ENG VS AUS 3RD ODI

Right then, although it ended abruptly, we witnessed another entertaining contest between these two old rivals. At the halfway mark, England found themselves with their backs against the wall, but the way they executed this chase to bring the five-match series to 2-1 will undoubtedly boost the confidence of this young English side. As for Australia, they won't want to dwell on the loss for too long as they still lead the series and they will be hoping that Travis Head and Adam Zampa are fit enough to feature in the next game. The caravan will now move to London with the fourth ODI of the series set to take place at Lord's on Friday, 27th September. It will be another day-night game with the first ball to be bowled at 11.30 am GMT. As always, you can join us early for all the build-up. Until then, take care and goodbye!

The captain of England, Harry Brook is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his stellar ton. He says that they started off with the ball very well and got some wickets as well. Further says that Australia got partnerships in the middle to push the score past 300. Lauds Will Jacks for the way he batted during their stand. Shares that the wicket got better to bat on towards the back end of Australia's innings. Mentions that the message to the batters was to go out there and play their natural game. States that it was nice to get his maiden ODI hundred and hopes that he can get many more.

Mitchell Marsh, the skipper of Australia says that they did extremely well to get to cross 300 given how hard it was to bat initially. Adds that at one stage, they thought 250 could have been ideal but getting to 300 was great. Talks about the pitch that flattened out a bit and the opposition built a strong partnership which took the game away and they will hope to do better in the next match.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, England won the toss and opted to bowl, a no-brainer given the rain on Monday and the pitch being under covers all day. With the ball nipping around, it was tricky early on for the Aussie top order. After weathering the early storm, Steven Smith and Cameron Green began to build a solid foundation, but their dismissals pegged Australia back. Enter Alex Carey, who stepped up with crucial partnerships alongside Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Hardie. Their late surge helped Australia score 104 runs in the final 10 overs, finishing with a competitive total of 304 on a challenging surface. For England, Jofra Archer and Matthew Potts bowled well with the new ball but could not quite execute their plans at the death. While Potts went wicketless, Archer ended with a couple of wickets to his name and the third seamer, Brydon Carse chipped with a wicket.

In response, Australia had to adapt quickly, and they did so with Cameron Green leading the charge with a short-ball strategy. Green was rewarded with a couple of wickets, but England maintained control of the chase, especially with Brook still at the crease. The English skipper showcased remarkable acceleration, racing from fifty to his maiden ODI hundred in just 33 balls. Liam Livingstone came out firing and ensured England stayed ahead in the run chase, which proved crucial as rain eventually intervened. When play was halted, the hosts needed just 51 runs from 74 balls, and with no further play possible, England emerged victorious by the DLS method.

On a surface that proved challenging for batting, with the ball hooping around and the pitch offering spongey bounce, England had their work cut out in their chase of 305. Although the new ball didn't move as much as it did during Australia’s innings, Mitchell Starc still managed to extract enough movement to dismiss both English openers early on. However, Will Jacks and Harry Brook quickly came together and adopted a proactive approach, aiming to disrupt the bowlers' lines and lengths. As the innings progressed, both batters grew in confidence, targeting the first couple of balls in each over and milking the rest. They found boundaries with ease, each racing to their respective fifties.

With six seam-bowling options, including skipper Mitchell Marsh, Australia would have felt confident after setting a challenging target. However, the movement was noticeably less pronounced than in the first innings, and the absence of Adam Zampa due to illness, their key weapon for breaking partnerships, was felt keenly. But let's not take anything away from England, who executed a masterclass chase to keep their series hopes alive. Harry Brook delivered a true captain's knock, and his impressive 156-run partnership with Will Jacks saw them over the line in this must-win game.

UPDATE - That's it, folks! We have official confirmation! England win the third ODI by 46 runs (DLS method) and keep the series alive. It's a well-earned result, especially considering how the hosts were cruising towards the target before the rain interrupted play.

UPDATE - 6.59 pm GMT - Great news! It has stopped raining. Now, the only question is how long it will take for the ground staff to get the field ready for play. Given the time constraints, it seems likely we might be looking at a shortened game, with overs potentially being lost. Scratch that! The rain has returned and it is coming down heavily. The wait continues!

UPDATE - 6.48 pm GMT - Not great signs as more covers are being brought on! The rain has gotten heavier, and it appears we might be in for a longer delay. As neutrals, let's hope this isn't how the game concludes. We all want to see a proper finish to this exciting contest, don't we? Stay tuned for further updates.

UPDATE - 6.36 pm GMT - Uh oh, the players are walking off! The drizzle has intensified, and the umpires have signalled for the ground staff to bring on the hover cover. It's a frustrating pause in play as both teams look on, hoping the weather clears up soon. As per on-air commentators, England are currently 46 runs ahead of the DLS par score. We have 30 minutes of buffer time before we start losing overs. Stick around for more news.

Hits the hard length, over off, Liam Livingstone opens the bat face and guides it to backward point.

Abbott goes full and into the pads, Liam Livingstone drives it to mid on.

Stuart Broad informs us on air that there is a bit of rain in the air.

WIDE! short and over off, Liam Livingstone leaves it alone for a wide.

SIX! The short balls did bring up a couple of wickets for the Australians, but it is now proving to be an expensive gamble. Abbott bangs it into the deck on middle, Liam Livingstone backs away opening the off side up and ramps it over backward point for a biggie.

Digs it in short and over off, Liam Livingstone sways out of the line and leaves it alone.

WIDE! Short, over the head of Liam Livingstone. Wide signalled by the umpire.