By Rob Barnett at the SWALEC Stadium
Jos Buttler completed England’s brilliant response to Clint McKay’s sensational hat-trick to square the NatWest Series with a stunning three-wicket win at the SWALEC Stadium.
McKay trapped Kevin Pietersen lbw before having Jonathan Trott and Joe Root held in the slips to leave the hosts eight for three in the third over of their pursuit of 228.
Michael Carberry and Eoin Morgan responded with a sensible stand of 104, both contributing fifties that in the former's case was his first in one-day internationals. Yet they fell in fairly quick succession to give Australia hope.
However, Buttler and Ben Stokes joined forces to share an alliance of 75 in 58 deliveries until McKay bowled the latter to leave nine needed from 11 balls.
With seven required from the last over, Buttler launched Mitchell Johnson for a magnificent maximum over midwicket and struck four down the ground to end proceedings with three balls unused.
That took Buttler to 65 from 48 deliveries and left the four-game series level at 1-1, meaning it will be decided at the Ageas Bowl in Monday’s day/night contest.
The hosts had put in a strong display with the ball to limit their opponents to 227 all out. The seam trio of Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin and Stokes, the latter taking his maiden international wicket, impressed as Australia slipped to 57 for four in the 14th over after Morgan won the toss.
George Bailey, who enjoyed smooth fifty stands with Adam Voges and Matthew Wade, aided a recovery en route to an exceptional 87, including three sixes to long-on off James Tredwell. Tredwell, though, struck thrice late on as the last five wickets fell for 18 runs to leave 10 balls unused.
From three down in the third over of the reply, Carberry and Morgan initially consolidated, seeing off the immaculate McKay and Johnson, who was bowling at express pace.
Having shared a half-century alliance, they gradually upped the ante and Carberry simultaneously brought up his fifty and the hundred stand.
Morgan cover-drove Shane Watson for four to raise his milestone, but next ball played on for 53 and soon Carberry walked across his wickets on 63 to become Nathan Coulter-Nile’s first ODI victim.
Ravi Bopara, dropped behind on nought off Watson, was meekly lbw to James Faulkner. However, Buttler, who overturned an lbw dismissal from Watson before he scored, and Stokes kicked on in glorious late-afternoon sun.
Although Stokes had his leg stump clipped in 25, as McKay returned 4-39, Buttler finished in style alongside Tredwell.
On a bright morning England were unchanged while Australia made one alteration with tall seamer Coulter-Nile coming in for his ODI debut in place of Josh Hazlewood.
Having started with a wide, Steven Finn immediately pinned Aaron Finch in front with a full delivery. Rankin then worked Watson over and had him caught behind.
Shaun Marsh and Michael Clarke briefly rallied but Stokes claimed his maiden international wicket via the former’s edge behind on the pull and Finn returned to snare Clarke lbw despite a review.
Bailey and Voges consolidated with a 67-run stand until Bopara bowled the latter for 30. Soon after Bailey moved to a fifty from 57 balls during an 87-run alliance alongside Wade, who sliced Tredwell to backward point on 36 in the same over that James Faulkner was run out by Trott from backward square-leg.
Tredwell bowled Johnson and McKay either side of Bailey feathering Rankin behind, having faced 91 deliveries, as Australia lost their last five wickets for 18 runs to leave 10 balls unused.
England Innings
6:12pm - ENGLAND WIN BY THREE WICKETS TO LEVEL NATWEST SERIES 1-1 - Buttler brilliantly launches Johnson for a mighty maximum over midwicket and, after a dot, four down the ground to seal victory with three ball to spare. He ends on 65 not out from 48 balls and keeps the series alive to its conclusion at the Ageas Bowl on Monday.
6:09pm - McKay, who took 4-39, concedes just two from a superb over that ended with Buttler nearly being run out as he retained the strike. Seven to win from the last over.
6:04pm - WICKET! Stokes b McKay 25; Eng 219/7 - Stokes gives himself a little room and sees his leg stump rattled. That brings Australia back into the game and halts a partnership of 75 in 58 deliveries.
6:03pm - Stokes pulls Johnson down the ground for four and, following another risky run, with two overs to go England are after another nine.
5:55pm - FIFTY! Buttler (41b 4x4 1x6) - Buttler and Stokes’ fifty partnership comes from 35 balls in Watson’s over but the latter is lucky not to be run out when Clarke misses the non-striker’s stumps from point. Buttler then smashes Faulkner out of the ground for the innings’ first six. At the end of the over there is 23 to win from 24 balls and Buttler soon gets to a half-century.
5:44pm - Buttler cutely opens the face to Watson for two consecutive fours. Following a tight over from Faulkner, 36 are required from as many balls.
5:34pm - After Buttler hits Faulkner to the long-off rope, Johnson is denied having Ben Stokes caught behind when TV replays suggest he gloved it. Stokes immediately pulls for four, leaving the hosts wanting 53 from eight overs.
5:26pm - Buttler uppercuts Johnson towards third man and gets four when Aaron Finch goes for a catch but concedes the boundary. Soon after, the batting powerplay yields 32, meaning England need 69 to win with 10 overs and four wickets left.
5:18pm - WICKET! Bopara lbw Faulkner 7; Eng 144/6 - The left-armer traps Bopara, who knows he was hit in front as he opts not to review.
5:10pm - REVIEW! - Jos Buttler, who got off the mark with a cover-driven four off Coulter-Nile in the first over of the batting powerplay, is hit on the pads by Watson and given out on eight. But he reviews and Hawk-Eye shows the ball missing leg stump.
4:57pm - WICKET! Carberry b Coulter-Nile 63; Eng 126/5 - Carberry edges four just out of Wade’s reach but next ball goes too far across his wickets and has his leg stump tickled as the format debutant gets his first ODI scalp. It has been an outstanding knock from Carberry. England require 102 from 16 overs.
4:49pm - CHANCE! - New man Ravi Bopara, on nought, gets a regulation edge off Watson but wicketkeeper Matthew Wade inexplicably shells it, the ball going through his gloves and hitting him in the stomach. That came after Carberry uppercut Coulter-Nile for four.
4:41pm - FIFTY Morgan (91b 7x4 0x6) & WICKET! Morgan b Watson 53; Eng 112/4 - The captain cover-drives to the boundary to move to a half-century but next ball plays on, ending a stand worth 104 in the 31st over.
4:38pm - FIFTY Carberry (83b 5x4 0x6) & CENTURY PARTNERSHIP! - The left-hander guides Watson for a single to third-man, heralding two milestones. This is a highly responsible innings from Carberry.
4:32pm - Carberry’s single to leg off Faulkner ushers England to three figures. The opener then cuts Coulter-Nile for four, bisecting two boundary fielders in the process.
4:21pm - Johnson goes round the wicket to Carberry, who powerfully pulls him for four to take the stand with Morgan to 80.
4:09pm - Morgan ups the ante with three fours in a McKay over via a flick to fine-leg, a punch down the ground and a pull. That leaves the hosts wanting 152 from 27 overs.
4pm - McKay returns and Carberry chips him just over extra-cover before beautifully cutting four next ball. In the next over, bowled by Johnson, the fifty partnership arrives from 113 deliveries.
3:54pm - Morgan lifts Watson over mid-off for the first four in six overs shortly before England’s fifty arrives.
3:49pm - Watson and Coulter-Nile continue, still keeping the batsmen in check. England need 185 from 32 overs.
3:33pm - Michael Clarke makes a double bowling change as Watson and Nathan Coulter-Nile, playing in his first ODI, come on with tidy first overs.
3:24pm - Morgan and Carberry respectively drive McKay and Faulkner down the ground for four as the fourth-wicket pair consolidate sensibly after McKay’s three in three.
3:17pm - McKay and James Faulkner each deliver a maiden as England reach 26 for three from the mandatory powerplay.
3:02pm - The over after Eoin Morgan played Johnson through the covers for four, Michael Carberry drives him down the ground for another boundary. Johnson, bowling at express pace, discomforts Carberry with a short ball that the batsman gloves onto his shoulder and sees loop to safety in front of the slips. McKay then has a confident appeal and review for caught behind against Morgan turned down.
Huge cheers as Morgan survives the 4th ball of the over #EngvAus
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) September 14, 2013
2:44pm - WICKET & HAT-TRICK!!! Root c Watson b McKay 0; Eng 8/3 - Joe Root also drives at his first ball and nicks through low to Shane Watson at first slip, sparking wild celebrations.
2:42pm - WICKET! Trott c Finch b McKay 0; Eng 8/2 - Jonathan Trott drives away from his body and edges to second slip Aaron Finch who holds on at shoulder height.
2:39pm - WICKET! Pietersen lbw McKay 5; Eng 8/1 - Following a tight opening over from Mitchell Johnson, Pietersen tries to play McKay to leg but is trapped in front.
2:32pm - Kevin Pitersen clips Clint McKay to the square-leg boundary in the first over of England’s chase.
Australia Innings
Watch highlights of Australia's innings
1:47pm - AUSTRALIA 227 ALL OUT! McKay b Tredwell 2 - Tredwell cleans up Clint McKay, who was aiming for a big shot, with 10 balls of the innings unused. England will be happy to restrict Australia to that score, although Bailey’s 87 has given the tourists a chance.
1:40pm - ODI debutant Nathan Coulter-Nile opens his account by cover-driving a Finn full-toss for four in the paceman’s last over. He returned 2-43. Rankin then completes his allocation for figures of 2-31.
1:32pm - WICKET! Bailey c Buttler b Rankin 87; Aus 218/9 - Not any more! Bailey feathers an edge behind off the returning Rankin to end an exceptional innings spanning 91 balls, with five fours and three sixes.
1:29pm - WICKET! Johnson b Tredwell 4; Aus 218/8 - Tredwell, bowling from round the wicket, beats Mitchell Johnson’s defence to leave Australia eight down from 45 overs. Bailey is still there on 87.
1:21pm - WICKET! Faulkner run out 1; Aus 210/7 - In the same over Bailey takes a single to backward square-leg from where Jonathan Trott throws smartly to Buttler, who breaks the stumps with James Faulkner short of his ground.
1:17pm - WICKET! Wade c Carberry b Tredwell 36; Aus 209/6 - Root just gets one over and Wade then slices Tredwell to backward point where Carberry jumps for a one-handed catch.
RT @balegj: "The perfect ground for the purest technique"@MichaelVaughan on @bbctms about @SWALECstadium. High praise indeed @GlamCricket!
— Glamorgan Cricket (@GlamCricket) September 14, 2013
1:12pm - Joe Root’s spin is introduced and driven to the cover boundary by Wade, taking the tourists past 200.
1:05pm - Following a delay for a change of ball, Bailey twice pulls Stokes aerially for four and hits him down the ground for another as the powerplay yields 39, making Australia to 192 for five from 39 overs.
12:53pm - After Wade slashes Stokes for four through point, Finn and Stokes keep it fairly tight in the next couple of overs. Wade then takes Finn four another boundary in the same area as a half-century alliance arrives from 45 deliveries.
12:36pm - Matthew Wade cuts Bopara for four to move Australia beyond 150 in the 34th over, after which the batting powerplay is taken.
12:32pm - FIFTY! Bailey (57b 1x4 3x6) - Bailey collects his third similar six off Tredwell, who he then sweeps aerially for four before nudging two to leg to herald his half-century. He could have been run out from the over’s last ball but Michael Carberry’s throw was wayward.
