Morgan magic too good for stunned Australia by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	The Rose Bowl, Southampton
Scorecard:	England v Australia
Player:	EJG Morgan, MJ Clarke
Event:	Australia in British Isles 2010

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DateLine: 23rd June 2010

 

Eoin Morgan once again came to the rescue as he scored an unbeaten 103 to see England come from behind to secure a four-wicket win over Australia in the first one-day international. Chasing a challenging 268 for victory, England were in dire straits at 97 for four.

 

Morgan's second one-day hundred turned the tide and gave England a 1-0 lead in this five match series. He ended the match and went to his hundred in the process by crashing paceman Ryan Harris down the ground for four, having faced 85 balls with 16 fours as England won with exactly four overs to spare.

 

Electing to bat first Australia made 267 for seven as Michael Clarke's unbeaten 87 was the fulcrum around which the scoring revolved. Clarke faced 97 balls with seven boundaries in an innings where the next best score was Hopes's 34. Clarke shared fifty stands with both Michael Hussey (28) and Hopes Australia slumped to 98 for four.

 

England suffered an early setback when captain Andrew Strauss was caught behind off a Harris delivery for 10. That left England 16 for one and soon afterwards Australia were convinced wicketkeeper Tim Paine had caught Kevin Pietersen off Harris for nought.

 

Craig Kieswetter the other opener scored briskly and Pietersen after surviving a confident caught behind appeal began to stamp his authority over the match. Watson removed Pietersen when the right-hander miscued to backward point where Ponting held a good low catch. Debutant Hazlewood brought Australia back into the game when he clean bowled Kieswetter for 38, with a delivery that cut in. England, who had been 75 for one, were now 81 for three. And that became 97 for four when Twenty20 winning captain Paul Collingwood, holed out off Watson to James Hopes at mid-off.

 

However, a fifth-wicket stand of 95 in 92 balls between Morgan and Luke Wright swung the match back England's way before the latter was lbw for 36 to paceman Ryan Harris. Tim Bresnan (27) then helped Morgan take England to the brink of victory.