England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ controversial dismissal in being given out obstructing the field promised to be the lasting memory of Australia’s 64-run win in the second one-day international (ODI) at Lord’s in London on Saturday.
Victory put the Cricket World Cup holders 2-0 up in a five-match series as, for the second fixture in a row, England failed to chase down a target of more than 300, despite skipper Eoin Morgan’s defiant 85.
Australia captain Steven Smith led the way as his side managed a total of 309 for seven
Photo: AP
Smith top-scored with 70, before falling to Adil Rashid’s leg-spin, as Australia, fresh from their 59-run win in Southampton, England, on Thursday last week, were sent in by Morgan in awkward overcast conditions for batting.
Together with George Bailey (54), Smith put on 99 for the second-wicket in a match reduced by rain to 49 overs per side.
Australia’s battery of big-hitting all-rounders then came to the fore as 96 runs were scored in the last 10 overs.
Man-of-the-match Mitchell Marsh, out off the last delivery of the innings for a 31-ball 64, struck seven fours and three sixes off his own bat.
However, the flashpoint moment came in the 25th over of England’s reply.
All-rounder Stokes struck a straight drive, which was stopped by bowler Mitchell Starc. Left-arm paceman Starc then hurled the ball back hard toward Stokes’ end who, leaning back and turning his head away, stopped it with a hand taken off the bat. Australia appealed.
On-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena of Sri Lanka and former England batsman Tim Robinson referred the issue to third umpire Joel Wilson. The relevant cricket rule talks of “wilful obstruction” and does allow batsmen to protect themselves from injury. After lengthy deliberation, West Indian official Wilson, having watched slow-motion replays, but not one at full speed, gave Stokes out for 10, sparking a chorus of boos.
“You do not have time to think,” said Morgan, who was batting with Stokes at the time. “It was a natural reaction to avoid the ball. Mitchell Starc was about five yards away from Ben Stokes.”
However, Smith said: “I probably do not know the laws right to the tee, but if you wilfully put your arm out, you are given out and that is the way it went. I don’t want to shy away from the fact it was a great game of cricket as well. I thought we showed great character to dig ourselves out of a situation and win this match.”
Stokes’ exit was the cue for a collapse that saw four wickets lost for 46 runs, with fast bowler Pat Cummins taking final figures of four for 56.
Morgan and the recalled Liam Plunkett (24) shared a ninth-wicket stand of 55 in 22 balls, but it was too late to change the course of the match, with left-hander Morgan, on his Middlesex home ground, last man out when he holed out off Cummins.
Left-hander Morgan faced 87 balls, including four fours and four sixes.
Australia had an early setback when David Warner, who struggled against the short ball during England’s 3-2 Ashes Test series win, suffered what turned out to be a tour-ending fractured left thumb injury as he got in a tangle trying to play fast bowler Steven Finn’s second-ball bouncer and retired hurt.
Glenn Maxwell (49) got the late run spree going with two sixes and a four off successive balls in an Ali over that cost 19 runs in total.
Shane Watson (39) weighed in with two huge sixes, off consecutive Ali deliveries, the first soaring straight into the top deck of the Lord’s Pavilion.
Marsh struck a low full-toss from Chris Woakes for six and was eventually caught behind attempting another big hit, off Stokes.
Smith held a brilliant catch at short cover to dismiss Alex Hales. Jason Roy was caught behind as England lost both their openers inside the first 12 overs.
James Taylor dropped on one and nine, failed to cash in and was out for 43.
The series continues in Manchester, England, tomorrow.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB