Brook hits century as England keeps ODI series alive by ending Australia's 14-match winning run
Chester-Le-Street (UK), Sep 25: England captain Harry Brook struck his first one-day international century before his team clinched a 46-run win by the DLS method to keep alive the series against Australia.
Chasing 305 to win the third ODI, England was 254-4 — with Brook unbeaten on 110 — when heavy rain arrived in the day-nighter at Chester-le-Street. The teams didn't get back on the field and England was well ahead of the run-rate.
Australia, which had cruised to dominant wins at Southampton and Leeds in this five-match series, saw its lead trimmed to 2-1 and its 14-match winning run in ODIs come to an end. During that streak, the team won the Cricket World Cup in India last year.
Coming to the crease with England in trouble on 11-2, Brook took on Australia's seam attack by hitting 13 fours and two sixes in a 94-ball knock to easily surpass his previous ODI-best score of 80.
“I'm relieved, for sure. It's just nice to see some rewards,” said Brook, who gained his first win as stand-in skipper for the injured Jos Buttler. “I'm just glad I managed to play the way I wanted to. It's nice to get that first hundred on the board and hopefully there's plenty more to come.
“I feel like I've been a little bit stop-start this summer. I've had a lot of starts — 30s and 40s — and then not managed to convert, which is frustrating. To do that today, I feel like I'm back in a good place."
The series continues on Friday with the fourth ODI at Lord's.
Playing without explosive opener Travis Head (rested) and star spinner Adam Zampa (ill), Australia was put into bat and needed a strong finish — mainly thanks to Alex Carey's unbeaten 77 and No. 8 batter Aaron Hardie's 44 off 26 — to post 304-7 off its 50 overs.
Steve Smith hit a patient 60 off 82 balls, after the tourists' innings was slowed by losing Cameron Green (42) and Marnus Labuschagne (0) in space of five balls just past the halfway mark.
It looked a tough chase for a youthful England team that had been outclassed so far this series and things started badly when Mitchell Starc dismissed Phil Salt (for an eight-ball duck) and Ben Duckett (8) in the same over — Australia's third.
Brook embraced the pressure of the occasion and went on the attack pretty much from the start of his innings.
His third-wicket stand of 156 with Will Jacks (84 off 82 balls) swung the momentum England's way and the team maintained it when the big-hitting Liam Livingstone came in at No. 6 and immediately smashed two sixes.
Brook used the uppercut to great effect to deal with some short-pitched bowling from the Australians and hit a straight drive for four to get to 99. Off the next ball, he opened the face and edged for another four to reach his century, prompting him to remove his helmet and look to the sky.
Brook's second fifty came off just 33 deliveries.
England's push for victory was then held up by the rain that arrived in the 38th over. It got heavier and heavier, with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern formula showing that the hosts were well in front of the run-rate.
Brook made some interesting comments after the series opener in Nottingham, reflecting on some loose dismissals by saying: “If you get caught somewhere on the boundary or in the field, then who cares?”
He said his words had been misunderstood.
“I think people took that a little bit the wrong way. You've got to go out and play fearlessly and almost have that who cares?' attitude. But that's not a who cares if we lose?' attitude,” Brook said.
“We all want to win, but you don't want to go out and have that fear of getting out."
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Demanding house for self, Odisha man keeps school under siege for 5 days
Rourkela (Odisha), Sep 25: Demanding a house and other property for himself from the government, a man in Odisha’s Sundargarh district has kept a school under siege for five days and injured three people with arrows and stones for coming close to him, an officer said.
The authorities needed 60 personnel of the police, fire brigade and district voluntary force, besides a drone camera and an iron mesh to capture him on Wednesday evening.
The tribal man, a resident of Phuljhar village, was arrested and taken to the local police station.
He used his bow and arrow and a slingshot to injure two policemen and the school headmaster, respectively, since Saturday afternoon when he virtually took over the three-storied building.
The school was not functioning from Monday and students were attending classes in a nearby institute.
With a bow and arrows, a slingshot and stones, Dhani Munda has been staying on the terrace of the Badjal Government Primary School under the jurisdiction of Mahulpada police station.
He dropped a piece of paper writing his demands on it when the police through public address system asked him what he wanted to leave the school building.
Munda demanded a residential building with a boundary wall and garden for him, besides property worth Rs 100 crore in the village, the officer said.
During his stay on the terrace, he shouted “This is my house” several times.
Munda had barged into the school on Saturday after an altercation with the headmaster. Following the argument, he hit the headmaster with a stone using his slingshot, drove him out and locked the school building from inside, police said.
When a group of local youths tried to climb the roof, he threatened them.
After the police were informed, inspector in charge of Mahulpada police station, Suresh Chandra Pradhan, reached the spot with his team.
Munda hit Pradhan on a palm with an arrow when he tried to climb the roof using a ladder. He needed hospitalisation. Another police officer was also injured by Munda.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Bonai, Swaraj Devta, then reached the spot along with fire brigade personnel.
Rourkela SP Brijesh Ray said a drone camera was used to pinpoint his location on the roof.
Finally, a section of the policemen guarding the school building kept him occupied on one side of the roof, fire brigade and district voluntary force personnel reached there from another side.
They used an iron mesh which can stop arrows and stones to capture the man, police said.
For the past five days, Munda has been having the ration stored for the students.
