Watch the highlights of England vs Australia 2nd ODI 1981 - Australia tour of England (Prudential Trophy) 3-match one-day international series of the 2nd ODI match played between Australia and England at Edgbaston, Birmingham in 06th June 1981.
Pace bowler Dennis Lillee took 2-wickets in the last-over of the match as Australia pulled off a thrilling 2-run victory over England, despite a fighting knock from Mike Gatting's 96 and level the series with 1-1 in a tight-game of the second ODI.
Match Stats :
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AUSTRALIA scored 249/8 (55 Overs) with top scorer by Graham Yallop 63 (132) and Graeme Wood 55 (80)
England best bowler by Ian Botham 2/44 (11) and Mike Hendrick 1/21 (11)
ENGLAND scored 247 for all-out (54.5 Overs) with top scorer by Mike Gatting 96 off 131-balls - who fell four-run short of his century and Jim Love 43 (53)
Australia best bowler by Dennis Lillee 3/36 (10.5) and Geoff Lawson 3/42 (11)
This match reported by Peter McFarline (Third Party Reference from The Age)
The Australian cricketers go to Headingley on Monday with a great chance of winning their first Prudential Cup after an exciting two run win over England at Birmingham. The win in the second of the Prudential matches levels the three match series at one-all.
England tailender Mike Hendrick was out to the second last ball of the match to end his team's innings at 247 just two behind Australia's total of 249-8.
The Australians captured three wickets in Lillee's last over of the match, including that of Mike Gatting. the beefy Middlesex right-hander who had threatened on his 24th birthday to fashion victory after the Australians had taken control early in the match.
The game, with its ebbs and flows and heavy rain in the morning lasted until 8.40 pm when finally the normally reliable hands of Marsh clasped on to his only catch of the Innings. Marsh had given Gatting two lives in the beginning of his innings and these lapses looked certain to give England victory late in the match.
With two oven remaining England needed 16 runs but Gering reduced this by 10, twice hitting boundaries off fast bowler Rod Hogg. When Lillee began the last over the target was only six. But Lillee, and the Australian fielders, made the wispy chance reality.
Robin Jackman was run out off the first ball, when he tried to run a bye, Marsh's return to the batsman's stumps was wide. but Lillee picked up the ball and beat a desperate Jackman to the other set of stumps.
Gatting's innings of 96 in 194 minutes with 14 fours and a straight six off Trevor Chappell, ended on the next delivery when Geoff Lawson. on the extra cover boundary, took a spectacular diving catch from a lofted drive.
Getting. had been missed at 2 and 13, both times by Marsh off Terry Alderman. The second chance, as straightforward as possible, slipped from his gloves as he tried to throw the ball in the air.
Gatting capitalised with some magnificent driving, especially off Chappell, whose 11 overs cost 69 runs and the Australian bowlers and fielders faltered under his pressure.
The tourists went into the match determined to improve their fielding which meant that regular players John Dyson and Ray Bright lost their positions. But the gamble was justified when the lion-hearted Lillee induced an edge from Hendrick off the second last ball and Marsh this time was pack to his old self. The Australians had given England another chance off the third last ball of the innings
when Hendrick and Bob Willis ran a crazy leg bye and Martin Kent's shy at the stumps resulted in a needless overthrow. Not enough can be said of Lillee who a week ago was thought to be in doubt for the first Test because of the aftereffects of his bout of viral pneumonis. Now, as usual. he is back leading his country to success by superb courage and will to win. not to mention talent.
The Australians, despite an early setback when Chappell was out. hooking. to the first hall he faced. adopted a far more mature approach to the one-day game.
Graeme Yallop, back to his rghtful spot in the team and Graeme Wood showed the way with a second-wicket stand of 86. Wood's contribution was 55 with five fours and Yallop, the anchorman, finished with top-scope of 63 in 158 minutes with four boundaries. The Aus tralian run-out madness continued when both Kim Hughes (34) and Allan Border (17) sacrificed their wickets, charging for stupid singles to the right hands of two of the world's best fielders, David Gower and Peter Willey
The impetus was lost by these dismissals but restored towards the end of the inning by the much improved Lawson, who smashed Graham Gooch for successive sixes (over mid-off and square leg) as he raced to 29 not out.
Then the bowlers especially Alderman, Lillee and Lawson held the early England batsmen in check. Hogg bowled Gooch for 11 and Lawson took the prized middle stump of Geoff Boycott for 14. When Alderman bowled Gower for 2 England was 36-3 and in trouble.
That trouble was skirted first by Gatting and Jim Love in a hard-hitting stand of 75, before Love's 43 run contribution was ended by the accurate Lawson. Then Willey (37) and Ian Botham (24) helped Gatting take the score to 224-5 and apparent safety.
it was going to be a great day for England. for about the same time, the country's muchmaligned soccer players were demolishing Hungary 3-1 in Budapest. But Lillee, Hughes, Marsh and others were determined to make sure D-day for once. meant defeat for England.
Mike Gatting named Player of the match for his fighting batting performance to scored a career-best 96-runs knocked off facing 131-balls including 14-fours and a six.
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