High-class England demolish Australia to level ODI series and herald forging of new team

Never has Lord’s hosted a one-day international so late in an English summer; the upshot was a delayed start and one-sided game that ended in temperatures below 10 degrees. And yet, while all these grumbles are true, the full-house crowd had the perfect antidote to their chill: a brilliant England one-day international win.

This was England’s most complete ODI performance for years – certainly since the start of the 2023 World Cup debacle, and arguably all the way back to the 2019 World Cup. In the years since, English players have fleetingly produced high-class ODI performances; here, virtually the entire team did.

No batsman made a century; no bowler took five wickets. But this only made England’s crushing 186-run win more impressive: here was a victory that seemed to herald the forging of a new team.

“That was a pretty special performance,” captain Harry Brook purred. “All bases were covered.”

There was high-class Test style batting from Ben Duckett, middle-order flair from Brook and Jamie Smith and a brutal denouement from Liam Livingstone.

Then, after Australia’s openers fleetingly threatened to overhaul England’s lofty 312-5, in a 39-over-a-side game, pace – most thrillingly from Jofra Archer, but even more incisively from Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts – ended this illusion.

For all the criticism of the scheduling of this series, victory on Sunday would seal a unique achievement for any England cricket team: coming from 2-0 down to beat Australia 3-2.

Whether Archer will take the field in Bristol remains to be seen. But his performance here, reaching 92.6mph and striking Marnus Labuschagne on the arm, evoked his performance against Australia on this ground in the 2019 Ashes Test. Mitchell Marsh, Australia’s captain, was bowled by a particularly sumptuous delivery: on a full length at 87mph, cutting back and beating a groping forward defensive stroke.

After playing back-to-back ODIs for the first time since 2020, Archer might well be rested on Sunday; but here was affirmation of just how valuable his skills are. Together with a probing line and length, and a cocktail of both swing and seam, Archer also found the speed that England crave: an average of 88.6mph, reaching a peak of 92.9mph.

Three overs after Marsh was bowled, Carse unfurled an equally spectacular delivery: nipping the ball back down the slope and uprooting Labuschagne’s off stump. Potts, whose metronomic length led Steve Smith to charge down the wicket and get an inside-edge, finished with 4-38, extending his outstanding international record at Lord’s.

And so Australia’s sprightly start descended into ignominy: from 68-0 in the ninth over, they lost all 10 wickets for 58 runs. Only once before, during the halcyon days of their ODI side in 2018, have England beaten Australia by more runs in this format.

There was no hint of England’s future dominance in the game’s first skirmishes. After Australia chose to bowl first after rain reduced the match to 39 overs a side, the openers were confronted by Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who had a damp pitch to exploit. Hazlewood, in particular, persistently threatened the edge, yet did not take Australia’s first wicket until the 10th over, when Phil Salt drove to point.

Salt’s jittery 22 extended his run this series to 51 runs in four innings. Against Hazlewood and Starc – Australia’s normal Test opening attack – this series, Salt has only mustered 25 runs from 45 balls, and been dismissed three times. No matter his T20 prowess, Salt is still to prove his quality against the best one-day international attacks, who benefit from using two new balls rather than one, thereby swinging for twice as long.

While Salt struggled, Duckett again showed the qualities that have turned him into a fine Test opener. For all his adventurous instincts, exhibited by using his feet to launch Adam Zampa over long on. Duckett also has a robust technique and a game that has been grooved to cope with early movement. His 63 – still sprightly, coming from 62 deliveries – set-up the pyrotechnics to come.

As September ends, Brook’s belief that he is in his best form of the summer is impossible to dispute. After his smooth century in Durham, he flicked his second ball for four at Lord’s. Consecutive boundaries off Zampa distilled Brook’s supreme timing and placement. The first was stroked off the front foot, the second punched off the back. Both were completely different shots, hit to similar parts of the ground – yet, with finesse rather than ostentatious force, bisected the packed covers.

In the Ashes Test at Lord’s last year, Brook was one of the 10 English wickets to fall to short balls. He had no such qualms with the delivery this time, thrashing 30 from 16 balls against short balls from the quick bowlers. While Brook’s assault on Zampa eventually ended by being dismissed on 87, preventing him from scoring consecutive ODI centuries, back-to-back player-of-the-match displays would suffice.

Brook’s dismissal brought in Livingstone with England 225-4 and just 8.4 overs left. The situation promised to be tailor-made for him; seldom has Livingstone shown his gifts with quite such brutality, plundering 62 not out in 27 balls.

Confronting Starc in the very final over, Livingstone powered the first ball over long on for six. After not scoring from a shorter delivery, Livingstone unfurled two more thundering straight sixes – even for Starc, the margin of error when attempting a yorker is infinitesimal.

When Livingstone clouted another six over midwicket, and then guided Starc’s final ball for four, he had looted 28 from the over, the most expensive in Australian ODI history. Cricket in the cold has its perks.

