England faced off against Australia in a competitive 5-match ODI series on English soil. After Australia jumped to a 2-0 lead, England rallied to win the next two games, bringing the score to a dead heat at 2-2. The deciding match took place on September 29 in Bristol at the Seat Unique Stadium, where Australia chose to bowl first after winning the toss.
The innings began with a promising stand from Ben Duckett and Phil Salt, who put on 58 runs together. However, the momentum shifted when Aaron Hardie removed Salt for 45 off 27 balls—an innings that included 5 boundaries and 3 sixes. Hardie continued his dominance by cleaning up Will Jacks for a duck with a sharp off-cutter, paving the way for captain Harry Brook to enter and take an aggressive approach.
Harry Brook drove the scoring forward, sharing a substantial 132-run partnership for the third wicket with Ben Duckett. Brook reached his fifty in just 39 balls before Adam Zampa eventually dismissed him for 72 from 52 deliveries, featuring 3 fours and 7 sixes. England's middle order struggled thereafter: Jamie Smith was caught by Glenn Maxwell for 6, Liam Livingstone fell to a Zampa leggy for a duck, and Jacob Bethell was stumped by Josh Inglis for 13.
Meanwhile, Ben Duckett played a masterful knock, recording his second ODI century. He reached 107 off 91 balls, smashing 13 fours and 2 sixes, before Travis Head finally got him out in the 34th over. The tail didn't add much, as Brydon Carse fell to Head for 9 and Matthew Potts was caught by Inglis for 6. Adil Rashid provided some stability with a cautious 36 runs, though Head eventually dismissed him as well.
England was eventually bowled out for 309 in 49.2 overs. The star of the bowling attack was Travis Head, who dismantled the batting lineup with 4 wickets for only 28 runs. Supporting him were Aaron Hardie, Glenn Maxwell, and Adam Zampa, who each claimed two wickets.
Chasing 310 to win the series, Australia got off to a flying start with Travis Head and Matthew Short. While Head contributed a quick 31 off 26 balls before falling to Brydon Carse, Short was explosive, hitting a half-century in just 23 deliveries. Short eventually departed for 58 off 30 balls, hitting 7 fours and 4 sixes.
England missed a golden opportunity when they failed to appeal for a catch behind with Josh Inglis on 2. Following a drinks break, Inglis was cruising on 28* and Smith on 36* when rain halted play at 4:29 p.m. Because the weather forced an abandonment, the DLS method was applied. Australia was well ahead of the 165-2 par score after 20.4 overs, resulting in a 49-run victory and a 3-2 series win.