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MANCHESTER, England – Fast bowler Nathan Bracken has been given theall-clear to remain on Australia’s cricket tour of England.Bracken received the results of an MRI scan on his left shoulder thismorning which revealed that fears about suspected torn ligaments wereunfounded.Bracken will not play for two weeks while he does strengthening work andphysiotherapy on his shoulder.”At the moment we are just taking it as it comes,” Bracken said atAustralian training at Old Trafford today.”It wasn’t actually that bad, the instability basically just caused a bit ofextra strain on the nerve.”It was just a concern because it was something I hadn’t felt before.”Bracken’s fellow fast bowlers Jason Gillespie (hamstring) and Damien Fleming(calf) trained strongly this morning after their recent injury problems andthey will be available for the one-day match against England here onThursday.However, Bracken will remain in cotton wool for the time being.There were fears yesterday that Bracken’s injury was worse than previouslythought.”Myself and (team physiotherapist) Pat Farhart were really the only two whoknew the extent of it,” said Bracken.”I could do pretty much everything – I could lift, I could move the armfreely and most of it was pretty much pain free.”I know there’s been a bit of speculation about what has gone wrong but Ididn’t want to put anything out there because I didn’t know.”But it is clear, it’s fine and it’s ready to go.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:43

Agarkar: Rohit, Raina wickets put pressure on India

The Green Park ground in Kanpur saw its two highest ODI totals scored on the same day in a match that seemed to be a mirror image of itself until India cracked. Kagiso Rabada defended 11 off the last over, in which he dismissed India captain, MS Dhoni, and derailed an Indian chase that was on track until the start of the 47th over.Then, Rohit Sharma, who had racked up 150 – the third-highest score of his ODI career – was sapped of energy and handed a return catch to Imran Tahir. The South Africa legspinner had not had much of an impact on the innings until that point but went on to dismiss Suresh Raina in the same over to change India’s task from a relatively straightforward 35 runs off 24 balls with seven wickets in hand to a more challenging 31 runs from 18 balls with five wickets in hand.

Du Plessis twists knee

Faf du Plessis left the field for the majority of India’s innings after twisting his knee while fielding a ball. He felt some discomfort and was pulled off the field as a precaution.

