Gregor Mactaggart, Sportal
Australia enjoys a 2-0 lead in the Commonwealth Bank one-day international series following an impressive 46-run win over England at Bellerive Oval on Friday evening that was set up by a magnificent Shaun Marsh century.
But the success in Hobart appears to have come at a cost with off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and paceman Shaun Tait suffering injuries.
Hauritz suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder while fielding the ball in the 32nd over of England’s innings in his first game back in national colours for the Australian summer.
Tait felt for his groin after pulling up short following the penultimate ball of his sixth over and went straight off the ground.
The injuries took some of the gloss off what was a memorable win for Australia, inspired by recalled batsman Marsh and Doug Bollinger, who illustrated some all-round capabilities.
In the side as a replacement for the injured Michael Hussey, Marsh hit a match-winning 110 off 114 balls which lifted Australia from 8-142 to a defendable 230 total after being sent into bat by England captain Andrew Strauss.
The fact Marsh was able to make his second ODI century can be attributed to Bollinger, with the pair sharing a record ninth-wicket partnership of 88.
In the space of 55 minutes, the two left-handers frustrated the English attack during a stand that surpassed the previous ODI record for the ninth wicket of 77 set by Michael Bevan and Shane Warne against the West Indies.
Buoyed by his run-a-ball 30, Bollinger then did the damage with the ball, taking 4-28 off nine lethal overs as England were bowled out for 184 in the 45th over.
The NSW left-armer bowled with pace and fire to make the early in-roads in England’s top-order, claiming the key wickets of Strauss (16) and Kevin Pietersen (golden duck) with consecutive balls to give Australia the ascendancy.
Bollinger then came back to dismiss Tim Bresnan and James Tredwell to complete his finest performance for Australia at ODI level.
Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell tried to rebuild England’s innings with a 47-run stand, but the loss of both in-form batsmen within the space of four overs proved crucial.
Steve Smith illustrated his new role as a shock weapon, sending Trott on his way for 32 when the South African-born right-hander pulled the leg-spinner straight to David Hussey at mid-wicket.
Comeback kid Brett Lee was then able to entice Bell into playing a lofted cut shot taken sharply by Smith at gully to leave England reeling at 5-96.
Eoin Morgan and Michael Yardy briefly lifted English spirits with a quickfire 44-run stand, but Morgan’s dismissal courtesy of an excellent overhead catch from Tait off the bowling of Shane Watson for 21 proved timely.
Watson was in the play a couple of overs later when he ran out Yardy with a direct hit that caught the England batsman well short of his crease.
To put it simply, the attempted run was a brain explosion by Yardy, who was at the non-strikers end and wanted to scamper a single to a ball that Tim Bresnan blocked straight back to Watson, who had no worries throwing down the stumps.
Then Watson bobbed up to take a catch at third man to send Bresnan to the pavilion before the England tail folded quickly, with Australia sealing victory when Michael Clarke ran out tail-ender Ajmal Shazhad.
Earlier, Shazhad led the three-pronged English seam attack which ripped the heart out of the Australian top-order.
The Yorkshire paceman dismissed openers Watson and Brad Haddin during a spell that saw him have the figures of 2-9 from five overs.
Watson was unable to repeat his MCG heroics and chopped on when on five, the same score Haddin had when Shazhad found an inside edge which also dragged back onto the stumps.
Captain Clarke came out with positive intent and hit one lofted boundary through mid-on, but he was the third batsman to fall on 21 when he hit a Bresnan long-hop straight to Bell at point.
It was soon 4-33 when Hussey (8) was taken sharply by Strauss at gully off Chris Tremlett.
That saw Marsh join Cameron White at the wicket and the pair rebuilt the Australian innings with a valuable 100-run fifth-wicket stand.
White, who was rapped on his right index finger by beanpole paceman Tremlett early in his knock, buckled down to illustrate he’s not just an attacking batsman.
Happy to play a support foil to Marsh, who brought up his half-century off 64 balls, White played with great maturity until he spooned a catch back to bowler Yardy on 45.
Marsh then saw Smith (0), Hauritz (2) and Lee (0) fall in quick succession as Australia fell to 8-142 before Bollinger and Marsh’s heroics.
Bollinger, who had hit only four runs in his ODI career before heading to the crease, mixed genuine unorthodoxy with power off the back foot.
He hit three boundaries in a valuable 30 before falling in the penultimate over when he skied a catch to Shazhad off Tremlett.
Marsh fell with the very next ball caught by Bell on the boundary off Tremlett, bringing his 114-ball knock, featuring eight fours and two long sides, including one which brought up his ton, to a close.
Tremlett was the best of the England bowlers with 3-22 off 9.2 overs, while Shazhad (3-43) impressed yet again.
The series continues at the SCG on Sunday.
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