Jos Buttler serves up first-class England treat

Armed with a second-string bowling attack, England played exceptionally well to defeat Australia with three wickets and three balls in hand to level the series at 1-1, with one game to play tomorrow (Monday) at Southampton.

At the last, their strategy of selecting a deep batting line-up was justified when the stand between Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes took them to the verge of victory. It was also a game that illustrated why 50-over internationals are vastly superior to 40-over county matches where the emphasis is on containment.

There were quiet passages and lively ones, notably Clint McKay's hat-trick and Buttler's match-winning knock of 65 from 48 balls; and there were cuts and thrusts, attacks and defensive actions so, that through the cool but sunny day, the ascendancy swung to and fro.

In the first instance England were forced to attack after sending Australia in on the grassy pitch, to try and break the back of their innings. With their three seamers - Boyd Rankin again the pick with his steepling bounce - and two slips, England reduced Australia to 73 for four from 22 overs before switching to containment and keeping their target down to 228.

In conditions that always favoured seam bowling, four innings were played that may have a wider significance. Anyone who had the calibre to make a half-century yesterday must have a chance of succeeding at Test level.

The first of these four potentially significant innings was played by George Bailey. Australia could do a lot worse than have Bailey batting in their Test team. Indeed, they have done a lot worse for most of this summer by picking several lesser left-handers.

Confronted with a situation of 57 for four, Bailey did everything to turn the game around except for ramming the advantage home. A final onslaught would have given him his first international century - he has yet to play a Test - and his team a total that could have been defended.

Bailey mixed defence with fluency, reaching his 50 from only 57 balls but, just as he was about to launch his final assault, Australia lost their last five wickets for only 18 runs.

Morgan was rewarded for keeping faith with James Tredwell: after Bailey had on-driven him for three sixes, Tredwell bounced back with three late wickets, so that Australia wasted their last 10 balls.

The second innings that may have been significant for Test cricket came from Carberry, who had to clear up the wreckage caused by McKay. It was the fifth hat-trick taken by an Australian in a one-day international, and his full-length swing could hardly have claimed a more distinguished trio than Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Joe Root.

Why Pietersen is opening the batting on grassy pitches in mid-September against two new balls is a matter for debate: the upshot was that he missed McKay's inswinger and did not even think of reviewing.

Trott, perhaps too keen to get off the mark before facing Mitchell Johnson at the other end, then chased a widish ball and edged to second slip. Joe Root is more suited than Pietersen to opening the batting at this time of year but did not state his case, driving at his first ball and edging low to first slip.

Carberry - a veteran novice, like the Australian Chris Rogers, in being nearly 33 yet starting his England career - was thus faced with a position grimmer than Bailey's of eight for three. Carberry had played one Test, but it was in Chittagong in front of two men and a bullock, when he had scored 30 and 34.

He had been dismissed by spin in both innings, the second time when pressing for a declaration, but yesterday Australia bowled not an over of spin. For a job application as England's reserve opener in Australia — perhaps as their one reserve batsman — Carberry's 63 could hardly have been more persuasive. He looked calm at the crisis, left the ball sensibly, and — like Bailey — turned the game around steadily without going on.

Carberry's piece of essential luck occurred when he was gloved by Johnson's bouncer, only the ball rebounded upwards off his left shoulder and fell to earth. When Johnson returned for his second spell, Carberry coped well with his extra pace, and raised his wrists high to hook Johnson downwards for four, whereas Morgan hooked in the air.

If England's selectors announce two reserve batsmen in their Ashes squad tomorrow week, the middle-order candidates include Morgan, James Taylor, although his technical deficiency in off-driving is becoming more apparent, and Gary Ballance.

Morgan yesterday again proved his temperament to be excellent, but his back foot remains anchored on leg-stump and, as a consequence, he played and missed more often than Carberry.

After a stand of 104, Carberry was bowled behind his legs and Morgan chopped on an off-cutter that did not cut, leaving Jos Buttler with a lot to do - and he did it. Emboldened by his first one-day 50 at the start of this series, if not by his 23rd birthday last week, Buttler quickly brought the required rate down to less than a run a ball.

Soon Buttler's innings unfolded as the fourth of the day to have significance beyond the white-ball game. He did not indulge in dinky shots but used his exceptional wrists to drive far and high. As batsman/keeper he has the makings to succeed Matt Prior later or, possibly, sooner.