On September 29, 2024, Australia beat England by eight wickets in the final ODI, played in Bristol. Australia’s stand-in captain Steven Smith won the toss and elected to bowl first. England got a solid
start as openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett stood at the crease and built a 58-run stand in just seven overs. Salt fell against Aaron Hardie after playing a brisk knock of 45 off 27. Will Jacks, who walked into the middle after Salt’s dismissal, also became the victim of Hardie after failing to score any runs. Duckett and Harry Brook maintained a 132-run stand off 104 balls and solidified the hosts’ position in the game.
Adam Zampa broke the partnership as he got rid of Brook, who departed after accumulating 72 runs off 52 balls. England lost wickets in quick succession as Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, and Jacob Bethell went back to the dugout with their little contributions. Duckett lost his battle to Travis Head after notching up 107 off 91. After hunting Duckett’s scalp, Head cleared England’s batting tail to bundle out the home side on 309 in 49.2 overs.
Matt Short’s sensational knock helped Australia claim an easy win
Chasing the target, Australia witnessed the dominance of Matt Short. In the first powerplay, the visitors amassed 103 runs after losing only one wicket. Short brought his fifty in just 23 balls. Riding on his majestic knock, Australia racked up 165 runs in 20.4 overs. Head chipped in with his 31 while Smith and Josh Inglis remained unbeaten at their scores of 31 and 28 respectively.
With rain spoiling the remaining game, Australia were declared victorious by 49 runs via DLS method. Head became the Player of the Match (POTM) for his stunning bowling show. With this win, Australia also bagged the five-match ODI series by 3-2.
