Jos Buttler added to his burgeoning reputation as the man to close out an innings by ensuring that the NatWest Series went to deciding match as he guided England to a tense three-wicket victory in Cardiff with three balls to spare. On a surface where free-scoring was a rarity England made hard work of chasing 228, dented early on by Clint McKay’s hat-trick, but just when the requirement was getting out of hand Buttler and Ben Stokes produced a strong argument as to why they have packed the batting order.
When the seventh-wicket pair joined forces England still needed 84 off 68 balls but overs 39 to 43 brought 40 runs as the equation started to favour the home side. Buttler then eased the tension further by drilling James Faulkner into the River Taff and then brought up his half-century from 41 balls.
But when Stokes was bowled by McKay the job was not quite done for England especially as James Tredwell struggled to get the ball away. Buttler scrambled a single to get the strike for the final over (a direct hit would have found him short) then settled the contest in a grand manner with a huge six over midwicket of Mitchell Johnson. He followed it two balls later with a fierce straight drive. Although Buttler has shown his class on the international stage before, this is the first time he has completed a run chase for England in his brief career; an important achievement for the coach Ashley Giles.
Stokes, while not as convincing, more than played his role in supporting Buttler as he continued in the No. 8 role earmarked for him since the match against Ireland. But there were a couple of crucial moments Australia will look back on. When Stokes had 2, Aaron Finch could not hold into a touch chance at third man when he upper cut Mitchell Johnson then, on 9, he was given not out to a huge appeal for a gloved hook which Hot Spot showed had made contact but Australia had burned their review much earlier against Eoin Morgan when he was nowhere near edging a catch behind.
England were shocked early in their run chase by a hat-trick from Clint McKay, the fifth by an Australia bowler in ODIs, to leave them with an uphill task to square the series.
In his second over, the third of the innings, McKay took the 33rd hat-trick in ODI history when he removed Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Joe Root. From 8 for 3, England managed to recover their composure but it was hard work for Eoin Morgan and a nervous Michael Carberry.
While most attention was focused on what Mitchell Johnson would deliver (he later pushed the speedgun near 94mph) the early drama came from the other end. McKay, a key part of Australia’s one-day side but a bowler who rarely gets the acclaim, began by trapping Pietersen lbw as he aimed to flick through the leg side.
Trott, who has struggled in the latter half of this season, then edged a drive at a wide delivery to collect his second first-ball duck of the series before a similar stroke by Root, although to a delivery closer to off stump, took a thinner edge low to Shane Watson at first slip.
Carberry watched it all from the non-striker’s end but was soon in the firing line of Johnson as the left-armer crashed a searing short delivery into his gloves at 93.6mph – the ball looped in the air but fell between three fielders. It was mighty hard work for Carberry as Australia’s pacemen all maintained their accuracy, although there was momentary relief when he shimmied forward and drove James Faulkner through the off side then produced a rasping square cut off McKay early in his second spell.
Morgan has found form late in the season and was more assured, although was still cut in half when McKay nipped one back between his bat and pad. Australia burned their review against him, when he had 8, for a caught-behind appeal which replays showed was nowhere near the outside edge. After a considerable period of reconnaissance – which was desperately needed by England – Morgan began to open up with three boundaries in five balls off McKay’s eighth over.