Two days after being bowled out for 131 in Perth, England turned the one-day series against Australia on its head at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. Tom Banton’s 121 off 99 balls carried them to 355 for 6, Gus Atkinson ripped out the top order with 4 for 28, and Australia were dismissed for 220 in 44.3 overs. England won by 135 runs, the series is level at 1-1, and Wednesday’s game in Hobart is now a straight decider.
It was the kind of swing that only white-ball cricket allows. On Friday England looked like a side still searching for a plan against a young Australian attack. By Sunday evening it was the hosts who had questions to answer, especially about a top order that lost three wickets in six balls and never recovered.
Banton and Root build the platform
England were put in and wobbled early when Ben Duckett fell for 9, leaving them 19 for 1. What followed was the partnership that settled the match. Banton and Joe Root added 137 for the second wicket, and the contrast in styles suited the pitch. Root, as he has done for more than a decade, rotated the strike and kept the scoreboard moving without ever looking hurried. He made 62 before falling, a typically tidy contribution.
Banton was the one who changed the tempo. He survived a blow on the helmet from a short ball in the early overs, shook it off and then went after anything pitched up. His hundred, his second in ODI cricket, came at better than a run a ball, and he finished with four sixes in his 121. The innings ended in the 35th over when he picked out Cameron Green, but by then England had the base they needed.
There is a wider story here. Banton only got this run at the top because Jacob Bethell was ruled out with a knee injury, according to Sky Sports. He has since made the most of the opening, with a string of fifty-plus scores in his recent innings. Selectors who wanted a settled ODI top three before the 2027 World Cup may be close to having one, even if it arrived by accident.
Cox and Jacks finish the job
Harry Brook’s stay was brief: the England captain made 5 off 11 balls before trying to manufacture a boundary and getting caught. That could have let Australia back in, but Jordan Cox and Will Jacks made sure it did not. Cox struck 67 off 49 balls and Jacks was unbeaten on 54 off 40, and between them they took apart the death overs, adding 110 in the last ten. Atkinson then joined the fun with two sixes in the final over.
For Australia, Xavier Bartlett was the most successful bowler with 3 for 72 from his ten overs, but the attack missed Mahli Beardman, who had taken 6 for 24 on debut in Perth and was rested for this match. Without his pace and bounce up front, England’s batters were rarely tied down for long.
Three hundred and fifty-six is a big chase on any ground. On a true Adelaide surface it was not impossible, but it needed a solid start. Australia did not get one.
Atkinson and Baker wreck the chase
England made an interesting call with the new ball. Instead of Jofra Archer, Brook handed it to Sonny Baker, playing only his fifth ODI, alongside Atkinson. It worked almost immediately. Australia slipped to 13 for 3 inside four overs, losing three wickets in six deliveries: Travis Head for 7, Cooper Connolly for 0 and captain Mitchell Marsh for 2, caught by Root at slip off Baker. Josh Inglis followed soon after, caught behind on review, and the score was 29 for 4 after seven overs.
Atkinson’s opening burst was the highlight of England’s day. He bowled seven overs on the bounce, straight through the drinks break, and had three wickets in that first spell before returning to finish with 4 for 28. Archer, by contrast, was held back for the middle overs and did not need to bowl his full quota.
Matt Renshaw and Green then gave Australia some hope with a fifth-wicket stand of 98. Renshaw made 63 before he was trapped lbw by Liam Dawson attempting a reverse sweep, and Green reached 64 before an unusual dismissal: he was stumped after a Dawson delivery deflected off wicketkeeper Cox’s pad onto the stumps with Green out of his ground. England’s fielding was not perfect, with chances put down off Renshaw and Inglis, but once that stand was broken the rest of the innings folded quickly and the match ended in the 45th over.
What the captains said
Brook was pleased with almost everything. “Bar a few dropped catches, it was awesome,” he said at the post-match presentation, as reported by Sky Sports. He added that England “looked in control throughout the whole batting innings”.
Marsh did not look for excuses. “We knew England are a well-rounded side and they showed that today,” the Australia captain said. On the broadcast, former England captain Alastair Cook pointed out how hard it is to come back from 1-0 down in Australia in any format, which makes this result more significant than a single win.
Why this series matters
Three-match ODI series can feel like filler between bigger events, but both teams are using this one to shape their plans for the 2027 World Cup in southern Africa, less than a year away. England, in particular, have 14 more ODIs before that tournament, according to Sky Sports, and are still trying to settle on a combination. A batting line-up of Duckett, Banton, Root, Brook, Cox and Jacks, with Atkinson, Baker and Archer leading the attack, is starting to look like a template.
For Australia, the concern is the top order. Head, Marsh and Inglis are proven match-winners, but all three were gone cheaply on Sunday, and the recovery depended on Renshaw and Green. Expect selectors to bring Beardman back for the decider, since he was only rested for this match.
Indian fans watching the overnight cricket will have had plenty to follow on Sunday, with India also wrapping up their ODI series in New Zealand. You can read our full report on India’s 3-1 series win at Bay Oval.
What comes next: Hobart decider and five T20Is
The third and final ODI is on Wednesday, 18 November, at Ninja Stadium (Bellerive Oval) in Hobart, with the first ball due at 9:00 AM IST. The teams then move straight into a five-match T20I series:
- 1st T20I: Saturday, 21 November, MCG, Melbourne (1:45 PM IST)
- 2nd T20I: Tuesday, 24 November, Carrara, Gold Coast
- 3rd T20I: Friday, 27 November, Brisbane
- 4th T20I: Sunday, 29 November, Sydney
- 5th T20I: Wednesday, 2 December, Canberra
On this evidence, England go to Tasmania with momentum and a clearer idea of their best XI. Australia go there needing a much better first ten overs.
Quick facts
- Result: England 355/6 (50 overs) beat Australia 220 all out (44.3 overs) by 135 runs
- Venue: Adelaide Oval, Sunday 15 November 2026
- Top scorer: Tom Banton 121 off 99 balls
- Best bowling: Gus Atkinson 4/28
- Series: 1-1, decider in Hobart on 18 November
FAQ
Who won the 2nd ODI between Australia and England?
England won by 135 runs at Adelaide Oval after scoring 355 for 6 and bowling Australia out for 220.
Who scored a century in AUS vs ENG 2nd ODI?
England opener Tom Banton made 121 off 99 balls, his second ODI hundred.
When is the AUS vs ENG 3rd ODI?
The deciding third ODI is on Wednesday, 18 November 2026, at Ninja Stadium in Hobart, starting at 9:00 AM IST.
What is the AUS vs ENG ODI series score?
The series is level at 1-1. Australia won the first ODI in Perth and England won the second in Adelaide.
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