England beat Australia: As it happened...

08:34 PM BST

Man of the Match

It is England captain Harry Brook, no surprise.

08:31 PM BST

Mitchell Marsh speaks

08:30 PM BST

‘Emphatic’ England

08:27 PM BST

Player of the match...

Will surely be Harry Brook for his 87 off 58 that drove England to a good total. Liam Livingstone’s 62 off 37 really pushed them further whilst Ben Duckett’s 63 opening allowed them the platform in the first place.

Good bowling all-round but I think the 312 off 39 overs meant that Australia knew they had to play their shots from the off. It worked for a while...

08:23 PM BST

RESULT: ENG (312/5) beat AUS (126ao) by 186 runs

The series is level at 2-2 but that was as comprehensive victory as you are likely to see. Australia got off to a quick start in their chase, reaching 68 without loss in short order. However, that is when it all unravelled and they ultimately lost their entire line-up for 58 runs after that point. A demolition.

08:19 PM BST

WICKET! Hazlewood b Rashid 0

Rashid gets a wicket, probably deservedly and England win having brutalised Australia’s bowlers towards the end of their innings, whilst running through their entire batting line-up after the power play.

Australia 126 all out

08:15 PM BST

OVER 24: AUS 122/9 (Starc 2 Hazlewood 0)

Potts finishes his evening with 4-38 off his eight overs. Excellent work, sir.

08:12 PM BST

WICKET! Zampa c Livingstone b Potts 0

Potts’ hat-trick ball is straight and full-ish but Adam Zampa is equal to it with a straight bat. Unfortunately for him he lasts only one more ball as he plinks a short-ish one straight to mid-on...

Three in four for Potts. Australia on the brink of a monumental hammering here.

FOW 122/9

08:09 PM BST

WICKET! Carey LBW b Potts 13

Potts thinks he has Carey trapped in front. Umpire says no and I think the umpire is right and that it is sliding down leg. Let’s see. I am wrong, as is the umpire! It’s shown as hitting leg stump and Alex Carey has to go! Three wickets for Potts and he is on a hat-trick...

FOW 122/8

08:07 PM BST

OVER 23: AUS 122/7 (Carey 13 Starc 2) TARGET 313

Just three off Rashid’s latest. His three overs have gone for just seven runs. England have come back really well in this series after a very ropey start.

08:04 PM BST

OVER 22: AUS 119/7 (Carey 12 Starc 0) TARGET 313

At least it looks like the series is going down to the final match in Bristol on Sunday...

08:02 PM BST

WICKET! Abbott c Livingstone b Potts 10

England still sharp in the field here as Livingstone saves a certain four diving at mid-on. No saving the next one, though as Abbott heaves the ball off his pads for a six. It went high and... just far enough. Not so the next ball, though as this one goes straight into the air and Livingstone takes a good catch going backwards.

FOW 119/7

07:58 PM BST

OVER 21: AUS 112/6 (Carey 11 Abbott 4) TARGET: 313

Abbott has a massive swipe at a leg spinner and misses. So does Smith but slip is there to stop any runs. Just the one from Rashid’s latest. He has bowled two very fine overs so far.

07:56 PM BST

OVER 20: AUS 110/6 (Carey 9 Abbott 4) TARGET: 313

Potts returns with a tidy over, five runs from it as the required run rate is at 10.63.

07:51 PM BST

OVER 19: AUS 105/6 (Carey 7 Abbott 3) TARGET: 313

Adil Rashid comes on to bowl for the first time today, with a taped finger. An attempted stumping third ball... or an actual stumping? They go upstairs. Abbott tries to slap it but misses. Smith whips the bails off. Does Abbott manage to get something behind the line? The third umpire certainly believes so but that is not quite what I am seeing. At all. It was very close but there was certainly nothing clearly behind the line. He must have a images at a much higher resolution than what I can see. Make your mind up yourself...

Just three singles from the over.

07:46 PM BST

OVER 18: AUS 103/6 (Carey 5 Abbott 2) TARGET: 313

Is this the annoying part of an ODI where the result is obvious but the losing team batting second just frustratingly limps on at about four runs an over despite the inevitable outcome? It might just be...

07:45 PM BST

OVER 17: AUS 101/6 (Carey 5 Abbott 1) TARGET: 313

An edge through the slips but no real chance of a catch. Wide of the men standing there, not between them. Not by a big margin, though.

07:39 PM BST

OVER 16: AUS 96/6 (Carey 1 Abbott 1) TARGET: 313

Right, where were we? Archer bowling with menace and he is beaming after another fantastic performance with the ball. Six overs and two for 31 runs. Glum faces on the Australia balcony as they look to be sliding towards a heavy defeat. Regardless of the wickets they have lost the require run rate is 9.5.

