Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne (Race 1, 2014) Race

Rosberg wins in Melbourne

Nico Rosberg won the season opening race in Melbourne ahead of Mclaren's Kevin Magnussen. The Mercedes driver, who started the race in third, climbed two places on the first corner to lead the race and held on to win the Australian Grand Prix. Even more impressive was the debut drive of Magnussen who in his first ever Formula 1 race took second place in what looks to be a much more promising year for Mclaren. Despite finishing and celebrating on the podium, Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified after the race which meant that Jenson Button will claim third place. 



My Opinion:

Mclaren - Magnussen (2nd), Button (3rd). What a great day and start to the new season for Mclaren. The team failed to achieve a single podium throughout the whole of last year but they started with a bang this time around. Magnussen was truly world class on his debut to come home in second. What a start to the young driver's career that was. Jenson Button didn't get to celebrate on the podium but was moved up to third spot after Ricciardo's disqualification. It was a tough year for the Brit last season but brighter and better things look set to come around the corner for him. 
Mercedes - Rosberg (winner), Hamilton (DNF). Mixed emotions at Mercedes. The team will be delighted that Rosberg was able to bring home the victory but to lose Hamilton in the second lap must have felt like a major blow. Nevertheless, Mercedes look to have built the fastest car so far this year and will be looking to score some heavy points whilst Hamilton will be looking to bounce back in the next race. 
Ferrari - Alonso (4th), Raikkonen (7th). Standard race for Ferrari. I'm sure the team would have hoped for a better result as it is Ferrari but both drivers took home points. Alonso was able to gain one place up to fourth whilst Raikkonen moved into the top ten and finished 7th. Not the best but certainly not the worst result Ferrari could have hoped for. 
Williams - Bottas (5th), Massa (DNF). Williams have seemingly produced a fast car this year but only one driver was able to bring their car home. Bottas had a very strong race, moving up from 15th on the grid to finishing 5th. Encouraging signs for Bottas but disappointment looms in the garage of Massa who didn't complete a single lap. Hugely frustrating for Massa and the team but there are some good signs for the bigger picture. 
Force India - Hulkenberg (6th), Perez (10th). Decent start to the season for Force India. Hulkenberg had a good race and moved up a place into 6th whilst Perez managed to take home that final point on offer in 10th. A pretty solid result for the team who will be looking to build on today's good performance. 
Toro Rosso - Vergne (8th), Kvyat (9th). Great day for Toro Rosso. It seems as though the team have built a fast car for qualifying but the race pace is a little slower than they would have liked. Despite this, both drivers brought home important points for the team. Vergne dropped two places down to 8th whilst Kvyat fell down one into 9th. Encouraging start to the season and they could be a surprise this year.
Sauber - Sutil (11th), Gutierrez (12th). Sauber just miss out. Despite both cars making it to the end of the race, the team just missed out on securing a point. Sutil brought the car home in 11th just ahead of Gutierrez who finished in 12th. The team will undoubtedly have learned so much from the data they took from the race that it wouldn't surprise me if they picked up a point or two from the next race.  
Marussia - Chilton (13th), Bianchi (14th). Marussia proved themselves to be reliable. Although they were the slowest team on track to finish, both of their cars did actually finish the race. Chilton managed to stay ahead of Bianchi in the inter-team battle which is good viewing for the British fans. 
Lotus - Grosjean (DNF), Maldonado (DNF). Torrid day for Lotus. It has been a completely disastrous weekend for the team as their cars started from the back of the grid whilst neither car made it to the end of the race. Maldonado lasted 29 laps whilst Grosjean was out there for 43 laps. Things can only get better for Lotus and there will be plenty of pressure for them to improve in the next race. 
Caterham - Ericsson (DNF), Kobayashi (DNF). Disappointment for Caterham. It was certainly not the start to the season that Caterham had in mind. Kobayashi didn't make it to the second lap whilst Ericsson could only manage 27 laps. 
Red Bull - Vettel (DNF), Ricciardo (DSQ). Despite dominating the sport for the last couple of seasons, it turned out to be an absolute nightmare start to the new season. It started badly when Vettel retired after three laps but they thought they had a podium finish when Ricciardo came in second. However, after the race had been completed the stewards disqualified Ricciardo from the race for not supplying the right fuel sample. Consequently, they came away from the first race with absolutely nothing. I'm sure they will be back strongly in the next race though. 

Key Moments During the Race:

Start: Rosberg (up2), Ricciardo, Magnussen (up1), Hamilton (down3), Hulkenberg (up2), Alonso (down1), Vergne (down1), Raikkonen (up3), Kvyat (down1), Bottas (up5). Massa OUT. Kobayashi OUT.
Lap 2: Hulkenberg moves into 4th after passing Hamilton. Hamilton OUT.
Lap 3: Raikkonen moves in 7th after passing Vergne. Bottas moves into 9th after passing Kvyat. Vettel OUT.
Lap 5: Bottas moves into 7th after passing Vergne.
Lap 8: Bottas moves into 6th after passing Raikkonen.
Lap 11: Bottas makes contact with a wall and has rear tyre damage.
Lap 12: Safety car deployed to clear debris.
Lap 15: Safety car goes back to the pits.
Lap 16: Rosberg, Ricciardo, Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Button, Vergne, Raikkonen, Sutil, Kvyat.
Lap 19: Bottas moves into 10th after passing Maldonado.
Lap 23: Grosjean moves into 13th after passing Maldonado.
Lap 25: Bottas moves into 9th after passing Kvyat.
Lap 27: Ericsson OUT.
Lap 29: Maldonado OUT.
Lap 35: Bottas moves into 5th after passing Raikkonen.
Lap 38: Rosberg makes a pit stop and regains the lead.
Lap 43: Grosjean OUT.
Lap 47: Bottas moves into 7th after passing Vergne.
Lap 52: Bottas moves into 6th after passing Hulkenberg.
Lap 55: Raikkonen moves into 8th after passing Vergne.
Finish: Rosberg wins the Australian Grand Prix. Ricciardo comes second and Magnussen third.
*Ricciardo was disqualified after the race ended which means that Magnussen claims second and Button third.