Rabada’s penultimate over cost nine runs and Steyn’s final over 11, to leave the 20-year-old fast bowler with only 11 to defend at the end. Far from being overwhelmed by the occasion or the opposition, Rabada kept his cool, banged in the short ball and watched both Dhoni and Stuart Binny mistime their pull shots. Rabada completed the catch to dismiss Dhoni, and ensure South Africa found a bowling hero after AB de Villiers had headlined their effort with the bat.De Villiers played a perfectly paced innings to score his 21st ODI century and guide South Africa to the highest ever total, and the only one over 300, at the Green Park in Kanpur. De Villiers had a solid start to build on, thanks to Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis, and worked his way through a quiet middle period before attacking with Farhaan Behardien at the end. South Africa plundered 109 runs off the last ten overs, which included 65 off the final five, capitalising on India’s weakened attack that lost R Ashwin to a side strain.On a slow surface, India’s bowling tactics were pulled out of shape by Ashwin’s niggle, which meant that he bowled less than half his quota of ten overs after Dhoni held him back. Ashwin bowled one over in the Powerplay and was kept for later in the innings while Dhoni rotated his other slower bowlers. After he was brought back into the attack, Ashwin bowled 3.4 overs before he picked up the niggle and could only deliver one more over later on. As a result, India’s fifth-bowler duties were shared between Suresh Raina and Stuart Binny, who conceded 100 runs. In comparison, South Africa’s fifth-bowler options – Farhaan Behardien and JP Duminy – gave away only 74. In a match where margins were tight, numbers like that made the difference.India were in the thick of things when they were asked to bowl in conditions that offered something for the seamers in the first hour. Bhuvneshwar Kumar found some early movement to test Quinton de Kock outside the off stump, a stern examination of the returning opening batsman’s confidence.De Kock was dropped during the Bangladesh series partly because of his lapses outside off stump and he showed greater awareness here, especially in his footwork. He may not have been happy with the eventual outcome of his innings though, after he was dismissed by Ashwin for 29 through a perfect off break that drew him forward and took the edge.Ashwin was taken out of the attack despite his early success as Dhoni turned to Amit Mishra, Stuart Binny and later Suresh Raina. The trio were largely disciplined but their occasional lapses allowed Amla and du Plessis to build slowly with a focus on strike-rotation and patience. Their partnership had reached 59, and Amla had already crossed the 1000-run mark in ODIs in this calendar year, when he was beaten by a faster ball from Mishra that deflected off his pad and onto the stumps.That brought de Villiers to the crease but the expected fireworks came from du Plessis at first. He was on 33 when Amla was dismissed and raced to his half-century off 11 balls after that, reaching it with the first six of the innings off Raina.With the milestone over, things quieted down and Dhoni brought Ashwin back. Two balls into the third over of his second spell, Ashwin fielded a ball off his own bowling and two balls later left the field with a side strain. Virat Kohli completed the over and Dhoni was left with a conundrum as he sought to make up Ashwin’s overs.Binny had to bowl more than expected, and de Villiers and Duminy targeted him. They took 21 runs off the 45th over to signal their intent to finish strongly. Behardien then provided the perfect foil for de Villiers, attacking and absorbing the pressure, which was transferred to the Indian seamers.Both Yadav and Bhuvneshwar lost their lengths, and missed the yorker and de Villiers sent the resultant full tosses into the stands. His strike rate of 60.00 off the first 30 balls jumped to 134.00 by the time he had faced 70 deliveries. De Villiers reached his century with a six off the last ball and that proved the difference in the end.That shot would have been fairly far from de Villiers’ mind when Rohit was controlling proceedings. His opening stand of 42 with Shikhar Dhawan set India up in the same way de Kock and Amla did for South Africa and what followed threatened to take the game India’s way.Rohit and Ajinkya Rahane put on 149 for the second wicket. They batted confidently, targeted Duminy and Behardien, and punished lapses in length from South Africa. Both batsmen were strong on the on-side and down the ground, and complemented each other. Rahane was watchful – his 50 came off 67 balls – while Rohit was more attacking, getting to his 50 off 48 deliveries. Rahane looked as likely as Rohit to bat through the innings but gave it away when he slapped Behardien’s medium pace to Miller at extra cover.Virat Kohli had the best seat in the house when Rohit reached his century, with a flick off Behardien over midwicket’s head, but India’s No. 4 batsman fell to a soft dismissal. Dale Steyn was brought back for a third spell and Kohli, batting on 11, nonchalantly tried to flick him away only to end up picking Morne Morkel at short fine leg.With Dhoni still at the crease, India did not appear to have much cause for concern. Once Rohit fell, however, and Dhoni began struggling, South Africa seized the initiative, leaving the hosts still winless in the limited-overs matches so far.

