LONDON (AP) — Harry Brook hit 87 and Liam Livingstone struck an unbeaten 62 — including 28 off the final over by Mitchell Starc — as England posted 312-5 off 39 overs in the rain-reduced fourth ODI against Australia at Lord’s on Friday.
Livingstone’s blistering finish saw him walk off having smashed three fours and seven sixes — four of those maximums coming in that expensive last over — in a 27-ball knock that put England in a strong position to tie the five-match series at 2-2.
The Australians were chasing 313 to clinch the series with a match to spare on their first return to the home of cricket since a heated Ashes test last year when the players were accused in crowd chants of cheating.
The start of the match was delayed by more than two hours because of rain.
Every England batter got into double figures after Australia won the toss and opted to bown under a cloudy sky.
Ben Duckett got England off to a fast start with 63 off 62 and that was bettered by Brook, who followed up his innings of 110 in the win in Durham in the third ODI on Tuesday with 87 off 58 balls, which contained 11 fours and one six.
Livingstone and Jacob Bethell (12 not out) put on 71 runs in seven overs in an unbroken stand for the seventh wicket.
Starc had figures of 0-70 off his eight overs, with spinner Adam Zampa — back from illness — also expensive but at least getting in the wickets with 2-66 off eight overs.
The world champion Australians haven’t played at Lord’s since a test against England in the summer of 2023 that will live long in Ashes infamy. A controversial stumping of England batter Jonny Bairstow by Carey led to Australia players being jeered mercilessly, with Usman Khawaja and David Warner getting verbally abused and touched by Marylebone Cricket Club members in the sacred Long Room at the lunch interval.
British newspaper The Guardian reported that security has been tightened at Lord’s, with ropes in the Long Room pushed back to widen the walkway for the teams and stairwells off limits to members when players are on the move.
The fifth and final match of the series will take place in Bristol on Sunday, when bad weather is forecast.
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