Clarke hundred fires Australia in second ODI
Australia beat England by 88 runs to win the second one-day international at Manchester’s Old Trafford on Sunday.
Victory saw Australia go 1-0 up in the five-match series following Friday’s washed-out opener in Leeds.
Australia made 315/7 after losing the toss, captain Michael Clarke top-scoring with 105 and sharing a fourth-wicket stand of 155 with vice-captain George Bailey (82).
England slumped to 9/2 and despite fifties from Jos Buttler (75), Kevin Pietersen (60) and stand-in skipper Eoin Morgan (54), were dismissed for 227 with 34 balls to spare.
The series continues at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
Earlier, Clarke’s 105, only his eight hundred in 229 matches at this level, came on the same ground where just over a month ago he made 187 in the drawn third Test against England.
He received excellent support from vice-captain George Bailey (82) in a fourth-wicket stand of 155 as Australia made their highest one-day international score against England in England, surpassing their 302/6 at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge in 2009.
Ashes-holders England — restling the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann ahead of the return series Down Under starting in November — appeared to be a bowler light.
But with Australia looking as if they’d make well in excess of 300, former Ireland fast bowler Boyd Rankin pulled them back in by taking two wickets in two balls to dismiss Clarke and Matthew Wade before James Faulkner survived the hat-trick delivery. Rankin finished with 2/49 from his maximum 10 overs, with off-spinner James Tredwell (one for 60/8 overs), the most expensive member of England’s attack.
England, after stand-in captain Eoin Morgan — deputising for the rested Alastair Cook — won the toss, needed just four balls to reduce Australia to nought for one when fast bowler Steven Finn had Shaun Marsh caught behind by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler as the left-hander tried to cut.
SCORES
Scores: Australia 315/7 in 50 overs (Clarke 105, Bailey 82; Rankin 2/49, Bopara 2/57) bt England 227 in 44.2 overs (Buttler 75, Pietersen 60; McKay 3/47, Johnson 2/36)
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