Australia vs England Match Highlights
Cricket lovers gathered in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on February 22, 2025, to witness a thriller between Australia and England in the 4th match of Group B in the ICC Champions Trophy. Batting first after losing the toss, England put a hefty 351 for 8 on the scoreboard in their 50 overs. Phil Salt gave the innings a great start before being dismissed by Ben Dwarshuis for a figure of 13 off 8 balls, finding the boundary with two fours.
Duckett carried the innings with an excellent 165 off 143 balls, with 14 fours and three sixes, at a strike rate of 115.38. His innings was a great mix of caution and aggression, being very backbone for England’s total. Others chipped in with little contributions: Jamie Smith, with a quick 15; Joe Root played under control with 68 off 78 balls before falling to lbw by Adam Zampa; Harry Brook with just 3, again dismissed by Zampa.
England’s captain, Jos Buttler, inned 23 off 21 deliveries, including six, before he was sent packing by Glenn Maxwell. Liam Livingstone scored 14 and Brydon Carse 8 as wickets continued to tumble, while Jofra Archer (21 not out) and Adil Rashid (1 not out) took England past 350. On the bowling front for Australia, Dwarshuis was the best, netting three wickets for 66 runs, backed by Zampa with two for 64 runs and Labuschagne with two for 41 runs. The innings saw 23 extras in all, 11 of these wides; a few topsy._Scattered bowling from Australia. In response to Australia’s target of 352, intent was apparent from the start.
Matthew Short contributed in style with 63 runs in 66 balls, hitting six fours and one six, only to offer a simple catch to Livingstone. Travis Head managed six, this time it was Jofra Archer that saw him off, before Mark Wood got Steven Smith for 5. Marnus Labuschagne made a more steady 47 off 45 balls with a partnership of 95 runs. Josh Inglis was the real hero of the chase with an unbeaten 120 runs off 86 balls, containing eight fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 139.53. Alex Carey played a great supporting role with an equally important 69 from 63 balls as the pair added 146 runs to their lead. Glenn Maxwell hit two fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 32 off 15 balls to guide Australia to the target of 356 in just 47.3 overs.
In reply, England’s bowling attack could not contain the onslaught. Mark Wood took one for 75, Jofra Archer two for 82, and Sam Carse finished with one for 69 runs. Adil Rashid was economical with figures of 1 for 47 but did not have an effect on the result. The extras of 14 in the Australian chase and a powerplay score of 76 were greater than the 73 from England.
The match was filled with high-quality cricket, where Duckett’s marathon effort was nearly matched by Inglis’s match-winning brilliance. Australia showed its incredible depth, bouncing back from a horrible start to win the match by five wickets with still 15 balls remaining. England scored an imposing total, thanks to Duckett and Root, but Australia’s charge, led by Inglis and Maxwell’s late fireworks, sealed it for them. The Gaddafi crowd witnessed a very close contest and reaffirmed its belief that in the Champions Trophy nail-biters are meant to happen. Australia secured their top position in the table, while England was left lamenting on the lost opportunities in the field.
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