07:34 PM BST

WICKET! Maxwell c Smith b Archer 2

Two for Archer! There will be no big show from Glenn Maxwell tonight as he inside edges behind to Jamie Smith. Australia are really in the mire here. They were 68 without loss so it’s 28 for six in the last eight overs or so...

FOW 96/6

07:30 PM BST

OVER 15: AUS 93/5 (Maxwell 0 Carey 1) TARGET: 313

Glenn Maxwell is capable of show-stopping performances and boy does he need to find one for Australia here...

07:29 PM BST

WICKET! Labuschagne b Carse 4

And another clean bowled! The collapse is gathering pace and Carse has three and two in the over...

FOW 93/5

07:28 PM BST

‘A super ODI’

07:24 PM BST

WICKET! Inglis c Jacks b Carse 8

Carse now does have his second. Drags his length back a bit and Inglis tries to drive but ends up with one hand off the bat. Jacks in the covers takes a decent catch and Australia are four down and are very much up against it.

FOW 91/3

07:22 PM BST

OVER 14: AUS 88/3 (Inglis 5 Labuschagne 4) TARGET: 313

Another fine over from Archer with just four from it including a wide as the required run rate approaches nine.

07:18 PM BST

OVER 13: AUS 84/3 (Inglis 4 Labuschagne 2) TARGET: 313

Carse nearly has – and probably should have – a second. He bowls a bouncer and Labuschagne can only top edge it behind square. Rashid dives forward but makes a bit of a mess of it. Not sure how much of a hand or his hands does he get to it? It goes straight in and then straight out again. Rashid leaves the field after the end of the over, presumably to get an injury he picked up in that drop looked at.

07:13 PM BST

OVER 12: AUS 81/3 (Inglis 2 Labuschagne 1) TARGET: 313

Labuschagne is hit by Archer first ball and he is hurt. The ball loops up and is safe, not that it came off the bat or the glove, but he goes to his knees. That jagged back a long way and Labuschagne just tried to sway away from it with his hands down and it hit him just below the elbow, I think.

He is seen to by the physios. As much as I wish Marnus no harm, it is nice to see Archer back bowling like this. Anyway, that is a terrific over from Archer.

07:07 PM BST

WICKET! Marsh b Archer 28

And another! England rattling through this Australian top-order rapidly now! Skipper Marsh is beaten all ends up as Archer castles him, knocking over the off-stump. In fairness, there were chances and plenty of movement earlier on so this does not feel a huge surprise. After a brutal onslaught at times, though, England have pulled this back superbly.

FOW 80/3

07:03 PM BST

OVER 11: AUS 79/2 (Marsh 28 Inglis 2) TARGET: 313

Australia had been up with the rate early on and whilst they are not massively behind at this stage (7.31) the required rate has crept up to above eight runs per over again. Carse bowls a wide in an otherwise good over. He has managed to pull it back and keeps beating the bat here.

07:00 PM BST

OVER 10: AUS 75/2 (Marsh 27) TARGET: 313

Josh Inglis the next man in...

06:59 PM BST

WICKET! Smith c Smith b Potts 5

Potts sends it in, Smith dances down the pitch and tries to murder the ball on the up and he inside edges it behind to England’s Smith with the gloves and that is another big wicket for England.

FOW 75/2

06:56 PM BST

OVER 9: AUS 68/1 (Marsh 25 Smith 0) TARGET: 313

That brings Steven Smith to the crease. A generational batsman, I think we can all agree.

06:53 PM BST

WICKET! Head b Carse 34

Carse continues after that expensive first over and gets his revenge by clean bowling Head after the opener blasted him in his last set! A scrambled seam gets through Head’s big swinging bat and into the stumps. A useful cameo, yes, but how useful? You wouldn’t have wanted him to be at the crease a great deal longer.

FOW 68/1

06:48 PM BST

OVER 8: AUS 66/0 (Marsh 24 Head 33) TARGET: 313

A shout for LBW from Potts on the first ball but it’s a not out from the umpire and England decide not to review. Marsh gets in on the act, driving handsomely down the ground as Potts just strays a little full. Just the six off the over.

06:45 PM BST

OVER 7: AUS 60/0 (Marsh 20 Head 32) TARGET: 313

Brydon Carse on for his first over of the match. He tries a bouncer but Head pulls it off his shoulder behind for four more... a fuller, wider one on the off-side is launched over the covers for a one-bounce for. Just leans back and... bam! Afraid, England fans, the next one is short and sits up nicely for Head who then pulls it powerfully perhaps even out of the ground via a bounce off the mound stand. Six more. Eesh. That is half-way to Lisson Grove.

Still one ball to go in the over, too. That goes for four which means it’s 19 runs off Carse’s first over and 18 of them to Head.

