Jos Buttler century saves England to complete historic whitewash over Australia

Eoin Morgan’s team looked dead and buried when they stumbled to 114 for eight before Buttler's heroics saw them home with one wicket to spare

England completed a historic whitewash (Reuters)

If the mark of true champions is triumphing from impossible positions then England must be nailed-on to win next year’s World Cup after a brilliant unbeaten century from Jos Buttler saw them claim a thrilling one-wicket victory in this final ODI against Australia.

Eoin Morgan’s team looked dead and buried when they stumbled to 114 for eight in pursuit of a meagre target of 206.

However, Buttler’s brilliance somehow got his side over the line to claim not only one of England’s best one-day wins of recent memory but a first-ever 5-0 series whitewash against Australia.

The wicketkeeper-batsman finished this match on 110 after sealing victory with nine balls to spare when he drove Marcus Stoinis through the covers for four to the delight of a raucous 23,500 capacity crowd at Old Trafford.

For a largely one-sided series that had seen England hit a world record total of 481 for six at Trent Bridge last week, the fact Morgan and his players came through to claim a low-scoring thriller made the win even more satisfying.

Indeed, it is an experience they will be able to draw on when, inevitably, they are pitched into a similar situation during next year’s World Cup on home soil.

Australia must believe their tour here is cursed so close were they to claiming one, last consolation win.

Instead they became only the second country England have whitewashed in a five-match series following Zimbabwe in 2001.

England ran through the Australian batting order once again (PA)

“When times are tough and not a lot of us have turned up, the fact that we bat all the way down the order means one of us has to come off,” admitted Morgan. “Today was mesmerising. Jos was outstanding. Everyone in that changing room is very proud of him.

“It was a great atmosphere. The support we’ve had in Manchester has been fantastic. They were our 12th man.”

It appeared as if this contest would be as one-sided as the England football team’s destruction of Panama in the World Cup when Australia were routed for 205 batting first.

So early was the innings wrapped up that the hosts started their reply an hour before the scheduled break.

England dismissed the tourists for just 205 (AFP/Getty Images)

But a spectacular implosion inspired by a spell of three for 12 in four overs by fast bowler Billy Stanlake saw them limp into the interval on 66 for five, still 141 short of victory.

England knew their sixth-wicket partnership between Moeen Ali, who had claimed four for 46 during Australia’s innings, and Buttler would be key to the outcome of this contest.

But it was ended on 36 when Moeen guided Stoinis to third man, the hosts now 86 for six in the 24th over.

England still needed 120 to win, but with Buttler the last recognised batsman alongside debutant Sam Curran, things were not looking good.

England's chase could barely have started worse (AFP/Getty Images)

They got even worse when Australia used DRS to successfully review a caught behind appeal from Richardson that saw Curran go for 15, England now needing 92 from 123 balls.

The game looked all but up when Richardson had Plunkett caught behind first ball as England slipped to 114 for eight.

Buttler, though, kept things interesting, reaching his fifty in 74 balls and then getting the required runs to under 50 during a fine partnership with Adil Rashid.

That became 39 from 60 heading into the final 10 overs, Buttler now on 78.

England stuttered (Action Images via Reuters)

Every run was receiving raucous cheers as Buttler and Rashid’s 86-run stand over 16 overs took their team 11 runs away from victory.

The dismissal of Rashid, toe-ending Stoinis to fine leg, brought eerie silence before Buttler had Old Trafford jumping again when he hit the very next ball for six to reach his hundred in style.

One more big blow and the game would be England’s.

Buttler saw England home in style (AFP/Getty Images)

The only problem was that Jake Ball was now on strike with a ring field. But the No11 batsman saw off an entire Agar over to give Buttler the chance to finish things off.

Instead he took a single off the first ball from Richardson’s next over to leave Ball exposed once more. A single put Buttler back on strike with one ball of the over left. Another saw him retain it for the next, Morgan’s team needing two to win from 12 balls.

And Buttler needed just three of them to seal the match and perhaps the finest moment of his England career to date.

Buttler revelled in his match-winning knock (Getty Images)

Australia had earlier raced to 52 without loss at the start of their innings before a collapse of five for 40 had got them into trouble.

Once again the spin of Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid had turned things for England, while Curran claimed two wickets in three balls on debut to become his country’s youngest ODI wicket-taker.

It was Buttler, though, and the thrilling conclusion that will live long in the memory here. Indeed, this could be seen a significant moment for his all-conquering England team, who have now added winning ugly to their repertoire.