Livingstone stars as England thrash Australia to square ODI series
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Liam Livingstone's stunning unbeaten 62 paved the way for England's colossal 186-run win over world champions Australia in the fourth one-day international at Lord's on Friday.
The victory pulled a youthful England ODI side level at 2-2 in a five-match series ahead of Sunday's finale at Bristol.
Livingstone's whirlwind 27-ball innings took England to 312-5 in a match reduced by rain to 39 overs per side after captain Harry Brook just fell short of successive hundred with 87.
Australia made a sound start to their daunting chase but lost six wickets for 28 runs in slumping from 68-0 to 96-6.
They were eventually dismissed for 126 inside 25 overs, with paceman Matthew Potts taking an ODI-best 4-38.
Fit-again opener Travis Head's 34 was the top score in an Australia innings where only four batsmen made it into double figures.
This was England's second-biggest win at this level over arch-rivals Australia in terms of runs, following their mammoth 242-run success at Trent Bridge in 2018.
"We've taken all the positives and the momentum and brought them here," player-of-the-match Brook, 25, told Sky Sports. "Livingstone, we know what he's capable of and he showed that tonight."
"We just identify the times we need to apply pressure."
- 'Gem of an innings' -
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh accepted his side had been outclassed.
"We were a bit off today but fair play to England they put us under pressure," he said. "They out-played us today... Liam Livingstone played a gem of an innings."
England were 16 runs shy of 300 when Mitchell Starc began to bowl the last over of their innings.
But Livingstone, renowned as a big-hitter, then hammered the left-arm fast quick for 28 runs -- the most expensive over by an Australian bowler in men's ODIs -- including four sixes in five balls, before finishing with a four.
Livingstone started the 39th over by driving Starc into the pavilion for six.
And two balls later, Livingstone lofted Starc for six over midwicket and next ball drove him for another six. The fifth ball also went for six, via a monster pull, before Livingstone scythed the last ball of the over for four.
Livingstone struck three fours and seven sixes in total as Starc finished with hugely expensive figures of 0-70 in eight overs.
Australia, who saw their run of 14 straight ODI wins ended by England at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, were up against it after that late blitz.
But Head, who made a superb 154 not out in Australia's series-opening win in Nottingham, launched Brydon Carse for a huge six onto the roof of the Mound Stand.
Carse, however, had his revenge when he bowled left-hander Head for 34 from around the wicket.
Australia's 68-1 then became 75-2 when Potts had star batsman Steven Smith caught behind for just five.
After Marsh was bowled for 28 by a superb delivery from express fast bowler Jofra Archer that nipped past his outside edge, Carse struck twice in the 15th over to remove Josh Inglis and Marnus Labuschagne.
Potts just missed out on a hat-trick before leg-spinner Adil Rashid ended the match by bowling last man Josh Hazlewood for a duck.
Earlier, Brook -- fresh from a match-winning maiden ODI century at Chester-le-Street -- came in with England faltering at 71-2.
But he responded with an exhilarating 58-ball innings including 11 fours and a six.
Australia thought Brook had been caught behind down the legside for 17 by Inglis, playing his first match of the series after injury, off Starc.
But an umpire review made it clear the ball had bounced into Inglis's gloves -- with boos ringing round Lord's as the replay was shown on the giant screen.
It was the second controversial incident involving an Australia wicketkeeper at Lord's in as many matches after Alex Carey -- playing as a batsman only on Friday -- stumped Jonny Bairstow during an Ashes Test last year when the England batsman believed the ball was dead.
Brook fell when he holed out in the deep off leg-spinner Adam Zampa.
Brook says return to form 'a matter of time'
England captain Harry Brook insisted he was always confident of coming good after starring in a 186-run rout of Australia at Lord's on Friday that set up a one-day international series decider with the world champions.
Brook, leading England in the absence of the injured Jos Buttler, followed his match-winning and maiden ODI hundred at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday with a superb 87 from 58 balls at Lord's.
In a match reduced by rain to 39 overs per side, the big-hitting Liam Livingstone added late impetus with a whirlwind 62 not out from just 27 balls as England posted an imposing total of 312-5.
Australia, following a promising start to their reply, collapsed to 126 all out inside 25 overs as England levelled the five-match series at 2-2 ahead of Sunday's finale at Bristol.
