Australia v England: third one-day international – live

9th over: Australia 59-0 (Head 33, Warner 22) A slow start from Warner, but he opts to get going as soon as Olly Stone comes on. Too short, too wide from England’s recovering quick, and Warner forehands him through cover before pulling him past mid on, two boundaries in succession. Another wide on beats the top edge with bounce, but could have been demolished. Warner doesn’t miss out to follow it though, driving a full ball on bent knee between the cover fielders in the circle. A lazy dozen for him, and the small crowd finds voice.

8th over: Australia 47-0 (Head 33, Warner 10) Live tally suggests fewer than 5000 spectators were here at the start of play. Most of those that I can see are in the Members Stand, where they don’t pay admission. Travis Head is giving them some high-wire entertainment though, clearing his front foot and pumping Willey down the ground for six. Again, the big shot is the only score from the over, as Head can’t beat the field afterwards.

7th over: Australia 41-0 (Head 27, Warner 10) Have to keep reminding myself that the 6th over doesn’t mean anything in 50-over cricket. The conditioning has been relentless. As it has for Head, who hasn’t been playing T20 stuff, but sees a barely short ball from Woakes and has to throw the bat at it. Only around waist height when his bat comes across its line, and it’s so hard to control a shot from there. He gets a looping top edge over the keeper for another dicey four.

Much better from the fifth ball, as he gets proper width from Woakes and crashed it through cover. But misses the inside edge and takes it on the pad to end the over. One of these misses is surely going to be his undoing…

6th over: Australia 32-0 (Head 19, Warner 10) Willey still swinging it, and Head is now muddled. Leaves, blocks, then hurls his bat through an off-drive for four. Streaky as, airborne and flapped away with a bent back knee, but straight of the field. Takes the next ball on the pad but too high to threaten, enough contact to scurry off strike. Warner reaches and nearly kisses width from the last of the over.

5th over: Australia 27-0 (Head 15, Warner 10) There goes Warner at last. Gets the whisper of width he wants from Woakes and plays his vintage back-cut, forcing the ball away with such timing that it speeds to the rope. Always such economy of movement in that shot that’s barely a shot. Follows up with three runs through cover. They’re going at a decent clip despite some good bowling.

4th over: Australia 19-0 (Head 14, Warner 3) There is some assistance for bowlers! Willey got one to jag in his last over, but it started wide and went wider. Now he gets a couple to swing in, it looks like live. And some seam movement away on the replay. There’s some graft for this batting pair in the near term. Head respects it and gets forward to defend for just about the first time today. Has to take his hand off the handle when the next ball bounces at him. Good contest. And brave from Head to end the over: guessing Willey’s line, he shifts over a mite and opens up a leg glance very fine. Four! The only scoring shot.

3rd over: Australia 15-0 (Head 10, Warner 3) Overturned on review! The luck is running for Head. Woakes nails him in line with the stumps, and Pistol Reiffel pulls the trigger, but Head was up on his toes and has cause for concern about the height. As it turns out, the review shows it pitching a millimetre outside leg stump, so the ball-tracking doesn’t even come into it. Warner demonstrates to him how to play a leave after that, then all but chips a catch to mid off, landing just wide and short. Which is also a description of the batsman.

2nd over: Australia 12-0 (Head 9, Warner 1) Head: dropped! And England drop heads. Willey the bowler this time, from the Members End. Another flash from Head, another edge, this one fine enough to hit the second slip, but above his head. Dawson in that spot, tips it over the bar and away for four runs.

1st over: Australia 5-0 (Head 4, Warner 1) Away we go. Two slips and a backward point in for Travis Head. Do you think that stops him hurling his hands at a line outside off stump? Don’t be daft. The edge flies fine to deep third and is well saved by Curran sliding across. Warner adds a single, Head clips three runs to leg. Chris Woakes adds another good over to his good last match.

The rain has gone, the covers too, and the players are walking out to the middle.

In fact, if you’re wondering about the significance of this series for some of the players, I had a long conversation with Sam Billings about it only yesterday at the very ground we’re sitting in. Forgive the pragmatism but it seems relevant.

There’s a video version or the audio interview is part of a podcast here.

A bit more drizzle at the ground, so the hessian is going back on. This should pass quickly, the sky is bright. The ground announcer is still getting very pumped up announcing all of the players. “Number 33, Mah-nus Lllllllaba-shane!”

Teams

England win the toss and bowl

As far as excitement goes, this is the third match in a decided series, it was raining up until a few minutes ago, and I can tell you from recently entering the ground that there is not a torrent of eager Melburnians flocking to this game. So far the seating bowl looks about the same as a healthy Sheffield Shield crowd.

Preamble

Geoff Lemon