England delivered a commanding performance at Lord’s Cricket Ground to level the 5-match ODI series against Australia, securing a dominant 186-run victory in the fourth match on Friday. The hosts, led by impressive displays from Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone, forced a decider in the series, with the final match set for Sunday at the County Ground in Bristol.
England’s batting unit fired on all cylinders after rain shortened the contest to 39 overs per side. Despite the early loss of opener Phil Salt, Ben Duckett quickly stabilized the innings with a rapid 63, laying a solid foundation. Harry Brook, who has been in excellent form, took charge from there. Although he narrowly missed out on a second ODI century, his 87-run knock was pivotal in England’s recovery and eventual dominance.
Jamie Smith also chipped in with a valuable 39 off 26 balls, keeping the momentum going as England sought a challenging total. However, it was Liam Livingstone who stole the show, smashing the fastest ODI fifty at Lord’s. Liam Livingstone reached his half-century in just 25 balls, dismantling Australia’s bowling attack in the final overs. His brutal assault on Mitchell Starc in the last over yielded 28 runs, including four sixes and a four, propelling England to a formidable score of 312/5.
Liam Livingstone remained unbeaten on 62 off 27 balls, with his innings featuring three fours and seven towering sixes. Australia’s bowlers struggled to contain the onslaught, with Josh Hazlewood providing the only bright spot, returning figures of 8-1-40-1. Adam Zampa took the wickets of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook, but conceded 66 runs in his eight overs.
Chasing 313 in a rain-curtailed match, Australia faltered early despite a solid opening partnership between skipper Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head. The duo put together 68 runs in just under nine overs before Brydon Carse removed Travis Head for 34. Mitchell Marsh followed soon after for 28, falling to Jofra Archer, who was playing his first international match at Lord’s in five years.
Once Mitchell Marsh departed, Australia’s batting order collapsed dramatically, losing 10 wickets for just 58 runs. Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse wreaked havoc, with Potts claiming four wickets and Brydon Carse taking three. Archer and Adil Rashid contributed to Australia’s downfall by taking two and one wicket respectively, bowling the visitors out for a mere 126 in 24.4 overs.
With this crushing win, England leveled the series 2-2, setting the stage for a thrilling finale on Sunday.