12:21pm - WICKET! Voges b Bopara 30; Aus 124/5 - Bopara skids one on to Voges, who attempts to pull but has his off stump clipped. That ends a stand of 67.
12:14pm - Stokes, who is having a good day, pulls off a stunning right-handed stop at point to deny Voges runs off Bopara. Later in the over Bailey and Voges’ fifty partnership arrives from 88 balls. Bailey then launches Tredwell for a second maximum, this time over wide long-on.
12:04pm - Bailey lifts Tredwell for six to the relatively short long-on rope, Australia’s first boundary for six overs. Australia reach 92 for four half way through their innings. Voges then edges Bopara through a vacant slip region for four.
11:58am - Eoin Morgan makes a double bowling change with seamer Ravi Bopara and spinner James Tredwell introduced, both starting with tight overs.
11:44am - Voges picks up a rare boundary with four to fine-leg off the returning Rankin but Stokes keeps the pressure on from the other end.
11:33am - New batsmen George Bailey and Adam Voges go 15 balls without scoring against Finn and Stokes before both get off the mark. The hosts’ seamers are very much on song today.
Hawk Eye shows the ball to be just clipping the top of leg stump pic.twitter.com/KKPtIy6ByW
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) September 14, 2013
11:18pm - WICKET! Clarke lbw Finn 22; Aus 57/4 - Finn takes over from Rankin and is immediately hit down the ground for four by Clarke who, later in the over, is struck in front and given out. The skipper reviews but replays show the ball clipping the top of leg stump.
11:12am - WICKET! Marsh c Buttler b Stokes 25; Aus 51/3 - Stokes digs one in short and Marsh feathers a pull through to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, who leaps to hold a right-handed catch. That is Stokes’ maiden international wicket.
11:08am - Ben Stokes replaces Finn and Marsh clips four to leg before smashing another boundary past point. Clarke immediately pulls Rankin for another and Marsh raises Australia’s fifty with four more to leg.
11am - Finn and Rankin continue to keep it tight as Australia crawl to 31 for two from the powerplay. This is a fine start from England.
Come on. Who put the ball in the long tube? #EngvAus
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) September 14, 2013
10:50am - Clarke fortuitously top-edges Rankin for four to fine-leg and the ball disappears up a plastic drainage pipe by the boundary. It takes several England fielders several minutes to remove the ball!
10:46am - Shaun Marsh straight-drives Finn for four for the second consecutive over. Between times Rankin discomforts new batsman Michael Clarke.
10:33am - WICKET! Watson c Buttler b Rankin 6; Aus 11/2 - Rankin deserved that scalp. Earlier in the over he twice beat the bat and had an lbw shout turned down. But the bowler then gets one to move away and Watson nibbles behind.
10:28am - Following a tight opening over from Boyd Rankin, Shane Watson slashes Finn aerially through point for the day’s first four.
10:15am - WICKET! Finch lbw 0; Aus 1/1 - Steven Finn starts with a wide but next up traps Aaron Finch in front with a full delivery that was going on to middle and leg.
Pre-Play News
10:07am - The good news is that, after two rain-ruined no-results so far in this rubber, the conditions are bright if cloudy and the forecast for today is fair.
9:53am - Here are the teams in full:
England: Kevin Pietersen, Michael Carberry, Jonathan Trott, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (captain), Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes, James Tredwell, Boyd Rankin, Steven Finn.
Australia: Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (captain), George Bailey, Adam Voges, Matthew Wade (wicketkeeper), James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Clint McKay.
9:48am - ENGLAND WIN TOSS AND BOWL - Michael Clarke calls incorrectly and is invited to bat by Eoin Morgan. England are unchanged, while Australia hand an ODI debut to tall seamer Nathan Coulter-Nile, who replaces Josh Hazlewood.
9:44am - Good morning and welcome to ecb.co.uk’s live text commentary from the SWALEC Stadium on the fourth NatWest Series one-day international between England and Australia, who lead the five-game series 1-0.