Stokes begins England healing process

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By Matthew Sherry

Ben Stokes shone with bat and ball as England sealed a first international victory on their disappointing tour of Australia.

Requiring a win to avoid matching a team record by losing a 10th successive game, the hosts racked up 316 for eight after being asked to bat in the fourth one-day international.

They did so thanks to useful contributions from Ian Bell and Alastair Cook, who hit 44 and 55 respectively, plus fine efforts from Stokes and Jos Buttler.

The former, batting at number three for the second time in ODIs, held the innings together with a fluent 70, an effort that laid the platform for a superb 43-ball 71 from Buttler – who largely forwent his usual inventiveness in favour of brutal power.

Such hitting was matched only by Australia opener Aaron Finch, his 108 threatening to inflict further pain on England – who went into the game an insurmountable 3-0 down in the series following their Ashes whitewash.

However, he was ousted by Tim Bresnan, whose two wickets were bettered only by four from Stokes, the all-rounder continuing his affinity with a ground that proved the setting for his stunning first Test hundred last month as Australia were dismissed for 259.

Match Scorecard/ Live ball-by-ball commentary

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Post-Match Presentation

11.23am – Ben Stokes is man of the match for his ODI-best 70 and then taking four wickets.

Stokes said: “It was a very good [team] performance. I thought we were very consistent tonight, put alot of pressure on.” On victory, he added: “We’re going to enjoy it while we can. A first win on tour so we’re really happy.”

Alastair Cook said: “It’s been a while since we’ve had this feeling. All in all it was a pretty good performance.” Of Stokes, he added: “He likes playing at the WACA. He’s an outstanding cricketer, still quite raw. He competes every single ball.”

Australia captain George Bailey admitted: “We were outplayed today.”

Australia Innings

Watch highlights of Australia’s innings at the WACA

11.13am – ENGLAND WIN BY 57 RUNS TO MAKE THE SERIES SCORE 3-1! – WICKET! Pattinson c Buttler b Bresnan 4; Australia 259 all out, Coulter-Nile 9 – There it is! England’s first international win of the tour is sealed with 2.2 overs to spare as Pattinson top-edges a pull and Buttler claims a steepling catch.

11.08am – MISSED CHANCE! – Stokes is fallible after all. He drops a regulation chance to oust Nathan Coulter-Nile and wrap things up. Later in the over, Jordan is again denied as a top-edged James Pattinson pull falls safe.

10.58am – WICKET! Christian c Ballance b Broad 23; Australia 247/9 – The writing appears on the wall now, Christian edging Broad down the third man.

10.51am – WICKET! Johnson b Stokes 6; Australia 239/8 – Stokes doesn’t mind it here does he? Following his stunning first Test century at this ground, he has produced career-best ODI batting effort and now has four wickets as Mitchell Johnson is bowled heaving across the line.

10.41am – WICKET! Faulkner c Buttler b Stokes 2; Australia 230/7 – There will be no heroics from Faulkner today as he feathers an attempted cut to Jos Buttler. Surely England have this wrapped up now?

10.38am – Just three runs have come from the last two overs with Stokes and Broad keeping a lid on Australia’s scoring.

10.29am – WICKET! Maxwell c Buttler b Stokes 26; Australia 222/6 – Got him! Cook brings back Stokes and it pays immediate dividends as Maxwell nicks an attempted heave behind.

10.22am – Maxwell and Dan Christian are ticking the score over nicely here. With James Faulkner in next, Australia are far from out of this.

10.08am – WICKET! Finch c Broad b Bresnan 108; Australia 191/5 – That’s the breakthrough England wanted so badly! Finch attempts to upper-cut Bresnan but picks out Broad at third man.

10.04am – Glenn Maxwell is looking busy alongside Finch. The batting powerplay is in place, with its first over bringing just four runs.

9.48am – WICKET! Smith c Buttler b Broad 19; Australia 174/4 – Brilliant from Broad, who – one ball after being pulled for four – induces a feather from Smith.

