hits the stumps! Curran wins it for England! Paine's heroics in vain, beaten by reverse swing to rattle leg stump - Curran claims a maiden international five-for with the final ball! What a finish, a cracking match to christen the new Perth Stadium
Australia vs England, 5th ODI at Perth, Jan 28 2018 - Match Result
7.45pm: Well, that was fun. Dan Brettig's report will colour in the day for you, a Perth scorcher to finish the series. Elsewhere, the IPL auction has just about wrapped up, with Chris Gayle, the Universe Boss himself, among the late buys. Anyway, from Miller and myself, thanks for your contributions... We'll be back for more when the T20s start next weekend. Laters!
7.35pm: Presentations time, Tom Curran is Man of the Match: "Watching the boys play one-day cricket recently has been a pleasure and to come in and try and take my chance is a great feeling. I've been training hard, to come and play the first ODI at this unbelievable stadium, in front the Barmy Army... the game was unbelievable, what a finish."
Joe Root is named Player of the Series: "I think we thoroughly enjoyed these one-day games, to come back [after the Ashes] how we have shows the character in the group. We've been together for a while, the same guys around the team, clear idea of your role in the side and we have continuity and from there consistency. You've always got to think you're in the game, trying to take wickets. We weren't probably at our best but we came through. [Break now?] Yeah, won't overdo things, come back strong for NZ."
Australia captain Steven Smith: "We thought we'd pulled it back really well, but we didn't start as well with the ball, been a bit of trend. We thought it was very chaseable, but again we lost wickets in clumps and you can't do that against a quality England line-up. [Andrew Tye?] He bowled well, hit a good length and bowled his change-ups, but our batting again wasn't good enough. These lapses are happening way too often in one-day cricket. [Stadium?] It was magnificent, the crowd, the pitched played really well and the outfield was lightning, hope we'll lots more good games of cricket here. [Time for a rest?] It's been a long summer, I haven't been as good in this format, and we've been outplayed, they thoroughly deserved to win."
England captain Eoin Morgan: "Really special, I thought we'd played particularly poorly for much of the game but when we got on top we made it count. In the Adelaide game, we had them seven down, so we knew to fight to the end. There have been a lot of positives, a lot of fight through the series. The ball started going a bit reverse, that was the feedback we got from practice games, the ball chews up. Tom Curran, to bowl a spell like that, for such a young guy, it's a great sign. [Squad selection] We're spoiled for choice, guys are fighting for positions, it's a special group of players that are very talented. To win while we're learning is extra special. A huge thank you to everyone who's come today, they've been great. [Barmy Army] It's been a long few months but we always appreciate their support."
7.25pm: Well, well. A 12-run win for England gives them the series 4-1, equalling Australia's heaviest ODI defeat on home soil. Both teams found it harder and harder to score as the innings wore on, but England's adrenaline-infused first half and an Australia collapse of 6 for 58 tipped the balance. It was a thoroughly enjoyable first outing for Perth's new venue, although without the hoped-for result (from a home perspective)... And a big performance from Tom Curran, too. I wonder if there's still time for an IPL franchise to take note?
"Will we get the inflatable four fingers up for this ending?" wonders Simon. I suspect England might get a hand gesture or two...
"You asked, what has Curran got?" hoots Mahota. "Well he has got the MoM."
Robert Brown: "Good on ya Moeen Ali, now you whingers - he took 3 wickets, he's the man"
full, fast, swerving in and dug out on off stump into the covers - dot ball
Two overs, 13 needed. Paine the man... What has Curran got?
finishes with another slow bouncer, pulled to fine leg for one to keep Paine on strike
"Might have been better for Ball to stay off the field and let Root take that over," muses Chris in Taunto. Or they could have held Ball back and hoped they didn't need him... But it's academic now
dug on short, Paine pulls square and again declines one
Back to a run a ball for Australia
full and straight - RAMPED FOR SIX!!! What a shot, skill and guts from Paine! Ball missed the yorker and he got the lap away perfectly to sail all the way over the rope at fine leg!
short, taking the pace off, Paine swings hard and thick-edges four to third man! Came off the toe, in fact, and scuttles fine past the man down there
Paine backs away to leg, Ball fires in a cutter, gets a play-and-miss as Buttler tumbles to gather
"Wow! I really want to see Tom Curran in the IPL now. Did anyone buy him?" He was in the auction, Mir. But not picked up, I think
slower-ball bouncer again, Paine hammers a pull to deep square leg... and declines the single
Ball to deliver his last over... Australia need 24 to win from 18
Just one run off the over, superb stuff from Curran and the pendulum swings heavily towards England...
back-of-the-hand slower ball, wide of the stumps, Hazlewood prods and misses
Two slips in now
fuller, poked square and they won't chance a single to point
"I'm not prepared to blame one man for this loss...but I'm very tempted," grouses Ron. "I could stretch it to two if necessary though."
round the wicket, swerving away from back of a length, play and a miss
In comes the last man, Josh Hazlewood. Can he hold on alongside Paine?
bowled 'im! Woolly swing of the bat and Curran knocks back middle stump! Silence washes over the Perth Stadium, Zampa's gutsy knock is ended and England are one wicket away
"What a finish this is turning out to be!" croaks Champion
outside off, again taking the pace off, runs this down to third man
slower ball, on middle and leg, Paine tries to work across the line but only pops it back down the track off the splice
Four overs to go, 25 needed, this is getting tighter than a pair of Spanx... Tom Curran returns
Just seven off the over, but it's still in Australia's grasp. Paine the key man
hits a length, Zampa shows it straight bat
"Adrian Tudor 16 off 31 is not a run a ball!" notes James, correctly enough. But he's kicking on now
angled in and dabbed to the leg side for the single
dug in and smashed to the boundary! Slower-ball bouncer from Ball but it sits up invitingly and Paine swivels to slam it through deep backward square leg and perk up the crowd once more!
banged in, Zampa heaves down the ground, in the air but it won't carry to long-on running in
good length on off, Zampa pushes circumspectly to extra cover
"Poor fielding in last few overs have shifted the momentum in Aus favour," warbles Hitesh
short ball, taking the pace off, Paine pulls it around the corner for one
Five overs to go, the rate above a run a ball, 32 required. And Jake Ball is back on the field and able to bowl...
2W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | 1W | |||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
Perth Stadium | |
Toss | Australia, elected to field first |
Series | |
Season | 2017/18 |
Player Of The Match | |
Player Of The Series | |
Series result | England won the 5-match series 4-1 |
Match number | ODI no. 3968 |
Match days | 28 January 2018 - day (50-over match) |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee |