England vs Australia fifth ODI live updates, scorecard, blog, Travis Head four wickets, rain, weather, video, highlights #adessonews

Australia secured a 3-2 series victory over England after a fortuitous rain interruption handed the World Cup champions a 49-run victory via the DLS Method on Sunday.

Chasing a 310-run target for victory at Bristol’s County Ground, Australia raced towards 2-165 in 20.4 overs before downpour forced a premature end to the series.

A minimum of 20 overs is required to constitute a result in ODIs, meaning the match and series would have been draw if the rain arrived five deliveries earlier, which was about four minutes.

MATCH CENTRE: England vs Australia fifth ODI live scorecard

After being sent in, England looked on track for a massive total when opener Ben Duckett (107 from 91 balls) and captain Harry Brook (72 from 52 balls) catapulted their side towards 2-202 in the 25th over.

However, the hosts lost 6-58 in a disastrous collapse as Australia’s spinners wreaked havoc on a turning deck. After struggling to find the boundary rope in the second half of the innings, England was bowled out for 309 in 49.2 overs as part-timer Travis Head finished with career-best figures of 4-28.

Head (31 from 26 balls) and opening partner Matthew Short (58 from 30 balls) got Australia’s run chase off to a blistering start before stand-in captain Steve Smith (36*) and wicketkeeper Josh Inglis (28*) ensured the visitors were comfortably ahead of the DLS par score of 116 when the weather intervened.

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Openers Phil Salt and Duckett got England’s innings off to a flying start after Smith, leading Australia in the absence of the sore Mitchell Marsh, won the toss and chose to bowl first with the looming threat of rain.

Aaron Hardie snared two wickets during the Powerplay after a 58-run opening partnership, with Salt miscuing a lofted drive towards deep point for 45 and Will Jacks bowled by an absolute peach that nipped through the gate for a fourth-ball duck.

The visitors appeared to be in deep trouble when Brook and Duckett formed a 132-run partnership for the third wicket, relentlessly clobbering Australia’s bowlers to all corners of the venue. Brook, who reached fifty in just 39 deliveries, smacked six sixes against leg-spinner Adam Zampa in a brutal assault but departed after attempting a seventh, caught at long-off by Glenn Maxwell.

England’s middle order toppled like dominoes following Brook’s dismissal, with Australia’s finger spinners unearthing plenty of turn as the innings progressed. Duckett brought up his second ODI century in 86 deliveries before falling victim to Head in the 34th over, holing out to long-off.

Maxwell bowled England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith for 6, Liam Livingstone feathered a leggie from Zampa for a third-ball duck, while Australian gloveman Josh Inglis stumped a tentative Jacob Bethell for 13.

Adil Rashid offered some late resistance, scoring a watchful 36 to steer England beyond 300 before becoming Head’s fourth victim.

Australia cracked 103 runs during the Powerplay courtesy of Head and Short, who combined for a swift 78-run opening partnership. England quick Brydon Carse broke the stand on his first delivery of the match, with Head swatting an awkward drive towards Salt at cover.

Short, who muscled a quartet of sixes over square leg with his powerful pull shot, brought up his maiden ODI fifty in just 23 deliveries before edging behind while facing seamer Matthew Potts.

Potts thought he had unearthed another breakthrough after trapping Smith on the pads, but the Australian skipper successfully overturned the decision when ball-tracking technology suggested the delivery would have missed leg stump.

In the 15th over, England neglected to appeal for a caught-behind chance off Inglis that would have been out if captain Brook had sent the decision upstairs.

Knowing Australia was ahead of the DLS target, England’s players did their best to slow down proceedings, with Potts removing his left shoe and calling for a replacement in the middle of a spell.

However, much to the hosts’ frustration, the dreaded rain arrived in the 21st over, handing the Australians a series triumph.

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