England have found some one-day international cricketer in Tom Curran. It may be that he does not play too many more Test matches — he probably lacks the pace for that — but here he assuredly proved his value in this format, as his five for 35 proved the match-winning figures.
He has some clever variations, as well as producing some devastating reverse-swing late in the innings, but it is his irrepressibly competitive and optimistic attitude that shines brightest. He was a star here and will surely be that and more with his aeroplane wicket celebration for many years to come.
This was another brave victory from England because they were defending just 259 after an innings in which Jason Roy gave them a flyer and Joe Root made a typically calm and authoritative half-century, but no one else sparkled.
It meant that they took the series 4-1, and deservedly so, even if the result here in Perth was harsh on Andrew Tye, the home-town boy who took five wickets in the first international played at this spanking new stadium in front of a crowd of 53,781 before later discovering that he had become a millionaire courtesy of the Indian Premier League auction.
The fairytale story would have been victory for him too, but that was not taking into account Marcus Stoinis falling softly for 87, to an excellent catch from Curran to add to his bowling, which was backed up by Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.
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Roy had failed three times since his record-breaking 180 but the truth is that we will have to accept such periods if he is to play such an aggressive role. You should never underestimate the importance of such rapidity early on. England were 44 without loss off five overs and 66 without loss off ten. That allowed Root and others to play so easily later on.
Roy had faced the historic first ball here from Mitchell Starc. He clipped it off his legs. And ran four. As you do.
He hit Starc magnificently over long off for six but was then out caught behind — a fine catch from Tim Paine — for 20 from the very next ball. Or was he? A quick check for a no ball revealed that none of Starc’s front foot had landed behind the line, and Roy was reprieved.
He had moved to 49 when he hit Tye’s famous “knuckle” ball high to mid-on, where Josh Hazlewood took the catch.
Jonny Bairstow had made a slowish start, occupying the back seat while Roy screeched along, but he too began to find some fluency, hitting Glenn Maxwell, in for Cameron White, for six down the ground and then upper-cutting Starc over third man for six too. He had made 44 when he dragged Starc on.
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While Alex Hales was batting it was announced that he was the first of a number of England players to have gone unsold in the IPL auction. It was no surprise, really.
He did hit Maxwell for six as well, but he was caught pulling at Mitchell Marsh via his helmet.
England were 151 for three in the 27th over when the captain, Eoin Morgan, joined Root. Morgan made just three from ten balls before slapping Marsh to deep cover. He has had a horrible series with the bat. He will need to be careful. His brilliant captaincy will only keep the vultures away for so long.
Jos Buttler was a victim of Tye’s variations too as he hit a slower ball high to mid-off, Ali hit Adam Zampa to long off, Rashid was run out and David Willey skied to the leg side so that Root was left to steer the England innings almost single-handedly, until he hit Tye to long-on. Tye ended the innings 14 balls early by bowling Jake Ball — and then came the news that the King’s XI Punjab had paid A$1.4 million (about £800,000) for him.
England had rested Mark Wood and Chris Woakes to give Willey and Ball opportunities, but inevitably it was Curran who made the initial impression, first having Travis Head (on four) dropped at first slip by Bairstow and then bowling David Warner with a beautiful yorker.
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That Bairstow’s drop was not too costly was down to a superb throw from cover by Morgan to run out Head for 22 in the 14th over.
Steve Smith’s series suffered a predictably poor ending. He has just not been at the races. He was almost stumped first ball off Rashid and, having scratched to 12 from 23 balls, he fell that way off Ali.
Marsh has looked a good all-round player in this series but he fell, caught and bowled by Ali, with the bowler taking the most remarkable catch between thumb and index finger. Sadly his ground fielding and that of some others was not of the same quality, as England became a little ragged.
Stoinis reached his fifty off 57 balls, and hit Rashid over long on for six soon afterwards. When he went, Australia were 189 for five after 34 overs.
Maxwell flickered briefly for 34 before Curran returned to take the crucial wicket, a leg-before decision requiring a review. Two balls later Curran bowled an absolute jaffa to the left-handed Starc, inducing an edge to Buttler.
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Tye was dropped by Bairstow (a more difficult chance than his first) at deep square leg on six, flummoxed by Curran’s slower ball — some of his own medicine. It did not matter, however, as he soon spooned a leading edge off Ali to cover. Australia had lost four wickets for 14.
Paine was dropped by Hales off Ali so that Australia required 41 from the last seven overs.
Curran returned to bowl Zampa before Paine took 11 from the 48th over, bowled by Ball, who was suffering illness. No matter; Curran bowled Paine with the second ball of the 49th, and it was all over.
“It was a very special day,” Curran said. “You want to be involved in the moments when it can go either way. That is when you get the most satisfaction. What a stadium, what a day, what a team to be part of.”
Indeed.
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England
J Roy c Hazlewood b Tye 49
J Bairstow b Starc 44
A Hales c Maxwell b Marsh 35
J Root c Warner b Tye 62
E Morgan c Stoinis b Marsh 3
J Buttler c Warner b Tye 21
M Ali c Tye b Zampa 6
A Rashid run out 12
D Willey c Marsh b Tye 2
T Curran not out 11
J Ball b Tye 0
Extras (b4, lb2, nb1, w7) 14
Total (all out, 47.4 overs) 259
Fall of wickets: 1-71 (Roy), 2-117 (Bairstow), 3-151 (Hales), 4-157 (Morgan), 5-192 (Buttler), 6-214 (Ali), 7-238 (Rashid), 8-245 (Willey), 9-258 (Root) 10-259 (Ball)
Bowling: Starc 9-0-63-1 (1w,1nb), Hazlewood 9-0-51-0 (1w), Marsh 7-0-24-2, Tye 9.4-0-46-5 (4w), Zampa 10-0-46-1 (1w), Maxwell 3-0-23-0
Australia
D Warner b Curran 15
T Head run out 22
M Stoinis c Curran b Rashid 87
S Smith st Buttler b Ali 12
M Marsh c and b Ali 13
G Maxwell lbw Curran 34
T Paine b Curran 34
M Starc c Buttler b Curran 0
A Tye c Morgan b Ali 8
A Zampa b Curran 11
J Hazlewood not out 0
Extras (lb7, w4) 11
Total (all out, 48.2 overs) 247
Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Warner), 2-86 (Head), 3-119 (Smith), 4-133 (Marsh), 5-189 (Stoinis), 6-192 (Maxwell), 7-192 (Starc), 8-203 (Tye), 9-236 (Zampa), 10-247 (Paine)
Bowling: Willey 9-1-37-0 (2w), Curran 9.2-0-35-5 (1w), Ali 10-0-55-3, Rashid 10-0-55-1, Ball 10-0-58-0 (1w)
England won by 12 runs, take series 4-1
Toss: Australia
Umpires: Simon Fry (AUS), Chris Gaffaney (NZL)
TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRL)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRL)