Alex Carey responded to the boos with interest and handed England another defeat – their tenth in fourteen one-day internationals.
Carey expected a hostile reception at the Headingley home of Jonny Bairstow, the man he dismissed with a controversial stumping during last year’s Ashes, and was not disappointed when he walked to the crease midway through the Australian innings.
“I was aware of it, but it was business as usual. A lot of the noise goes away when you concentrate and that’s the frame of mind I like to get into,” Carey said after fending off the booing with a match-defining 74.
The 33-year-old black man from Lord’s last summer would not have played had Josh Inglis not suffered a thigh injury. And there was further irony in his first innings for six months – capped by a brilliant diving catch during a powerplay spell that reduced England to 65 for five – coming in the home town of his wicketkeeping rival.
The left-handed bowler alternated between brains and brawn to lead the match from 145 to 4 after Australia batted first. He put on 55 runs with Aaron Hardie in eight overs, then farmed the strike cleverly and added 49 runs with Josh Hazlewood for the 10th wicket.
Alex Carey shone for Australia despite a less than warm welcome from the Headingley crowd
England were disheartened when they lost by 68 runs in their match against Australia
The Australian players were elated after securing victory at Headingley on Saturday
“I’ve been on the bench the last period, an opportunity came up. I don’t know how long it will last, but I’ve really enjoyed it,” Carey said.
“It was great to get back into the gaming scenario. Once you get out there and the competitive juices come back, it feels like a day like any other.”
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh scored 60 runs on a pitch where he had revived his own international career with that magnificent Ashes hundred 14 months earlier. It was his team’s 14th consecutive victory in the format, a run bettered only by Australia’s 21-run haul in 2003.
In contrast, the England team led by Harry Brook struggles to cope with pressure but wants to stick to the Bazball method that has revolutionised the Test team under Brendon McCullum.
“We’re an inexperienced team playing against one of the best teams in the world. It’s a new era and it’s about patience and trying to have fun as well,” Brook said.
Ultimately, however, it was Australia’s inability to finish off the innings and then withstand a barrage of new balls led by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, both returning from illness to strengthen the Australians, that proved decisive in terms of pace and bounce.
The loss of eight wickets for 102 runs in a good formation prevented Brooks’ team from knocking their opponents out of the game at Trent Bridge in the first match, and a similar implosion of six for 76 threatened to undermine Australia here.
When Glenn Maxwell became Adil Rashid’s 200th ODI wicket – from spinners, only Saqlain Mushtaq and Shane Warne reached the milestone in fewer innings than Rashid’s 131 – the momentum was with England.
Adil Rashid reached the milestone of his 200th ODI wicket in a rare positive result
Jacob Bethell wanted to help England improve, but Australia was still dominant
But the Australians managed to make a defendable score of 270 and then bowled out half their opponents within the first 10 overs, virtually deciding the outcome.
Carey and Matt Short both dived to latch onto the edges, while Aaron Hardie took the first of two wickets in two balls with a deft left-handed grab in his follow-through.
Amid the frenzy, Brook, the first Yorkshireman to captain England in a one-day match at Headingley, was denied by a classic inswinger from left-handed Starc.
Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell, two of the bright young players England have called upon to help end the malaise that began at last year’s World Cup, tried to breathe new life into the match with a half-century alliance for the sixth wicket, but the damage had been done.
Smith stayed, but hope remained. But his dismissal straight after drinks, one run shy of a first 50 for England’s white-ball teams – Hazlewood tempted him into a flick to the leg-side – hastened the demise.
Earlier in the day, Travis Head had taken his four-innings run tally against England this month to 273 when he picked long leg to hit a seventh boundary.
Australian bowler Adam Zampa is congratulated after taking the wicket of Brydon Carse
England built on this when Matthew Potts switched to Kirskstall Lane to make a double breakthrough, with balls being hit quickly from both sides and finding Matthew Short and Steve Smith, who were also targets for the noisy home crowd.
But they were silenced by Carey and Brook’s team now head to Chester-le-Street on Tuesday trailing 2-0 with three games in hand.