Australia clinches one-day cricket series 3-2 after rain arrives too late for England

BRISTOL, England — The rain arrived too late for England as Australia won the deciding fifth one-day international to clinch the series 3-2 on Sunday.

Australia finished on 165-2 in 20.4 overs, appearing to be comfortably on track to reaching the original winning target of 310 before rain stopped play at Bristol's County Ground. No further play was possible and Australia won by 49 runs under the DLS method which sets revised targets for interrupted cricket matches.

Australia struggled with injuries and illness during the series, and fielded a different starting lineup in each game and a stand-in captain — Steve Smith — in the decider when Mitch Marsh withdrew because of soreness.

“It’s certainly been a tricky series," Marsh said. “But it’s just the calmness, our ability to stay present with the XIs we put out, that impressed me.”

The teams entered the game tied at 2-2 and the match would have been abandoned as a no-result, with the series ending 2-2, if Australia had not batted for 20 overs — the minimum for a win to be declared.

England could have stretched out the innings further had it not bowled four overs of spin but Harry Brook insisted his overriding ambition was on making inroads into the batting of Australia.

Brook saw the positives from an entertaining series.

“We’ve got a lot of positives to take away from that,” said Brook, who filled in as England captain for the injured Jos Buttler in this series.

“They’re the best team in the world and we’re playing against some of the best bowlers and batters to have ever played the game."

Australia raced to 103-1 after only 10 overs, losing Travis Head to Brydon Carse for 31. Matthew Short’s 58 off 30 balls got Australia ahead of the run rate and, despite apparent stalling tactics from England as the 20-over mark hovered into view, Australia eased to the series win.

Steve Smith was 36 not out, with Josh Inglis undefeated on 28 when stumps was called.

Ben Duckett earlier hit 107 in 91 balls and Brook contributed a 52-ball 72 with seven sixes in England's 309 all out in 49.2 overs after losing the toss and having to bat first.

England was on course for a huge total before Brook holed out to Adam Zampa, after hitting him for five sixes, sparking a collapse from 202-2 in the 25th over. Liam Livingstone, who launched a brutal onslaught against Australia in England's 186-run win in the fourth ODI at Lord’s, was this time caught behind off Zampa for a three-ball duck.

Duckett was one of four wickets to fall to Head, the fifth spinner Australia used, on a wearing pitch. Head took 4-28 in 6.2 overs, and Aaron Hardie, Zampa and Glenn Maxwell took two wickets each.

Australia, the World Cup champion in the 50-over format, had a 14-game winning streak ended when England won the third game of this series to keep it alive.