Will the real England please stand up? Before these defeats in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Perth, England had won three ODI series this year.
This victory only adds to the feeling that they are extremely difficult to understand.
Banton was superb and, more encouragingly, so were Atkinson and Baker.
This England team has often struggled to get new-ball wickets and Baker, brought in for Jamie Overton to try to correct this flaw, has found significant swing. He took the key wicket of Australian captain Mitchell Marsh, caught high by a diving Joe Root, for two.
Atkinson used the pinch to remove Travis Head for seven – the second consecutive game he dismissed the Australian left-hander – and also caught Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis. Career-best numbers from 4 to 28 reward good recent performances that have often gone unrewarded.
England was not perfect. They lost four catches – first Inglis, then Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green, who made 63 and 64 respectively to drag Australia’s score.
But in the end, Sam Curran had taken two wickets in two balls, including bowling Jack Edwards with his moon ball, in a surge after his poor run.
Green was also perplexed when the ball deflected off Jordan Cox’s shin and onto the stumps and Liam Dawson took 2-41 as he was again favored by Adil Rashid.
It is these performances that suggest England can contend at next year’s World Cup, but much more is needed.
Gn sports
