England are in the familiar position of being 2-0 down to Australia with three to play after a deflating batting performance saw them lose the second ODI by 68 runs.
Set 271 to win, England’s hopes of levelling the series appeared a lost cause when they lurched to 65 for five in 9.3 overs against an Australia side who fielded eight of their 2023 World Cup final XI.
Jamie Smith, who has impressed to such a degree at Test level this summer that he has ended long-term scrutiny on the wicketkeeping position, spared England’s blushes with an encouraging 49 off 61 balls.
But England were all out for 202 in 40.2 overs and, a little over a year after losing the first two Tests in the Ashes, they are in an identical bind in another five-match series against their old rivals.
England turned the tide then to claim a thrilling 2-2 draw but they have been outplayed twice in the last three days by the world champions, having suffered a seven-wicket thrashing at Trent Bridge.
As on Thursday, they had their moments in Leeds, reducing Australia to 221 for nine but failed to apply the finishing touch as Alex Carey’s 74 off 67 balls lifted the tourists to a competitive 270 all out.
Josh Hazlewood, back alongside Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell after illness, was vital to a last-wicket stand that frustrated a much more inexperienced England outfit. Hazlewood and Starc then shared the first three wickets to take the wind out of the home side’s sails.
Phil Salt was dropped in the second over but he continued to flash hard at Hazlewood and inevitably nicked off for 12 before Starc found his range, with Will Jacks departing for a golden duck after fiddling away from his body and edging to Short in the cordon.
England were in big trouble when captain Harry Brook’s head fell across the line after being served up a big inswinger from Starc, with the Yorkshireman burning a review.
Ben Duckett found some relief with three boundaries in an over off Hazlewood, including a heave for six into the Western Terrace, but he was caught and bowled for the second match in a row for 32, deceived by a slower delivery from Hardie, who strangled Liam Livingstone down the leg side first ball.
With England ahead of the rate, Smith and Jacob Bethell, featuring in his second ODI, batted according to the situation and initially demonstrated a better temperament than some of their team-mates.
But any thoughts of another Headingley miracle evaporated when Bethell got a leading edge off Maxwell that looped to Starc to depart for 25 to end a 55-run stand, while Smith fell one short of a maiden ODI fifty after flicking Hazlewood to midwicket.
To their credit, England did not throw in the towel, with Brydon Carse and Adil Rashid each muscling two fours and a six in making 26 and 27 respectively.
But Starc ended proceedings, claiming his third wicket when Olly Stone was dismissed.
Stone was brought in for his first ODI since January 2023 as England rested Jofra Archer, with Brook winning the toss and this time electing to field.
It was largely boundary or bust as Australia took just seven singles in the first powerplay, still racking up 59 for one. Travis Head, fresh from his match-winning 154 in Nottingham, and new opening partner Matthew Short were lethal with anything in their arc but they were both dismissed for 29.
Head was fed a hip-high delivery by Carse, usually meat and drink for him, but ended up pulling straight to Stone in the deep.
Short flirted outside off through to Smith off Matthew Potts, who turned up the heat by snaking one through Steve Smith’s defences and knocking back his off-stump.
Mitch Marsh, who revived his Test career here last year with a supreme century, thumped three sixes off Carse with one clearing the ground and looked in good order until he was lbw for 60 after missing a sweep off Bethell.
Glenn Maxwell became Rashid’s 200th ODI wicket when shovelling to Bethell and when the Yorkshireman also took out Adam Zampa after Carse had snared Aaron Hardie and Starc with successive deliveries, Australia were in trouble.
But having shared a 55-run stand with Hardie, Carey astutely farmed the strike with only Hazlewood for company.
Hazlewood faced just 11 deliveries in a run-a-ball stand of 49 as Carey took sixes off Will Jacks, Potts and Stone before holing out to deep point off the latter.
Australia were all out in 44.4 overs but they had more than enough on the board.