England skipper Andrew Strauss lashed out at his batsmen for surrendering the CB Series to Australia at the Gabba yesterday. Australia claimed the fifth one-day international by 51 runs
England skipper Andrew Strauss lashed out at his batsmen for surrendering the CB Series to Australia at the Gabba yesterday. Australia claimed the fifth one-day international by 51 runs.
After winning the toss and batting, Australia made 249, with second-gamer Chris Woakes picking up a record-equalling six wickets.
It seemed insufficient, but the tourists slumped to 145-9, before a late flurry from Steve Finn (35 off 24 balls) boosted their score to a more respectable 198. "It was another poor performance with the bat. There were too many soft dismissals. We thought 250 was very chaseable. We need to finish this series off strongly heading into the World Cup," said Strauss.
The result gave Australia an unbeatable 4-1 lead in the seven-match series, ending England's run of five straight ODI series wins, and the match also raised more than $6 million for victims of the recent Queensland floods.
Australian captain Michael Clarke, who made an overdue return to form with a half-century, said it was a gutsy effort from the Aussies.
"I think we did really well to scratch out 249. We weren't looking all that flash at one stage, and then the bowlers did a great job tonight. I think we are improving." ufffd