06:38 PM BST

OVER 6: AUS 33/0 (Marsh 19 Head 14) TARGET: 313

After five overs England were 17/0. Australia not as circumspect and Marsh and Head are keen to get after whatever they can, despite the plays and misses. Probably how it should be chasing a tricky total. Marsh slashes one through backward point for four, just a slight hint of width there and it was punished. Archer getting up well into the 90s when it comes to speed. A at forward square leg costs England a couple. Australia going at 6.7ish when 8.2 is the required rate, which shows there is not a great deal of leeway.

06:34 PM BST

OVER 5: AUS 33/0 (Marsh 11 Head 14) TARGET: 313

Mitchell Marsh dishes out some punishment to Potts this time. Just a big flick off the pads, well, the waist I guess for a flat square six. Next one he tries the same and it catches him in the midriff. Potts not deterred by that. Actually caught him on the inside of his upper arm, I think. Still a lot of movement out there and this is a decent fight between bat and ball. England will want to get a wicket in this power play, though.

06:30 PM BST

OVER 4: AUS 25/0 (Marsh 6 Head 11) TARGET: 313

Archer continues and Head gets after him. A full-ish ball but Head leans back and thrashes it down to the long off boundary for four. That is followed by a play and a miss with a ball outside off... not the first of the day. Plenty of movement out there.

06:26 PM BST

OVER 3: AUS 19/0 (Marsh 6 Head 6) TARGET: 313

Potts gets one to move quite a big towards the leg side but Marsh tries to jam his bat down but doesn’t connect, but it ends up being four leg byes in any case. Those, though, are the only runs from the over as England look to take an early wicket.

06:21 PM BST

OVER 2: AUS 15/0 (Marsh 6 Head 6) TARGET: 313

Jofra Archer on. Marsh skies one and you just think it has to be taken. Smith and Jacks both chasing but a bit of confusion between them and Smith is the one who eventually dives and just gets his fingertips to it. Archer pretty annoyed about that. Should have been taken by the keeper, really. As is often the case, a boundary after a missed chance. Head flicks it beautifully off the pads over the deep square leg rope for six!

Archer beats Head’s outside edge with a bit of movement off the seam. Jagged back massively and Head’s drive was nowhere near it, really.

06:17 PM BST

OVER 1: AUS 8/0 (Marsh 5 Head 0) TARGET: 313

Not the most accurate opening over from Matthew Potts with three wides, two twos and a single... Australia up with the rate as it stands but a looooong way to go as the sun sets in St John’s Wood.

05:55 PM BST

Innings break: ENG 312/5

One rarely sees a pedigree quick of Starc’s record and calibre rattled but he was under the strain of Livingstone’s brutal assault.  For all the moaning about the scheduling of this series – which hasn’t taken into account Australia’s availability with their players committed to playing in Major League Cricket – it has been a treat and to have witnessed Livingstone’s emergence from a slump and all that criticism with his batting and bowling has been a major boon for this team’s progress.

There has been only six higher totals in 50 or 60-over matches at Lord’s ever so to get there off 39 is superb.

Anyway – back to Luke Slater for the Australian reply.

05:51 PM BST

OVER 39: ENG 312/5 (Livingstone 62 Bethell 12)

Livingstone retreats deep into his crease and launches six out of the slot one-handed for six into the balcony of the pavilion. The right-hander misses the slow bouncer when he tries to pull but nails the next one, full and on off-stump, whipping it over square leg for six!

Livingstone raises his half-century off 25 balls, the fastest at Lord’s in an ODI, by swatting Starc;s low full toss back over his head for a third six in four balls.

Starc goes for the slow bouncer and Livingstone collars it for another six on the pull. Twenty-four off five balls. Remarkable.

One to come and Livingstone slices it out of the blockhole outside off over point for four! Twenty-eight off the over!

05:46 PM BST

OVER 38: ENG 284/5 (Livingstone 34 Bethell 12)

After Bethell taks a leg-bye off the second ball, Hazlewood expertly paints the wide line for a second dot ball in three. Hazlewood goes straighter and Livingstone flays a straight drive all along the ground for four between long-on and long-off. The bowler gets away with a high bouncer then tries the wide yorker again and Livingstone can only drill it to cover for a single. Death bowling masterclass.

Starc with the final over.

05:42 PM BST

NOT OUT

It missed the bat and gloves by quite a margin.

05:42 PM BST

AUS review

Bethell c Inglis b Hazlewood  Did he feather the scoop off the splice? Certainly a sound.

05:41 PM BST

OVER 37: ENG 278/5 (Livingstone 29 Bethell 12)

Bethell clears the front leg and drills a drive down the ground for a single. Starc goes for the yorker, misses it by at most two inches and Livingstone levers it with murderous power over long-off for six!

Starc has a smarting hand when he sticks it down to stop another vicious drive but it saves runs. Cramping Livingstone by targeting his hip he yields only a leg-bye then clocks Bethell in the midriff.

