England vs Australia, 5th ODI Match Summary

What's happening elsewhere? Sri Lanka have brushed aside a strong New Zealand fightback, registering another win at Galle - by an innings and 154 runs. 360 is certainly a good score in the third innings of a Test match in the sub-continent but the Kiwis' blink-and-you-miss 88 hurt them badly. While Kamindu Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya continue their good form, what would have pleased Sri Lanka the most is the debut of off spinner Nishan Peiris. A tall, lanky guy, he was troubling the Kiwis with his bounce and turn and ended up with 9 wickets in the match. From the Lankans' perspective, they will hope that he is a new gem who has been discovered and stays for long, unlike an Ajantha Mendis.

Australia, on the other hand, would be definitely upset with their performance at Lord's and that is a massive understatement. They started this series without a few key players but ironically, that's when they were winning matches. And then, when those key players returned, they lost 2 in 2. They might consider Lord's as an aberration but in the 4 matches of this series so far, their bowling looked good only in the second ODI. They got away due to England's brash approach in the first game while the bowling just did not turn up in the last 2 games. Knowing the Aussies' rich cricketing history, they too would want a clinical approach in this final game because they are about to start a summer of their own - a summer projected with challenges, albeit at home - a series win in their arch rivals' territory would do nicely for the Kangaroos.

The saying goes that experience can never be taught. It has to be learnt and earned. The same has happened with this new-look England side. They were way off for the first three games, at least with the ball but that run chase in the third ODI stirred some belief in them. Come the fourth, they literally blew Australia away, first with the bat, then with the ball. One good performance does not make a side a champion team but it does increase the self-belief immensely. England have certainly learnt their best way to approach this format over the course of this series and would want another professional and clinical display to seal the series and end their summer without any series loss - remember, 3-0 to West Indies in the Tests, 2-1 against Sri Lanka in Tests again, 1-1 in the T20Is against Australia - so they have not lost a series this summer and will want to keep it that way.

Before we proceed to further details, let's try and answer the biggest question popping up - not only for today but for over the last couple of days. How's the weather in Bristol? Well, we did mention that weather forecasts keep changing over days and Bristol has been no different. On Friday, there was a 100 percent prediction of a washout for Sunday but come the morning of 29th of September, 2024, things are looking way better. There is still that rain lurking around but as per the latest forecast, it could arrive earliest by 4 pm GMT. So we could definitely have a game in our hands, albeit a shortened one. Let's hope for a game without any interruptions but first and foremost, a game for sure!

It is a series decider. And it does not get better when cricket's oldest rivals clash. May not be in the traditional whites, but it is not too disengaging from an Ashes contest either. Called as the series between the experienced and the inexperienced searching for a spot in the future, it will be fair enough to say that perhaps no one from either camp would have expected to see the series come to this stage, especially in the 50-over format. On that note, we welcome you for the fitting finale of the 5-match ODI series between England and Australia at the County Ground in Bristol.

... MATCH DAY ...

The most prolific rivalry in the world of cricket is still going strong and this five-match ODI series has been a testament to the prowess of both sides in white-ball cricket. Next up is the fifth and final ODI to be played at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol as England and Australia lock horns in the series decider. This series has been nothing short of a humdinger with the reigning ODI World Champions, Australia hammering the English in their own backyard in the first two games but the next two games have been a complete shift in momentum as England have found a way to beat the Aussies at their own game. The fourth ODI was marred by rain but England were relentless with the bat and then they bamboozled the Aussies with the ball as well. All in all, both teams have had their moments and it will all boil down to which side can handle pressure better while playing a series decider. Talking about the hosts, the likes of Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone have really led the fightback in the absence of their talismanic skipper Jos Buttler and in the last couple of games, the batting has really been able to pile on the big runs. They were also brilliant with the ball in the last game, something which hadn't happened leading up to that game and that will give them a load of confidence. Youngsters Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse were the standouts for the hosts with the ball in the last game and Jofra Archer too played his part and they will now look to go from strength to strength here. Australia have looked in the ascendancy all throughout the T20I and ODI series but are yet to seal a series win, they won the first T20I and then lost then second one and the final one got washed out. Here as well, they have taken a 2-0 lead and have blown it away but thankfully, they have a chance at redemption and will be itching to get the better of their eternal rivals in the final match of the series. The form of their skipper Mitchell Marsh is a positive though and given he has bowled as well in this series really provides them with options in that all-rounder role. The likes of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell would want to prove their mettle and finish the tour on a high and the bowling attack will look to bounce back in style as well. Right then, two evenly matched sides but two sides that approach the ODI game differently and that's what makes this such an engrossing battle. Typical English weather is expected in Bristol but hopefully, we will get a complete game in because it sure will be a good one to watch. Who are you back to snatch the bragging rights?