Travis Head scored an
unbeaten 154 and Marnus Labuschagne contributed 77 not out as Australia
successfully chased down a formidable 316-run target to beat England by seven
wickets in the first of their five-match One Day International Series at Trent
Bridge on Thursday.
Australia reached
317-3 with six overs to spare after bowling England out for 315 in 49.4 overs.
It was a 13th
successive ODI win for last year’s World Cup winners, and sixth in a row over
England, despite being forced to field a depleted line-up because of illness in
their camp and injury.
Head’s highest ODI
score, coming off 129 balls with 20 fours and five sixes, was ably supported by
Labuschagne, who earlier had also proven key in restricting England’s strong
start to the contest.
England, who won the
toss and chose to bat, saw Ben Duckett fall five runs short of his century
while Will Jacks scored 62 runs off 56 balls in a brisk start.
The pair put on 120
for the second wicket and even after Jacks' dismissal England were well set to
go on and compile an imposing target as they reached 213-2 in the 33rd over.
But as a desperate
Australia looked to stem the runs, having seen debutant quick Ben Dwarshuis
forced off after bowling four overs having strained a chest muscle, they turned
to part-timer Labuschagne, who put the brakes on the home team.
He dismissed Duckett
with a slow leg break that sat up on the surface, deceiving the England opener
who popped it up for an easy caught and bowled.
Labuschagne followed
up his first ODI wicket in two years with two more, having England captain
Harry Brook caught and bowled for 39, and going on to finish with figures of
3-39 in six overs.
Australia lost captain
Mitchell Marsh early on in their reply and when Steve Smith went at 96-2 in the
16th over, they looked in potential trouble.
But Head kept
battering the bowling and his unbeaten 148-run fourth wicket partnership with
Labuschagne saw the tourists comfortably home.
He did offer an early
chance when he edged Jofra Archer wide of second slip when he had six runs but
for the rest was imperious.
"I got a bit
lucky at the start," said Head. "But if you could get through, there
were a lot of runs on offer. It is nice I could contribute."
The second ODI between
the two countries is at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.