Race Result
1. Rosberg (Mercedes) 1.32.58.710
2. Magnussen (Mclaren) +26 seconds
3. Button (Mclaren) +30 seconds
4. Alonso (Ferrari) +35
5. Bottas (Williams) +47
6. Hulkenberg (Force India) +50
7. Raikkonen (Ferrari) +57
8. Vergne (Toro Rosso) +1 minute
9. Kvyat (Torro Rosso) +1 minute 3 seconds
10. Perez (Force India) +1 minute 25 seconds
11. Sutil (Sauber) +1 minute 25 seconds
12. Gutierrez (Sauber) lapped
13. Chilton (Marussia) lapped
14. Bianchi (Marussia) lapped

15. Grosjean ((Lotus) retired 43 laps
16. Maldonado (Lotus) retired 29 laps
17. Ericsson (Caterham) retired 27 laps
18. Vettel (Red Bull) retired 3 laps
19. Hamilton (Mercedes) retired 2 laps
20. Massa (Williams) retired 0 laps
21. Kobayashi (Caterham) retired 0 laps
22. Ricciardo (Red Bull) disqualified

Fastest Lap: Rosberg (Mercedes) 1.32.478

Driver of the Day: Magnussen (Mclaren)

Team of the Day: Mclaren

Driver Standings
1. Rosberg 25pts
2. Magnussen 18pts
3. Button 15pts
4. Alonso 12pts
5. Bottas 10pts

Constructor Standings
1. Mclaren 33pts
2. Mercedes 25pts
3. Ferrari 18pts
4. Williams 10pts
5. Force India 9pts

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Australian Grand Prix: Melbourne (Race 1, 2014) Qualifying

Hamilton takes Pole in Melbourne

The Formula 1 season starts again for the 2014 campaign in Melbourne amongst some of the biggest rule changes in a generation. Mercedes will be delighted with the way they started the year as their car looks to be the quickest. Hamilton sealed pole position for the first race of the year whilst Ricciardo sits alongside him on the front row. Rosberg took third whilst an impressive debut from Mclaren rookie drive Magnussen claimed fourth. Last years champion Sebastien Vettel had a poor qualifying, only managing 13th spot on the grid. All in all it is set up to be an exciting opening race to the season with Mercedes looking to dominate from the start.

My Opinion:

Mercedes - Hamilton (pole), Rosberg (3rd). What a great day for Mercedes who were by far the best team in qualifying. Hamilton takes pole and will fancy winning the first race of the season whilst Rosberg looks set to be on the podium. 

Red Bull - Ricciardo (2nd), Vettel (13th). A mixed day for Red Bull. New driver Ricciardo looked impressive and put his Red Bull on the front row but Vettel had a tough day and was knocked out in Q2. It would be a great story if Ricciardo can finish on the podium but even better if he can win in front of his home crowd. Vettel should get himself in the points and it will be a case of how far up the grid he can propel himself.

Ferrari - Alonso (5th), Raikkonen (12th). It seems like Ferrari still lack pace in their car as Alonso could only manage 5th behind the Mercedes, Red Bull and Mclaren. Alonso will pick up some points but I'm not convinced he will be on the podium. Raikkonen is back at Ferrari but struggled in Q2. The iceman should get amongst the points but it was not result he'd hoped for today. 

Mclaren - Magnussen (4th), Button (11th). Signs of improvement for Mclaren. It was a horrid time for Mclaren last year who struggled their way through the season. However, a new car looks to have brought some belief into the team as it looks much quicker this year. Magnussen was incredible on his debut to put his car on the second row whilst Button just missed out on a place in Q3. Plenty of points available for Mclaren to take from this race tomorrow. 

Toro Rosso - Vergne (6th), Kvyat (8th). Toro Rosso had a decent qualifying result as both of their drivers made it through to Q3. Vergne was the faster of the two drivers but both will have great chances of scoring some points for the team. 

Force India - Hulkenberg (7th), Perez (16th). A mixed bag for Force India. Hulkenberg showed some pace and looks good to score some points from 7th but Perez was not at his best on his debut qualifying for his new team. From 16th on the grid, Perez will most likely find it tough to finish in the top 10 but he has a point to prove to Mclaren who dropped him from the team at the end of the last season. 

Williams - Massa (9th), Bottas (10th). Williams may be disappointed with that result as they look to have produced a pretty fast car this year. Massa and Bottas round up the top 10 but don't be surprised if they move themselves up the order in the race. 

Sauber - Sutil (14th), Gutierrez (19th). Encouraging signs for Sauber. Sutil was the star man for the team today, putting himself in 14th but Gutierrez struggled and will find it tough in 19th.

Caterham - Kobayashi (15th), Ericsson (20th). Caterham got one car into Q2 as Kobayashi took 15th but Ericsson was not on form today and will starts 20th. 

Marussia - Chilton (17th), Bianchi (18th). Marussia had two drivers who were pretty much on par with each other but it was Max Chilton who claimed 17th just ahead of Bianchi. 

Lotus - Grosjean (21st), Maldonado (22nd). Disastrous day for Lotus. Lotus had a decent season last year but got off to a nightmare start to 2014. Both cars lineup at the back of the grid as Grosjean and Maldonado have a shocker. The car should not be at the back as it is certainly not the slowest so I fully expect them to climb the order tomorrow but points look out of the question now. 

