Watch the highlights of England vs Australia 2nd ODI 1985 - Australia tour of England 3-match one-day international series of the 2nd ODI match played between Australia and England at Edgbaston, Birmingham in 01st June 1985.
Opener Kepler Wessels' classy half-century and Captain Allan Border's unbeaten 85 sets up to Australia crushing four-wicket victory over England, despite a brilliant century by Graham Gooch and took an unassailable 2-0 lead to seal the series in the second ODI.
Match Stats :
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England scored 231-7 in 55 overs with top scorer by Graham Gooch struck 115 off 159-balls - which was his 2nd ODI hundred & also his second century against Australia in ODIs - including 9-fours & a six.
Ian Botham cracked a 29 off 36-balls including 2-fours, Tim Robinson hit 26 off 48-balls included 4-fours Allan Lamb scored 25 off consuming 56-balls with a boundary, and Paul Downton 16 not out.
Australia best bowler by Simon O'Donnell, Geoff Lawson, Craig McDermott each took 2-wickets and one for Jeff Thompson.
Australia chased 233-6 in 54 overs with top scorer by Allan Border hit a unbeaten 85 off 123-balls.
Kepler Wessels struck 57 off 100-balls including 6-fours and Simon O'Donnell scored 28 off 34-balls included 4-fours.
England best bowler by Ian Botham, Norman Cowans both took 2-wickets and one for Peter Willey - Paul Allott.
Allan Border named Player of the match for his match-winning captain innings of unbeaten 85-runs knocked off facing 123-balls including 5-fours.
This match reported by Sunday Mercury Staff (Third Party Reference from Sunday Mercury)
AUSTRALIA won their second successive one-day international series in this country, when they scored 233 for 6 at Edgbaston.
Skipper Allan Border was their hero with an unbeaten 85. Coming in at 19 for 2 he batted for 44 overs to clinch the match and he series 2-0.
Australia paced their run-in to perfection.
Border on 35, was dropped by Gower at cover point off Edmonds who himself failed to hold a difficult swirler at third man when Border was on 65.
With Wessels he put on 97 in 25 overs before the opener was caught and bowled by Willey for a dour 57.
The loss of Boon and Phillips to slogging strokes put. England back in the game at 157 for 5 but a partnership of 65 in 11 overs with O'Donnell who scored 28 before he was bowled by Botham, settled the issue.
Gatting's sensational one-handed overhead catch to get rid of Phillips provided the capacity crowd of just over 18,000 with its biggest excitement as they watched England slide to defeat because, as at Old Trafford, their batsmen did not give their bowlers enough runs to defend.
At the tea interval, the game was tilted Australia's way. Having then scored 75, for 2 off 25 overs with Wessels and Border on 34 and 22 respectively, the tourists needed 157 of 35 overs.
That was something of a recovery from 19 for 2 after 9 overs, with both England opening bowlers. Ian Botham and Norman Cowans, claiming a wicket each.
Graham Wood was lbw to Norman Cowans for 5 with the score on 10. The ball straightened back on to the batsman, as did a delivery five overs later from Ian Botham to Dirk Wellham.
Australia were then 19 for 2 and what had seemed a fairly straightforward task of scoring 232 to take the series for the second successive tour, suddenly began to appear difficult.
Paul Allott and Peter Willey were the next two bowlers to be tried and they tied down both Australian batsmen, who found the lack of pace in the wicket made attacking strokeplay difficult.
However, neither player needed to take any risks with such a moderate looking total in mind, and they were content to tick over at three runs an over until tea.
The first surprise of the day had been the decision of Border to field after winning the toss. There was a little early movement for Lawson and McDermott, but the Aussies obviously prefer to chase a total.
Gooch and Robinson set off confidently with. as expected, the Essex opener doing the bulk of the scoring. The first wicket stand was worth 63 in 15 overs when Robinson on 26 was caught and bowled by Simon O'Donnell off a slow full toss.
David Gower again promoted himself to No. 3, and again he failed. He only lasted seven deliveries before in slashing at O'Donnell he gave a catch to wicket keeper Wayne Phillips.
England were then 69 for 2, and with O'Donnell spurred on to a tight spell o 2 for 32 off his 11 overs, the run flow slowed to a comparative trickle. Allan Lamb tried his hardest, but with the ball not coming on to the bat, England had to settle for a lunch score of 120 of 34 overs.
Gooch was then 66 with his half century containing seven of his final tally of nine fours, and coming off 74 deliveries compared with the further 72 he needed to mark his return to international cricket after three years in the wilderness with a splendid century.
Immediately after reaching three figures, he smashed McDermott for a tremendous six over long off, but with wickets falling , regularly at the other end. he was unable to cut loose.
The best stand of the innings was 65 in 21 overs between the Essex man and Lamb, but hard though Botham and Gatting tried, the England innings fell away. thanks to some splendid tight bowling. allied to magnificent fielding by the Aussies.
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