Australia secured a commanding 2-0 lead in the series after a 68-run victory over England, whose batting faltered once again. Chasing 270, England's top order was dismantled by Australia’s lethal pace attack. Will Jacks and Liam Livingstone both fell for first-ball ducks, while Harry Brook, standing in as captain, managed only four runs.
With the score at 65-5, England looked to youngsters Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell to mount a recovery. Bethell fought hard but was dismissed for 25, looping a simple catch to the fielder. Smith showed promise, edging closer to a half-century, but was out for 49 after clipping a delivery from Josh Hazlewood to mid-wicket. Hazlewood, along with Mitchell Starc, delivered a superb bowling performance, leaving England reeling and still 112 runs short with just three wickets in hand.
Despite brief resistance from Adil Rashid (27) and Brydon Carse (26), England's hopes faded quickly. The home side was eventually bowled out for 202, with most of the crowd already making their way out of the stadium.
Australia’s win was largely thanks to Alex Carey, whose gritty 74 helped lift the visitors from 161-6 to a defendable total. Carey, met with boos due to last summer's Ashes controversy involving Jonny Bairstow, played a crucial partnership with Hazlewood, adding 49 crucial runs.
Australia now heads to Chester-le-Street with a chance to seal the series on Tuesday.
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