Qualifying Result/Starting Grid

Q3

Pole. Hamilton (Mercedes) 1.44.231

2. Ricciardo (Red Bull)

3. Rosberg (Mercedes)

4. Magnussen (Mclaren)

5. Alonso (Ferrari)

6. Vergne (Toro Rosso)

7. Hulkenberg (Force India) 

8. Kvyat (Toro Rosso)

9. Massa (Williams)

10. Bottas (Williams)

Q2

11. Button (Mclaren)

12. Raikkonen (Ferrari)

13. Vettel (Red Bull)

14. Sutil (Sauber)

15. Kobayashi (Caterham)

16. Perez (Force India)

Q1

17. Chilton (Marussia)

18. Bianchi (Marussia)

19. Guiterrez (Sauber)

20. Ericsson (Caterham)

21. Grosjean (Lotus)

22. Maldonado (Lotus)

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Australia v England Third T20 (Sydney)

England end tour with heavy defeat

Australia 195-6 (20 overs) beat England 111 (17.2) by 84 runs (Australia win T20 Series 3-0)

England finished their tour of Australia with a massive 84 run defeat in the last T20 match in Sydney. Australia chose to bat first and with the help of Finch (30), White (41) and Bailey (49*) reached 195-6 after their 20 overs. England got off to a terrible start as they were reduced to 25-3 after only 5 overs. The innings only got worse as England suffered a major batting collapse. From 79-5, England were bowled out within the next five overs as they crumbled to 111 all out. The innings ended in the 18th over as Dernbach was run out by Bailey which aptly summed up a terrible day and Series for England. With that defeat comes the end of the T20 Series and the tour. England managed to win one game out of 13 and lost the Ashes, ODI and T20 Series along the way. 



My Opinion:
Well at least it's all over now. England have had an absolute nightmare in Australia on this tour but thankfully it has come to an end. Australia posted a very competitive score with the majority of their batsman adding a decent score the total. After 5 overs, England were pegged down to 25-3. The inevitable defeat was clearly visible but sadly so was the lack of fight. Only four English batsman made it into double figures as they were just whittled out in 17.2 overs for 111. The only positive was Morgan who contributed 34 runs off 20 balls. Everyone else was highly disappointing. Hilariously, the tour finished with Dernbach being run out which simply summed up the whole tour - highly calamitous. There will be plenty to think about for the English cricket board and selectors after such a thrashing from the Australians. There were some positives from Stokes, Root and Morgan whilst Bresnan and Broad performed well with the ball but places are certainly up for grabs. On a final note, I must pay a massive tribute to the Australian team who performed magnificently throughout the tour and came out deserved winners. Johnson was just incredible with the ball whilst Warner was fantastic with the bat. Regrettably, I have to say well done to Australia - you were the better team. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

Australia win the toss and will bat first.

Australia Innings:
(6.4) 48-1, Finch 30 (21), 1 four, 3 sixes, caught Broad, Bresnan.
(7) 50-1, White 17*, Maxwell 1*.
(8.2) 65-2, Maxwell 14 (9), 2 sixes, caught Hales, Broad.
(12) 104-2, White 33*, Cutting 23*.
(13.2) 118-3, Cutting 29 (16), 1 four, 3 sixes, caught and bowled by Root.
(14.1) 130-4, White 41 (37), 4 fours, 1 six, caught Buttler, Jordan.
(15.4) 139-5, Hodge 7 (7), 1 four, caught Dernbach, Broad.
(16) 139-6, Christian 0 (2), bowled by Broad.
(18) 157-6, Bailey 20*, Wade 10*.
(20) 195-6, 50 partnership between Bailey 49*(20), 4 fours, 3 sixes and Wade 19*(10), 1 four, 1 six.

Batsman of the Innings: Bailey 49*(20)
Bowler of the Innings: Broad 3-30

England Innings:
(2.5) 11-1, Wright 8 (12), 1 four, caught Cutting, Starc.
(3.3) 19-2, Hales 6 (8), 1 four, caught Muirhead, Coulter-Nile.
(5) 25-3, Stokes 5 (4), 1 four, caught Cutting, Maxwell.
(8) 53-3, Root 9*, Morgan 18*.
(9) 60-4, Root 11 (21), 1 four, caught Cutting, Maxwell.
(12) 79-5, Buttler 8 (9), 1 four, caught Maxwell, Christian.
(12.4) 82-6, Morgan 34 (20), 2 fours, 2 sixes, caught Starc, Cutting.
(13.5) 92-7, Bopara 4 (5), bowled by Coulter-Nile.
(14.2) 98-8, Bresnan 14 (7), 1 four, 1 six, stumped Wade, Muirhead.
(16) 104-8, Broad 2*, Jordan 4*.
(16.1) 104-9, Broad 2 (4), bowled by Muirhead.
(17.2) 111 all out, Dernbach 1 (2), run out by Bailey. Jordan 10*(12), 2 fours. Australia win by 84 runs and win the T20 Series 3-0.

Batsman of the Innings: Morgan 34 (20)
Bowler of the Innings: Coulter-Nile 2-21

English Batsman of the Series: Ravi Bopara scored 75 runs off 43 balls
English Bowler of the Series: Stuart Broad took 4-84

Australian Batsman of the Series: Cameron White scored 174 runs off 125 balls
Australian Bowler of the Series: Coulter-Nile took 7-41

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Australia v England Second T20 (Melbourne)

England thrashed by Australia in second T20

Australia 131-2 (14.5 overs) beat England 130-9 (20 overs) by 8 wickets (Australia win Series 2-0)

Cameron White and George Bailey compounded England's misery after comfortably seeing Australia storm their way to an 8 wicket victory. England chose to bat first but suffered a major batting collapse as they struggled their way to 130-9 after 20 overs. Jos Buttler was England's highest scoring batsman with 22 runs but it was Hazlewood who did most of the damage, taking 4 wickets for 30 runs. 
Defending a low total proved tough for England's bowlers but they managed to reduce Australia down to 53-2 in the sixth over. However, White finished unbeaten on 58* whilst Bailey produced an unbeaten 60* off only 28 balls as Australia raced over the finish line in the 15th over, thrashing England by 8 wickets. The result means that Australia win the T20 Series 2-0 with one match to play and that England will have been beaten in every Series of the tour. 



My Opinion:
Another very disappointing performance and result for England. They were simply outplayed in every department today and got thoroughly thrashed. After deciding to bat first you would expect a competitive score to be put on the board but instead England suffered a horrible batting collapse. Wickets fell every other over which continuously disrupted any partnerships and kept killing any rhythm. Not sure why Luke Wright keeps getting chances in the team as today he only lasted two balls. Morgan and Bopara both failed which didn't help but 130-9 is just simply not good enough. England took two Australian wickets but in the end White and Bailey smashed their way to 131-2 with 31 balls remaining. With that loss goes the Series for England which means they have managed to lose all three Series. Thankfully there is only one more game to go on the tour before all this came come to an end. Hopefully, England can finish with a win but after today's performance, I don't hold much hope at all! 