Here’s that Bethell stroke:

05:36 PM BST

OVER 36: ENG 269/5 (Livingstone 23 Bethell 10)

Hazlewood has two overs left and comes back on from the Nursery End. Livingstone chisels out the yorker for one on to an adjacent pitch and Bethell plinks a pull for a single. Livingstone gropes after and misses a slower ball then clears his front leg to hammer a ball out of the slot over cow corner for six!

Hazlewood goes to the bouncer but goes too short and it climbs so high it’s called wide. He’s not happy about that and goes with another bouncer, this one a Sidebottom cutter, and clonks Livingstone on the grille as he went for the hook but was through the stroke too quickly. They jog a leg-bye and on comes the doc for a concussion test which he passes with flying colours. Starc has two left, too.

05:29 PM BST

OVER 35: ENG 258/5 (Livingstone 16 Bethell 8)

Bethell will not want to chew up many more balls but Marsh cannily sticks with Zampa and he starts with three dot balls, the left-hander unable to beat the infield but then this wonderful players shows his chops with a reverse weep for six! But it is the only damage to an otherwise impeccable over.

05:27 PM BST

OVER 34: ENG 252/5 (Livingstone 16 Bethell 2)

Marsh continues with Maxwell even though Livingstone is on strike. The Lancashire man nails a slog sweep off the first ball for a towering six but the bowler comes back with a darted yorker and a nicely flighted off-break for no run. Livingstone wants two for his on-drive but Labuschagne is too quick and keeps them down to one.

05:24 PM BST

OVER 33: ENG 244/5 (Livingstone 9 Bethell 1)

Zampa uses all his nous and skill to tie Bethell, who is using his feet, down to three dot balls after Livingstone tapped a single down the ground. Bethell gets off the mark by scuffing a pull off the drag down for one and Livingstone takes the strike with a skipping on-drive for another. Fine over.

05:22 PM BST

OVER 32: ENG 241/5 (Livingstone 7 Bethell 0)

Livingstone slogsweeps towards cow corner and Smith is interested, running round and getting a fingertip on it at full stretch but unable to keep it from going over the rope for four. Both of them are going hard now, Livingstone top-edges another slog sweep over short third and then Smith chips it to that fielder off a thick edge.

05:20 PM BST

Wicket!

Smith c Hazlewood b Maxwell 39  Slices a cut stroke to short third man, Maxwell tossing it wider.  FOW 241/5

05:17 PM BST

OVER 31: ENG 232/4 (Smith 36 Livingstone 1)

Brook’s fine innings ends 13 short of a century. He played beautifully and has stepped up in these last two games.

An amazing piece of relay fielding from Labuschagne, clawing the ball back from beyond the rope while leaping to keep both feet off the ground, saves two.

Some raindrops on the lens but plenty of blue sky.

05:11 PM BST

Wicket!

Brook c Maxwell b Zampa 87  Too much bottom hand dragged his lofted on drive too close to wide long on and Maxwell made a terrific running, tumbling catch.  FOW 225/4

05:11 PM BST

OVER 30: ENG 224/3 (Brook 87 Smith 29)

Double change – Bagchi here for the end of England’s innings – and Hazlewood returns to the attack from the Nursery End. England have not stood on ceremony with the World Cup-winning attack today and Brook nonchalantly scoops the first ball, like flipping a pancake, over his shoulder for four then, two balls later, pulls hard right through square leg for four more. “Feels like it’s jagging in,” says Baron Burley-in-Wharfedale as he drops the ball with an angled bat at his toes and hares a single. Smith whisks a single into the legside from a no-ball so Brook has strike for the free-hit. And the captain shouts ‘Oh my God,’ when he misses an outswinging, possibly reverse swinging yorker.

05:04 PM BST

OVER 29: ENG 213/3 (Brook 78 Smith 28)

Abbott digs one in and Smith pulls it out to midwicket for four. It was in the air and not a million miles away from being a six. A pretty good attendance at Lord’s, despite the miserable earlier weather and pricey tickets. The sun is out now.

Some extra runs for free for England as Inglis shies at the stumps, hits them and then it deflects off towards the boundaries. They have a look for a runout and it’s close, though the third umpire says it’s “clear” that Smith had his foot down. I am not so sure, though. Maybe just, but it was not clear. Six runs is the end result, though.

04:59 PM BST

OVER 28: ENG 200/3 (Brook 71 Smith 23)

It’s Marnus Labuschagne on with his leg-spin. Smith gets the long handle out and launches him for six over his head second ball of the over. The first ball should have got more than a single as it was a rank full toss. Two down the ground brings up the 50 partnership off just 39 balls. An acrobatic save of runs from the bowler fifth ball, down to his left. A bit better in the second half of the over.  200 up for England. 

04:57 PM BST

OVER 27: ENG 191/3 (Brook 70 Smith 14)

Four singles and another four for Brook off Zampa’s fifth over. Australia searching for bowlers to fill up their 50 here and I am not sure they will want to keep Zampa on much longer.

