Skip to main content
CRICKET

Australia beaten by five wickets in first ODI against England

Opener Jason Roy hit the highest one-day international score by an England player when beating Australia by five wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

England batsman Jason Roy acknowledges the applause after being dismissed by Australia's for 180 during their one-day international cricket match played at the MCG in Melbourne on January 14, 2018.
England batsman Jason Roy acknowledges the applause after being dismissed by Australia's for 180 during their one-day international cricket match played at the MCG in Melbourne on January 14, 2018. William West/AFP
Advertising

Having been beaten 4-0 during the Ashes, England won with seven balls to spare in the opener of the five-match ODI series against Australia.

Set 305 to win, Roy's daring 180 helped England make 308 for five.

The successful chase was also a record for a one-day international at the MCG, eclipsing Australia's 297 for four against England in 2011, and vindicated captain Eoin Morgan's decision to bowl first.

The 27-year-old passed teammate Alex Hales's England record knock of 171 against Pakistan in 2016 with a chip just over the head of a despairing Australian fielder.

Roy was still coming to terms with his achievement after the match.

"Incredibly special, I don't have too many words right now," he said. "Halesy was pretty disappointed."

Australian captain Steve Smith praised Roy for his bold stroke.

"He didn't give us a chance, and he chanced his arm," Smith said. "They got off to an absolute flyer and we couldn't pull them back."

Roy had a willing partner in Test captain Joe Root, who had been tormented all tour by the Australians and was in no mood to let a rare victory slip.

Root made an unbeaten 91 and he and Roy put on 221 -- an English ODI record -- for the third wicket.

Aaron Finch's ninth one-day international century was the cornerstone of the Australian total of 304 for eight.

Finch's 107 was backed by half-centuries for Mitchell Marsh (50) and Marcus Stoinis (60) as Australia recovered from a shaky start in which the tourists finally managed to get bogeyman Steve Smith cheaply.

Fresh from scoring three centuries as Australia won the Ashes 4-0, Smith looked in commanding touch again as he scored at better than a run a ball but was caught behind off spinner Adil Rashid for just 23.

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning

Keep up to date with international news by downloading the RFI app

Share :
Page not found

The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.