Match Guide: Key Moments

England win the toss and will bat first.

England Innings:
(3.2) 24-1, Lumb 18 (15), 4 fours, caught Coulter-Nile, Hazlewood.
(4.2) 30-2, Wright 0 (2), caught Hodge, Starc.
(5.3) 42-3, Hales 16 (13), 3 fours, caught Starc, Hazlewood.
(7) 55-3, Root 15*, Morgan 6*.
(7.1) 55-4, Morgan 6 (3), 1 four, run out by Hodge.
(8.3) 63-5, Root 15 (14), 3 fours, run out by Maxwell.
(12.2) 87-6, Bopara 6 (11), caught Maxwell, Muirhead.
(15.1) 96-7, Buttler 22 (27), 2 fours, lbw Coulter-Nile.
(17) 105-7, Bresnan 9*, Broad 3*.
(19.5) 130-8, Bresnan 18*(19), 1 four, bowled by Hazlewood.
(20) 130-9, Tredwell 0 (1), bowled by Hazlewood. Broad 18*(15), 1 four.

Batsman of the Innings: Buttler 22 (27)
Bowler of the Innings: Hazlewood 4-30

Australia Innings:
(5.1) 48-1, Finch 10 (11), 2 fours, lbw Bresnan.
(6) 50-1, White 34*, Maxwell 1*.
(6.5) 53-2, Maxwell 2 (5), caught Bresnan, Tredwell.
(12) 100-2, White 48*, Bailey 39*.
(12.3) 103-2, 50 for White off 38 balls and the 50 partnership between White 50* and Bailey 39*.
(13.2) 116-2, 50 for Bailey off 24 balls.
(14.5) 131-2, White 58*(45), 9 fours, and Bailey 60*(28), 7 fours and 3 sixes. Australia win by 8 wickets and win T20 Series 2-0.

Batsman of the Innings: Bailey 60*(28)
Bowler of the Innings: Bresnan 1-11

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Australia v England First T20 (Hobart)

England fall short in first T20

Australia 213-4 (20 overs) beat England 200-9 (20 overs) by 13 runs (Australia lead Series 1-0)

England fell 13 runs short of Australia's 213-4 in the first T20 at Hobart. Cameron White starred for Australia, scoring 75 off just 43 balls as they imposed a high target for England to reach. England kept losing wickets throughout their run chase and despite Bopara scoring 65 not out off only 27 balls, it was not enough as they finished their 20 overs on 209-9. Australia take a 1-0 Series lead. 



My Opinion:
A very entertaining game but England fell just short. White and Finch impressed as they both passed fifty during their innings whilst a late burst from Lynn took the Aussies up to 213-4. A strong target to set and it was interesting to see who would be able to step up to the plate for England. Lumb and Wright were early failures whilst Hales at least produced 22 runs. Morgan only lasted four balls as England kept on losing wickets. There was no real momentum in the innings and it kept the Aussies on top. Root managed 32 off 24 but then got caught in the field. Bopara gave England some late hope with a magnificent 65 not out off 27 balls. However, it just wasn't quite enough for the total. In general it was a poor batting display apart from Bopara's fireworks so there are still questions to be asked. After that performance, I would like to see Bopara move up the order as he looks to be in fantastic form and England really need to work on bowling more yorkers. There were too many runs conceded late on in the Aussie innings and if England are to win, they need to sort that out. The Series is still up for grabs and I still hold out a minor hope that England can win a Series on this tour but the odds are very much against them. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

Australia win the toss and will bat first.

Australia Innings:
(6) 52-0, 50 partnership between White 18* and Finch 33*.
(9) 89-0, 50 for Finch off 26 balls.
(10) 104-0, 50 for White off 32 balls and the 100 partnership between White 50* and Finch 51*.
(10.4) 106-1, Finch 52 (31) 5 fours, 3 sixes, caught Hales, Broad.
(12.5) 134-2, White 75 (43) 6 fours, 4 sixes, lbw Wright.
(14) 153-2, Maxwell 18*, Bailey 2*.
(15.1) 157-3, Maxwell 20 (13), 2 fours, 1 six, caught Bresnan, Bopara.
(19) 200-3, Bailey 14*, Lynn 26*.
(19.1) 200-4, Bailey 14 (14), 1 four, caught Bresnan, Dernbach.
(20) 213-4, Lynn 37*(19), 2 fours, 3 sixes and Christian 6*(12), 1 four.

Batsman of the Innings: White 75 (43)
Bowler of the Innings: Broad 1-25

England Innings:
(1.3) 14-1, Lumb 9 (6), 2 fours, caught Lynn, Coulter-Nile.
(4.3) 44-2, Wright 9 (10), 2 fours, bowled by Henriques.
(5) 45-3, Hales 22 (12), 5 fours, lbw Henriques.
(6.2) 51-3, Root 3*, Morgan 4*.
(6.3) 51-4, Morgan 4 (4), 1 four, bowled by Maxwell.
(11.1) 98-5, Buttler 20 (14), 1 four, 1 six, caught Muirhead, Coulter-Nile.
(11.3) 100-5, Root 32*, Bopara 0*.
(11.4) 100-6, Root 32 (24), 3 fours, 1 six, caught Finch, Coulter-Nile.
(16.3) 147-7, Bresnan 11 (14), bowled by Muirhead.
(17) 155-7, Bopara 36*, Broad 7*.
(17.4) 162-8, Broad 13 (5), 2 sixes, bowled by Coulter-Nile.
(19) 176-9, Dernbach 5 (4), 1 four, run out by Finch.
(19.2) 187-9, 50 for Bopara.
(20) 200-9, Bopara 65*(27), 2 fours, 7 sixes and Briggs 0*(0). Australia win by 13 runs and lead T20 Series 1-0.