Canterbury posted their second win over Central Districts in a week and had Michael Davidson to thank for the success in Christchurch, which pushed them to the top of the table. Playing his third first-class game, Davidson captured nine wickets for the match and his first half-century as his side sealed an eight-wicket, three-day victory.Half-centuries to Peter Ingram (83), Bevan Griggs (55) and Timothy Lythe (52) pushed Central Districts to 226, but they managed only 148 in the second innings as Davidson added a career-best 5 for 39 to his 4 for 55 on the opening day. Michael Mason, the New Zealand bowler, hit 39 not out to extend the home team’s target to 89 and then took the only two wickets to fall. Davidson’s 56 and 82 not out from Kruger Van Wyk were essential in getting Canterbury to 286 and they did not let go off their first-innings advantage.The previous leaders Wellington slumped to an embarrassing two-day defeat to Otago after their first-innings 76 was followed by 150 in Dunedin. Wellington needed 267 to make the home team bat again and the total was a long way from their reach as Bradley Scott picked up 4 for 36 and Nathan McCullum captured 3 for 20 to end the match before its scheduled halfway point.After their successful first day, which was sealed with James McMillan’s four wickets, Otago showed there were no problems with the pitch by making 342. The opener Craig Cumming fell seven short of a century and was well supported by Aaron Redmond in a stand of 134. Redmond finished with 56 while Greg Todd, the No. 3, added 48. Michael Burns and Charlie Shreck limited the damage with three wickets each, but Wellington were soon in more trouble when they batted for a second time. They stay on 24 points while Otago move closer to the top three with 16.It took six rounds but the defending champions Northern Districts finally have their first win on the board after beating Auckland by seven wickets in Gisborne. In a low-scoring match Gareth Hopkins was the only man to threaten a big score, before he fell for 99 in the first innings as Auckland reached 186.Peter McGlashan (51) helped Northern Districts secure a handy lead as they made 283 despite Colin de Grandhomme’s 4 for 65. Another Hopkins half-century – he made 52 – could not mask Auckland’s troubles and Tim Southee’s seven wickets for the match left the home side needing only 101 for victory. James Marshall and Daniel Flynn guided them home early on the fourth day.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

A couple of Sri Lanka batting collapses turned a potentially cracking contest into a one-sided affair, as Australia wrapped up a comprehensive seven-wicket win. The move to rest Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan weakened Sri Lanka’s bowling but it was the unchanged batting line up that faltered on a true surface in Grenada.Australia were clinical, seizing the openings without fail and stamping their authority when it counted. They lost the toss but made full use of the early swing before witnessing a well-crafted 140-run stand between Mahela Jayawardene and Chamara Silva for the fourth wicket. Nathan Bracken gave little away, ending with 4 for 19 from 9.4 overs, and received good support from Glenn McGrath and Brad Hogg. With the stage set, Australia’s batsmen thrived as Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds sealed the contest with emphatic half-centuries.Sri Lanka’s batting has followed a familiar pattern in this tournament: top-order fumble followed by revival followed by late-order stumble. At least two batsmen have managed to pass 50 in every match, yet rarely has there been a powerful all-round effort. Against South Africa, they slid from 195 for 5 to 209 all out and it cost them. Against England they slipped from 175 for 3 to 235 all out and it so nearly cost them. Today, the decline was from 167 for 3 in the 38th over to 226, a collapse that effectively ended the contest.The fine partnership between Jayawardene and Silva was lost in a rash of poor strokes by the rest. On a good batting track, with the Australian spinners unable to extract much purchase, they stabilised the innings. They had little trouble in rotating the strike and kept the rate close to four an over at the 30-over mark.But with their dismissals, both to Hogg’s wrist spin within two overs, Sri Lanka lost their way. Between the 40th and 45th overs they could muster just 13 runs for the loss of three more wickets. The slump that followed was never really arrested and it was only thanks to a 34-run stand between Farveez Maharoof and Malinga Bandara, in the side for Murali, that lifted them past 200.

Bracken led the bowling effort with an outstanding spell. He removed both the left-handed openers early, one with an away-swinger and another with a ball that jagged back in, before returning towards the end to stifle the lower order. Sanath Jayasuriya couldn’t counter a Bracken in-dipper. Replays suggested the ball might have been a tad high but Bracken must be complimented for keeping a tight line. He delivered a peach of a delivery soon after, inducing an edge off Upul Tharanga that flew straight to first slip. Ponting started to go for the catch but stopped just in time for Matthew Hayden, at first slip, to pouch a controlled take.Hayden set the tone for the chase, using his feet against the medium-pacers and biffing them over cover and midwicket. A pace attack comprising Dilhara Fernando, Maharoof and Nuwan Kulasekara made an honest attempt to keep things tight, and even forced an airy waft from Adam Gilchrist early on, which was dropped by Russel Arnold at short extra cover. However, they couldn’t sustain the pressure and Hayden’s 41 contained five fours and two big sixes while Gilchrist was a bit more circumspect during his 49-ball 30.Arnold made amends with the ball, snaffling both openers in quick succession, forcing Hayden to under-edge before trapping Gilchrist lbw. Ponting, though, controlled the rest of the innings and didn’t have much to worry about once Symonds began imposing himself. Ponting’s was a finely constructed innings, angling the spinners behind the wicket and nudging the singles.His sensible partnership with Michael Clarke, with both using their feet confidently, allowed them to shrug off the loss of the openers. Symonds arrived with 101 needed and crashed five fours and two sixes in his power-packed 63. None of the Sri Lankan bowlers was allowed to settle and even the half-chances (close run-outs and stumpings) didn’t go their way. Ponting eased to his fourth 50-plus score of the tournament and finished it off with a lofted straight six, a record 29th in World Cups. The stamp of authority that the shot carried told the story of the day.

