Ben Stokes played a valiant inning of 64, giving England a chance to chase down Australia's target of 287. However, Australia managed to take crucial wickets at key moments, securing a relatively comfortable win over the defending champions.
England had a positive start after winning the toss, with Travis Head (11) and David Warner (15) dismissed by Chris Woakes. However, Australia maintained control for the rest of the innings, with Steven Smith (44) forming a strong partnership of 75 runs for the third wicket, and Marnus Labuschagne contributing a patient 71 from 83 balls.
When Australia reached 178-5 after 33 overs, the game hung in the balance, but Cameron Green (47), Marcus Stoinis (35), and Adam Zampa (29) put up impressive performances in the lower order, enabling Australia to reach a total of 286 all out with three balls to spare.
Woakes (4-54), Mark Wood (2-70), and Adil Rashid (2-38) played crucial roles in keeping England competitive and arguably the slight favorites. However, England faced an uphill battle after Jonny Bairstow was dismissed for a first-ball duck. Joe Root followed with just 13 runs, and it was the 84-run partnership between Dawid Malan and Stokes that kept England's hopes alive.
Once Malan was out for 50, and Jos Buttler (1) quickly followed, the responsibility fell on Stokes' shoulders, a situation he thrives in. He accelerated the scoring with three sixes, reaching 64 runs before getting caught off Zampa's delivery, leaving England needing 118 runs with 14.3 overs left.
To their credit, England fought bravely, with contributions from Moeen Ali (42), Woakes (32), Rashid (20), and David Willey (15) as they chipped away at the target. However, the majority of Australia's bowling attack made significant contributions, with Zampa being the standout performer with 3-21. England was bowled out for 253 with 11 deliveries remaining.
As a result, Australia has reached 10 points and currently sits in third place with a game in hand on the fourth and fifth teams. Meanwhile, England remains at the bottom of the table with matches against the Netherlands and Pakistan left to play.
