On This Day — Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey Power Australia to Series-Clinching Win Over England at Manchester

However, the game turned dramatically when Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey stitched together a remarkable partnership. Their counterattacking knocks not only rescued Australia from a precarious situation but also guided them to a memorable victory. In the end, Australia sealed the win and the series 2-1, pulling off a famous triumph on English soil.

Australia vs England: 16th September 2020

After winning the toss, England chose to bat first in the third ODI against Australia at Old Trafford, Manchester, on September 16, 2020. It was a day-night match, part of Australia’s tour of England and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. England wanted to set a tough target on a pitch that looked good for batting, but their innings got off to a terrible start. Jason Roy, opening the batting, was out for a duck on the first ball, edging Mitchell Starc to Glenn Maxwell at slip. Things went from bad to worse when Joe Root was trapped lbw by Starc on the next ball, also for a duck. Root’s review failed, and England were 0 for 2 after just two deliveries. It was a shocking collapse, putting the team under huge pressure right from the start.

Eoin Morgan, the captain, walked in at number four to join Jonny Bairstow, who had survived the early chaos. They put together a vital 67-run stand for the third wicket to steady things. Morgan played with aggression, hitting four boundaries in his 23 off 28 balls, but he fell in the 11th over, caught by Starc off Adam Zampa’s leg-spin after mistiming a shot. England reached 67 for 3 in the first powerplay (overs 1-10), a decent recovery but still shaky after losing two early wickets.

Bairstow was the key, playing cautiously but finding gaps, reaching his fifty off 48 balls with eight fours and a six. The team hit 50 runs in 7.4 overs, showing some fight despite the early blows. Jos Buttler came in next, but he struggled, scoring just 8 off 20 balls before Zampa got him too, caught by Aaron Finch in the 19th over. England were 96 for 4, and drinks were called around the 16th over with the score at 85 for 3. They crossed 100 in the 20th over, but the run rate was around 5 an over, needing a push.

Sam Billings joined Bairstow and the pair built a crucial 114-run partnership for the fifth wicket, lifting England out of trouble. Bairstow played a brilliant knock, reaching his hundred off 116 balls with 10 fours and two sixes, anchoring the innings with smart shot choices. Billings was aggressive, scoring 57 off 58 balls with four fours and two sixes. Their stand added 50 runs in 57 balls and 100 in 108, taking England past 150 in the 29th over and 200 in the 37th over.

The second powerplay (overs 11-40) saw England score 153 runs for three wickets, keeping the run rate steady at about 3.8 per over but picking up later. Billings reached his fifty off 53 balls, and he and Bairstow took advantage of any loose balls. Zampa broke their partnership in the 38th over, getting Billings caught by Mitchell Marsh. Bairstow fell soon after in the 41st over for 112 off 126 balls, bowled by Pat Cummins, leaving England at 220 for 6. Bairstow’s 177-minute knock was the backbone of the innings, rescuing them from that early disaster. Chris Woakes, at number seven, played a fantastic unbeaten 53 off 39 balls, hitting six fours to boost the score in the final overs.

Tom Curran chipped in with 19 off 19 balls, including a six, adding 46 runs with Woakes for the seventh wicket. Curran was bowled by Starc in the 47th over, but England kept going. Adil Rashid, unbeaten on 11 off 9 balls with a six, helped Woakes add an unbroken 36 for the eighth wicket. The third powerplay (overs 41-50) was strong, with 82 runs for two wickets. England reached 250 in the 46th over, hit 300 in the 50th, and finished at 302 for 7 in 50 overs, with a run rate of 6.04.

Extras added 19 runs, including 10 wides and a no-ball. Australia’s bowlers shared the wickets as Starc took 3 for 74, Zampa 3 for 51, and Cummins 1 for 53, all in 10 overs each. Josh Hazlewood went for 68 without a wicket, while Marsh and Maxwell bowled tightly but didn’t strike. England’s innings was a story of fighting back from a nightmare start, thanks to Bairstow’s century, Billings’ support, and Woakes’ late flourish, setting Australia a challenging 303 to chase under lights.

Australia’s chase of 303 started with hope but quickly turned into a struggle. David Warner and captain Aaron Finch opened, but Finch was out for 12 off 9 balls in the third over, lbw to Chris Woakes after hitting two fours. Marcus Stoinis followed in the fifth over, caught by Eoin Morgan off Woakes for 4 off 7, leaving Australia at 31 for 2 in the first powerplay, which ended with 47 runs for two wickets. Warner made 24 off 32 with three fours before Joe Root bowled him in the 11th over. Mitchell Marsh scored just 2 off 8, caught behind off Root, and Marnus Labuschagne was run out for 20 off 31 after a mix-up, with Sam Billings hitting the stumps. At 73 for 5 after 17 overs, Australia looked down and out against the world champions.

Then came a game-changing 212-run sixth-wicket stand between Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell. Carey, the wicketkeeper, played a steady role, reaching 50 off 58 balls with five fours and a six. Maxwell was explosive, hitting his fifty off 48 balls with two fours and four sixes. Australia reached 100 in the 21st over and 150 in the 29th, with their partnership adding 50 runs in 51 balls and 100 in 99. Drinks came at 168 for 5 in 32 overs, with Carey on 55 and Maxwell on 45. The second powerplay from the overs 11-40, saw 175 runs for three wickets, keeping the chase alive. Maxwell’s aggressive shots, including switch-hits and big pulls, punished England’s spinners, while Carey survived a no-ball scare to keep the momentum going.

Their stand reached 150 in 141 balls, and Australia hit 200 in the 37th over and 250 in the 44th, with 14 extras, including eight wides. Maxwell raced to his hundred off 84 balls with four fours and seven sixes, a stunning knock that shifted the game. Carey reached his century off 106 balls with seven fours and two sixes, anchoring the chase with grit. Their 200-run stand came in 177 balls, a record for Australia’s sixth wicket against England. In the third powerplay (overs 41-50), Australia scored 83 runs for two wickets. Maxwell fell for 108 off 90 in the 48th over, caught by Tom Curran off Adil Rashid after a top-edge. Carey was out for 106 off 114 in the 49th over, caught by Mark Wood off Jofra Archer in a brilliant diving catch, leaving Australia at 293 for 7, needing 10 off the last over.

Adil Rashid bowled the final over, but Mitchell Starc (11 not out off 3) smashed a six off a googly and a four through backward square to win it with two balls left. Pat Cummins was unbeaten on 4 off 5. Australia finished at 305 for 7 in 49.4 overs, with a run rate of 6.14. England’s bowlers struggled as Woakes took 2 for 46, Root 2 for 46, Archer 1 for 60, and Rashid 1 for 68. Wood and Curran went wicketless. Maxwell’s 108 and Carey’s 106 turned a near-lost cause into a thrilling three-wicket win, sealing the series 2-1. Maxwell was named Player of the Match and Series for his heroics.