Roger Dill, a 48-year-old fireman from Bermuda, will create history in Trinidad later today.Dill will become the first member of the ICC’s Associate and Affiliate umpires’ panel to stand in a one-day international during the opening match of the tri-series between Zimbabwe, Bermuda and Canada which is being held in Trinidad. He will officiate alongside Simon Taufel, while former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd will act as match referee for the four matches.”I’m pleased to be invited and also very excited,” said Dill. “I didn’t realise I will be the first person from the Associates and Affiliates to umpire a ODI but the chance to do that is a great vote of confidence in the new panel. It shows the ICC is now looking at all umpires, no matter where they come from, and no one is out of the circle.”Dill’s rise is especially impressive given he has been umpiring for less than ten years and he admitted he began by chance and not because of any burning ambition. “I started in 1997 when I went to watch a friend playing and they were short of an umpire,” he said. “I was told afterwards I didn’t do too badly so I went to a few meetings to learn more, I found it fun and interesting and it went from there.”I did play a bit as well but I never expected to get this far in my umpiring career. Now I just want to continue to enjoy the game, make myself available whenever I can and umpire consistently at as high a level as I can.”Dill was a member of the first ICC Associate and Affiliate umpiring panel, created in April last year to give officials outside the Full Member countries the chance to progress to the highest level possible. He has stood in Intercontinental Cup, ICC Trophy and ICC U-19 World Cup matches and after impressing during those appointments has now gained further recognition.It means Dill will have to take time off from his job as a sergeant in Bermuda’s fire service but he views it as a worthwhile sacrifice. “There have been a couple of instances where I have had to take some leave and my colleagues have also been willing to cover for me,” he said. “It is all worth it for something like this. When we get these sorts of opportunities as Associate and Affiliate umpires then it is part of our responsibility to take them.”Dill believes his job as a firefighter, one he has done for almost 30 years, has helped him in his efforts as an umpire. “They do have some similarities,” he said. “They both involve being under pressure and everyone around you expects you to be calm and in control.”Now he has the chance to work with the ICC’s umpire of the year Taufel and Lloyd, a legend of the game, and he cannot wait. “Simon is one of the top elite umpires and he came and spoke to us during a recent meeting in Dubai,” he said.”He is so professional in everything he does, his dedication and attention to detail is amazing and I can only gain from his experience and knowledge. And to be part of Clive’s team will be a great thing given the way he is revered in the cricket world.”And what advice has Dill got for other aspiring officials, especially those from the Associate and Affiliate ICC members? “I have learnt lots from the Elite and International panels I’ve met but the main things are to maintain a sound knowledge of the Laws, be physically fit and stand in as many matches as you can. And as for the matches in Trinidad, I’m really looking forward to them and am determined to enjoy it all.”

Sri Lanka’s national selectors might finally get financially rewarded for their efforts. The job has so far been an honorary one, but Tryphon Mirando, the secretary of the interim committee, said that they will meet shortly and discuss ways of compensating the selectors.”Over the years the selectors have spent their own money on travelling, and [using] their personal phones to be in touch with each other,” Mirando explained. “If we expect them to do a job properly they should be duly compensated.”The selection committee is presently headed by former Sri Lanka offspinner Lalith Kaluperuma, and comprises Don Anurasiri, Pramodya Wickremasinghe, KM Nelson and Shabbir Asgerally.

