Australia have wrapped up a series victory over England with a game to spare after winning the second ODI by 72 runs, thanks to a brilliant innings from Steve Smith and some outstanding bowling from Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and stand-in skipper Josh Hazelwood.
After Hazlewood won the toss and opted to bat, Smith led the way with an impressive 94 off 114 balls as the hosts posted 280-8. There were also half-centuries from Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh, while the returning Adil Rashid was the pick of the bowlers for England with 3-57.
Rashid was one of four T20 World Cup heroes recalled by England, along with Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Moeen Ali. And they made an immediate impact, with Moeen and Woakes removing both David Warner and Travis Head inside the powerplay.
Despite England's good start, Smith and Labuschagne then shared an excellent 111-run partnership for Australia, with Labuschagne taking the lead. The 28-year-old signalled his intent early, advancing down the wicket second ball and striking Moeen for what was his first ever six in ODI cricket.
Labuschagne brought up his half-century off 47 balls, but fell soon after when he chipped a delivery from Rashid straight to mid-off for 58. Rashid then had Alex Carey stumped the very next ball thanks to some excellent work behind the stumps from Sam Billings, filling in for the rested Jos Buttler.
However, Smith and Marsh then added 90 for the fifth wicket, with Smith showing more intent after bringing up his fifty off 70 balls. He eventually fell just six runs short of a 13th ODI century, becoming Rashid's third victim when he attempted to reach three figures with a maximum and holed out to Phil Salt at long off.
Starc then made a brilliant start with the ball for Australia, dismissing both Jason Roy and Dawid Malan in the first over of England's chase for ducks. After enduring a difficult summer that saw him axed for the World Cup, Roy's woes have continued against Australia, with the opener caught down the leg side for a second ball duck after making a scratchy six in the first ODI.
Starc then brilliantly worked over Malan, who struck an excellent hundred in the previous game, twice beating the outside edge before bowling him with an outstanding 91mph out swinger. Hazlewood also got in on the act, castling an aggressive Salt for 23 to leave England in real trouble at 34-3 in the sixth over.
However, James Vince and Billings then dug in and rebuilt the innings, sharing a partnership worth 122 runs that put England in a strong position. When Vince fell lbw to Hazlewood for 60, they needed 125 runs to win from 133 balls, but their chase very quickly fell apart.
Moeen clubbed back-to-back boundaries off Zampa before getting bowled for ten and the leg-spinner followed it up with a brilliant double wicket maiden, bowling Billings for 71 and getting Curran caught at mid-off for a duck. England ultimately slumped to an 72 run defeat, having collapsed from 156-3 to 208 all out.
