In the end, it was a strange way to end a strange white-ball tour. Steve Smith captaining a one-day match in Bristol in place of Mitchell Marsh, who was captaining in place of Pat Cummins, but whose previous absence in a T20 had been filled by Travis Head. Matt Short replacing Marsh as opener, having been replaced by Marsh a match earlier, after replacing Marsh for two games after Marsh had replaced Short from the T20s. Cooper Connolly getting his second game in Australian colours but still not getting a bat.
It was a strange game watching Australia race the clock and the autumn clouds, trying to face 20 overs of the chase before imminent rain ended the day, needing to stay ahead of the required tally to be awarded a score-projection win and take the series 3-2 should the clouds burst. Rain came four balls after the required overs were reached. A flurry of striking from Short, Smith and Josh Inglis had lifted them to 165-2, enough for the mathematicians to deduce that 144 from 30 overs was sufficiently within Australia’s grasp to deserve the assumption of reaching England’s 309. That omits the possibility of a change in trajectory like the one that England’s own innings suffered, but it’s the cost of doing statistical business.