04:53 PM BST

OVER 26: ENG 183/3 (Brook 64 Smith 12)

Abbott, who has been relatively expensive, continues and continues to be relatively expensive. A dot, two singles, three wides, a two, a single and then four to Brook from the over. By my calculations that makes 12 from the over. Six overs, 50 runs and no wickets so far...

04:47 PM BST

OVER 25: ENG 171/3 (Brook 57 Smith 8)

Two big sixes over deep midwicket in this Zampa over. First from Jamie Smith and then Brook repeats the feat. 13 off the first four balls of the over as the sun comes out in NW8.

He pulls it back a bit in the next two with just a well-run two off the final ball.

04:45 PM BST

OVER 24: ENG 156/3 (Brook 51 Smith 1)

Harry Brook moves to 50, very swiftly. Off just 37 balls, to follow his ton in the previous match of this series. Six runs from the Marsh over.

04:41 PM BST

OVER 23: ENG 150/3 (Brook 46 Smith 0)

Jamie Smith is the next man in. He’s had a pretty productive summer. What will his autumn be?

04:38 PM BST

WICKET! Duckett c Abbott b Zampa 63

Zampa’s change of ends changes his fortunes. Duckett opens his shoulders, skips down the pitch and slams the ball down past wide mid-off for four. No panic, though, as the opener then top edges a slog sweep in the air the very next ball. It makes for an easy catch for Abbott in the deep. That is a good innings but he was just getting going, really and will probably feel that is a missed opportunity.

FOW 150/3

04:36 PM BST

Zampa switches

04:35 PM BST

OVER 22: ENG 145/2 (Duckett 59 Brook 45)

England batting very well here – Australia are struggling. Glenn Maxwell into the attack and he cannot stem the flow of runs two wides in his first four attempted deliveries but that is then followed up with back-to-back fours from Brook. The second one is a bit strange with two fielders converging on the midwicket boundary rope, but neither really committing, costs Australia two runs. He does finish with a dot ball but 13 runs from the over in total, taking the partnership to 74 runs at 9.06 runs per over.

04:30 PM BST

OVER 21: ENG 132/2 (Duckett 58 Brook 32)

Duckett ramps it behind for four more as his strike-rate approaches a run a ball. Abbott is then milked for a few more from the over to make it nine in total.

04:26 PM BST

OVER 20: ENG 123/2 (Duckett 53 Brook 31)

Ben Duckett has put away the balls that have been there to punish and has gradually leaned into his innings. Brook has looked to dominate from the off and he continues to do that with another four on the off-side from Zampa, a fuller one. He follows that up again with a straighter but, crucially, shorter one which he punches low off the back foot for four more. 30 off 22 for the Yorkshireman and stand-in captain and that brings up the 50 partnership off 36 balls. Rapid.

04:23 PM BST

OVER 19: ENG 114/2 (Duckett 53 Brook 22)

Five from Abbott’s fourth over as England march on.

04:22 PM BST

Our writers on the ‘catch’ that wasn’t

04:18 PM BST

OVER 18: ENG 109/2 (Duckett 50 Brook 20)

A profitable first over post drinks as four singles and a two are backed up by a six by Ben Duckett off new bowler Adam Zampa. The fifty for Duckett comes soon after and he has held this innings for England, with the hundred also up in this over.

04:10 PM BST

OVER 17: ENG 97/2 (Duckett 40 Brook 18)

Harry Brook is given out on field for a strangle down the leg side. However, the on-field umpires refer that upstairs because there are doubts about the catch by keeper Inglis.

He has hit it but the ball clearly hits the turf before bouncing up into the keeper’s gloves so the decision is overturned. Some theatrical boos on the field but I am not sure he would have known a great deal about that, really with the gloves on. That is drinks. 

04:06 PM BST

Duckett doing well in these tough conditions

04:04 PM BST

OVER 16: ENG 92/2 (Duckett 37 Brook 16)

Brook is making a fast start here. Two fours, both clips on the leg-side for four. Well, the second was more manoeuvred out to deep midwicket for four, but a good shot nonetheless. He tries a ramp/scoop but does not connect and it is called a wide. What will he try next? Another clip off the pads but fielded by Steve Smith.

03:59 PM BST

OVER 15: ENG 81/2 (Duckett 36 Brook 7)

Brook flicks one off his pads for four to move to five runs from two balls. Another single to Brook before Duckett picks up three out to deep midwicket. Nine runs from the over as England rebuild.

03:53 PM BST

OVER 14: ENG 73/2 (Duckett 33 Brook 1)

Harry Brook gets off the mark first ball with a single to extra cover.

03:51 PM BST

WICKET! Jacks c Labuschagne b Marsh 10

If you’re going to flash, flash hard. Jacks does exactly that and it is safe down to the deep backward point boundary, but picked up by a yellow shirt. Unfortunately he flashes hard again a few balls later and finds Marnus Labuschagne at backward point... a bit of movement in the air and he didn’t really get all of it.

