Head, Warner plunder centuries as Australia crush England in final ODI

Melbourne: Dominant centuries from Travis Head and David Warner helped Australia thrash a tired England by 221 runs on Tuesday in the third and final One Day International at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to sweep the series 3-0.

After a six-wicket loss in Adelaide and a 72-run defeat in Sydney, England’s long tour ended with a crushing defeat at the same venue where they won the Twenty20 World Cup this month.

Australia made a formidable 355-5 on the back of Head’s 152 and Warner’s 106 in a rain-hit game reduced to 48 overs, with the pair’s 269-run stand the ninth-highest opening partnership in 50-over cricket and the biggest at the MCG.

Concussion check

It left England needing 364 to win under a DLS-adjusted target, an ominous score they never looked like getting against a disciplined attack led by the pace of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa’s spin.

With Phil Salt sidelined for a concussion check after hitting his head while fielding, Dawid Malan was elevated to open with Jason Roy but he fell for two to Hazlewood.

It didn’t get any easier for the batsmen, who were restricted to just 49-1 off the opening 10 overs, already well behind the required run rate.

Resistance broken

Cummins accounted for Roy (33) and Sam Billings (7) in quick succession, while James Vince ground out 22 off 45 balls before Sean Abbott broke his resistance.

When Zampa removed skipper Jos Buttler (4) and Chris Woakes in successive balls, then Moeen Ali (18) in his next over, England were 95-7 and their hopes over. Zampa ended with 4-31.

Buttler, back after missing the Sydney game, won the toss and put Australia in to bat, only to watch an exhibition from Head and Warner.

Head made his third one-day century and highest score of 152, off 130 balls with 16 fours and four sixes, as he solidified his place at the top of the order after the retirement of Aaron Finch.

Warner built his 19th ODI ton off 97 balls. With conditions overcast and cool, the England bowlers extracted early swing and Head survived a missed catch on four and being given out lbw on nine, which he successfully challenged.

Full control

But he settled as he and Warner assumed full control, bringing up their second 100-run partnership in three matches.

Rain interrupted play for 30 minutes but the pair resumed where they left off with Head racing to his century, bringing up the milestone with a four from Chris Woakes. Warner soon followed, crunching Olly Stone to the ropes.

The partnership was finally broken by the persistent Stone, who bagged both Warner and Head in the same over and finished with 4-85 after removing Mitchell Marsh for 30 and Steve Smith for 21.