Batsman of the Innings: Bopara 65*(27)
Bowler of the Innings: Coulter-Nile 4-31

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Australia v England Fifth ODI (Adelaide)

Australia end ODI Series with narrow victory

Australia 217-9 (50 overs) beat England 212 all out (49.4 overs) by five runs (Australia win ODI Series 4-1)

Australia bowled England out with two balls to spare to win the final ODI by five runs and wrapped up the Series 4-1. England started the game well, taking four wickets in the first twenty overs to reduce Australia to 64-4. Stokes then broke a fifty partnership between Bailey and Maxwell after dismissing Maxwell for 22. Australia battled back as Bailey passed fifty before putting on a fifty partnership with Wade. However, Stokes dismissed the dangerous Bailey for 56 to leave Australia 167-6. Wade was soon bowled out by Broad as England reduced Australia to 176-7. Faulkner and Coulter-Nile managed to push Australia past 200 runs before both fell to Jordan in consecutive balls. Mckay and Doherty saw the last two balls off as Australia finished their innings 217-9. 
England started poorly, losing two early wickets as both Bell and Stokes fell, leaving themselves 29-2. Cook and Root provided some stability with a fifty partnership but it was broken at 90-2 as Cook was dismissed by Coulter-Nile. Root passed fifty before putting on a fifty partnership with Morgan as England looked to be in control at 154-3 with 15 overs remaining. However, Faulkner dismissed the both of them as England were reduced to 157-5. With just under five overs left, both Buttler and Bresnan lost their wickets' leaving England 194-7. With England requiring 14 runs off 18 balls, Mckay struck twice to dismiss both Bopara and Broad. At 209-9, England needed just 8 runs off 6 balls but Watson dimissed Tredwell for 0 in the last over as England were bowled out for 212, falling just five runs short. It means Australia have tormented England once again as they claim the ODI Series 4-1. 



My Opinion:
That was a very frustrating end to the match with England falling just short after looking like they were going to make it. It was a decent bowling performance as they reduced the Aussies to 64-4 early on and then reduced them to 217 after 50 overs. This was a very reachable target and England should really have won. However, England were reduced to 90-3 which kept halting their progress. Root and Morgan looked in good nick and put England in a strong position at 154-3. Somehow, they were both dismissed in the space of two balls. That was the major turning point in the match as the Aussies got their tails back up whilst England were suddenly five wickets down from nowhere. Buttler and Bresnan both failed to muster anything special and were both dismissed, leaving England in a precarious position at 194-7. With Bopara and Broad things looked good for England as they should have been able to see out the run chase. However, they both lost their wicket which meant England needed 8 runs off 6 balls. Still an achievable target but Tredwell struggled to get off the mark and facing his fourth ball got caught out. Australia sealed victory with two balls to spare and produce another tough defeat for England to take. England back to square one and lose the Series 4-1. There is still a chance for England to take some pride back home with the T20 Series coming up next so I still hold out hope that England may win a Series in Australia on this tour. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

Australia win the toss and will bat first

Australia Innings
(4.3) 14-1, Finch 7 (16), 1 four, bowled by Broad.
(6.2) 22-2, Watson 0 (4), caught Buttler, Broad.
(14) 43-3, Clarke 8 (26), bowled by Bresnan.
(15) 50-3, Marsh 31*, Bailey 1*.
(19.4) 64-4, Marsh 36 (52), 3 fours, caught Cook, Stokes.
(28) 103-4, Bailey 30*, Mazwell 15*.
(29.2) 115-5, Maxwell 22 (35), 1 four, caught Buttler, Stokes.
(36) 143-5, 50 for Bailey.
(38) 154-5, Bailey 52*, Wade 22*.
(40) 162-5, 50 partnership between Bailey 56* and Wade 22*.
(40.5) 167-6, Bailey 56 (74), 4 fours, caught Broad, Stokes.
(42.5) 176-7, Wade 31 (46), 2 fours, bowled by Broad.
(48) 207-7, Faulkner 23*, Coulter-Nile 11*.
(49.3) 215-8, Faulkner 27 (27), 2 fours, caught Morgan, Jordan.
(49.4) 215-9, Coulter-Nile 15 (18), 1 four, lbw Jordan.
(50) 217-9, Mckay 1*(1), Doherty 1*(1).

Batsman of the Innings: Bailey 56 (74)
Bowler of the Innings: Broad 3-31

England Innings
(6) 23-1, Bell 14 (23), 3 fours, caught Finch, Coulter-Nile.
(8.3) 29-2, Stokes 0 (6), caught Marsh, Mckay.
(14) 53-2, Cook 24*, Root 9*.
(19) 79-2, 50 partnership between Cook 35* and Root 24*.
(23.5) 90-3, Cook 39 (62), 3 fours, caught Bailey, Coulter-Nile.
(26) 101-3, Root 34*, Morgan 8*.
(33) 142-3, 50 for Root and the 50 partnership between Root 52* and Morgan 30*.
(35) 152-3, Root 54*, Morgan 38*.
(35.4) 154-4, Morgan 39 (40), 3 fours, 1 six, caught Watson, Faulkner.
(37.5) 157-5, Root 55 (86), 3 fours, 1 six, caught Doherty, Faulkner.
(42.3) 174-6, Buttler 5 (9), caught Mckay, Coulter-Nile.
(45.5) 194-7, Bresnan 13 (14), 1 six, run out by Maxwell.
(46) 204-7, Bopara 21*, Broad 7*.
(47) 204-8, Broad 7*(4), 1 four, bowled by Mckay.
(48.4) 209-9, Bopara 25 (44), 2 fours, stumped Wade, Mckay.
(49.4) 212 all out, Tredwell 0 (4), caught Wade, Watson. Jordan 4*(8). Australia win by 5 runs. Australia win ODI Series 4-1.

