then two caught at third man in two balls !

312 ...

Nice shot by Broad makes it 316.

Well batted. Now let us hope the bowlers can back it up...

He's something good to watch is Buttler, excellent innings

England finish with 316-8 in their 50 overs. Solid platform from the top order, terrific finish from Buttler and Morgan.
Very impressive yet again from young Jos Buttler. He is quickly learning the art of constructing a good ODI innings. Took his time early on with a steady flow of singles and 2s and then opened up spectacularly. Hope his county move helps him improve both aspects of his game and he can make the further step up.
Ben Stokes again impressed with a controlled innings of 70, his batting has really come along in this tour.
With Australia going in with a 2nd string batting line up, England should defend this fine score here.

Quality from Buttler and Morgan
The pressure must have been on there given the routine capitulations of the past couple of months.
Well done Cook, Bell and Stokes for giving them a quality start

With Warner's rapid scoring removed from the piece we've got to get on top of this early and see it through now. Come on England.

Though this is a pretty loose start!
I was hoping to skip off to work confident...

Can someone explain to me why Maxwell is used for 5+ overs a game by Australia ? Are the really so bereft of spin options that they need to treat him as a front line bowling option? People had spasms over Bopara being treated as one when he averages 20 better at 0.8 an over less.
Australia seemned desperately short of variety to ask questions of the settled batsmen in that innings or even one of those players who just encourages batsmen to get themselves out.

Sangakkara wrote:Quality from Buttler and Morgan
The pressure must have been on there given the routine capitulations of the past couple of months.
Well done Cook, Bell and Stokes for giving them a quality start

With Warner's rapid scoring removed from the piece we've got to get on top of this early and see it through now. Come on England.

A lot more fast scorers than just Warner in this Australian team ! Will need to be on the ball throughout and the fielders will need to be at their best or this could easily be another record breaking run chase...

I think we can agree that the batsmen have done their job this time ? But whether it will be enough , I wouldn't like to say.

The Australia openers are taking the bowling on and have reached 46 without loss after 6 overs. England need a couple of quick wickets here to push them back.

Bresnan gets Marsh. Very timely wicket that for England.
And credit to Bresnan, he has started off well by maintaining a decent line and length, Marsh couldn't get a run of the first 4 balls and he then got out of the 5th. Australia 46-1.

Good catch too from Ian Bell to get that wicket.
Matthew Wade in at 3.

Good bowling from Bresnan ,and a very fine catch.

Need more of both.

Cook will have to pick the right time to get Jordan back into the attack after that poor first spell.

11 for 1 in the last 5 overs. England certainly pulling things back. Another wicket here make them firmly in charge

Tredwell with a quiet first over. All momentum getting sucked out of the Australian innings. They are 59-1 after 12 overs, the RR falling below 5.

Need to get Finch. Now that he has got going , he is probably more dangerous than even Warner.

Nice six to start that over.

Just looking in briefly.

Currently looking good for England. Runs on the board with Bresnan and Tredwell now putting the brakes on ....

alfie wrote:Good bowling from Bresnan ,and a very fine catch.

Need more of both.

Cook will have to pick the right time to get Jordan back into the attack after that poor first spell.

Only saw the very end of Jordan's spell. With Stokes and Bopara in the wings, Cook at least has some wriggle room and so Jordan mightt not need to bowl his full allocation.

And now Bopara comes on. I would have been very tempted to keep Bresnan on and bowl his full 10 on the reel. He was in a groove and an economical one at that - will he return to it immediately in his next spell?

With that, I have to be away. Fingers crossed.

Tredwell doing a very good job. But Finch keeps producing the occasional six to make sure the runs don't dry up.

Very open game still , I reckon. And Finch is the key.

guildfordbat wrote:And now Bopara comes on. I would have been very tempted to keep Bresnan on and bowl his full 10 on the reel. He was in a groove and an economical one at that - will he return to it immediately in his next spell?

With that, I have to be away. Fingers crossed.

Whereas Bopara has done what he does best. Set batsmen looking to accelerate, vary the bowling with someone they think they can hit out the park but somehow manages to produce a ball that doesnt do what was expected and gets a key wicket.
He has become a very effective bowler encouraging batsmen to get themselves out.

Stokes has made a decent start. He has been a bit of a weak link with the ball in these games so a good spell from him would be welcome.
Cook will want to have a few options up his sleeve for the closing overs. Don't want a batsman getting as comfortable against a bowler as Faulkner was against Stokes in Brisbane...

Big wicket for Stokes and England, George Bailey goes. Australia 132-3 after 26.

Still Finch though. Looking a good bet to steer Australia home.

Fine hundred from Aaron Finch. Australia 169-3 after 31.

Australia 178-4 after 33. Smith the last man out, Broad with the wicket. Finch is still going strong, and Glenn Maxwell has joined him, but regular strikes have kept England the favorites so far.

Batting powerplay taken at Australia 185-4 after 34.

Its reasonably tight, Australia have big players in reserve. England need to keep chipping out wickets

--Eng has batted well....good to see Butler scoring good runs with consistency...he may be playing himself into the test WK's slot.....which I believe should have gone to him or anyone but the proven failure Bairstwo once they decided to dump Prior.

--as for the match situation......Finch, Maxwell the biggest hitters are at the crease......with Faulkner still in the bag and Christian / Johnson can score quick 15 to 20 runs...Aus is going neck and neck at this moment.

Eng has to pry out Finch and Maxwell fairly quickly ( say in next 3 overs)...else Aus will break free and move ahead

Finch is gone caught at third man, massive moment in the game. England strong favorites now, though the Australians still have some batting left.

Reckon Broad wasn't happy to catch that ! BIG wicket...

Far from over though. Maxwell , Faulkner...

Trundle Timmy removes Finch. Crucial period you feel now. PP brings an unnecessary wicket

Dan Christian ahead of Faulkner....... Interesting call there from Bailey.

so before Aus could break free and surge ahead Eng does so with Finch's wicket
Eng Neck ahead....but Faulkner in the bag means Aus can chase even 55 in the last 5 overs

Looks like Bresnan just saved his ODI career for another 80 games of averageness