AUS VS ENG 2nd ODI highlights

Selection of Shaun Marsh in Australia's World Cup squad was not looking good, but in his first execution as Mike Hussey's injury substitute he played an outstanding century to raise his team from a hopeless situation to 46-run win at Hobart. Rescue operation of Marsh was of 110 runs.

Once Australians were facing critical situation at 33-4, following a 100-run stand between Marsh and Cameron White, they reached to 142-8, before Marsh changed the game on its head. Bollinger put a record 88 runs partnership by adding 30 precious runs for 9th wicket partnership. Marsh was given a chance on 61 when Ajmal Shahzad dropped a return chance and went from 84 to 101 in the space of one Michael Yardy over, the 45th of the innings, with two boundaries through midwicket followed by a six in the same way to bring up his century from 101 balls. The run chase should still have been within England's grip but they were unable to manage a good start.

Bollinger was aggressive and he he extracted Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen with consecutive balls. Strauss was struck on the back leg and was happy to take the umpire's lbw decision, only to be talked into a wasted review by Jonathan Trott. Pietersen then got an inside into the stumps, although Bollinger missed a hat-trick when Ian Bell pulled wide of short fine-leg.

Bollinger later returned to execute any final charge from the lower order when he had Tim Bresnan, batting with a runner owing a calf strain, caught at third man and trapped James Tredwell lbw so he confirmed his position in world cup squad.

England's innings had made a poor start when Matt Prior marked his recall in opposite style to Marsh with a third-ball duck when he edged Brett Lee to first slip. There was no shortage of pace from the Australia attack and Trott had no clue about the bouncer from Tait which he gloved over the slips.

However, Bell and Trott started to resolve the run chase only for it all to come unraveling as the evening closed in on Hobart's first flood light one-day international. After the fire and brimstone from the quicks, the sight of Steve Smith would have been a signal to increase the tempo but instead Trott pulled his second ball straight to midwicket.

With Michael Clarke intelligence at crucial time he recalled Lee, who trapped Bell with a wide delivery that was cut to point. It continued the trend in the early stages of this series of England handing Australia wickets on a plate. Yardy and Eoin Morgan suggested a fight back and they opted for the Power play in the 34th over. Morgan superbly caught by Tait running towards the boundary and Yardy run out.

England will ask themselves some serious questions about how they twice lost by Australia consistantly. The make a choice of the attack was Chris Tremlett, another World Cup abandon, who claimed 3 for 22 and Ajmal Shahzad also got three but the problem came in a lack of keen help for the three main quick bowlers with the absence of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann.

This was the same England pace attack that played against Australia A here in November when they were classed as the reserve unit to the Test trio, but with Anderson and Broad still away from the squad they are currently the main men. Shahzad found early swing and took Watson's inside edge into the stumps with Brad Haddin subsequent in same manner as he tried to drive.

That left the out-of-form Clarke under stress to secure the innings. It was a condition made for Test-style batting and Clarke battled against the moving ball without ever hostile fluency but for one flick over midwicket off Shahzad. However, the style of his discharge won't have ended him any favors when he stroked a wide ball straight cover to leave Australia 3 for 21.

David Hussey was then well captured in the gully when he fended at Tremlett. Without his brother to guide a rescue assignment Australia needed someone else to bail them out of hitch. The innings was first recharged by White, who was struck a hurting blow on the glove by Tremlett early on, and Marsh as they negotiated the difficult time before cashing in against the reduced threat of England's spinners. Marsh did an outstanding impression of the man he has replaced, Mike Hussey, as he attempted onto anything loose and showed good footwork.

White is more of a stand-and-deliver batsman and they formed a fruitful pair which also benefited from the left-right-hand combination that made life tougher for the bowlers. The momentum was just switching to Australia with White using his feet to elegantly drive Yardy through the covers, but next ball pushed back a return catch on 45.

That began Australia's second slide of the innings and when Lee missed a straight ball from Yardy the end was coming quickly, but confidence is slowly returning to this team and they hauled themselves off the floor in vigorous style.

Result: Australia won by 46 runs

Australia: 230 all out

Marsh: 110 Tremlett: 3-22

White: 45 Shahzad: 3-43

England: 184 all out

Bell: 32 Bollinger: 4-28

Trott: 32

Categories: Australia , England