Batsman of the Innings: Root 55 (86)
Bowler of the Innings: Coulter-Nile 3-34

Australian Batsman of the Series: Aaron Finch scored 258 runs with an average of 51.6
Australian Bowler of the Series: James Faulkner took 11 wickets for 280 runs

English Batsman of the Series: Eoin Morgan scored 282 runs with an average of 56.4
English Bowler of the Series: Ben Stokes took 10 wickets for 242 runs

Australia v England Fourth ODI (Perth)

England finally win in Australia

England 316-8 (50 overs) beat Australia 259 (47.4) all out by 57 runs (Australia lead Series 3-1)

Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes inspired England to their first win in their tour of Australia. After eight consecutive losses, England finally managed to muster a victory. Cook and Bell got England off to a solid start after being put into bat by Australia. However, at 87-0 Cook was dismissed for 44 after being bowled out by Maxwell. England continued at a good pace whilst Bell passed fifty as well as putting on a fifty partnership with Stokes. Australia took their second wicket to reduce England to 138-2 as Bell left for 55. England pressed on as Stokes reached his fifty whilst putting on another fifty partnership, this time with Ballance. However, Australia took a string of wickets as England fell to 216-5 after 39 overs. Morgan and Buttler restored some balance to the innings, putting on a fifty partnership to steer England past 280 runs. However, Morgan fell for 33 with just over 2 overs to go. Buttler pressed on, passing fifty off 49 balls before being dismissed for 71. Bresnan was the last wicket to fall with only one ball remaining but England put themselves in a strong position, finishing their innings 316-8 after 50 overs. 
Australia started their chase well but were pegged back to 46-1 as Bresnan dismissed Marsh. Finch and Wade put on a fifty partnership whilst Finch passed fifty. However, Bopara and Stokes dismissed Wade and Bailey respectively to reduce Australia to 132-3. Finch reached his century before England started to take control. Smith and Finch were both dismissed to leave Australia 189-5 before Stokes took the wickets of Maxwell, Faulkner and Johnson in quick succession. It wasn't much longer before Australia's last two wickets were taken as Broad and Bresnan finished the job to bowl Australia out for 259 in hte 47th over. The result means England have won their first match of the tour but trail the ODI Series 3-1. 



My Opinion:
Finally!! England win in Australia. I really wasn't expecting to say those words after eight successive defeats but it has happened. Better late than never but it was actually a very strong performance all round by England. After being put into bat I feared the worst once more but Cook and Bell started strongly. Decent scores from both of them saw England at 138-1. Stokes was by far the man of the match, scoring 70 runs and taking 4 wickets. Buttler and Morgan added vital runs quickly as England posted a strong score of 316-8 after their 50 overs. With the way things have been going so far on the tour, I expected Australia to surpass 316 and win again but England's bowlers had other ideas. Australia were 110-1 after a solid start but things slowly started to fall apart for them. Finch was the only player to score more than 30 runs for the Aussies as England kept taking wickets at important times. It was an impressive innings from Finch, scoring 108 off 111 balls but once he was dismissed it looked as though England were on course for the win. At 222-5 things took a turn for the better for England as Stokes took three quick wickets to reduce the Aussies to 239-8. From then on it was just a matter of time and Bresnan obliged to take the final wicket as Australia were bowled out for 259. They will not be best pleased with themselves as they didn't bat or bowl well enough today as a team. However, England will be delighted to see some hard work finally pay off. The ODI Series has been won but England can take some confidence going into the T20 Series. Hopefully, now that England have found out how to win again, they may win the final ODI and restore some pride. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

Australia won the toss and will field first

England Innings:
(8) 55-0, 50 partnership between Cook 37* and Bell 16*.
(12.2) 87-1, Cook 44 (43), 8 fours, bowled by Maxwell.
(14) 102-1, Bell 41*, Stokes 10*.
(20) 125-1, 50 for Bell.
(21) 137-1, 50 partnership between Bell 55* and Stokes 32*
(21.4) 138-2, Bell 55 (52), 9 fours, caught Faulkner, Christian.
(26) 154-2, Stokes 37*, Ballance 8*.
(29) 172-2, 50 for Stokes.
(33) 189-2, 50 partnership between Stokes 60* and Ballance 18*.
(33.4) 190-3, Ballance 18 (30), 1 four, caught Smith, Pattinson.
(35) 200-3, Stokes 70*, Morgan 1*.
(36) 206-4, Stokes 70 (84), 6 fours, 1 six, caught Wade, Faulkner.
(39) 216-5, Bopara 3 (10), caught Sub, Coulter-Nile.
(45) 258-5, Morgan 24*, Buttler 28*.
(46) 270-5, 50 partnership between Morgan 25* and Buttler 39*.
(47.3) 287-6, Morgan 33 (33), 3 fours, 1 six, caught Christian, Faulkner.
(48) 290-6, 50 for Buttler off 49 balls.
(49) 306-6, Buttler 65*, Bresnan 2*.
(49.4) 312-7, Buttler 71 (43), 6 fours, 4 sixes, caught Johnson, Faulkner.
(49.5) 312-8, Bresnan 2 (4), caught Johnson, Faulker.
(50) 316-8, Broad 4*(1), 1 four, and Jordan 0*(0).

Batsman of the Innings: Buttler 71 (43)
Bowler of the Innings: Faulkner 4-67

Australia Innings:
(6.5) 46-1, Marsh 15 (17), 2 fours, caught Bell, Bresnan.
(9) 52-1, Finch 32*, Wade 4*.
(17) 87-1, 50 for Finch.
(19) 96-1, 50 partnership between Finch 58* and Wade 22*.
(20) 110-1, Finch 71*, Wade 23*.
(20.3) 110-2, Wade 23 (42), 1 four, caught Cook, Bopara.
(26) 132-3, Bailey 11 (15), 1 four, caught Buttler, Stokes.
(30) 160-3, Finch 97*, Smith 10*.
(31) 169-3, 100 for Finch.
(31.4) 174-4, Smith 19 (16), 2 fours, 1 six, caught Buttler, Broad.
(35.1) 189-5, Finch 108 (111), 8 fours, 4 sixes, caught Broad, Bresnan.
(38) 211-5, Maxwell 22*, Christian 5*.
(39.1) 222-6, Maxwell 26 (26), 2 fours, caught Buttler, Stokes.
(41.5) 230-7, Faulkner 2 (11), caught Buttler, Stokes.
(43.4) 239-8, Johnson 6 (8), 1 four, bowled by Stokes.
(45) 247-9, Christian 23 (19), 1 four, 1 six, caught Ballance, Broad.
(47) 256-9, Coulter-Nile 5*, Pattinson 4*.
(47.4) 259 all out, Pattinson 4 (9), caught Buttler, Bresnan. Coulter-Nile 9*(12). England win by 57 runs. Australia lead ODI Series 3-1.