FOW 71/2

03:48 PM BST

OVER 13: ENG 69/1 (Duckett 33 Jacks 8)

Jacks pings one for four! Chipped in the air but superbly timed through midwicket and it races away for four runs. Six from the over as England are going along at about 5.3 runs per over and are feeling themselves into this reduced game.

03:44 PM BST

OVER 12: ENG 63/1 (Duckett 32 Jacks 3)

Duckett puts another one away down the ground for four more as Mitchell Marsh starts his first over. They are bowling full at him and he is equal to it. Admittedly with a couple of close LBW shouts but neither were good enough for him to be given his marching orders.

03:38 PM BST

OVER 11: ENG 56/1 (Duckett 27 Jacks 2)

Another shout for LBW and Australia burn a review. A good ball from Abbott that indeed raps Duckett on the pads in front but the main problem is that the ball is shown to be pitching outside leg. Not much, but it is. Duckett then drives a full half volley straight and hard down the ground for four to end the over.

03:34 PM BST

OVER 10: ENG 49/1 (Duckett 21 Jacks 1)

Jacks is off the mark with a single first ball, hitting to cover.

03:30 PM BST

WICKET! Salt c Smith b Hazlewood 22

Salt slashes a full and wide one straight to backward point!

FOW 48/1

03:27 PM BST

OVER 9: ENG 47/0 (Salt 22 Duckett 21)

A change of bowling as Sean Abbott comes into the attack. Salt slashes him away for two fours in his first two balls. Welcome to the game. England end up with another four runs from the over with both men on into the 20s at the end of it.

03:23 PM BST

OVER 8: ENG 35/0 (Salt 13 Duckett 19)

A less leaky over from Australia but just two runs from it as the first power play ends. Phil Salt is still there with 13 off 22...

03:14 PM BST

OVER 7: ENG 33/0 (Salt 12 Duckett 18)

A big shout for LBW on Ben Duckett here from Starc. Umpire says no but Australia review it. It’s not a terrible review but it is umpire’s call on height which means Duckett survives. A close one. Starc bowls a wide before Duckett then goes aerial over mid-off. Doesn’t get all of it but does get four for it.

He then picks up three with a slightly mistimed shot from a ball full and on off stump that runs down to long on. An eventful over as a leading edge going to a fielder leads to a runout chance but it is not taken. Wasn’t a million miles away from the fielder catching it in the first place. Duckett would have been gone had it hit. But instead he gets a run.

03:13 PM BST

OVER 6: ENG 23/0 (Salt 10 Duckett 11)

Salt has a slash at a short-ish, wide-ish one from Hazlewood and it flies over the slips for four runs down to third man. It was in the air but that was never a catch, not even for Cameron Green were he there. A steady start for England continues as the openers play themselves in.

03:08 PM BST

OVER 5: ENG 17/0 (Salt 5 Duckett 10)

Another excellent ball from Starc to Salt as one pitches on middle and moves away, beating the outside edge of Salt who is leaden-footed and plays but also leaves. Just three to Salt from the over, England not exactly motoring but the conditions early on do not look all that inviting. It is very gloomy overhead after that brief appearance of the sun.

03:03 PM BST

OVER 4: ENG 14/0 (Salt 2 Duckett 10)

A bit of news from Australia: Cameron Green will play no further part in the series and will return home for further assessment for a back injury.

Back at Lord’s, Duckett pulls in front of square for four for the first boundary of the day. A short ball that the batsman picked up and swatted away. Just one from the first two overs but 13 from the next two for England.

02:59 PM BST

OVER 3: ENG 7/0 (Salt 1 Duckett 6)

A technical drop there from Starc as Duckett drives the ball back at him and hard. Would have been an astonishing catch had it stuck but it’s a one in 10 at best. Duckett gets off the mark with a bit of a slash that is in the air and down to third man. No real danger of a catch there. Two more twos to Duckett from the over and it’s six in total from it.

02:54 PM BST

OVER 2: ENG 1/0 (Salt 1 Duckett 0)

Another outside edge beaten, this time by Josh Hazlewood and this time Salt’s edge. Jagged back a bit but not enormously. It happens again but only because Salt has a swipe outside off and misses. It’s a maiden from Hazlewood with a bit of movement.

02:50 PM BST

OVER 1: ENG 1/0 (Salt 1 Duckett 0)

Salt gets off the mark second ball from Starc, clipping it off the back foot. He tries a yorker third ball but Duckett digs it out well enough. The final ball of the over – just one from it – is a beauty, beating Duckett’s outside edge as the sun comes out in north-west London.

02:45 PM BST

Right! We are ready to play

England batting in the gloom. 39 overs to go.

02:27 PM BST

We have a game on (soon, hopefully)

Will Macpherson informs me of the updated schedule:

02:12 PM BST

Update and it’s a good one

The covers are coming off!

