In an exciting encounter at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Australia defeated England by 5 wickets in the fourth match of the Champions Trophy, thanks to an outstanding century by Josh Inglis.
Winning the toss, Australia’s captain Steve Smith chose to bowl first, inviting England to bat. England posted a competitive total of 351/8 in their allotted 50 overs, largely driven by a sensational knock from Ben Duckett, who scored 165 runs. In response, Australia chased down the target in just 47.3 overs.
England’s Innings:
England began their innings with Ben Duckett and Phil Salt at the crease, but Salt was dismissed in the second over by a brilliant catch from Alex Carey. The departure of Jamie Smith in the sixth over for 15 runs left England at 43/2. Duckett and Joe Root then steadied the innings, with Duckett producing a masterful 165 runs, which included 3 sixes and 17 fours. Root contributed 68 runs before being dismissed.
Captain Jos Buttler added 23, while Jofra Archer made 21 runs. Liam Livingstone (14), Jamie Smith (15), Phil Salt (10), Brydon Carse (8), and Harry Brook (3) also made contributions.
For Australia, Ben Dwarshuis was the star with the ball, taking 3 wickets, while Adam Zampa and Marnus Labuschagne claimed two wickets each. Glenn Maxwell also took a wicket in England’s innings.
Australia’s Innings:
Australia’s chase got off to a shaky start, losing two wickets for just 27 runs. However, Matthew Short and Marnus Labuschagne combined for a crucial partnership, stabilizing the innings. Labuschagne made 47 runs before being dismissed at a team total of 122. Short then added 63 runs before departing.
After the loss of their third wicket, Alex Carey (69) and Josh Inglis (120*) brought the chase back on track with an important partnership. Inglis, who faced 86 balls, remained unbeaten with 120 runs, including 6 sixes and 8 fours. Glenn Maxwell played a quickfire cameo, scoring 32 runs off just 15 balls.
Australia reached the target in 47.3 overs, losing 5 wickets in the process.
England’s Bowling:
Mark Wood and Jofra Archer took one wicket each, while Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, and Liam Livingstone also claimed one wicket apiece.
With this victory, Australia continued their strong run in the Champions Trophy, bolstered by Josh Inglis’ remarkable performance with the bat.