9.44am – CENTURY! Finch (97b 8×4 4×6) – A clip to leg brings two and a brilliant century for Finch. How England would love to get rid of him.

9.40am – Steven Smith is proving a good foil for Finch, who is on to 97, and picks up his first six with a pull… Australia are 160 for three after 30 overs.

9.19am – WICKET! Bailey c Buttler b Stokes 11; Australia 132/3 – Excellent, excellent review from Cook. Ben Stokes appeals loudly for a caught-behind down the leg side off Bailey but umpire Kumar Dharmasena shakes his head. However, HotSpot shows an inside edge and the Australia skipper is on his way.

 

9.13am – That scalp had slowed Australia down until George Bailey thumped Bopara down the ground for four.

8.58am – WICKET! Wade c Cook b Bopara 23; Australia 110/2 – It’s all happening! Now England have a breakthrough as Wade picks out Alastair Cook at mid-off.

8.56am – We knew it would come… Finch begins to take the attack to Tredwell, who had been economical, and strikes successive sixes – the first of which flew out of the stadium!

8.50am – Matthew Wade picks up his first boundary of the innings, clipping Ravi Bopara – who erred too straight – fine for four.

8.44am – As I was saying… 

8.40am – FIFTY! Finch (54b 7×4 1×6) – Finch brings up a good half-century. I cannot help but think there are some fireworks to come from the opener soon.

8.37am – In spite of that maximum, England are applying the squeeze impressive here.

8.23am – England are keeping a lid on things nicely, with just 12 runs coming in the last five overs. James Tredwell is now into the attack.

8.05am – WICKET! Marsh c Bell b Bresnan 15; Australia 46/1 – England needed that. With the home side rocketing along, Marsh opened the face and tried to steer Tim Bresnan to third man. However, Ian Bell had other ideas and held a fine, diving catch at second slip.

8am – The runs continue to flow for Australia as Jordan and Stuart Broad struggle to find the right length.

7.47am – Australia are off to a flyer here as Shaun Marsh and Finch pepper the boundary, taking the score to 27 after three overs.

7.39am – Aaron Finch, the dangerman of these early stages, gets Australia moving with a powerful, aerial drive through cover – only to be cut in half by a Chris Jordan beauty at the end of the opening over.

England Innings

Watch highlights of England’s innings at the WACA

7.01am – END OF INNINGS! England 316/8; Broad 4, Jordan 0 – Brilliant end to the innings for England as Stuart Broad crunches Faulkner’s hat-trick delivery through cover for four.

6.59am – WICKET! Bresnan c Johnson b Faulkner 2; England 312/8 – Two in two! Tim Bresnan edges a wild heave, the ball flying off the bat straight to Johnson in the same position. Faulkner’s on a hat-trick with a delivery remaining.

6.58am – WICKET! Buttler c Johnson b Faulkner 71; England 312/7 – What a knock that was from Buttler. The ball after whipping Faulkner over midwicket for six, he edges to third man – where Johnson takes a good catch.

6.49am – FIFTY! Buttler (34b 4×4 2×6) – Buttler clips two and brings up a sublime half-century. He has two overs to inflict more damage…

6.46am – WICKET! Morgan c Christian b Faulkner 33; England 287/6 – A good, little Morgan cameo comes to an end as he nails Faulkner straight to midwicket, one ball after sweeping the left-arm seamer for six.

6.37am – What a talent. Buttler follows a powerful pulled four with an incredible straight six off Coulter-Nile. England are 270 for five with four overs left.

6.34am – Wonderful stuff from Buttler, who drives and pulls Johnson for effortless boundaries. 

6.12am – Morgan responds well, pulling Faulkner over fine-leg for four. He and Jos Buttler are the men England want at the crease in this situation.

6.04am – WICKET! Bopara c sub b Coulter-Nile 3; England 216/5 – After Morgan crunches a four through extra-cover, Ravi Bopara skies an attempted pull to mid-on, where Xavier Doherty claims a simple catch.

