Harry Brook’s scintillating maiden ODI hundred led England to victory over Australia at Chester-le-Street, a seemingly daunting chase handled with some comfort before the rain arrived to produce a 46-run margin on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern. England’s first win in the format since December kept the series alive with two to play, whilst also ending Australia’s 14-game winning run stretching back to the 2023 World Cup.

Brook’s inexperienced side looked to be in trouble after failing to contain Australia with the ball despite helpful conditions early on,  Alex Carey’s unbeaten 77 leading the cavalry charge in the second half of the innings. England then stumbled to 11 for 2 in the fourth over, Mitchell Starc removing both openers in the space of five balls.

But a stand of 156 between Brook and Will Jacks, who made 84, flipped the chase on its head. Although Jacks and Jamie Smith were both bounced out by Cameron Green, Brook was joined by Liam Livingstone in another pulsating stand that brought the requirement down to 51 from 74 balls, at which point the weather closed in.

Brook walked off unbeaten on 110 from 94 balls, with 15 boundaries, having become the youngest England captain to score a century in ODIs.  Australia were without a key member of their attack, with Adam Zampa missing through illness – they also opted to rest Travis Head – but this was nevertheless a hugely encouraging performance and a vital demonstration of what England’s new-look batting line-up could achieve after two costly implosions at Trent Bridge and Headingley.

Australia’s greater nous had appeared likely to determine the result shortly after the innings break. Faced with making what would have been the second-highest successful chase at the Riverside – after the 311 overhauled against the same opponents in 2018 – England started badly, Phil Salt chipping Starc’s eighth ball to midwicket and Ben Duckett edging a drive to be caught at backward point.

Both Jacks and Brook were quick to show glimpses of what they could do, even amid the wreckage. Jacks clipped his fourth ball, from Hazlewood, serenely back down the ground to long-on, while Brooks’ fifth, a slightly overpitched delivery from Starc, disappeared through extra cover.

By and large they batted watchfully at the outset, occasionally attempting to play with the bowlers’ lengths such as when Jacks advanced to thrash Hazlewood through the off side. England were 45 for 2 at the end of the first powerplay – Australia had been 41 for 1 – and began to open up as Mitchell Marsh shuffled through his bowling options. Brook slapped Glenn Maxwell’s first ball over the head of mid-off, then did the same to Matthew Short with an even bigger hit that sailed all the way.

Brook went to a 54-ball fifty in the same over, his first since taking up the captaincy as cover for the injured Jos Buttler. The hundred partnership arrived two balls later, before Jacks brought up his own half-century, from 55 balls, as the volume levels in the home crowd began to increase. The atmosphere only became more raucous when Starc’s sixth over was ransacked for 19, his third-most expensive in ODIs: Jacks driving and pulling fours before Brook capped the over with a lofted drive over cover.

The momentum was now with England and, although Jacks fell via an uppercut to deep third before Jamie Smith’s top-edged pull ended up in the hands of deep backward square leg, Brook was unperturbed, back-to-back fours off Starc taking him to three figures for only the second time in List A cricket.

Livingstone had by then already struck two of his first seven balls for six and, with the threat of rain in the air, sped England ahead of the DLS requirement with another flurry of boundaries, the result well beyond doubt by the time heavy rain arrived.

Australia, having been inserted, were indebted once again to Carey – only in the side after an injury sustained by Josh Inglis during the T20I series – as he top-scored for the second game in a row. After Steven Smith laid the foundations with his first fifty of the series in testing conditions, Carey and the lower order cut loose to add 104 from the last 10 overs, with Aaron Hardie showing his power in a career-best 44 off 26 that included twice putting Jofra Archer into the stands.

England only struck once during the first powerplay but there was something there for the seamers, as Brook had hoped at the toss. Short, partnered by Marsh in the absence of Head, was caught hooking Archer to deep backward square leg, two balls after hitting the same shot for six. Matthew Potts then thought he had removed Smith lbw, only for ball-tracking to show the delivery would have cleared leg stump on review.

Marsh battled through powerplay while taking several blows to the body but fell straight after, Brydon Carse using home-ground knowledge to locate a nibbly Riverside length and straighten one through to Jamie Smith off the outside edge. From there Australia looked to rebuild, with the third-wicket pair of Smith and Green largely employing low-risk shots during a stand worth 84, seeing off the frontline seamers before looking to target spin, in particular the fifth-bowler combination.

Jacob Bethell and Jacks leaked boundaries initially but, with Australia beginning to look well placed, both spinners struck in quick succession. First Green smacked Bethell to Jacks at straight mid-on, the fielder having just been moved back from a close-in position, then Marnus Labuschagne got in a tangle looking to scoop Jacks and popped a simple catch to the keeper.

Australia were suddenly 132 for 4 and grateful for Smith’s stickability as went on to a 71-ball fifty, reaching the mark with his fifth boundary. Brook then went back to Archer and he finally won a duel with Smith, taking his wicket for the first time in international cricket as Carse pulled off a brilliant running catch at deep square leg.

At 172 for 5, the innings could have fallen away but Carey put on rapid half-century stands with Maxwell and Hardie to tip the game back towards Australia. Hardie’s aggression from No. 8 stood out as 55 runs flowed from the last four overs to put England under pressure. But Brook, with the bat, had a worthy response.

Brief scores:
England 254 for 4 in 37.4overs (Harry Brook 110*, Will Jacks 84; Mitchell Starc 2-63, Cameron Green 2-45) beat Australia 304 for 7 in 50 overs (Mitchell Marsh 24, Alex Carey 77*, Steven Smith 60, Cameron Green 42, Glenn Maxwell 30, Aaron Hardie 44; Jofra Archer 2-67) by 46 runs (DLS method)

[Cricinfo]