Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes open door for remarkable England win

In a low-scoring game played out on a used pitch that proved difficult for batting, the home side had found themselves 149 for 8 at one stage, before a 76-run partnership between Tom Curran and Adil Rashid laid the foundations for what followed

England snatched victory from the jaws of defeat following a tremendous bowling performance led by Jofra Archer, to set up a series decider on Wednesday.

In a remarkable, low-scoring game played out on a used pitch that proved difficult for batting throughout, the home side had found themselves 149 for 8 at one stage, before a 76-run partnership between Tom Curran and Adil Rashid laid the foundations for what followed.

A matter of hours later, however, Aaron Finch and Marnus Labuschagne were at the crease together with Australia 144 for 2, only to see their final eight wickets for 63 runs.

At the start of the day, Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to bat, predicting that the surface would become more taxing for stroke-play as the game wore on.

And he was proved right from the beginning; Mitchell Starc forced Jonny Bairstow to edge behind without scoring, before Jason Roy – who played and missed often as he looked to hit his way back into form – was run out superbly by Marcus Stoinis as Joe Root attempted a quick single.

Root, meanwhile, scratched around as he looked to rebuild and rediscover his own form. At one stage in his innings, he had faced 28 balls for just three runs. Eventually, he fell for 39 off 73 balls, edging Adam Zampa to slip. He was followed shortly afterwards by Jos Buttler, trapped in front by a ball from Pat Cummins that moved in sharply off the seam.

When Morgan was trapped lbw on review by Zampa just three overs later, England were in real trouble at 117 for 5. Sam Billings, a centurion in defeat on Friday, was Zampa’s third victim, with Sam Curran and Woakes both dismissed in quick succession to leave England 149 for 8 and staring in the face the prospect of a first bilateral home ODI series defeat since Ed Smith took charge as chief selector.

Jofra Archer excellence precipitates dramatic Australia collapse

They were indebted, therefore, to Rashid and Curran, who added 53 runs in the final four overs of the innings as part of a vital partnership that took England to a final total of 231 for 9 from their 50 overs – a par score perhaps, but far more than had looked likely even ten overs earlier.

In response, England made the early breakthrough they needed, with David Warner dismissed by Archer for a fourth consecutive game. Archer was bowling quickly and with real hostility; when he bounced out Marcus Stoinis for nine, England knew they were one wicket away from bursting into Australia’s middle order of allrounders.

However, Finch and Labuschagne added 107 in the only stand of the match to assert any true authority. But when the latter was dismissed on review by Woakes, who had been brought back by Morgan in a final throw of the dice, the door was ajar for a comeback spearheaded by Morgan’s captaincy and Archer’s bowling.

He claimed his third wicket when Mitchell Marsh dragged onto his stumps, before Woakes castled both Finch and Glenn Maxwell inside two overs. With the opening pair bowled out early, though, as England hit Australia with their main weapons, it was left to the Curran brothers and Rashid – who had been unusually expensive – to close out a fine win.

Sam Curran dismissed Cummins, Starc and Zampa, before Rashid returned to have Alex Carey stumped to give England a 24-run victory that, only an hour beforehand, had seemed a farfetched scenario.

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