5.50am – WICKET! Stokes c Wade b Faulkner 70; England 206/4 – Big breakthrough for Australia as Faulkner, having been crunched over mid-off for four by Eoin Morgan, has Stokes caught at fine-leg off a top edge.

5.37am – WICKET! Ballance c Smith b Pattinson 18; England 190/3 – Ballance, who really struggled for fluency, top-edges an attempted pull and Steven Smith snaffles a skier.

5.32am – The umpires ruled that there was not enough evidence to give Stokes out. Having watched Gary Ballance find a first boundary via an edge, the number three responded by crunching Johnson through midwicket.

5.19am – FIFTY! Stokes (58b 4×4 1×6) – What a way to bring up your first ODI half-century. Stokes advances and crunches Maxwell for a huge straight six despite men being in place at long-off and long-on.

5.13am – That’s more like it! Maxwell drops a little short and Stokes pulls powerfully through midwicket.

5.08am – England are struggling to get the ball away all of a sudden, although their earlier good work means they can afford a couple of quiet overs.

4.54am – WICKET! Bell c Faulkner b Christian 55; England 138/2 – There’s the breakthrough Australia needed. Bell whips Dan Christian straight to the hands of fine-leg Faulkner, who makes no mistake.

4.50am – MISSED CHANCES! – In the blink of an eye, Stokes is on to 29 with a whipped four. That precedes Shaun Marsh dropping his second chance of the over, both difficult efforts diving at slip as Bell and Stokes enjoy a life apiece.

4.44am – FIFTY! Bell (47b 9×4 0x6) – That’s an error from James Pattinson, who comes in too far from deep cover and watches an aerial Bell drive – which should have offered a simple chance – go over his head for four. That brings up a fine fifty for England’s opener.

4.23am – England’s rate has not slowed since Cook’s departure, Ben Stokes finding early fours via a sweep and straight drive either side of Bell adding to his count with a glorious front-foot stroke.

4.14am – WICKET! Cook b Maxwell 44; England 87/1 – The captain falls as, the over after watching Bell edge and clip to the rope, he inside edges an attempted slog-sweep at Glenn Maxwell on to his stumps. That was a cracking knock, which has left England in a fine position.

4.04am – Put simply, this is stunning batting. Bell successively hits Faulkner for straight, aerial fours before Cook adds boundaries with a powerful pull and drive in the next over. England end the powerplay on 73 without loss.

3.57am – Even better from the skipper as he twice cuts and then drives Nathan Coulter-Nile to the rope. He is on to 33 from just 29 balls.

3.54am – This has become an excellent start for England. James Faulkner’s first over goes for nine as Cook pulls and aerially clips leg-side fours to leave England 41 without loss after seven overs.

3.43am – Plenty of positive intent being shown by England, with Alastair Cook edging four over third man after Ian Bell picks up three with a lovely chip over cover.

3.24am – Wonderful first over from Mitchell Johnson, who beats each opener’s bat as England get three runs on the board.

Pre-Play News 

3.15am – Right then, we’re just five minutes from the action. So get the kettle on, make a cuppa and then settle in for some cricket, and hopefully an England win.

3am – Australia had already named their team yesterday, Bailey leading in place of Michael Clarke – who is rested along with David Warner and Brad Haddin. Xavier Doherty is left out with Steven Smith, Matthew Wade and Mitchell Johnson coming in.

2.52am – AUSTRALIA WIN TOSS & BOWL – Australia skipper George Bailey calls correctly and sends the tourists in.

2.43am – There is much of that aforementioned ‘pride’ at stake today, though, with Jos Buttler yesterday talking of the team’s desire to avoid equalling an England-record 10 straight losses.

2.30am – Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the fourth one-day international of five between Australia and England. The hosts are already 3-0 up in the rubber, meaning Alastair Cook’s side are playing for pride.

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