02:05 PM BST

Is 27th September too late to be playing international cricket in England?

Perhaps yes, perhaps not.

Here are what some of our readers think.

01:56 PM BST

Start delayed, I am afraid

Not only is the hover cover on, the covers for the bowlers run-ups and the square is also covered. This probably means we will lose further overs in the game.

01:51 PM BST

2pm start might not happen...

01:44 PM BST

Our men at Lord’s

01:38 PM BST

At present it will be a 2pm start time

And 43 overs per side. That is assuming no further rain delays or interruptions. Which is not guaranteed...

01:35 PM BST

The teams

England

1. Phil Salt

2. Ben Duckett

3. Will Jacks

4. Harry Brook (c)

5. Jamie Smith (wk)

6. Liam Livingstone

7. Jacob Bethell

8. Brydon Carse

9. Jofra Archer

10. Matthew Potts

11. Adil Rashid

Australia

1. Travis Head

2. Mitchell Marsh (c)

3. Steve Smith

4. Josh Inglis (wk)

5. Marnus Labuschagne

6. Alex Carey

7. Glenn Maxwell

8. Sean Abbott

9. Mitchell Starc

10. Adam Zampa

11. Josh Hazlewood

01:33 PM BST

Australia have won the toss

And they will bowl first, unsurprisingly. The skipper is asked what they need to do better

Josh Inglis, Adam Zampa and Travis Head come back in, Mitchell Marsh says.

Here’s England captain Harry Brook:

England unchanged meaning Jofra Archer plays two ODIs in a row. “He’s an awesome performer and can hopefully carry on the work he’s done so far,” Brook says.

01:17 PM BST

Toss at 1.30pm

Good stuff. The match will be reduced a little, though not quite sure how much exactly.

01:14 PM BST

Some good news

There will be an inspection by the umpires shortly and if that goes well we could be playing in very short order. There are warm-ups happening on the outfield.

01:00 PM BST

It is brightening up in NW8

But the mopping-up operation continues.

12:32 PM BST

More from Lord’s... Will is optimistic

12:27 PM BST

Well, Sky Sports are going back to showing...

...the 2005 NatWest final at Lord’s between England and Australia, so I think we will have a lengthy wait before any action. Outfield needs to me mopped up, covers need to come off the square and then we need to have an inspection.They are still sweeping/mopping the standing water off the covers.

That was a remarkable match that ended in a tie in a fantastic summer of cricket. All the white-ball stuff was the prelude to the Ashes, not tacked onto the end of the summer after another Test series against a different team.

12:01 PM BST

Some action going on out there

Looks like the forecast is due to improve throughout the day so a good chance we will get a match of some kind. 50 overs a side? Probably not.

11:56 AM BST

No sign of any play yet

11:49 AM BST

Recent Lord’s record

Even in England’s free-wheeling pomp since 2015, the highest score at Lord’s in that time was 328 and that was against Ireland. NB in 14 ODIs over the past decade at HQ, 11 have been won by the side batting first, two by those chasing and one, I think you know which one, was technically a tie.

11:42 AM BST

It’s raining in Victoria

Not very heavily and it’s the same as Lord’s, pattering rather than hoying it down.

11:35 AM BST

Preview: Another Lord’s nipper?

By Rob Bagchi

Good morning and welcome top live coverage of the fourth one-day international between England and Australia at a sold-out Lord’s. We ought to emphasise that ‘live’ as, by virtue of Harry Brook and Will Jacks at Chester-le Street, the series is still alive and, although the covers are on at a gloomy and moist Lord’s, the remarkable drainage system installed by MCC 20 years or so ago and a forecast which takes the threat if rain down from a 50 per cent likelihood at noon to 20 per cent at 1pm and five thereafter, we should have some form of game to enjoy even on a two-sweater day.

Lord’s ought to be a free-scoring ground in white-ball cricket but it rarely is, particularly on days when the pitch has had time to sweat under the covers. Remember the World Cup final in 2019? When we arrived at the ground early it was drizzly and we feared a long delay but in fact we started pretty much on time and the sticky pitch, as well as the magnitude of the occasion and consequent butterflies, made for a proper nipper of a match. That’s one thing this series has lacked. While there have been see-saw moments in matches, the results have been proper beatings. Lord’s usually gives us something far closer.

One suspects that England will not be experimenting with their line-up today other than possibly resting Jofra Archer for Olly Stone as they manage the building-up of his stamina as part of their long-term plan for the Champions Trophy, 2025-26 Ashes and 2026 T20 World Cup. Jordan Cox, Saqib Mahmood and John Turner, therefore, will have to be patient and Reece Topley is still ill and has gone home. Travis Head should return for Australia at the top of the order and Adam Zampa, a big miss in Durham, should be over the illness that has sidelined several members of the touring side’s white-ball squad over the past fortnight.