Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell were Australia's match-winners. Reuters
Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell were Australia's match-winners. Reuters
Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell were Australia's match-winners. Reuters
Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell were Australia's match-winners. Reuters

Australia beat England by three wickets to claim series victory


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England ended a summer of thrilling cricket on the wrong side of a series defeat as centuries from Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell carried Australia to a nail-biting win at Emirates Old Trafford.

The momentum shifted back and forth in a fiercely contested third one-day international with the tourists languishing on 73/5 in pursuit of 303 – a score built around Jonny Bairstow's punchy 112.

Then the sixth-wicket pair came together.

They proceeded to pile on a monster stand of 212, with Carey scoring 106 and Maxwell bludgeoning seven sixes in his 108 to build towards an eventual three-wicket win.

That condemned the hosts to a first series defeat of six across all formats this season, and ended a proud, five-year undefeated streak in home ODIs.

The decision to bowl Adil Rashid in the last over proved fateful as Mitchell Starc thwacked his first ball for a maximum. Getty
The decision to bowl Adil Rashid in the last over proved fateful as Mitchell Starc thwacked his first ball for a maximum. Getty

England gave reprieves to both centurions.

Carey was caught off a Jofra Archer no-ball on nine and Maxwell was dropped by Jos Buttler on 44.

But the pair still needed to call on deep reserves of determination, self-belief and prowess to turn the tables on a side that has made a habit of edging tight finishes.

Eoin Morgan's men looked like they might be about to do so again at the death knell.

They whipped out both match-winners late on but with 10 runs needed off the final over, Mitchell Starc belted Adil Rashid for six and then hit the leg-spinner for four with two deliveries left.

Starc shines with the new ball

Starc started the day superbly in his primary role as a strike bowler, in a bold and brilliant double breakthrough with the first two balls of the day.

His first was full, fast and flew to point after Jason Roy accepted the invitation to drive.

Joe Root was beaten even more comprehensively as Starc greeted him with a big inswinger that would have knocked over leg stump had it not thumped into the front pad.

It was the kind of dismal start that can lead to spooked dressing rooms, hurried collapses and early finishes, but England found a way back.

Bairstow was admirably unruffled, trusting the pitch and his hands as he hammered seven boundaries and a flat six as he scored 41 runs of England's 10-over 67/1.

Jonny Bairstow hits out on his way to a pugnacious century. Getty
Jonny Bairstow hits out on his way to a pugnacious century. Getty

Australia halted the charge by introducing Adam Zampa, who tossed persuaded Morgan (23) and Buttler (8) to pick out catchers.

Bairstow needed someone to stay with him and Sam Billings obliged, with a stand of 114 in just under 20 overs.

The Kent man survived a tough return chance off Starc on 25 and made the paceman pay with two sweet sixes.

Bairstow struck an equally eye-catching blow to reach his 10th one-day century, turning Pat Cummins hard and flat over long leg.

Australia removed both before it got any worse.

Billings mishit a reverse-sweep off Zampa, and Bairstow was cleaned up by well-hidden Cummins lower ball.

A fine 53 not out from Chris Woakes ensured they reached 302 for seven.

Joe Root has day to remember with the ball

What needed to be a record chase in Manchester looked virtually impossible when Australia slumped to 73/5 in the 17th over, seemingly poised to crumble under pressure.

Woakes, fresh from his batting exploits, struck twice with new ball as Aaron Finch was plumb lbw and Marcus Stoinis misread a slower ball.

David Warner has been troubled by the pace of Jofra Archer this series but it was the part-time off breaks of Joe Root which undid him in the third ODI. Getty
David Warner has been troubled by the pace of Jofra Archer this series but it was the part-time off breaks of Joe Root which undid him in the third ODI. Getty

That gave Morgan the freedom to gamble on Root's part-time spin, a risk that paid off when his fifth ball gripped and splayed David Warner's stumps as the left-hander stepped away.

Root also dismissed Mitch Marsh, caught behind off bat and pad, and took a bowling credit for Billings's run out of Marnus Labuschagne.

Australia would have been 87/6 had Carey fallen to Archer's bumper in the 20th over, but celebrations were cut shot when the paceman was called for overstepping.

The innings pivoted on that moment, with Maxwell and Carey taking control of the middle stages.

The pair piled on a century stand in 99 deliveries, with Maxwell repeatedly swiping powerfully up and over the short boundary.

His assault on Rashid was the crucial match-up, as England's X-factor wicket-taker was belted out of the attack.

Maxwell's crucial moment of luck came on 44, with 140 still required.

He heaved hard at a leg break, nicking behind only for Buttler to grass the chance.

That was as good as it got for Rashid, who was unable to attack or contain and at one stage found himself launched into Old Trafford's vacant hospitality building, "The Point".

Australia were favourites with 81 needed from the final 10. Both batsmen reaching three figures as they ploughed towards their target.

They needed just 21 off three when Rashid returned, finally snaring Maxwell off the top edge to guarantee late nerves.

Glenn Maxwell's late dismissal wasn't enough to derail Australia's victory charge. Getty Images
Glenn Maxwell's late dismissal wasn't enough to derail Australia's victory charge. Getty Images

Archer had Carey excellently caught by Mark Wood but Starc hit two decisive blows off the spinner to wrap up the 2020 programme.

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

Representing%20UAE%20overseas
%3Cp%3E%0DIf%20Catherine%20Richards%20debuts%20for%20Wales%20in%20the%20Six%20Nations%2C%20she%20will%20be%20the%20latest%20to%20have%20made%20it%20from%20the%20UAE%20to%20the%20top%20tier%20of%20the%20international%20game%20in%20the%20oval%20ball%20codes.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeren%20Gough-Walters%20(Wales%20rugby%20league)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Dubai%2C%20raised%20in%20Sharjah%2C%20and%20once%20an%20immigration%20officer%20at%20the%20British%20Embassy%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20she%20debuted%20for%20Wales%20in%20rugby%20league%20in%202021.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%20sevens)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EWith%20an%20Emirati%20father%20and%20English%20mother%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20at%20school%20in%20Dubai%2C%20and%20went%20on%20to%20represent%20England%20on%20the%20sevens%20circuit.%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFiona%20Reidy%20(Ireland)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMade%20her%20Test%20rugby%20bow%20for%20Ireland%20against%20England%20in%202015%2C%20having%20played%20for%20four%20years%20in%20the%20capital%20with%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20previously.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Fixtures

Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA

Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland

Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland

Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA

Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland

Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland

Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free

Fixtures
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWednesday%2C%20April%203%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EArsenal%20v%20Luton%20Town%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EManchester%20City%20v%20Aston%20Villa%2C%2011.15pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThursday%2C%20April%204%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELiverpool%20v%20Sheffield%20United%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

England World Cup squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent