MELBOURNE: Openers Travis Head and David Warner struck centuries and shared a record 269-run stand while spinner Adam Zampa claimed 4-31 as Australia consigned England to their heaviest defeat, by 221 runs via D/L method, in the third and final ODI match of the series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here on Tuesday.
Travis Head hammered 152 (130 balls, 16 x4, 4x6) while David Warner slammed 106 off 102 deliveries (8x4, 2x6) as Australia posted a mammoth 355/5 in a match reduced to 48 overs due to rain.
England, chasing a revised target of 364 from 48 overs, never got going and lost wickets at regular intervals as Zampa (4-31), Pat Cummins (2-25), and Sean Abbott (2-45) helped the hosts bowl out England for 142 in 31.4 overs to hand their archrivals biggest defeat ever in 50-Over format.
A number of records fell at the MCG on Tuesday as Head and Warner put England to the sword with a brilliant opening partnership. During their 269-run partnership for the first wicket, the pair came narrowly close to breaking their own record for the highest opening partnership by Australia in Men's ODIs, almost beating the 284 they scored against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval in 2017.
It was the ninth biggest stand in the history of Men's ODI cricket and easily surpassed the 182 that West Indies greats Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes scored against the Aussies way back in 1981 as the largest opening partnership at the iconic Melbourne venue.
They also overtook the 252 that Australian legends Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist managed for the highest partnership for any wicket at the MCG and are now just one of two pairs — along with India's Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly — to have combined for more than two partnerships of greater than 250 in ODI cricket.
Warner and Head have hit 795 runs at a phenomenal average of 113.57 in their seven innings at the top of Australia's one-day line-up, with Travis Head now firmly in the box seat to be Aaron Finch's long-term replacement following the former captain's ODI retirement in September.
Warner was eventually out for 106 in the 39th over, while Head followed suit for an ODI career-best 152 just three Olly Stone deliveries later.
Brief scores: Australia 355/5 in 40 overs (Travis Head 152, David Warner 106; Olly Stone 4-85) beat England 142 all out in 31.4 overs (Jason Roy 33; Adam Zampa 4-31, Pat Cummins 2-25, Sean Abbot 2-45) by 221 runs via D/L method. IANS
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