England captain Eoin Morgan is hit by a bouncer from Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins during the second ODI, at Lord's cricket ground in London yesterday. Morgan top-scored with 85 and was the last man out in England's losing total of 245. (AFP)
AFP/London
Australia beat England by 64 runs to win the second one-day international at Lord’s yesterday as they went 2-0 up in the five-match series.
But an otherwise routine win was overshadowed when England all-rounder Ben Stokes was controversially given out obstructing the field—a dismissal greeted by jeers round Lord’s.
Sent in to bat, world champions Australia made 309 for seven in a match reduced by rain to 49 overs per side, captain Steven Smith top-scoring with 70 and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh making 64 towards the end of the innings.
England in reply saw captain Eoin Morgan, infuriated by Stokes’ dismissal, top-score with 85 before he was last man out in a total of 245.
No other batsman made more than 43 as Australia won with 39 balls to spare in an innings where fast bowler Pat Cummins took four for 56. The series continues at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Earlier, captain Smith paved the way for the World Cup-holders' last 10-over assault. Smith, together with George Bailey (54), put on 99 for the second-wicket.
Australia's battery of big-hitting all-rounders then came to the fore as 96 runs were scored in the last 10 overs. Mitchell Marsh, out off the last delivery of the innings for a 31-ball 64, struck seven fours and three sixes off his own bat.
Off-spinner Moeen Ali's figures suffered in a return of one for 68 while all-rounder Ben Stokes's three-wicket haul came while the boundary bonanza was at its height.
Australia suffered an early setback when David Warner, who struggled against the short ball during England's 3-2 Ashes series win, was struck a painful blow on the left thumb as he got in a tangle trying to play fast bowler Steven Finn's second-ball bouncer and retired hurt.
Warner was later ruled out of the rest of the ODI series because of the injury. He will travel with the squad to Manchester, where the third of a five-match contest will be played on Tuesday, and fly home from there, with a replacement to be announced soon.
Smith, however, seized on anything short, while Bailey, placing the ball well, completed his first ODI fifty since the World Cup.
Bailey, giving himself room was bowled by Ali's second delivery as the ball turned sharply.
It was not long before Australia's 141 for two became 171 for three.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who took four for 59 on Thursday, ended Smith's 87-ball knock as the captain, trying to drive a well-flighted ball, sliced to backward point. Glenn Maxwell (49) got the late run spree going with two sixes and a four off successive balls in an Ali over.
