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England’s back-up batters threatened to square the anticlimactic one-day series in Australia, only for things to unravel spectacularly under the Sydney floodlights.
Half-centuries from Sam Billings and James Vince saw England reach 156 for three in the 28th over of their pursuit of 281.
But with the asking rate below the initial 5.8 at the start of the innings, and Australia desperate for a wicket to check the momentum, an umpire’s call lbw accounted for Vince, and England went from cruise control to full implosion.
Mitchell Starc struck twice in the first over of England’s chase and finished with four wickets
Sam Billings scored a half century to keep England’s hopes alive but ultimately fell for 71
In all they lost seven for 52 as Australia triumphed by 72 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead heading into the final match of a tour tagged on the end of the Twenty20 World Cup.
England’s chase got off to a disastrous start when Jason Roy’s miseries continued in an opening over that also saw Thursday’s centurion Dawid Malan dismissed.
Roy made another single figure contribution in a year that has seen him lose his place in England’s Twenty20 team and suffer a dip in his one-day returns – the made just 121 runs in five innings versus India and South Africa last summer.
Yet with an ODI average still in excess of 40 and a strike rate better than 100, he arrived in Australia with a vote of confidence as the 50-over team’s opener.
James Vince also played nicely for 60, but was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood at a key moment
However, the nature of his dismissal – a leg-side strangle off Mitchell Starc – emphasised the rotten rut he is in.
Three balls later, and a team being captained un ODIs for the first time by Moeen Ali were 0-2 when Malan received an unplayable 90 mile an hour away swinger from Starc that pitched on middle stump and rocked back off.
And although Phil Salt attempted to alter the mood with a boisterous counter-assault of 23 from 16…
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