Batsman of the Innings: Finch 108 (111)
Bowler of the Innings: Stokes 4-39

Australia v England Third ODI (Sydney)

Australia thrash England to win ODI Series

Australia 244-3 (40) beat England 243-9 (50) by 7 wickets (Australia win Series 3-0)

Australia have now won the ODI Series 3-0 after thrashing England by seven wickets in the third ODI in Sydney. England got off to a strong start as Cook and Bell put on a fifty partnership. However, Cook was dismissed for 35 by Coulter-Nile as England were reduced to 50-1. Bell and Stokes both lost their wickets as England were knocked down to 91-3. Ballance was the next casualty, falling for 26 off the bowling of Coulter-Nile to leave the team 121-4. Morgan and Bopara provided some stability, putting on a fifty partnership before Bopara edged behind for 21. Morgan then passed his fifty before being bowled by Christian for 54 which left England 186-6. It wasn't much longer before Buttler was bowled by Coulter-Nile and Broad edged behind four balls later to leave the team struggling on 198-8. Bresnan and Jordan took England past the 200 run mark but Jordan fell for 10 to Faulkner. Bresnan hit 41 not out off 29 balls to get England up to 243-9 after their 50 overs. 
Jordan dismissed Finch at the end of the 7th over to reduce Australia to 43-1 but from then on it was Australia who dominated proceedings. Warner and Marsh put on a fifty partnership before Warner passed fifty for himself. Stokes managed to take the wicket of Warner to leave Australia 121-2. Marsh and Clarke produced a fifty partnership right before Clarke was bowled by Bopara for 34. Marsh and Haddin put on a fifty partnership before taking Australia over the line at 244-3 after only 40 overs. Australia win the Series 3-0. 



My Opinion:
Another woeful performance from England allows Australia to dominate once again. England lost the Ashes 5-0 and have now lost the ODI Series 3-0 with two games still to go. It was to be expected after Australia produced a miraculous end to the last game. Although, it was actually a decent start by England to their innings today. Reaching 50-0 was good but being reduced to 91-3 was not so good. It was another case of people getting themselves in but getting out. Cook reached 35, Bell 29 and Stokes 15. The next lot to go were Ballance for 26 and Bopara for 21. Again getting themselves in but out soon after. Morgan made a fifty but failed to go on from there. The bowlers were rattled out quickly but I admire Bresnan for giving it a go and he impressed me by scoring 41 not out off 29 balls at the end of the innings. It turned out that 243-9 was a score way below par as Australia reached the target with ten overs left to spare. Warner and Marsh both scored 71 runs in as many balls which blew England out of the park. Another game, another loss for England. There are still two ODI's left to play and I just hope that England can somehow win one of them. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

England win the toss and bat first

England Innings:
(8.2) 50-0, 50 partnership between Cook 35* and Bell 15*.
(8.4) 50-1, Cook 35 (36), 5 fours, 1 six, caught Maxwell, Coulter-Nile.
(14.1) 70-2, Bell 29 (35), 4 fours, run out by Warner.
(22.4) 91-3, Stokes 15 (39), caught Clarke, Doherty.
(26) 113-3, Ballance 21*, Morgan 8*.
(28.3) 121-4, Ballance 26 (42), 2 fours, caught Christian, Coulter-Nile.
(36) 153-4, Morgan 34*, Bopara 11*.
(39) 173-4, 50 partnership between Morgan 43* and Bopara 20*.
(40) 177-5, Bopara 21 (36), caught Haddin, Faulkner.
(41) 185-5, 50 for Morgan.
(41.2) 186-6, Morgan 54 (58), 4 fours, 2 sixes, caught and bowled by Christian.
(43.2) 195-7, Buttler 4 (8), bowled by Christian.
(44.2) 198-8, Broad 1 (4), caught Haddin, Coulter-Nile.
(45) 204-8, Bresnan 10*, Jordan 4*.
(48.3) 225-9, Jordan 10 (12), 1 four, caught Finch, Faulkner.
(50) 243-9, Bresnan 41*(29), 3 fours, 2 sixes and Tredwell 2*(2).

Batsman of the Innings: Morgan 54 (58)
Bowler of the Innings: Coulter-Nile 3-47

Australia Innings:
(7) 43-1, Finch 22 (20), 3 fours, caught Bopara, Jordan.
(8) 50-1, Warner 24*, Marsh 0*.
(17) 93-1, 50 for Warner and the 50 partnership with Marsh.
(18) 100-1, Warner 53*, Marsh 18*.
(20.2) 121-2, Warner 71 (70), 7 fours, 2 sixes, caught Bell, Stokes.
(26) 154-2, Marsh 31*, Clarke 23*.
(28.2) 172-2, 50 partnership between Marsh and Clarke.
(28.4) 172-3, Clarke 34 (28), 4 fours, bowled by Bopara.
(35) 200-3.
(38) 227-3, 50 partnership between Marsh and Haddin.
(40) 244-3, Marsh 71*(89), 7 fours and Haddin 35*(28), 3 fours, 1 six. Australia win by 7 wickets and win the Series 3-0.

