Harry Brook displayed the positive actions to overpower his ill chosen words, striking a brilliant maiden one-day international hundred to keep England in the Metro Bank series against Australia.
Days after his ‘who cares’ comments in response to a raft of sloppy dismissals from his side, Brook committed to a masterclass of a 50-over innings, surging the team he is captaining in the absence of Jos Buttler to a 46-run win in a rain-reduced match in Chester-le-Street.
The 25-year-old showed exactly what reaching three figures off 87 balls meant to him when he glanced to the heavens, emulating the tribute he paid to his late grandmother Pauline when he took a century off West Indies earlier this summer.
In conjunction with Will Jacks, who struck 84, Yorkshire’s Brook reconstructed a chase undermined by Mitchell Starc’s double strike in the third over leaving England 11 for two.
The pair combined in a third-wicket share worth 156, broken during a reprise of the short-ball barrage Australia employed during last year’s Ashes when Jacks became the first of two wickets in quick succession by head bouncer Cameron Green.
Things might have turned completely sour for England had Marnus Labuschagne not been impeded in his attempts to complete a spectacular boundary catch by Australia’s 12th man Mahli Beardman when Livingstone, who had got off the mark with a six, was still in single figures.
As he tiptoed around the rope, Labuschagne had the ball in his hands, but made a decisive step over it, seemingly distracted by the close proximity of the teenager.
Within six further deliveries, Brook was looking skywards and when the clouds burst, Livingstone had surged to an unbeaten 33 and England required only 51 runs from 74 balls.
For the second time in 72 hours, Australia had Alex Carey to thank for engineering a defendable total – of 304 for seven – after being asked to bat first.
Carey’s unbeaten 77 followed a man-of-the-match 74 in Leeds at the weekend, representing the second time he has registered back-to-back half centuries in ODIs. The previous pair also came here during the 2019 World Cup, as did his only hundred the following summer, showing his liking for UK conditions. His average of 60.58 is considerably higher than his career mark of 35.
Crisp timing and an ability to exploit the huge acreage of the Riverside saw the left-hander gallop to 50 off 48 balls.
There was one significant scare when – immediately after England had dismissed Steve Smith courtesy of a spectacular diving boundary catchy local boy Brydon Carse, to reduce the Australians to 172 for five – Carey survived a leg before review off leg-spinner Adil Rashid on height.
The narrow escape allowed the first of two punishing 50-plus partnerships, with Glenn Maxwell, to develop as Australia exploited the imbalance of England’s attack for gloomy, bowler-friendly conditions.
In contrast to Australia, who without frontline spinner Adam Zampa due to illness fielded six seam-bowling options, England’s pace artillery was undermanned, leading to Liam Livingstone liquorice all sorts being introduced during a final 10-over assault that yielded 104 runs.
Once Maxwell slammed straight to cover, Aaron Hardie picked up the baton, with a muscular 26-ball 44.
Jofra Archer, returning in place of fellow fast bowler Olly Stone, felt the brunt of it, conceding 31 from his two death overs to complete a full bowling analysis in ODIs for the first time in 18 months.
The beneficiary of Carse’s full length fling to intercept Smith’s cross-bat blow to midwicket, Archer had also struck the early blow with the new ball when he responded to being nailed for six by Matthew Short by increasing the gas to 91.9 miles per hour and watched as a top edge ballooned to fine leg.
Partly due to the atmospherics and partly due to improved discipline from England’s bowlers, the Australian top order could not get away as they did at Headingley on Saturday, with Carse and Matthew Potts, on their home ground, particularly impressive.