Brook came under fire from former England captains Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook for the way he succumbed to frustration while being dismissed in this month's third Test loss to Sri Lanka at the Oval.
But in an ODI format which is unfamiliar to many members of a new-look England side, the 25-year-old produced his second superbly-paced innings of the week.
"It felt like only a matter of time for me," Brook told reporters.
"I feel like I've been playing well all summer, everything just needed to click. The last couple of games for me have been really special."
England opener Ben Duckett survived an awkward opening spell from Mitchell Starc to make 63 before Livingstone smashed seven sixes, including four in an astounding last over from the left-arm fast bowler that cost 28 runs.
"He was striking it unbelievably well," Brook said of Livingstone. "We all know what he's capable of doing at the back end (of an innings)."
- 'Phenomenal' -
Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh put on 68 in the first nine overs of Australia's reply before the innings subsided as Brydon Carse (3-36) and Jofra Archer (2-33) did the bulk of the early damage in helpful conditions under the floodlights.
Archer, plagued by injury since starring in England's triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign, touched speeds of 93 mph (150 km/h), with fellow paceman Matthew Potts rounding off the home side's fine all-round display with an ODI best 4-38.
And express quick Archer also struck Marnus Labuschagne a nasty blow on the elbow.
"It was phenomenal to watch," Brook said. "We knew the seamers were getting the most out the pitch so I just tried to bowl them as many overs as possible."
Australia, without Cameron Green after the all-rounder suffered a tour-ending back injury, had few answers as skipper Marsh admitted.
"Fair play to England, they put us under a lot of pressure with the bat," Marsh told Sky Sports.
"We couldn't get early wickets and they thoroughly out-played us today. Liam Livingstone played a gem of an innings."
He added: "England bowled really well. We lost wickets continually and that's cricket."
Scoreboard
Completed scoreboard in the fourth one-day international between England and Australia at Lord's on Friday (match reduced to 39 overs per side by rain):
England
- Salt c Labuschagne b Hazlewood 22
- Duckett c Abbott b Zampa 63
- Jacks c Labuschagne b Marsh 10
- Brook c Maxwell b Zampa 87
- Smith c Hazlewood b Maxwell 39
- Livingstone not out 62
- Bethell not out 12
Extras (lb7, nb1, w9) 17
Total (5 wkts, 39 overs) 312
Did not bat: B Carse, J Archer, A Rashid, M Potts
Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Salt), 2-71 (Jacks), 3-150 (Duckett), 4-225 (Brook), 5-241 (Smith)
Bowling: Starc 8-0-70-0 (1w); Hazlewood 8-1-40-1 (1nb, 1w); Abbott 7-0-62-0 (1w); Marsh 4-0-27-1 (2w); Zampa 8-0-66-2; Maxwell 3-0-30-1 (2w); Labuschagne 1-0-10-0
Australia
- Marsh b Archer 28
- Head b Carse 34
- Smith c Smith b Potts 5
- Inglis c Jacks b Carse 8
- Labuschagne b Carse 4
- Carey b Potts 13
- Maxwell c Smith b Archer 2
- Abbott c Livingstone b Potts 10
- Starc not out 3
- Zampa c Livingstone b Potts 0
- Hazlewood b Rashid 0
Extras (lb8, w11) 19
Total (all out, 24.4 overs) 126
Fall of wickets: 1-68 (Head), 2-75 (Smith), 3-80 (Marsh), 4-91 (Inglis), 5-93 (Labuschagne), 6-96 (Maxwell), 7-119 (Abbott), 8-122 (Carey), 9-122 (Zampa), 10-126 (Hazlewood)
Bowling: Potts 8-2-38-4 (3w); Archer 7-0-33-2 (2w); Carse 6-0-36-3 (3w); Rashid 3.4-0-11-1 (1w)
Result: England won by 186 runs
Player-of-the-match: Harry Brook (ENG)
Series: Five-match series level at 2-2
Toss: Australia
Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS), Martin Saggers (ENG)
TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
Remaining Fixture
Sep 29: 5th ODI, Bristol (1000 GMT)
Previous Results
Sep 19, 1st ODI, Trent Bridge: Australia won by seven wickets
Sep 21, 2nd ODI, Headingley: Australia won by 68 runs
Sep 24: 3rd ODI, Chester-le-Street: England won by 46 runs (DLS method)