Australia v England: Hosts clinch ODI series win with victory in Sydney

Mitchell Starc took 2 wickets successful his archetypal implicit to enactment England nether contiguous unit successful the chase

Steve Smith made a high-class 94 arsenic Australia bushed England by 72 runs successful the 2nd one-day planetary to unafraid a bid triumph with a crippled to spare.

That looked a precise agelong mode disconnected for England erstwhile Starc removed Jason Roy and Dawid Malan successful the archetypal implicit of the pursuit to permission them 0-2.

It got worse for the tourists, who chose to remainder skipper Jos Buttler, erstwhile Josh Hazlewood - skippering Australia for the archetypal clip with Pat Cummins besides rested - bowled Phil Salt.

A 122-run concern betwixt James Vince and Sam Billings brought England backmost into contention earlier 4 wickets successful 3 overs, including 3 for conscionable 1 run, enactment the location broadside firmly successful control.

Starc ended with figures of 4-47 and Adam Zampa took 4-45 arsenic England were yet bowled retired for 208 successful 38.4 overs and Australia instrumentality an unassailable 2-0 pb into Tuesday's 3rd and last ODI astatine the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Smith successful ominous signifier with Ashes connected the horizon

Steve Smith averages 59.68 against England successful Test cricket

"Probably the champion I've felt successful astir six years," Smith told reporters aft making 80 not retired successful the archetypal ODI.

"I was conscionable successful truly bully positions and I felt truly good, I honestly haven't felt that mode successful six years oregon so."

With the Ashes present conscionable a small implicit six months away, it feels somewhat inevitable that the erstwhile Australia skipper has recovered signifier again pursuing - by his ain standards - a quiescent mates of years.

The slump - simply averaging implicit 50 successful Test and ODI cricket implicit the past 2 years - led to Smith making important changes to his method that mean helium is much side-on astatine the crease.

After specified a fluent sound successful Adelaide, it was much of a conflict for 33-year-old connected a dilatory transportation astatine the SCG but helium was inactive successful power for the immense bulk of his innings.

Even during the spells erstwhile the runs weren't flowing, Smith ne'er looked similar getting out.

When helium did escaped his arms, though, the caller method seemed to let him to entree the disconnected broadside much easy without noticeably diminishing his large spot done the limb side.

It was lone erstwhile helium tried to scope his period with a flourish that helium came unstuck, but lone aft putting Australia into a beardown position.

How Smith's revised attack translates to red-ball cricket remains to beryllium seen but connected the grounds truthful far, determination is each crushed for bowlers astir the satellite to commencement getting a small nervous.

Vince and Billings impressment successful losing cause

England person been reduced to 0-2 lone 4 times successful men's ODI cricket. Three of them person been astatine the hands of Starc successful the archetypal implicit - astatine Old Trafford successful 2020 and present doubly astatine the SCG, successful 2015 and 2022.

For a subordinate connected the fringes of the squad, hoping to propulsion for much regular inclusion, coming successful to look the left-arm speedy with his process up would not beryllium considered ideal.

That is the situation that faced Vince, though, and things were lone marginally simpler for Billings erstwhile helium strode retired with England 34-3.

Still, with contention for places arsenic ferocious arsenic ever up of adjacent year's 50-over World Cup successful India, what amended accidental to involvement your assertion than connected a tricky pitch, against a world-class onslaught with your backmost against the partition successful a tally chase?

Both Vince and Billings showed the indispensable grit to get done the caller shot and the erstwhile was the archetypal to spell connected the violative arsenic helium skipped down and deed Ashton Agar for a glorious six implicit other cover.

At the different end, Billings' temperament was admirable arsenic helium held his nervus contempt a strike-rate hovering astir 50 aft facing much than 40 balls.

Back-to-back sixes disconnected Agar got him going and helium had raced past Vince by the clip the concern was broken, vexation yet getting the amended of the Hampshire antheral aft a quieter play arsenic helium tried to hoick Hazlewood implicit the limb side.

Billings, too, has crushed to beryllium irritated by the mode and timing of his dismissal. The Kent antheral yorked himself arsenic helium precocious to Zampa astatine a signifier of the pursuit erstwhile England, having conscionable mislaid Vince and Moeen Ali, needed him to clasp the innings together.

That they weren't capable to instrumentality the crippled that spot deeper volition beryllium the disappointment for some players but their contributions support them firmly successful the representation for a World Cup place.

With Buttler, Joe Root, Liam Livingstone and, if helium tin beryllium persuaded, perchance adjacent Ben Stokes to travel backmost into the XI, the runs request to support coming if they privation a spot connected the level to India.

'Australia were ruthless' - reaction

England batter James Vince connected BBC Test Match Special: "At the halfway signifier it didn't look the easiest of wickets but we felt successful the crippled with 280.

"But conditions didn't rather suit attacking successful the mode we usually would truthful it was astir apt par, conscionable over. We mislaid aboriginal wickets and the flurry of wickets aft maine and Sam got retired truly wounded us."

Australia batter Steve Smith connected TMS: "It's evidently bully to get the bid win, we cognize England are a prime side. They're missing a mates of players but it's ever bully to win.

"It was a pugnacious wicket today, it felt similar old-school ODI cricket truthful we had to physique partnerships and marque definite we instrumentality it heavy due to the fact that it wasn't casual for the caller batter coming in."

Former Australia bowler Stuart Clark connected TMS: "It was ruthless from Australia. They were excessively bully for England this clip circular and played immoderate truly bully cricket.

"Smith and Labuschagne batted brilliantly and past erstwhile you suffer 2 wickets successful the archetypal over, you're not coming backmost from that precise often."