England slumped to 59-3 inside 16 overs before rain washed out the day/night third one-day international against Australia at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
Once again Mitchell Johnson was a thorn in England’s side, taking 1-20 in five overs and twice seeing close LBW decisions against Jonathan Trott overturned.
When the umpires took the players off the field at 3:34pm, Trott was 28 not out and stand-in England captain Eoin Morgan 5 not out.
Photo: Reuters
A minimum of 20 overs per side were needed for a result to be declared under the Duckworth/Lewis method but, with the rain coming down ever harder, the umpires abandoned the match at 7:05pm.
The no result left Australia, who won the second ODI at Old Trafford on Sunday, 1-0 up with two to play and knowing victory in the fourth match at Cardiff tomorrow would see them win the series.
“We started really pretty well today again with Mitch and Clint [McKay], so it was disappointing that the rain came in like it did,” Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade told reporters. “The positive is we’re 1-0 up. We’ve lost two games [to the weather] with two to play so it’d be nice to get a win there [Cardiff] and wrap up the series.”
Earlier, Australia captain Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to field.
England were unchanged from the side beaten in Manchester.
Australia selected seamer Josh Hazlewood in place of leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed.
Kevin Pietersen, opening alongside Michael Carberry, whipped the fourth ball of the innings for a boundary through midwicket.
However, two balls later, England lost their first wicket when Carberry was run out by meters when Pietersen set off for a tight single only for McKay to gather the ball and run in to demolish the stumps.
Pietersen then fell for 6 when he failed to get over the top of a Johnson bouncer and pulled a gentle catch straight to George Bailey at square leg.
Trott was on 13 when he was given out LBW to Johnson after aiming across the line. However, he reviewed umpire Michael Gough’s verdict and was reprieved when the Decision Review System indicated the ball had just pitched outside leg stump.
Johnson then challenged Gough’s decision when Trott, now on 20, was given not out in response to the Australian’s LBW appeal only for an “umpire’s call” ruling to rescue the batsman.
Joe Root had made just 12 when he chipped a simple return catch to Adam Voges as the left-arm spinner struck with his third ball.
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