Josh Inglis Leads Australia to Record-Breaking Victory Over England
Josh Inglis smashed his maiden century to guide Australia to the highest run chase in Champions Trophy history, securing a five-wicket win over England in Lahore on Saturday.
Inglis’ Blistering Century Seals Historic Win
The 29-year-old Inglis, originally from England, scored an unbeaten 120 off just 86 balls. Australia chased down England’s 351-8 in 47.3 overs, marking an electrifying start to their Group B campaign at Gaddafi Stadium.
Inglis’s remarkable knock overshadowed England opener Ben Duckett’s record-setting 165 off 143 balls — the highest individual score in tournament history — captivating a near-capacity crowd of 31,000.
Early Setbacks and a Game-Changing Partnership
Australia faced early trouble at 27-2 after Travis Head (6) and skipper Steve Smith (5) fell to Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, respectively. However, Matthew Short (63 off 66 balls) and Marnus Labuschagne (47 off 45 balls) added 95 runs for the third wicket before spinners Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid dismissed both.
With 215 runs still needed from 27.4 overs, Alex Carey (69 off 63 balls) and Inglis built a game-changing 146-run partnership. Carey, who was dropped on 49 by Archer, eventually fell to Brydon Carse, leaving Australia with 70 runs to chase.
Inglis Reaches Century in Style
Inglis brought up his century with back-to-back sixes off Carse and another off Archer, reaching the milestone in just 77 balls. Glenn Maxwell provided the finishing touch with a fiery 32* off 15 balls, including two sixes and four boundaries. Australia took 226 runs off England’s pace attack of Wood, Archer, and Carse.
Ben Duckett Sets Record Despite England’s Loss
Earlier, Ben Duckett delivered a career-best performance, scoring 165 runs with 17 fours and three sixes. His innings surpassed the previous Champions Trophy record of 145, jointly held by Nathan Astle (New Zealand, 2004) and Andy Flower (Zimbabwe, 2002).
England posted the highest innings total in tournament history with 351-8, breaking New Zealand’s previous record of 347-4 against the USA in 2004.
England’s Aggressive Start and Solid Middle Order
England adopted an aggressive approach, with Phil Salt hitting a boundary and six in the first over before falling to Ben Dwarshuis for 10. Jamie Smith (15) also fell to Dwarshuis before Duckett and Joe Root (68 off 78 balls) stabilized the innings with a 158-run partnership.
Harry Brook, celebrating his 26th birthday, scored just three runs. Brief cameos from Jos Buttler (23), Liam Livingstone (14), and Archer (21* off 10 balls) added to England’s total.
Australian Bowlers Struggle Without Star Pacers
Missing star pacers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, Australia’s bowling attack of Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis, and Nathan Ellis found it tough to contain England. Dwarshuis was the standout bowler with figures of 3-66, while spinners Adam Zampa and Labuschagne took two wickets each.
Controversy Over Indian National Anthem
The match saw controversy when part of the Indian national anthem was mistakenly played before Australia’s anthem. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated that the error was due to an International Cricket Council (ICC) playlist mishap. PCB spokesperson Sami Burney emphasized that the PCB had no involvement, and an explanation from the ICC is awaited.
Group Standings and Next Matches
South Africa, who defeated Afghanistan by 107 runs on Friday, joins Australia in Group B. Group A includes defending champions Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
Teams
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), Travis Head, Matthew Short, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson
England: Jos Buttler, Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid,
Match Officials
- Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL) and Joel Wilson (WIS)
- TV Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)
- Match Referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
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