Ricky Ponting couldn’t quite achieve an unprecedented clean sweep at the Allan Border Medal awards in Melbourne, but he still enjoyed a successful evening as the elite of Australian cricket gathered to celebrate their successes of the past 12 months.The Australian team flies out to Sri Lanka on Saturday, and that series will be Ponting’s first as Test captain. It is therefore appropriate that he has been recognised as Australia’s best Test cricketer of the past year, as well as their most valuable overall player.Ponting’s identity as the Allan Border Medal-winner was one of the worst-kept secrets in Australian sport. The new world-record-holder Matthew Hayden, who didn’t have too bad a year himself, said last week that the decision was a foregone conclusion. And so it proved, as Ponting secured a total of 139 votes, 48 more than Hayden in second position, and almost double the number polled by Adam Gilchrist (70) in third.Ponting, who was last year’s Test player of the year, scored 1503 runs at an average of 100.20 in 2003. He also became the first player since Don Bradman to score three double hundreds in a single year. His one-day form was no less prolific, and he had been widely tipped to secure all three major categories. In the end, however, he was pipped to the one-day post by Gilchrist, who made 1463 runs in a period that began with the opening fixture of last year’s World Cup, at a phenomenal strike rate of 105.63 and an average of 45.71.In a closely-fought category, Gilchrist polled 28 votes to finish four ahead of Brett Lee and Ponting, and five ahead of Andrew Symonds. Gilchrist secured the award in the second-last game of Australia’s season, the first final against India at the MCG on February 6. He scored two centuries in the past year, with a highest score of 172 against Zimbabwe in the VB Series, as well as 60 catches and a stumping.Ponting, who was the only man to play in all 37 matches, made 1317 runs at 43.90, including his World Cup-winning innings of 140 not out, while Lee was Australia’s top wicket-taker with 49 at an average of 19.87, but his absence from the recent tri-series in India scuppered his prospects of the award. Votes were awarded on a 3-2-1 basis by a panel of former cricketers and media representatives.The evening also featured a tribute to David Hookes, who died last month, while the former Test players Alan Davidson and Hugh Trumble were officially induced into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. The women’s player of the year award went to their fast bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick; New South Wales’ Simon Katich was named as the State player of the year, while South Australia’s paceman Shaun Tait picked up the Bradman award as the best young cricketer of the year.Ponting is the fifth winner of the Allan Border Medal, following in the footsteps of Glenn McGrath (2000), Steve Waugh (2001), Hayden (2002) and Gilchrist (2003).

Sachin Tendulkar’s inclusion in India’s team for the third National Bank Series One-Day International against New Zealand, at Jade Stadium tomorrow, would be particularly helpful as the side attempts to pick up their first win of the tour.Coach John Wright said the side had managed 20-odd wins in recent ODIs during his time as coach without Tendulkar and that proved the side was not dependent on him, so his presence would be a boost nonetheless and it would be good for cricket.”We have to create situations and an attitude where you expect any one of six or seven to be able to do the job,” Wright said.Lifting the side back from the 2-0 deficit they face in the seven-game series was a case of making individuals in the team aware of what is required of them.”We finished the last year badly, we’re starting a new year for us tomorrow so it is really self awareness and team awareness.”The fielding in the last match was unacceptable and it may cost a player or two their place in the side tomorrow. Fielding is all about giving to the team, it’s about attitude and commitment. It’s a giving process and it was the most disappointing area of our performance in Napier.”But that can happen. It can happen once, if it happens again that will be serious.”Everyone can have a bad day but I am sure you will see a better fielding performance tomorrow,” Wright said.India would not be looking to rest players during the series. They wanted to win the series and that meant doing their best with the best players available to achieve that.And that would be the side’s best preparation for the World Cup.The main things ahead of the side, apart from winning, were to get batsmen into form and to rediscover the eagerness and zest that the side had in England and at the ICC Champions Trophy where there was an evident hunger.The development of the side’s bowling had been a big bonus from the tour so far and that was timely given that it was an area of concern when looking at the Cup from the longer term.”At Auckland and Napier we blew winning opportunities in both games and I look at the potential for improvement and I am very optimistic about this side performing well in South Africa, no matter what happens here.”I have a lot of confidence in this side and I know that the boys will perform well in South Africa. But have said that we don’t need fielding performances like the other day,” he said.