Batsman of the Innings: Warner 71 (70)
Bowler of the Innings: Jordan 1-56

Batsman of the Day: Warner 71 (70)
Bowler of the Day:  Coulter-Nile 3-47

Australia v England Second ODI (Brisbane)

Faulkner denies England

Australia 301-9 (49.3) beat England 300-8 (50) by 1 wicket (Australia lead Series 2-0)

James Faulkner scored 69 not out off 47 balls during the last ten overs to snatch victory away from England. Cook and Bell got England off to a good start with a fifty partnership coming after the tenth over. However, Australia took two quick wickets, dismissing both Cook and Root to reduce England to 60-2. Maxwell took his second wicket in the 17th over after Ballance was stumped by Haddin. Bell then reached his fifty off 63 balls before completing a fifty partnership with Morgan. Australia hit back though as Clarke ran out Bell for 68 to leave England 139-4 after 30 overs. Bopara was dismissed for 24 by Faulkner as England were reduced to 178-5. Morgan reached his fifty off 70 balls before completing a fifty partnership with Buttler. Morgan went on to reach his century off only 94 balls before completing a 100 run partnership with Buttler. Coulter-Nile then struck twice in the space of two balls, firstly dismissing Buttler for 49 before Stokes left for a golden duck. Morgan was the last wicket to fall, edging behind for 106. Bresnan and Jordan batted out the last over to put England 300-8 after their 50 overs. 
England made a good start in the Australian innings as Jordan dismissed both Finch and Warner to leave the Aussies 32-2. Root dismissed Clarke for 17 before Marsh reached his fifty off 39 balls. England struck twice in quick succession as Root bowled Marsh for 55 before Rankin caught Bailey lbw to leave the Aussies 120-5. Mawell and Haddin produced a fifty partnership to push Australia up to 200-5. However, Bresnan took the wicket of Haddin for 26 to disrupt their momentum. Maxwell passed fifty off 37 balls before being dismissed by Bresnan for 54. Stokes and Bopara both struck to take the wickets of Coulter-Nile and Johnson respectively as Australia were knocked down to 244-9. However, with 57 runs to score off 36 balls, Faulkner scored 69 not out off 47 balls to clinch victory for Australia with three balls to spare. Australia now lead the Series 2-0.



My Opinion:
Absolutely gutted after that result. England should have wrapped things up when they reduced Australia to 244-9. It was a sign that England had not won a match for a while and maybe forgot how to win. It was all very good from England all day but they really should have won that match. Losing it now heaps even more pressure on them to win a match before the tour is over and after the way they lost today, they may struggle to remember how to win. Morgan batted superbly for his century whilst Bell provided a decent innings for his 68. England managed to reduce Australia to 200-5 after constantly breaking up partnerships and put themselves in a great position. You just have to put your hands up and take your hat off to Faulkner for that inspired knock of 69 not out. The Aussies really snatched the game away from England right at the end and now lead the Series 2-0. England will have to somehow pick themselves up after that and try again in the next ODI but Australia will feel like they are unbeatable now. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

England win the toss and bat first

England Innings
(10) 52-0, 50 partnership between Cook 20* and Bell 28*.
(11.2) 57-1, Cook 22 (30), 2 fours, caught and bowled by Maxwell.
(12.5) 60-2, Root 2 (8), lbw Johnson.
(17.2) 78-3, Ballance 9 (19), stumped by Haddin, Maxwell.
(22) 100-3, 50 for Bell off 63 balls, Morgan 10*.
(28) 130-3, 50 partnership between Bell 63* and Morgan 26*.
(30) 139-4, Bell 68 (84), 5 fours, run out by Clarke.
(33) 154-4, Morgan 38*, Bopara 5*.
(37.1) 178-5, Bopara 24 (19), 2 fours, 1 six, caught Bailey, Faulkner.
(40) 196-5, 50 for Morgan off 70 balls.
(41), 202-5, Morgan 54*, Buttler 10*.
(44) 241-5, 50 partnership between Morgan 77* and Buttler 26*.
(45) 250-5, Morgan 84*, Buttler 28*.
(47) 276-5, 100 for Morgan off 94 balls.
(48) 288-5, 100 partnership between Morgan 103* and Buttler 45*.
(48.3) 291-6, Buttler 49 (36), 3 fours, 1 six, caught Clarke, Coulter-Nile.
(48.5) 295-7, Stokes 0 (1), caught Maxwell, Coulter-Nile.
(49.1) 296-9, Morgan 106 (99), 4 fours, 6 sixes, caught Clarke, Faulkner.
(50) 300-8, Bresnan 1*(1) and Jordan 2*(4).

Batsman of the Innings: Morgan 106 (99)
Bowler of the Innings: Maxwell 2-31

Australia Innings
(1.3) 6-1, Finch 0 (3), caught Ballance, Jordan.
(5.5) 32-2, Warner 18 (14), 2 fours, caught and bowled by Jordan.
(10) 57-2, Marsh 27*, Clarke 11*.
(13.5) 70-3, Clarke 17 (20), 2 fours, caught Ballance, Root.
(19) 100-3, 50 for Marsh off 39 balls, Bailey 11*.
(21.4) 114-4, Marsh 55 (69), 7 fours, bowled by Root.
(23) 120-5, Bailey 24 (28), lbw Rankin.
(30) 162-5, Maxwell 32*, Haddin 11*.
(31) 171-5, 50 partnership between Maxwell 38* and Haddin 11*.
(34) 200-5, Maxwell 49*, Haddin 26*.
(34.1) 200-6, Haddin 26 (35), 2 fours, caught Cook, Bresnan.
(34.4) 206-6, 50 for Maxwell off 37 balls.
(34.5) 206-7, Maxwell 54 (39), 8 fours, caught Bopara, Bresnan.
(41) 235-8, Coulter-Nile 16 (23), 1 six, lbw Stokes.
(44) 244-9, Johnson 1 (10), caught Buttler, Bopara.
(45) 257-9, Faulkner 27*, Mckay 0*.
(49) 289-9, 50 partnership between Faulkner 50* and Mckay 2*.
(49.3) 301-9, Faulkner 69*(47), 3 fours, 5 sixes, Mckay 2*(9). Australia win by 1 wicket and lead Series 2-0.

Batsman of the Innings: Faulkner 69*(47)
Bowler of the Innings: Root 2-46

Batsman of the Day: Morgan 106 (99)
Bowler of the Day: Maxwell 2-31