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Banton pushes case and bowlers sparkle for inconsistent England
Tom Banton’s century and strong bowling helped England beat Australia by 135 runs in Adelaide, levelling the one-day series at 1-1. The emphatic win is a response to recent heavy defeats and gives England a chance to take the series in Wednesday’s decider.
England made 355-6 in 50 overs, with Banton scoring 121, Jordan Cox 67 and Joe Root 62; Will Jacks added an unbeaten 54. Australia were bowled out for 220 in 44.3 overs, despite scores of 64 from Cameron Green and 63 from Matt Renshaw. Gus Atkinson took a career-best 4-28, while new-ball bowler Sonny Baker helped reduce Australia to 29-4; England also dropped four catches.
In short
- Banton’s 121 powered England to 355-6.
- Atkinson took a career-best 4-28.
- England levelled the series before Wednesday’s decider.
Explained simply
One-day international cricket is played between two national teams, with each side batting for up to 50 overs. A series is a set of matches between the same teams, and the side winning the most matches takes it.
England and Australia are long-standing rivals in international cricket. Their one-day series gives both teams a chance to test their batting and bowling plans, while individual players compete for places and form.
A 1-1 series score means the final match will decide the winner. Results can turn on both scoring runs and taking wickets, while fielding matters too because dropped catches give batters another chance.