If it is the knack of successful captains to make exactly the right decisions at exactly the right times, then it seems likely that Nathan Hauritz will, ultimately, enjoy a long and fruitful career in the pursuit. For, with one mere piece of initiative, the brazen Queensland skipper turned an engrossing National Under-19 Championship Final against Victoria completely on its head here at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart today.Like many of his teammates, Hauritz was unable to set an overcast Hobart day ablaze with any great deeds with the bat. But, just under six hours after he and his charges had been asked to make first use of a never altogether-friendly pitch, he had them right back – possibly even holding the edge – in a game upon which they had previously been unable to extract a hold all day.Victoria had entered the match a raging favourite and, for most of the opening stages, played in accordance with the status. Following his victory at the toss, captain Tim Welsford (0/20) joined with left armer Brett Anderton (1/49) to lead the way with excellent opening spells. On a charcoal-tinged pitch which offered significant encouragement to the bowlers, they set a pattern of impeccable line and length that their support cast could not help but follow. Albeit that only one wicket – that of Chris Simpson (16) to an lbw decision at the hands of Ben Waterman (2/25) – fell in the pre-lunch session, the Queensland upper order found itself under consistent pressure as the contest began.Following lunch, the Victorians formally converted their early dominance into a comparatively rapid rush of wickets. Between the dismissals of Aaron Maynard (12) and Mitchell Chapman (1) to medium pacer Mark Simpson (3/31) and the departure of Chris Hartley (17) to a loose stroke at Paul Seeary (1/28) outside the line of off stump, further success came the way of Waterman with the prize scalp of Nick Kruger (61). With his clever control, changes of pace, and ability to produce notable variation in bounce from just short of a length, medium pacer Waterman was probably the pick of the attack throughout.It was just as well for the Queenslanders that they received the benefit of a largely unrelenting individual performance of their own – in their case from Kruger, who was able to hold things together in a stabilising hand that occupied more than three hours. Through his innings, the left hander was often uncomfortable. But, crucially, he was also unyielding. And, without his gritty half-century, his team might well have found itself in dire straits.Even after tea, there was no real let-up in the pattern of Victorian dominance until the aggressive John Dellit (46*) fashioned an association with Chris McCabe (22) that brought the Queenslanders a priceless fifty runs for the eighth wicket. Dellit was in fact in the midst of an excellent attacking innings when, out of the blue, his captain decided that enough scoring had already been done. With only thirty-five minutes left on the clock, and potentially as few as seven overs remaining, came Hauritz’s closure at 8/232.Admittedly, it was a freakish piece of brilliance from McCabe in the cover field – in intercepting a well-hit shot and then throwing down the stumps – that went much of the way toward vindicating the gambit. Certainly, Travis Birt (15) had appeared in little trouble until his opening partner Peter Dickson (1) drove a ball powerfully off the back foot, seemingly well away from the tall seventeen year old, and set off with the stroke.When the jubilant Queenslanders then added to their bounty the wicket of Dickson himself as he pressed only half forward to a well pitched off cutter from Nathan Rimmington (1/13) in the following over, the scoreboard was suddenly reading 2/16. Stuart Brohaska (1*) and Nathan Geisler (0*) survived the four deliveries that followed but not without enduring the odd scare of their own. Suddenly, it had become a completely different game.

