England Beats Australia to Take 2-0 Lead in One-Day Series

Ravi Bopara top-scored with 82 as England beat Australia by six wickets in the second one-day cricket international to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

England restricted the tourists to 251-7 at the Oval in London, then reached its victory target with more than four overs to spare. Ian Bell made 75 in England’s 252-4.

The hosts will replace Australia atop the International Cricket Council’s one-day rankings by sweeping the series. That would make England the first country to be No. 1 in all three forms of the game as it currently tops the Test and Twenty20 ratings.

Eoin Morgan hit the winning runs to finish unbeaten on 43. He’d cracked 89 not out in the 15-run victory in the opening game at Lord’s in London on June 29.

Earlier, Shane Watson hit 66 and George Bailey 65 for Australia, while Brett Lee struck 20 from 11 balls at the end of the innings. Tim Bresnan took two wickets.

The next match is on July 4 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

To contact the reporter on this story: James Cone in London at jcone@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Christopher Elser at celser@bloomberg.net.