Match facts

September 11, 2015
Start time 10.30am local (0930 GMT)3:11

McGlashan: Both captains would like to bat first

Big Picture

England’s win at Old Trafford kept alive hopes of beating Australia in an ODI series for the first time since 2012, as well as eased fears that they will fall below Bangladesh in the ICC rankings. Even a 4-1 defeat will see England remain in sixth, for now, while two more victories would drag them up to within range of Sri Lanka in midtable.The last time England managed consecutive ODI wins over Australia was also three summers ago. That 4-0 win was among the peaks of Alastair Cook’s roundhead reign as captain but the ODI world has shifted dramatically since then – and England have at last shown signs of catching up. Only Eoin Morgan and Steven Finn remain from the 2012 NatWest Series (with Stuart Broad’s future undecided) and pulling back the No. 1-ranked side from a 2-0 lead would be worth a campaign medal for Trevor Bayliss, Paul Farbrace and their new model army.They will attempt to do so in front of a packed house at Headingley, home of the back-to-back County Champions, Yorkshire. The locals have sometimes struggled to work up enthusiasm for England visits – and a significant number will be at Lord’s hoping to see their team lift the Championship pennant on Friday – but, having paid their shilling, they will demand England maintain the standards on display across the Pennines.Australia, too, can claim a strong Yorkshire connection, from the coach, Darren Lehmann, through to Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell – both of whom have had to make do with representing Yorkshire’s 2nd XI this season. Coming towards the end of a long tour that has yielded rather less success than was promised, Australia would surely like to tap into the prevailing mood of celebration by sealing the series with a game to spare.Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid and Jonny Bairstow are likely to play on their home ground•Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WLLWW
Australia LWWWW

In the spotlight

Alex Hales is hot-and-cold player. Having come into the one-day series on a blazing run of scores for Nottinghamshire – 85, 9, 81, 58, 189 and 62 – he has felt the chill of Autumn more than most: four innings against Australia, including the T20, have tallied 52 runs and a high score of 22. Hales has still only played 17 ODI innings and, with a couple of blistering half-centuries against New Zealand earlier this year, looked to be finding his feet. He has, however, lost form at the wrong time and has been outshone by his opening partner Jason Roy in the series so far.Pat Cummins, 22 years old and with 16 ODI caps to his name, could find himself the most experienced member of the Australia pace attack on Friday. If Mitchell Starc is rested, then Cummins – comfortably the quickest bowler on either side – will be required to step up and lead the way. He has impressed with his pace, steepling bouncer and impressive control; he is the leading wicket-taker in the series, with the best average and, among pace bowlers to have delivered more than eight overs, the lowest economy. Perhaps more importantly, he has avoided injury – this will be his fifth consecutive ODI and his longest run in the side.

Team news

Chris Woakes has been ruled out with a thigh injury, so England will be forced to change their attack – David Willey seems the most likely candidate, offering a left-arm angle as well as the potential for bludgeoning runs lower down the order. Mark Wood and Reece Topley are the other pace-bowling options in the squad.England (possible) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 James Taylor, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 David Willey, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Steven FinnAustralia have already had three players withdraw from their squad and look set to give Mitchell Starc a rest after playing in all 12 of Australia’s international fixtures in the West Indies, England and Ireland. John Hastings, called up as cover from Durham, could come in for his first ODI appearance since 2011.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Joe Burns, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Ashton Agar, 9 John Hastings, 10 James Pattinson, 11 Pat Cummins.

Pitch and conditions

England, in their stodgy former mould, still managed to knock up 294 under clear skies against India at Headingley last year and Lehmann said he expected the pitch the good for batting. The forecast is good, if a little cool, for Friday but an early start and any passing cloud cover could interest the seamers.

Stats and trivia

• England and Australia last contested an ODI at Headingley in 2005 (the scheduled fixture in 2013 was washed out)
• Australia have won 11 out of their last 13 ODIs against England
• Steven Finn needs two more wickets for 100 in ODIs
• If they play, Cummins, James Pattinson and John Hastings will form an Australia pace attack comprised of 41 caps between them

Quotes

“I was keeping tabs on the score on Twitter, looking every five minutes and there were texts flying around.”
Adil Rashid couldn’t join in with Yorkshire’s Championship celebrations but enjoyed from afar“We’re all tired, but that’s international cricket, that’s what you do when you’re representing your country.”